Time passed swiftly amidst the busyness of the children attending daycare and Gu Jianing going to work—four days flew by in the blink of an eye.
As for the punishments for Niu Cui, Zhang Qiumei and Zhang Jianjun, they had finally been decided.
Zhang Qiumei and Niu Cui had attempted to undermine a military marriage. Although their actions were only in the initial stages and had not yet caused substantial harm, they were still subject to penalties, even if they didn’t face jail time.
Neither mother nor daughter was allowed to remain in the military compound any longer—they were to leave on an appointed day.
Moreover, Zhang Qiumei’s misconduct would be reported to the university that had admitted her. What disciplinary action the school would take remained unknown.
As for Zhang Jianjun…
Although he had intervened and stopped the situation in time, because Niu Cui was his mother and Zhang Qiumei his sister, his familial ties meant he bore responsibility for inadequate oversight. Thus, he, too, faced punishment.
Zhang Jianjun was demoted two ranks, from a regimental-level officer to a battalion-level officer. Furthermore, unless he performed exceptionally meritorious service within the next five years, he would not be eligible for promotion.
Additionally, before Niu Cui left the military compound, she was required to apologize to the military wives she had previously bullied.
The disciplinary decision was soon publicly announced.
In the residential area of the military compound, everyone clapped and cheered at the news—proof of just how despised Niu Cui’s family was.
But in the Zhang household, gloom had descended.
“Son—Jianjun! Plead with your superiors to let me stay in the compound! I can’t leave! If I go, who will take care of this household?”
“I don’t want to go back to the countryside—I refuse!”
“Brother, please beg for leniency for me! Don’t let them report this to my university, okay? Otherwise… otherwise…”
Tears welled in Zhang Qiumei’s eyes—she was truly terrified.
She had worked so hard to get into college. Though it wasn’t her dream school, graduating would still make her a university student.
In these times, even middle school and high school graduates were considered highly educated, let alone university students. Just getting a degree—even from an average institution—meant she could secure a decent job and enjoy higher social status.
But if the school found out about this, she feared they might expel her.
Being a university student had always been her proudest achievement.
How could she bear to lose that status?
Faced with their tearful pleas, Zhang Jianjun felt nothing but irritation.
“Stop wailing!” he finally roared, unable to hold back any longer.
His outburst startled both Niu Cui and Zhang Qiumei into silence.
Even Zhizhi, Chun Xing’s daughter in the other room, was frightened. Chun Xing covered the child’s ears and frowned at the commotion outside but made no move to intervene.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jianjun had already begun berating Niu Cui and Zhang Qiumei.
“All you care about are your own problems—do you even realize I’ve been punished too?”
“I was demoted! Do you know how many years it took me to climb to the rank of regimental officer? And now, because of your actions, not only have I been reduced to a battalion officer, but I’m also barred from promotion for five years!”
“You’re crying about injustice and begging for my help?”
“Then what about me? Who do I go to for justice? Who’s going to help me?”
“Let me make this clear—the higher-ups have already decided. There’s no changing the outcome. As for what happens next, you’re on your own. Thanks to you, I can barely protect myself now. What more do you want from me?”
Niu Cui stood frozen in shock.
This was the first time her supposedly accomplished son had ever lost his temper at her like this.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she muttered, “Then—then I’ll go beg Regiment Commander Sheng and Dr. Gu. I’ll kneel, I’ll kowtow to them. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it, as long as they forgive us.”
Niu Cui had always been a proud woman.
But now, she knew it was because of her that her son had suffered like this.
This was her most outstanding, most accomplished son.
So, she was willing to swallow her pride and plead with Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing.
But the moment she finished speaking and tried to rush out, Zhang Jianjun barked at her to stop.
“Mother, don’t go. You mustn’t. They’re not people to be trifled with. The matter is already settled—don’t make things worse, alright?”
Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing were neither soft-hearted nor the type to be swayed by emotional manipulation.
He feared that if his mother went and started kowtowing, the situation would only escalate.
“Mother, that couple… we can’t afford to provoke them.”
Niu Cui froze, then began sobbing. “Then what do we do? What can we do now?”
Her gaze then shifted to Zhang Qiumei beside her, her eyes filled with resentment.
“It’s all your fault! You—a soon-to-be college student, an unmarried girl—why did you have to set your sights on a married man? Were you trying to be a homewrecker?”
“I never should have listened to you!”
“Fine, I’m uneducated. I didn’t know what ‘sabotaging a military marriage’ meant. But how could you, a college student, not know?”
“All those years of schooling—wasted on you!”
“I always knew girls were useless. I never should have let you study in the first place!”
Regret and bitterness filled Niu Cui’s heart, and she began lashing out at Zhang Qiumei—the daughter she had once doted on.
Zhang Qiumei stared at her mother in shock.
She had always thought her mother’s tirades about “useless girls” and “wasted money on daughters” were directed at others.
She had even smugly agreed with her mother’s words in the past.
But now, she never expected those same words to be turned against her.
Inside the room, Chun Xing listened to the argument outside, a cold smirk curling on her lips.
…
In the end, the day after the disciplinary decision was announced, Niu Cui and Zhang Qiumei left the military compound.
However, thanks to their pleading, Zhang Jianjun didn’t force them to return to their rural hometown.
After all, he still had his pride to consider.
Back in their village, their family’s reputation had never been good.
Later, after he enlisted and rose through the ranks, he had brought his mother and sister to live with him.
He had even taken revenge on some villagers who had once looked down on them.
If his mother and sister were to return now, not only would they be ridiculed—he would be too.
Even though he wouldn’t be there to witness it, Zhang Jianjun cared too much about his reputation to allow such humiliation.
If his mother and sister couldn’t stay in the military compound, then they would have to settle elsewhere on Huansha Island.
So, he told his mother to use her savings to rent a house in one of the island’s villages, where the two women could live.
It wasn’t as good as the military compound, but it was still better than going back to their rural roots.
“Jianjun, why don’t you have Chun Xing move in with us?” Niu Cui suggested.
Zhang Jianjun frowned. He knew exactly what his mother was thinking—she wanted Chun Xing to wait on them, doing their laundry and cooking.
But…
Leave a Reply