A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 50

Daughter… daughter-in-law?

Shen Sisi looked as if she had seen a ghost. Had Xu Hongying actually acknowledged her?

“Auntie, you…” Sisi had expected a life-and-death struggle with this “wicked” mother-in-law. She hadn’t anticipated that standing up for her just once would upgrade her status to daughter-in-law.

Xu Hongying gave her a huffy glare. “Still calling me ‘Auntie’?”

“Uh…” Sisi wanted to call her “Mom,” but the word got stuck in her throat. Ever since her own mother passed away, she hadn’t uttered that word to anyone.

Xu Hongying sensed her hesitation and didn’t force it. “It’s fine if you aren’t ready. We have plenty of time…”

Sisi gave a soft “mmh” and accepted the stylish striped silk scarf.

Due to the incident, Sisi’s shopping plans were shelved. she accompanied Xu Hongying back to the military compound at a leisurely pace. As noon approached, Sisi sent Niuniu to the yard to play with the chickens and headed into the kitchen. She was surprised to find the sink empty; the dishes had been washed and stacked neatly on the stove.

She stole a glance at Xu Hongying. The old lady really was “sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.” She had claimed she wouldn’t do chores, yet she couldn’t stand the sight of a messy kitchen and cleaned it anyway.

Sisi was in a wonderful mood. Between landing a massive order this morning and improving her relationship with Xu Hongying, she felt like celebrating with a few good dishes. Not knowing if Gu Chengfeng would return for lunch, she prepared a portion for him just in case.

Soon, the aroma of food wafted through the kitchen. She sliced fresh tofu into thin golden triangles and braised them. Each piece was coated in a savory sauce that made one’s mouth water. She also made classic green pepper shredded pork, corn with minced meat, and a refreshing cucumber soup.

Niuniu was already at the table, clutching her bowl like a puppy wagging its tail. “Mama, Niuniu’s tummy is hungry.”

Seeing that it was nearly one o’clock and Gu Chengfeng hadn’t returned, Sisi assumed he wouldn’t be back. She began serving the old and the young. “Let’s eat then.”

Sisi had been raised with strict rules: she never started eating until her elders picked up their chopsticks. Only after Xu Hongying took the first bite did Sisi begin. Without Gu Chengfeng there to clear the plates, there were leftovers. Sisi put them away and “broke her own rule” by washing the dishes herself.

The tap water was bone-chillingly cold, making her fingers ache. Just as she was finishing up, she heard Gu Chengfeng’s thunderous voice from the other room.

“Mom! What are you doing rummaging through Sisi’s room?”

Sisi froze. She tossed the rag into the sink and rushed out, accidentally slamming right into Gu Chengfeng. Her forehead hit his chest with a heavy thud. Her head rang, and her vision blurred. Her soft, weak fingers brushed against his firm muscles as she instinctively reached out to steady herself.

“Does it hurt?” Gu Chengfeng asked, his touch clumsy but gentle as he pressed his hand to her forehead. His voice was soft, drifting into her ears like a warm breeze against the cold.

It hadn’t actually hurt that much, but suddenly, she felt a whimsical urge to act a little spoiled, to be cradled in the palm of his hand. “Mmh…” she let out a soft whimper, sounding like a tiny kitten.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time. I’ll… I’ll walk slower…” Gu Chengfeng was already writing a thousand-word self-reflection in his head.

Sisi looked up, her gaze catching his Adam’s apple and the alluring line of his jaw. “Why… why are you back?”

At the mention of this, Gu Chengfeng’s tenderness turned to frost. “If I hadn’t come back, your room would have been turned upside down.”

He had walked in only to catch Xu Hongying sneakily rifling through Sisi’s things. Xu Hongying, caught red-handed, tried to act righteous. “So what? Can’t I look for something in my own home?”

“What would you have in Sisi’s room?” Gu Chengfeng asked sharply, looking like he was interrogating a criminal.

Xu Hongying stammered, unable to find an answer.

At that moment, Sisi walked to the cabinet by the door and pulled two sheets of stationery from her cloth bag. “Auntie, are you looking for these?”

Xu Hongying’s eyes lit up like a wolf’s. “So you knew… no wonder I couldn’t find them.”

Gu Chengfeng glanced at the papers and frowned. “Why are you looking for the apology letters?”

When Xu Hongying refused to speak, Sisi’s gaze turned deep. “I helped you today, and this is how you repay my kindness?”

“I… I didn’t…”

“Will you tell us yourself, or should I go ask Yang Qiuxia?” Sisi stared her down, her gaze piercing.

Xu Hongying actually felt intimidated by this young woman. Faced with her murderous-looking son as well, she finally crumbled. “Shen Sisi, I know you’re capable, but we’re all neighbors. You should forgive people when you can. There’s no need to hold such a grudge against Qiuxia…”

Sisi was nearly moved to laughter by the old lady’s “pure yet foolish” logic. “Auntie, what exactly did I do to Yang Qiuxia? What did she tell you?”

Xu Hongying huffed, “Qiuxia told me everything! You’re quite something, aren’t you? Moving into this house before the wedding, getting into brawls with her and another military wife in the compound—you’ve caused nothing but trouble.”

Gu Chengfeng’s fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. He was about to explode when Sisi pressed her hand on his arm to stop him.

“She says I started a fight… but did you ever stop to think why those people were so eager to get beaten by me?”

“I…” Xu Hongying was momentarily speechless.

“If I really bullied them, would Commander Chen have taken my side? And why would they write apology letters?”

“Apology letters? You’re saying these are apology letters?” Xu Hongying stood frozen. She was illiterate; looking at the dense handwriting made her head swim. “Isn’t this a… a ‘written guarantee’ of your good behavior?”

Gu Chengfeng snapped, “These are apology letters. If you don’t trust her, don’t you even trust your own son?”

Xu Hongying began to tremble with rage. That Yang Qiuxia—how dare she take advantage of her illiteracy!

“Fine…” Xu Hongying’s teeth chattered. “That Yang Qiuxia actually dared to lie to me!”

“She told me you were a tyrant in the compound, bullying everyone, and that you forced her to sign a ‘guarantee’ that made her life miserable. My reputation is bad enough, so I thought since a more unreasonable bully had arrived, I’d do a ‘good deed’ by stealing the paper back so you couldn’t bully her anymore.”

Sisi felt like she was listening to a fairy tale. Yang Qiuxia’s mouth could truly turn black into white.

“She said I bullied her? Fine then. Let’s go outside, find a passerby, and have them read what’s written on this paper out loud for everyone to hear!”