AYLS – Chapter 114

Good deeds don’t leave the house, but bad ones spread fast.

On the way back, Lin Qiao and the others ran into people who were asking about the situation, wanting to know if it was really true.

The rumors had already grown more elaborate than the actual events, saying that the two of them had done… something.

Lin Qiao’s face darkened as she said, “That’s not true at all. It’s all made-up nonsense. You don’t even believe me when I speak. If it had really happened, I would’ve smashed Zhang Tuo’s head in a long time ago.”

Li Ermei, feeling guilty, even scolded while holding her belly: “What are people doing, spouting nonsense when they’ve got nothing better to do? If something like that really had happened, would Commander Zhang have just let that kid Zhang Tuo go? It’s all a trick from that distant relative of ours. She got caught stealing eggs at home and now wants someone else to take the blame.”

“Stealing too?”

The military families perked up as soon as they heard this new piece of information.

Li Ermei immediately told them what Sun Qiao had done. Staying at their house, eating and drinking all she wanted wasn’t enough—she even stole eggs from a pregnant woman. She really didn’t consider herself an outsider.

And when caught, she didn’t reflect on it—she just went around biting at people.

Was she just relying on Comrade Zhang Tuo being a decent, honest man, thinking that if she got close, she could latch on? Which respectable woman would just get close to a male comrade like that? She didn’t just fail to keep her distance—she pressed forward. Doesn’t she have any shame?”

When it came to cursing people, Li Ermei was second to none. She had calmed down a lot compared to before; back then, the people she insulted wouldn’t even have been recognized by their mothers.

This time, Lin Qiao felt quite relieved listening to her and nodded in agreement, saying that it really wasn’t the kind of story the rumors were making it out to be.

“We can’t let someone like that get their way. Otherwise, if others follow suit in the future, picking out a man they like and latching onto him, who could explain that clearly?”

Lin Qiao said with a hint of conspiracy.

Li Ermei immediately felt a sense of crisis. “Exactly! If next time someone sets their sights on your man and does the same thing, who could explain it? We absolutely cannot let someone like that succeed.”

This immediately stirred a sense of crisis among everyone. Those who had originally planned to just watch the commotion now felt drawn in. It made perfect sense to them.

If this really succeeded in entrapping someone, wouldn’t their own men be in danger in the future?

They all began to feel a shared indignation, criticizing Sun Qiao as a vile woman.

“Comrade Li Yan is well-educated and good-looking. Any clear-eyed person would know which female comrade is worthy. And Sun Qiao, who’s only been here a few days, dares to cozy up to him—does she think everyone’s blind?”

“That’s right. Unless we see it with our own eyes, we can’t believe her words. Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors!”

“Well said. That’s exactly how we should handle it.” The other military family members nodded in agreement. This way, their men would have an extra layer of protection.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the two of them, the rumor was finally suppressed.

Back at the chicken farm, Su Weizhen asked them what had happened.

Lin Qiao explained the situation to her.

Su Weizhen shuddered, “Luckily, you were clever and didn’t say anything reckless. If this had been mixed up, Comrade Zhang Tuo’s reputation would have been ruined.”

The army takes issues of conduct very seriously.

Lin Qiao nodded, saying that although she had been angry about the noon incident, she wouldn’t let her anger make her spread false information.

Luckily, she now understood that this had been solely Sun Qiao’s doing.

“I wonder how Comrade Li Yan and Comrade Zhang Tuo’s conversation went…”

…

Zhang Tuo had indeed returned home, but once there, he didn’t know what to say.

Since the last incident, although he often came secretly to check on Li Yan, they hadn’t really spoken much. Their last conversation hadn’t been pleasant.

Now, he didn’t know what to say.

He felt he was being ridiculous. No matter how angry he had been before, after a while, he’d only remember the sweetness, not the fight.

He lowered his head and said, “Whether you believe me or not, I’m not that kind of person. I will not betray our marriage. Loyalty is the most important thing for us soldiers, and I will not go against my principles.” He intended to show his stance on the marriage, but Li Yan was particularly sensitive to the word “loyalty,” taking it as a sharp critique of her past disloyalty.

Li Yan’s chest tightened with sadness. “Whether you’re loyal or not has nothing to do with me.”

Zhang Tuo: “……” He bit his tongue in frustration. “Fine, then I’m just looking for trouble for no reason,” he said, storming out angrily.

Seeing him leave like that, Li Yan began silently shedding tears again.

When Lin Qiao returned from the chicken farm, someone told her that today, Gu Huayuan was eating out and wouldn’t be coming home.

Lin Qiao asked who he was dining with.

The young soldier said it was with Instructor Zhang.

Ah, with Zhang Tuo. Lin Qiao understood; it seemed things between Zhang Tuo and Li Yan still hadn’t been resolved.

She thanked the young soldier, thought for a moment, took a shower at home, changed into clean clothes, and went over to Li Yan’s place.

At Li Yan’s, someone had already brought over her meal. It had gone cold and was inedible. Li Yan herself was sitting at the table, dazed.

When Lin Qiao knocked, Li Yan thought it was Zhang Tuo returning and hurried to open the door, only to see Lin Qiao, and felt a bit deflated.

“Have you eaten? I brought some eggs. Let’s eat some together.”

Lin Qiao took out the eggs she had brought and quickly boiled water.

“Hey, your stove’s going out. Why aren’t you adding coal?”

Li Yan felt embarrassed. “I don’t know how.”

She had learned to do chores, but she’d never handled this before.

Lin Qiao was surprised. “You didn’t light this stove yourself?”

“It was Zhang Tuo… he probably came by every day when I wasn’t home to add coal. Today must have been unusual, so he didn’t get a chance.”

