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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Liu looked at Wen Qian, who smiled awkwardly, and for a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Wen Qian nodded with a smile, showing no signs of embarrassment. "It's my family; he's Lu Zheng's younger brother."
Haha, so it really is your family!
Zhang Liu felt an immense relief that Wen Qian hadn’t mentioned too much about Zhang Yan’s sister-in-law's unfortunate situation. If she had, it would have been incredibly awkward to speak of someone’s misfortune in front of them.
Seeing Wen Qian’s unguarded expression, she tried to comfort her. "No, what you said is the truth; I don’t think it’s anything to worry about."
"Lu Zheng really hasn’t come back in quite a while!"
Zhang Liu looked at her in disbelief. "That doesn’t seem right!"
Just a moment ago, Lu Zheng had been so clingy towards her; he didn’t seem like someone who hadn’t seen her in ages. There were still many harsh words left unspoken about him in the village! Besides, Lu Zheng didn’t strike her as the kind of person who would be indifferent. Even if she didn’t trust Lu Zheng’s character, she should trust Yang Yong’s judgment!
"He really hasn’t been back for several days; he just returned recently."
"Then he must be quite heartless to leave you alone at home for so long."
As they spoke, Zhang Liu and Meng Fang began to sympathize with Wen Qian, and their gazes towards Lu Zheng shifted as well.
Wen Qian revealed a bittersweet smile.
"This trip wasn’t entirely wasted; at least I learned about Zhang Yan’s current situation," she thought, feeling somewhat accomplished.
During dinner, the two women looked at Lu Zheng with scrutinizing eyes while Zhang Li and Yang Yong curiously observed their wives.
"How come your attitude changed so quickly? Are you expecting something?"
"When do you plan to leave?" Zhang Li asked Lu Zheng. After a moment of thought, he replied, "It should be within the next week or so; once we finish up everything here, we can leave."
"Will you come back afterward?"
As Yang Yong's question hung in the air, the atmosphere at the dinner table grew heavy and oppressive.
"I suppose we will," Lu Zheng said as he glanced at Wen Qian; their eyes met, both understanding the unspoken meaning behind each other’s gaze.
The memories created here were indeed profound for them—filled with warmth before Wen Qian got married, but mostly painful afterward.
Wen Qian reached out to stroke Lu Chen's hair; especially little Chen had never laughed so freely and happily in the village before. She understood that Lu Chen was scared; the memories left behind were too deep-rooted, and his muscle memory still retained the instinct to hide from fear.
In the future, they might not return often unless there was a reason to come back and check on things.
Lu Zheng noticed that Yang Yong's gaze often fell on Wen Qian—his eyes scrutinizing yet carrying an ambiguous meaning. He interrupted Yang Yong's stare and caught a glimpse of his embarrassed smile while an image of someone flashed uncontrollably in his mind.
After dinner, several men gathered to discuss matters while Wen Qian and the others decided not to linger at home but took the children out for a stroll instead.
This time, surprisingly, Lu Chen didn’t want Wen Qian to hold his hand but chose instead to walk hand-in-hand with a few other children. His face lit up with a big smile, and the timid look in his eyes transformed into joy.
Seeing him like this made Wen Qian wonder if being around the army had brought about such happiness and change in little Chen.
Meng Fang and Zhang Liu looked at Wen Qian with concern; they hadn’t realized how frail she had become until just now in the yard.
Meng Fang tugged at the flesh on her body and glanced at Wen Qian, wondering if her weight could rival that of Wen Qian's twofold.
Why do women have to torment each other like this?
Lu Zheng wasn't any better. No matter the misunderstandings or other matters, he shouldn't just vanish without a word, ignoring everything. If her husband Zhang dared to act like that, she would have taken a knife to him; he would have to face the consequences.
It was only because Xiao Qian had a gentle nature that Meng Fang felt compelled to speak up. She quickened her pace and grabbed Wen Qian's arm.
"Xiao Qian, let me say something harsh; don't take it to heart. I'm saying this because I care about you."
Seeing the concern on Meng Fang's face, Wen Qian understood her good intentions. She smiled lightly and nodded, "Sister Meng, feel free to speak."
"Listen, when it comes to men, you must learn to handle them properly. First, make sure you control the finances; keep the money in your hands. Second, don't let him come home and slack off—he needs to stay active."
"Also, don’t listen to what those old folks in the village say; it's all nonsense. The most important thing is living your life in a way that makes you happy."
"With Lu Zheng not coming back so often, there must be rumors flying around since you just joined the army. You need to be firm and cut off any nonsense, especially if he has any improper thoughts—be ready to sever those ties."
Zhang Liu watched as the two spoke and curiously leaned in to listen, nodding in agreement.
