PWE – Chapter 148

Some people even stepped forward, wanting to help.
“Commander Zhan, do you need help carrying things?”

Commander Zhan was now a popular figure in the unit. If you got along well with Commander Zhan or his family, it would never be a bad thing.

Zhan Zeyan slung the basket onto his back and picked up a suitcase. “No need.”

Xiao Wange’s eyes flickered slightly.

She suddenly took out a bag of candy from the basket and handed it out to everyone. “From now on, we’ll all be neighbors in the same courtyard. If there’s anything I don’t understand in the future, I hope you’ll all give me some guidance.”

No one expected her to be so polite, actually taking out a bag of milk candies to share. They had seen this kind of milk candy before in the department store—it was very expensive.

Although life in this era was no longer as difficult as it had been in the 1960s or ’70s, people’s living standards were still not that high. Many expensive items were still things they were reluctant to buy. Even if they did buy them, it was usually just a little for holidays or occasionally as a small treat.

Everyone accepted the candy, and their impression of Xiao Wange immediately improved.

Commander Zhan’s wife was not only beautiful, but also had a good personality. The way she spoke and handled things showed no affectation at all—she was generous and poised. Getting along with someone like her would surely be very comfortable.

One by one, everyone thanked Xiao Wange. She waved her hand and said, “No need to be so polite. My home isn’t fully settled yet. Once everything is in order, I’ll invite everyone over as guests.”

Everyone laughed and replied, “Alright, then we’ll definitely come and disturb you when the time comes.”

After chatting a bit more with them, Xiao Wange left with Zhan Zeyan and Zhaozhao, heading toward the building across the way.

Meanwhile, Fang Qiaoyu clenched her hands tightly. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her teeth ground audibly.

Beside her, a family member who had received milk candy glanced at Xiao Wange’s retreating figure and grinned. “Commander Zhan’s wife is really a good person. She gave out milk candy the moment she met us—so generous. Most importantly, she’s beautiful. She’s even prettier than those women from the performance troupe.”

“Exactly. Earlier someone said Commander Zhan’s wife looked just average. I thought she really was ordinary, but who knew she’d turn out to be such a beautiful woman?” another family member who had received candy chimed in.

“Hey, wasn’t the one who said Commander Zhan’s wife looked ‘just so-so’ Fang Qiaoyu?” someone suddenly remembered and turned to look at her. “Fang Qiaoyu, you’re really talking nonsense. Commander Zhan’s wife is clearly that beautiful, yet you said she was only average. If she’s ‘only average,’ then what should people like us be called—ugly monsters?”

Fang Qiaoyu already harbored resentment toward Xiao Wange. Hearing others praise her beauty and generosity only deepened that resentment.

She clenched her hands even tighter, her thoughts turning. Then she turned to the people beside her and said, “When I said ‘just so-so,’ I was actually talking about her character. Sure, she’s pretty, but her moral character isn’t great. You don’t know—back in her hometown, she treated her father very badly. I heard she even hit her father and cut off ties with him. No matter what, a father is still an elder. How can you sever the relationship? If you cut off ties, how is an old man supposed to live? I heard her father is living a very miserable life back in their hometown.”

She had deliberately looked into Xiao Wange’s background before, and it was true—Xiao Wange had severed ties with her father.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this. “Really? She really cut off ties with her father?”

“Of course. It’s not some secret over there in her natal family’s village. Everyone in that village knows about it,” Fang Qiaoyu said, very satisfied with their reaction.

Xiao Wange wanted to build a good image in front of everyone? She refused to let her have her way.

People smacked their lips. “Who would have thought Commander Zhan’s wife was like that?”

One family member, eating candy, glanced at Fang Qiaoyu and frowned. “There might be some hidden reason behind this. After all, who would just cut off ties with their own father for no reason? Everyone shouldn’t just listen to Fang Qiaoyu alone. Some things really should be asked of the person involved.”

This family member really disliked Fang Qiaoyu. In the past, Fang Qiaoyu had relied on her status as the eldest daughter of the Zhu family to act arrogantly in front of everyone. Even now, she was still putting on airs.

But what was there to be proud of? She was no longer the Zhu family’s eldest miss. The Zhu family had already kicked her out. The current Fang Qiaoyu was nothing more than a stray dog who had lost its home.

“I think so too. Commander Zhan’s wife doesn’t look like someone unreasonable at all. Even if she really did cut off ties with her father, there must have been some hidden circumstances. We’d better not jump to conclusions. Maybe she had unavoidable difficulties,” another family member echoed, peeling a milk candy and putting it into her child’s mouth.

Seeing her child eat with such a satisfied expression, she smiled, and at the same time silently thanked Xiao Wange again—for the dozen or so milk candies she had just given her.

Earlier, seeing that she had a child with her, Xiao Wange had grabbed a big handful of candy and handed it to her. She had secretly counted them—more than a dozen pieces.

Fang Qiaoyu frowned and glared at the two family members, sneering. “Even if there were difficulties, she still shouldn’t abandon her own father, right? Her father raised her to adulthood. Now that she’s grown and her wings are hard, she kicks her own father aside. No matter how you put it, that just doesn’t make sense.”

The people around her quietly looked at the milk candies in their hands and stopped responding.

Even if Commander Zhan’s wife had done something wrong, considering that she had just given them candy, they shouldn’t be gossiping behind her back.

What’s more, unless you’ve experienced someone else’s suffering, you have no right to judge them. If you haven’t tasted another person’s bitterness, don’t advise them to be kind.

Seeing that no one around her was backing her up, Fang Qiaoyu bit her teeth, her expression turning ugly.

She glanced at the milk candies in everyone’s hands and snorted inwardly. So what if it’s just a few pieces of milk candy? Look how grateful it made these people. Just a few candies and they’re bought off—such country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world!

Finding it boring with no one supporting her, Fang Qiaoyu felt annoyed.

She stepped off in her little leather shoes, clicking as she walked toward the building across the way.

After she left, someone remarked, “Look at Fang Qiaoyu. She probably still thinks she’s the Zhu family’s eldest miss. Just look at the way she walks—like everyone in the world is her servant.”

“Exactly. The way she walks is ridiculously arrogant.”

“She can only act arrogant in front of us. I heard that in front of Commander He’s niece, she lowers herself and acts like a total yes-man.”

“She has to suck up to Commander He’s niece. Fang Qiaoyu is exactly the type who treats people differently based on their status.”