Hearing little He Ze’s childish, soft “thank you,” Lin Zhi couldn’t help but marvel at the strength of He Ting’s genes.
The original owner was rotten to the core, yet the twins hadn’t inherited a single flaw.
Not only were they cute, but also obedient and polite—a rare combination. Today, they deserved an extra two pieces of candy each.
“No need to thank me. How about going to the county to have an auntie take you to eat something?” Wen Xiuxiu said, returning to her seat, her lips curling in a gentle smile.
Little He Ze pocketed the candy, glanced at Lin Zhi, and then shook his head at Wen Xiuxiu. “No, Auntie, we’ve already eaten.”
“Oh? Already eaten so early? What did you have?”
Wen Xiuxiu was about to continue, but someone else suddenly interrupted. She glanced at the speaker and swallowed her words.
Little He Ze held his brother’s hand, thinking of the aroma of noodles and fried eggs, and swallowed before answering: “We had noodles and eggs.”
The children’s clear, crisp voices carried through the carriage. Those who had been quietly chatting turned their heads at once.
They didn’t immediately believe him, but faced with the children, no one said anything unkind and simply followed the conversation.
“Oh, noodles and eggs? Was it delicious?”
“Delicious!” Little He Ze licked his lips and nodded emphatically. “I even drank all the soup.”
“Your mother really made you noodles this morning?” The skeptics wavered at his certainty.
They exchanged glances and simultaneously turned to Lin Zhi. “Is Battalion Commander He back yet?”
“Eh?” Lin Zhi was puzzled. That question was completely unrelated. How did eating noodles have anything to do with whether He Ting had returned?
“If Battalion Commander He isn’t back, why are you being so nice to the children?”
Lin Zhi: So her kindness toward the children must have a purpose? She couldn’t just suddenly have a change of heart?
Ridiculous. She, a model citizen, suddenly acting as the twins’ mother—feeding them, caring for them without expecting anything in return—and now people doubted her motives?
Not in the mood, Lin Zhi crossed her arms, wearing a half-smile. “Why? Can’t it just be a change of heart?”
“Mind your own business. If I lose my temper and let them go hungry again, it’ll be your fault.”
The others were taken aback. Just one question and suddenly it was their fault?
If she hadn’t gone overboard before, they might have believed her. After all, it was just a question—they hadn’t said anything offensive.
“You shouldn’t have asked!” Lin Zhi continued sternly. “Everyone knows my mood swings. I can turn hostile in two sentences, and you still talk too much!”
“I finally got a bit of conscience, gave them something to eat, and you push me with words—then that bit of conscience gets eaten by a dog! Can you take responsibility for that? What if the two children end up hungry again—will you take them home and raise them?”
The crowd froze in shock. One question, and now they were suddenly responsible for feeding the kids?
Afraid of provoking her wrath further, they cautiously moved back, wary of getting too close.
Seeing Lin Zhi offend people in just a few words as usual, Wen Xiuxiu relaxed. She had thought Lin Zhi’s temper had changed, but clearly it hadn’t. That reassured her.
In fact, Wen Xiuxiu and Lin Zhi had never had much conflict. They weren’t even from the same village, and Wen Xiuxiu didn’t even know Lin Zhi existed before she joined the military.
Their current tension was due to Lin Zhi’s inexplicable hostility. Lin Zhi’s incompetence offended everyone in the family quarters, so it wasn’t personal.
Wen Xiuxiu, knowing Lin Zhi didn’t like her but posed no real threat, hadn’t cared much—until He Ting had dodged several assignments to prevent her from snatching his husband. That’s when her resentment began.
Seeing the twins in new clothes and having had a proper meal yesterday, she worried Lin Zhi might suddenly change her temper.
If Lin Zhi truly improved, her reputation in the family quarters would rise. Without her holding He Ting back, he would surely get promoted faster.
Both her husband and He Ting were battalion commanders; if He Ting excelled too much, he would overshadow her husband.
Previously worried, Wen Xiuxiu now relaxed upon seeing Lin Zhi offend people as easily as ever. Taking care of two children was one thing, but without maintaining good relations, her reputation would never improve. Any negative word in front of the commander could still drag He Ting down.
Lin Zhi, unaware of Wen Xiuxiu’s thoughts, sensed something off and glanced over, but saw nothing concerning and looked away.
A few minutes later, it was time. The vehicle headed toward the county, shaking for several hours. By the time they arrived, Lin Zhi felt like her brains were rattling out of her skull.
Her bottom went numb from sitting so long. She wanted to rub it, but the crowded car forced her to abandon the idea.
The twins, who had only been to the county a few times, were also tired, but upon getting off the vehicle, they immediately came alive. Their eyes sparkled, filled with curiosity.
The unit’s vehicle had to return by two o’clock. Lin Zhi had a lot to do, so she didn’t wait to see if anyone was still chatting with little He Ze. She grabbed the twins and moved on.
Watching the mother and children leave quickly, the woman who had been talking to little He Ze sighed.
“What good kids… how did they end up with that kind of mother?”
“Don’t say that. Haven’t you seen? She’s changed now—making noodles and eggs for them.”
Little He Ze had already mentioned it. Seeing her generosity, it seemed she had truly changed.
“I really feel sorry for those two children. Four years old. My three-year-old dog is older than him.”
No food, no clothes. Neighbors’ attempts to help blocked. Their own mother treated them like enemies.
Looking at their fair, clean faces, how could someone be so heartless—just letting two children end up like this?
The crowd sighed at the twins’ harsh living conditions.
“Let’s just hope she’s really changed this time,” someone murmured.
Wen Xiuxiu, standing behind, gritted her teeth. She didn’t understand why a small act of kindness toward the children could make people think Lin Zhi had changed.
As their stepmother, she had to be cautious, putting the children first in everything to gain favor.