Chapter 170: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Reconcile

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Reconcile

On their way back to the guest house, Jiang Moli and Lu Cheng ran into Lu Tingting, who had just finished eating at Feng Meihua’s place.

She sized the two of them up curiously. "Third Uncle, where did you two go?"

Jiang Moli replied, "My dear niece, it’s better not to ask about grown-up business."

"Tch! Who cares about your stupid business!"

By the time they got back to the guest house, it was almost dark.

Lu Cheng fetched some hot water and placed their cold meal container in it to warm up. As he did, he told Jiang Moli everything about his meeting with Yang Lijiong that morning, recounting their conversation word for word.

"When I get back to the barracks, I’ll assign the task of building the stage to Zhao Hongbing and the others. I’ll minimize my contact with her."

Jiang Moli’s gaze landed on the man’s sharply chiseled features, her thoughts drifting.

On the way back, she’d had the system check Lu Cheng’s trajectory in the original book.

Three months later, he would register his marriage with Yang Lijiong.

Four months later, he would be promoted to commander of the independent regiment, stationed at the Menglong Town border, sixty kilometers from Menghai.

After the wedding, Yang Lijiong wouldn’t join him at his post, instead remaining at her job in the arts troupe.

Two years later, Lu Cheng and Yang Lijiong would divorce.

And after that, there was no ’after that,’ because that’s where the book ended.

However, the short time between Lu Cheng’s marriage and his promotion made it hard for her not to wonder.

She suspected Yang Lijiong had been a great help to his promotion.

Lu Cheng, a man who could remain calm when facing death threats time and time again, found himself panicking under the silent gaze of his own wife.

"Moli, please say something to me, okay? When you’re quiet, I have no idea what you’re thinking."

Jiang Moli finally spoke. "The food should be warm by now. Let’s talk while we eat."

"Okay."

Lu Cheng lifted the meal container from the basin of hot water. He picked up a bite with his chopsticks to test the temperature before placing it in front of Jiang Moli.

Jiang Moli took two bites of food, the emptiness in her stomach subsiding. Only then did she look up at the man. "Hey, let me ask you something."

Lu Cheng quickly swallowed the food in his mouth. "Go ahead."

"If you hadn’t married me, would you have married Vice Yang?"

"No."

Jiang Moli looked at him. "I had a dream this afternoon. In the dream, I wasn’t there, and the person you married was Vice Yang."

Lu Cheng looked back at her. "What about you? Who did you marry in the dream?"

His tone was tinged with sourness; clearly, he was more concerned about who might have married Jiang Moli than about the possibility of him marrying another woman.

Jiang Moli said, "I had an accident. I died."

Lu Cheng frowned. "Don’t talk such nonsense!"

Jiang Moli put down her chopsticks. "Let’s be honest. I think if it weren’t for me, you definitely would have married that woman, Yang, just like in my dream!"

This was starting to sound a bit unreasonable.

Suspecting her husband of having something going on with another woman, all based on a single dream.

But Lu Cheng, far from being impatient, looked at her with a smile. "Are you jealous?"

"Stop grinning at me like that!"

Lu Cheng wiped the smile off his face, but the delight still shone in his eyes.

’His wife is even getting jealous over a dream. Does this mean she’s already fallen in love with him?’

’In that case, I have to answer this well. I can’t let my wife down.’

"Let’s assume that in this dream, you never appeared in my life. Even if I had married another woman, it would have only been a second-best choice after weighing the pros and cons."

"Before I met you, marriage was just a task I had to complete in life. If I couldn’t marry the woman I loved, then it didn’t matter who I married."

"But Moli, you’re different. You made me understand that marrying the woman you love and building a life with her is an incredibly happy and wonderful thing."

"So, before I met you, I might have married any woman. But after meeting you, you became my one and only, unwavering choice."

Jiang Moli had originally thought that in the book, Lu Cheng and Yang Lijiong’s divorce was the result of their long-term separation eroding their feelings for each other.

