Old Madam Zhao felt guilty, and her voice unconsciously rose. “Bullshit! I didn’t put that poisonous snake there to bite Xiaojin! Jiang Yan, you vicious little bitch, don’t you dare slander me!”
Jiang Yan sneered. Instead of arguing with Old Madam Zhao, she turned to Director Zhang and said, “I found the poisonous snake and the evidence in Xiaojin’s room. I’ve already handed them over to Battalion Commander Zhou Yunjing and asked him to investigate.”
After a pause, Jiang Yan added, “The truth will come out very soon. Director Zhang, are you sure you still want to defend Old Madam Zhao?”
Zhang Fang felt as though her heart were being squeezed by Jiang Yan’s question. Whether she responded or stayed silent, she was in a difficult position.
If she refused to respond, it would amount to indirectly admitting just how outrageous it had been for her to bring Auntie Zhao and the others here today to confront Jiang Yan.
But if she continued to defend her, and the investigation revealed that Jiang Yan hadn’t done it at all and that Old Madam Zhao had merely been accusing her to cover up her own crime, then Zhang Fang’s visit today would become a complete joke.
Jiang Yan walked around Zhang Fang and looked at the military wives gathered behind her to watch the spectacle.
They were afraid of getting beaten, so none of them dared argue with Jiang Yan. They had only come to make up the numbers and had remained silent the entire time.
But Jiang Yan still asked them, “What about you? Do you still want to stand up for Old Madam Zhao?”
How could they dare?
They actually all wanted to leave. Deep down, they also felt that Old Madam Zhao had deliberately framed Jiang Yan.
But the Women’s Director hadn’t left yet. How could they leave before her?
Zhang Fang was so embarrassed that she finally couldn’t take it anymore. She angrily threw out, “I can’t deal with this mess of yours anymore. Let the leaders of the unit handle it. This involves poisoning and attempting to harm someone, so the leaders should be brought in to deal with it!”
Old Madam Zhao panicked. “It’s just a little matter. Why involve the leaders?”
Once the unit’s leadership became involved, this would no longer be a squabble between a few women. It could end up involving their husbands as well.
“Auntie Zhao, are you feeling guilty?” Jiang Yan leaned closer and asked.
Old Madam Zhao jumped in fright. “You’re the one who’s guilty! Your whole family is guilty! I’ve always done everything upright and proper. What do I have to be afraid of?”
She claimed not to be afraid, but the moment she saw Zhang Fang leaving, Old Madam Zhao hurried after her.
“Director Zhang, why are you leaving? You’re the Women’s Director! You can’t just refuse to deal with this…”
She chased after Zhang Fang while desperately explaining.
“Director Zhang, I really wasn’t trying to frame Jiang Yan. I saw Xiaojin had been poisoned, and Jiang Yan happened to be there, so I thought she had done it.”
“I didn’t accuse her for no reason, either. It’s so common for wicked stepmothers to abuse their stepsons. I thought Jiang Yan might also want to get rid of her stepson so that her own biological son could inherit everything…”
Zhang Fang suddenly stopped.
Old Madam Zhao didn’t have time to stop and nearly crashed into her.
“Director Zhang, why did you suddenly stop?” Old Madam Zhao complained loudly.
Zhang Fang’s expression darkened.
“I’m a stepmother too. Are you saying I’m also vicious and can’t tolerate my stepson?”
Although Zhang Fang and Political Commissar Sun were both remarried, she had never mistreated her stepson in the slightest.
“Who knows? What happens behind closed doors?” Old Madam Zhao muttered instinctively.
“You…”
Zhang Fang had heard her.
She was furious.
She had to be out of her mind today to listen to this woman’s nonsense!
Old Madam Zhao also realized she had said the wrong thing.
“Oh, look at this mouth of mine! Director Zhang, I didn’t mean that you mistreat your stepson. Let me explain…”
“Just shut your mouth!”
Zhang Fang shouted at Old Madam Zhao.
Old Madam Zhao immediately fell silent. She hunched her shoulders and followed behind Zhang Fang, trying to find an opportunity to explain herself.
……
Not long after Old Madam Zhao and the others left, Xiaojin woke up.
Jiang Yan fed him the millet porridge she had prepared.
She also served a bowl to Xiaoxi.
The lunchbox was too small, so she had only packed enough for the two children. She herself was still hungry.
But after Old Madam Zhao had caused such a commotion in the ward, Jiang Yan didn’t dare leave and go home to cook.
She decided to simply go to the mess hall and get some food.
It was already past eleven. The mess hall should have food ready by now.