“……” Lin Qiao immediately understood. Even though Zhang Tuo wasn’t home, he still cared about the household, coming every day to tend the stove.

Clearly, he had feelings—so why were they still in conflict?

“What’s really going on between you two? Zhang Tuo clearly cares about you; he must value you a lot.”

Li Yan didn’t know what to say. Some things were too hard to express and she feared judgment.

Lin Qiao added coal to the stove, and soon the fire blazed, quickly cooking the eggs.

Pinching her ears, she soaked the eggs in cold water briefly, then placed them on the table for Li Yan.

“Eat, eat. My Gu Huayuan is also out eating with your Zhang Tuo. I figured I’d just eat with you.”

Li Yan held an egg in her hand but didn’t touch it, her appetite gone.

Seeing this, Lin Qiao knew she was unhappy. She ate her own eggs while saying, “Don’t be upset. I’ve seen clearly what happened today. It was obviously Comrade Sun Qiao causing trouble. When I first got back, I heard the matter would be investigated, in case she had other motives.”

Li Yan nodded. “I know. Zhang Tuo said he wouldn’t do it, so he wouldn’t.”

“Then why are you still unhappy?” Lin Qiao asked. “I just don’t understand. You clearly care about each other—why fight? Look at me and Gu Huayuan. I don’t even want to argue with him. People’s time together is counted day by day. Every day lost is one less. We have to cherish it.”

She thought of leaving Gu Huayuan in the future and couldn’t help but feel melancholy.

Li Yan gripped the egg tightly. “Our situation is different from yours.”

“What’s different? Does he treat you badly, or do you treat him badly?”

“… I have wronged him.”

Wiping her eyes, she said again, “I have wronged him.”

Lin Qiao stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

But Li Yan was only focused on crying, and she did it with a skillful, slow trickle, each tear falling gracefully, looking especially poignant.

Lin Qiao: “…No, no, no. Isn’t this what couples do? They fight and then make up. Look at me and Gu Huayuan—we fight and quarrel, but then reconcile. You just need to let it go. You’re overthinking. Things probably aren’t as complicated as you think. Making yourself sad only puts you at a disadvantage.”

“No, no…” Li Yan cried, tears welling up, “I had someone I liked before.”

“…That’s it?” Lin Qiao didn’t look surprised at all. In fact, she felt the reason didn’t match the outcome. Young people—who hasn’t had a first love? She herself just hadn’t met hers yet. Otherwise, she’d have had an ex too.

Li Yan looked at her, “Don’t you think that’s too much?”

“Too much what? Everyone likes someone when they’re young. Didn’t Zhang Tuo know?”

“He knew. At that time, I had just broken up with that person, and Zhang Tuo immediately proposed to me.”

Lin Qiao got excited. “Oh my, Zhang Tuo even knew how to take advantage of the situation. And then? Then what? He didn’t make a fuss, did he? If he did, we’d have to give him a good talking-to.”

“…He didn’t. He treated me quite well.” Li Yan’s guard lowered a bit at Lin Qiao’s casual attitude, and she really wanted to vent some of her emotions. So she started talking about her feelings after marriage.

She said she had been foolish back then, seeing only love. Without love, she felt like a flower without sunlight—wilted quickly. Life had no joy, and it felt like she’d lost the whole world.

At the time, she and Zhang Tuo had no common topics, and because they weren’t close, she didn’t want to get to know him.

Her mind was always occupied with someone else.

She didn’t even see herself as anyone’s wife, unwilling to get close to Zhang Tuo or have his children. She felt it would tarnish her love.

Lin Qiao listened, stunned. This was really not just about an ex.

She imagined if she married Gu Huayuan, even if it wasn’t for love, and he secretly harbored feelings for someone else, treating her coldly and with annoyance—it made her fists clench just thinking about it.

“So because of all that, Zhang Tuo… moved out?” Lin Qiao could understand that. No one could endure being disliked for so long.

Li Yan shook her head. “No. It was for another reason.”

Lin Qiao: “…”

There was an even more crushing reason?

“I told him I didn’t love him. He got angry and left.”

Lin Qiao: “…So, do you love him or not?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”

Lin Qiao scratched her head, thinking this relationship was very complicated and hard to untangle. “Then… do you still like your ex?”

“…No.” Li Yan shook her head silently. “After I came to the chicken farm, I realized I shouldn’t let love take over my whole life. I want an independent life.”

Lin Qiao thought: that’s not a direct answer—she still has a bit of attachment to her ex.

But from Li Yan’s description, Lin Qiao really thought that person was unreliable. “Don’t you think that person was actually trying to hurt you on purpose?”

Li Yan looked at her.

Lin Qiao continued, “I’m just saying my thoughts. He burned so many letters—why leave yours? If it were me, I’d either take it if I cared or burn it quickly if I didn’t. Anyway, I wouldn’t let it affect the person I care about.”

Lin Qiao’s words struck Li Yan like a thunderclap, leaving her dumbfounded.

“I’m just a selfish person. Whoever I like must treat me well. If they don’t, I definitely won’t like them.” Just like Gu Huayuan—if he hadn’t treated her well, she would’ve kicked the wedding bed aside that night instead of sleeping with him.

“I used to sympathize with you, but now I realize, Zhang Tuo had it hard too. The initiative in your relationship was always in your hands. You need to think carefully: if you don’t want love, do you still want this home?”

Li Yan, who had been immersed in the pain of years of misdirected affection and being cruelly trampled in the end, felt her heart tighten at Lin Qiao’s question. Did she want this home?

Giving up love back then was just to make her future life happier.

But without this home…

Li Yan realized that no matter how unhappy she had been, she had never thought about giving up this home.

Even though Zhang Tuo didn’t come back or see her, she knew he was here—this was their home.