Lan Tian is innocent and kind-hearted with a particularly timid nature, and she fears strangers. If she goes out, she will definitely be bullied. Mo Junhua doesn’t want to see her get bullied, so he especially instructed her not to go out easily and just wander around nearby.
The military wives come from all corners of the country; some are from rural areas while others are from cities. Some military wives are educated, while others have never attended school.
City dwellers look down on those from rural areas, scolding them as unsophisticated, while rural folks look down on city dwellers, criticizing them as too delicate and incapable of doing any work. The educated ones always feel superior to others, as if their awareness is also higher, thus they form their cliques and create their own groups.
If Lan Tian goes there, she would just become a victim in their intensified disputes and battles.
The young wife also doesn’t go out much; she likes to stay at home and tidy up. She is the kind of person who cannot sit idle. After tidying up the house, she went to the wasteland behind and cultivated a few vegetable patches, growing vegetables for their own consumption.
Mo Junhua, fearing she might get bored staying at home, bought a radio, tuned it to the right stations, so she could listen to broadcasts, news, and music during the day, which is certainly better than moping around at home alone.
Although the young wife never said anything, Mo Junhua could tell she was very happy; her eyes would squint when she smiled, frequently stealing glances at him and then at the radio, like a child thrilled with candy. Many times when he came back early from training, he heard her humming at home.
Mo Junhua initially intended to mention Zhou Yuwei’s visit to her, stressing that there should be a trust basis between spouses. Having committed himself to her for life, Mo Junhua would remain loyal to her for all his life, expecting the same loyalty in return in their marriage.
The young wife is sensitive; Mo Junhua later decided not to mention it, fearing she would overthink. Zhou Yuwei is a cunning woman; Lan Tian is no match for her. Zhou Yuwei is adept at manipulating people; many military wives see her as a role model. Mo Junhua was worried that Lan Tian would be outwitted by Zhou Yuwei, so he protected her meticulously.
Despite all precautions, the truth still reached Lan Tian.
Telling Lan Tian about his past relationship was a mistake; the girl he brought from the village, Taohua, was about the same age as his young wife but very different in temperament. The girl was lively and cheerful, accustomed to hardships and labor, and Mo Junhua had a good impression of her as she often visited his wife and didn’t seem intrusive.
Unexpectedly, Taohua told her about Zhou Yuwei, and Mo Junhua distinctly noticed that his wife had been downcast and absent-minded recently, often gazing distantly at his back.
The relationship between the two returned to how it was when she first arrived—she became reserved, fearful, anxious, and slightly resistant upon seeing him, hiding back into her room whenever he returned, which left Mo Junhua helpless. Hearing his footsteps, fearing his approach, only drove this timid and innocent young wife further into her shell.
Mo Junhua did not know what Taohua had told his wife to make her avoid him.
Later, he confronted Taohua, warning her to stay away from his young wife. A girl in her teens, yet so scheming, aware of how to incite troubles, he then transferred Taohua away from his battalion.
Mo Junhua could stop Taohua from speaking, but he couldn’t stop everyone else.
At some point, rumors started spreading in the military, that his young wife was a bad woman who sabotaged others’ relationships, criticizing her as shameless wherever she went, shamelessly clinging to him, deliberately causing misunderstandings between Zhou Yuwei and him.
Hearing these rumors made Mo Junhua very worried for Lan Tian, afraid that she would again suffer sleepless nights after hearing them.
Mo Junhua felt some regret; when he first brought Lan Tian over, he should have thrown a big welcome event in the military, to establish their status publicly. They had already obtained their marriage certificate for several years, which was all orchestrated by Mo Junhua himself, and it seemed that his young wife was unaware of their marital status.
Zhou Yuwei was too scheming, his young wife stood no chance against her.
Over the years, his rank had been promoted several times, and he was allocated a house in a major compound. He planned to relocate his young wife there, where entry was rigidly controlled, and without manipulative individuals like Zhou Yuwei and Taohua around, his wife could live better.
After the young wife moved to the major compound, whenever Mo Junhua returned, he always felt the house was much quieter than before, which he found hard to get used to. Not hearing her happy hums or seeing her preoccupied busy figure made him feel an emptiness inside.