But after hearing what he said, she couldn’t help but wonder.

’Could it be that in the original book, Lu Cheng and Yang Lijiong’s marriage was just an arrangement, a way to deal with the organization’s background checks?’

’Let’s just assume so.’

Jiang Moli’s mood brightened considerably, and she found the man much more pleasing to the eye.

Lu Cheng, keenly aware of the shift in her mood, thought to himself that he had passed her test.

He subconsciously raised a hand to wipe the nervous sweat from his forehead.

He’d never been this nervous, not even when giving his first debriefing to his commanding officer.

He quickly changed the subject. "Do you have class tomorrow morning? If not, I’ll find a couple of guys to go with you to catch crayfish in the river down the mountain. You don’t have to get in the water; you can just supervise from the bank."

Afraid Jiang Moli would think he was just fobbing her off, he added, "I have to go to a meeting in town tomorrow, or else I’d go catch them for you myself."

Jiang Moli agreed. "Okay, then I’ll write you a list tonight, and you can buy the things in town tomorrow."

"Okay."

"So you’re not angry anymore, right? Or should I drag Jiaojiao over here for you to beat up and vent your anger?"

Jiang Moli was speechless but was reminded of something else.

"Were you thinking of promoting Zhang Jia Ming?"

Lu Cheng was blunt. "I used to think Jia Ming was down-to-earth and reliable. I was planning on cultivating his career, but now, it seems unnecessary."

"Is it because of Jiang Qing?"

"The main problem is with him. He’s too easily swayed and has poor judgment when things happen."

...

Staring at the gate of her in-laws’ home ahead, Fan Wenfang had a complicated feeling in her heart.

She hadn’t wanted to come, but her husband had made a special point to call her that afternoon.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Hearing the knock, Lu Deyao turned to An Hui and said happily, "That must be the eldest’s wife. I’ll get the door."

An Hui stopped him. "It’s fine, I’ll go."

She opened the door, and sure enough, it was Fan Wenfang, with Lu Haoyu and Lu Nana beside her.

The brother and sister, unaware of the adults’ conflict, happily called out "Grandma" and rushed inside.

"Mom." Fan Wenfang called out softly, feeling awkward.

An Hui nodded. "Come in. Dinner will be ready after one more dish."

As the spicy crayfish was brought to the table, the family gathered around to eat.

"Grandma, what is this dish? I’ve never seen it before."

"This is spicy crayfish."

An Hui picked out a large crayfish, deftly peeled off its shell, and dipped the pink tail meat into the sauce.

Then, under the gaze of everyone at the table, she placed the piece of crayfish in Fan Wenfang’s bowl.

Lu Haoyu pouted. "Grandma, I want some too."

Lu Nana chimed in, "Me too!"

An Hui looked at her grandson and granddaughter with loving eyes. "Alright, I’ll peel some for you now."

Turning back, she noticed Fan Wenfang staring blankly, chopsticks untouched. She chided gently, "Go on, eat. Don’t just stare. This is the dish the third son’s wife specifically asked to be made for you."

Ma Hongmei chimed in to help. "That’s right. Don’t look down on the crayfish just because they’re cheap. They’re surprisingly delicious when cooked."

"Thank you, Mom."

A mix of gratitude and shame intertwined in her heart, making Fan Wenfang’s voice catch with a slight choke.

Lu Haoyu and Lu Nana ate their fill during the meal, but still wanted more.

It was the first time the siblings had ever eaten crayfish, and they hadn’t had enough, pestering Ma Hongmei to make it again tomorrow.

An Hui handed two large, pre-packed bags to Fan Wenfang for her to take home. "These are all from the third son’s wife, sent from the military base. There’s tea, medicine, and dried fruit."

Fan Wenfang wrung her hands, her face full of shame. "Mom, I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking yesterday and said things that made you angry. Please don’t hold it against me."

An Hui looked at her and said, "What’s the point of bringing up the past? Don’t worry. The third son’s wife has promised she’ll bring Tingting back soon."

"Okay."