She would be quick and come straight back. It should be fine.
But just as Jiang Yan was about to go get food, Zhao Erniu arrived carrying lunchboxes.
“Sister-in-law, I heard Battalion Commander Zhou say that Xiaojin was poisoned. I figured you guys probably hadn’t eaten, so I went to the mess hall and grabbed some food!”
In reality, it was Battalion Commander Zhou who had sent him.
Jiang Yan glanced at the two lunchboxes.
There really wasn’t much inside.
Since someone was willing to help—and more importantly, she didn’t want to starve—Jiang Yan decided to ask Zhao Erniu to help her.
“Comrade Erniu, what dishes are available at the mess hall today? My appetite is a little big, so that probably won’t be enough. Could you help me get some more?”
As she spoke, Jiang Yan handed Zhao Erniu five yuan and five jin of grain coupons.
The food at the army mess hall was inexpensive. Seeing Jiang Yan hand him so much money, Zhao Erniu hurriedly waved his hands.
“Sister-in-law, you don’t need this much money. The food at the mess hall is very cheap!”
He figured that no matter how big a young woman’s appetite was, it couldn’t be *that* big.
Zhao Erniu cheerfully added, “Sister-in-law, I’ve got money. The Commander always looks after me. Just let me treat you to this!”
“Today the mess hall has braised pork with winter melon, preserved-vegetable braised pork, and scrambled eggs with green peppers. The vegetable dishes are stir-fried pumpkin, cucumber salad, and stir-fried water spinach. Sister-in-law, what would you like?”
Everything sounded delicious!
Jiang Yan unconsciously swallowed.
“Then give me five portions of braised pork, five portions of preserved-vegetable braised pork, five portions of scrambled eggs with green peppers, two portions of cucumber salad, and a big basin of rice!”
That should probably be enough.
If it wasn’t, she could always go back and have another meal later!
Zhao Erniu’s eyes widened until they looked like a bull’s.
“S-Sister-in-law, are you sure you want this much? Are you planning to eat this over several days? The mess hall has meat dishes every day. You don’t need to stock up, and with the weather this hot, it won’t keep anyway!”
The soldiers needed strength for training, so despite the difficult conditions, the mess hall prepared some meat every day.
The portions weren’t large, and the soldiers had to pay for additional servings themselves.
Jiang Yan explained, “I’m not stocking up. This is just the amount I’m eating for one meal!”
“One meal?”
Zhao Erniu let out a startled squeak.
Jiang Yan innocently touched her nose.
“I already told you. I have a slightly big appetite!”
“You call *that* slightly big?”
The words slipped out before Zhao Erniu realized what he had said.
This was his sister-in-law!
He hurriedly explained, “Sorry! I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with your appetite. I-I’m just too shocked. I’ll go get the food for you right now!”
“Thanks!”
Jiang Yan stuffed the money and grain coupons into Zhao Erniu’s hand.
At this point, Zhao Erniu didn’t dare offer to treat her anymore.
He couldn’t afford it!
Because the order was so large, Zhao Erniu borrowed lunchboxes and cloth bags from the mess hall.
He collected two huge bags of food and headed back toward the infirmary.
When Lin Weiwei returned and saw Zhao Erniu walking toward Xiaojin’s ward, she called out to him.
“Erniu, what are you carrying?”
“Food for my sister-in-law,” Zhao Erniu answered honestly.
“Why did you get so much? Did Brother Ting come back?”
Before Lin Weiwei could even finish feeling happy, Zhao Erniu said,
“The Commander didn’t come back. This is all for my sister-in-law. She’s eating it all by herself!”
Zhao Erniu deliberately emphasized the last part.
Lin Weiwei’s eyes widened.
She was going to eat all that by herself?
Was she reincarnated from a pig?
Lin Weiwei didn’t believe it.
She must simply be a poor person who had suddenly become rich, desperate to buy up the entire mess hall!
So, using checking on Xiaojin as an excuse, she went to the ward.
“Comrade Jiang Yan, a great leader once said that we must not be wasteful. I understand that you didn’t get to eat much meat back in the countryside, but you can’t buy so much only to waste it, can you?”
What Lin Weiwei was really worried about was Huo Zhanting’s money.
“Besides, if you’ve gone without enough food and fat for a long time, suddenly eating this much meat will be too much for your stomach to handle.”
In other words, she was implying that Jiang Yan had been poor all her life and had never eaten meat before.
“So, are you teaching me how to eat?”
Jiang Yan put down her chopsticks and narrowed her eyes at Lin Weiwei.