"Sister Meng is right. If you're not tough enough, someone else will be tougher than you. Don't be too soft-hearted; otherwise, you'll definitely get bullied later on. Meng Jie and I won't always be around—you have to look out for yourself."
Wen Qian looked at them with gratitude, tears glistening in her eyes as she held their hands tightly.
They were all good people; even though it was their first meeting, it felt as if they had known each other for ages.
As partners of Lu Zheng's comrades, they should be united in support of him, yet they treated her with such sincerity—it was truly rare. After enduring so much hardship in her past life, she was finally surrounded by good people in this one.
"You’re too thin; you need to eat more! I'm afraid you won't even be able to lift a kitchen knife."
Wen Qian felt a bit embarrassed by their concern; if they knew she could kick over a big man or wield a stick against Lu's family, would it shatter their perception of her?
Good.
A few children bounced ahead of them, their laughter echoing through the air, prompting the three women to chuckle as well.
This peaceful and leisurely life was truly wonderful!
At the Lu household, she had always lived in fear and anxiety, leaving her utterly exhausted.
At Zhang Li's home.
The doors of the courtyard were tightly shut as three men sat around a table inside, the atmosphere serious and silent.
"Old Lu, how's your investigation going?"
"I still have no leads; after all this time, finding an entry point is essential for any progress."
Zhang Li sighed deeply. "Old Lu, why did you suddenly decide to investigate this matter?"
"I had a dream about it; I need to uncover the truth—I must find out my origins."
Lu Zheng recalled the images from his dream: chaos of war, crowds moving through the dark night, voices conversing, and a figure resembling his father from behind.
Lu Zheng looked at Zhang Li. "After I leave, keep an eye on the Lu family for me; see if they make any moves."
"Sure thing; don’t worry!"
The Lu family had relocated here but had left behind no traces or clues before moving. Even if he didn't mention it himself, Zhang Li would remain vigilant.
Yang Yong patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You’ve been away so much; why bother marrying someone? You've wasted so much of her time."
Lu Zheng met his gaze directly and saw the deeper meaning behind his eyes. He shook his head helplessly and apologetically.
It was my fault; I misunderstood her, and I delayed her. From now on, I will make it up to her and the child.
Yang Yong looked at Lu Zheng's expression and thought of his younger brother, who was four years younger than him. Yang Yong's family lived in the neighboring village to Lu Zheng's. Wen Qian had been beautiful since childhood, with a good temperament and a high education. She was the only daughter in her family, which made her even more desirable.
Many families had their eyes on Wen Qian, and during that time, the threshold of the Wen household was nearly worn out from all the visitors. Yang Yong's brother, Yang Tong, had been classmates with Wen Qian since they were young and had secretly liked her for a long time. He planned to propose to her when the time was right.
However, just when their family was preparing to propose, they received the news of Wen Qian's parents' unexpected passing. Reluctantly, they had to postpone their plans. Yang Tong even convinced his parents that after marrying Wen Qian, he would live in her village. In rural areas, this meant he would be moving into his wife's family home. Initially, their parents were unwilling, but after Yang Tong's persistent persuasion, they finally agreed.
As if fate were playing a cruel joke on Yang Tong, news soon came that Wen Qian was going to marry someone else. That very night, Yang Tong sought out Wen Qian and told her that he didn’t mind her situation; he was willing to marry her as long as she agreed.
Wen Qian was taken aback and stared blankly at the man before her, shaking her head in exhaustion. After returning home, Yang Tong locked himself in his room, refusing to let anyone in. He remained depressed for quite some time before finally emerging.
The first thing he did upon coming out was to plead with Yang Yong to let him join the army. He had not married yet despite being of age, and his peers were already settling down. After that incident with Wen Qian, he had not pursued any romantic relationships.
Lu Zheng understood the deeper meaning behind Yang Yong's gaze as he looked at him. Yang Tong had recently been discharged from their unit and had been secretly competing with him; he learned about it from Yang Yong’s words.
Deep down, he too felt apprehensive. The current attitude Wen Qian held towards him could only be described as polite distance—there was no other sentiment involved. After leaving the army, there was still a long-standing rival lurking within the shadows; life would only become more challenging from here on out.
"Take good care of her," Yang Yong advised. "Don’t wait until someone else snatches her away and then regret it."
A glimmer of amusement flashed in Yang Yong’s eyes as he considered his own brother; he might not fully grasp what Yang Tong was thinking. The number of times he returned home could be counted on one hand, and each time he would mysteriously vanish for a night after returning—everyone in the family knew where he went.
Their parents had expressed acceptance of the idea of marrying Wen Qian after her divorce; it was easy to imagine how that conversation went! Inside the house, several people were watching Lu Zheng’s predicament with amusement while outside, a few women were facing an entirely different situation.
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