Chapter 319
Since the two were not direct relatives, they were stopped outside the military compound.
After all, an army base isn't a place you can just waltz into. If you haven't made arrangements in advance, you need to verify your identity to get in.
Zhang Cuimei had arrived putting on airs, never expecting to be barred from entering.
Her own husband was in the military, and she lived in the family quarters.
Usually, it was her who stopped others from entering; when had it ever been her turn to be blocked at the gate?
Besides, Fu Yang was a regiment commander, and she was his mother-in-law.
She was deeply displeased.
However, no matter how much she objected, the guards at the gate couldn't let her in.
This wasn't South China; no one here knew she was Fu Yang's mother-in-law.
Before they could get any response, they instead encountered Si Nian, who was leading her son out to buy groceries.
When Zhang Cuimei saw Si Nian, she almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Otherwise, how could Si Nian, who should be thousands of miles away, be here? Shouldn't she be teaching at that downtown primary school right now?
For a moment, she thought it was just someone who looked like Si Nian, but upon seeing the child she was holding—who was unmistakably the Zhou family's second son—she had to believe her own eyes. Her voice rose sharply: "Si Nian, what are you doing here!"
If she hadn't genuinely traveled for two days and nights by train to reach this place, Zhang Cuimei would have thought she was still in Yun-Gui-Chuan City.
Had Si Nian already learned about Fu Yang's accident and rushed over?
She was so close to Fu Qianqian; if something really happened to Fu Yang, she'd definitely be among the first to know.
Considering this possibility, Zhang Cuimei's face turned green with anger: "Have you no shame? You're married, yet you traveled all the way to the northwest to pester Fu Yang? He and Sisi are married now, what exactly are you trying to do!"
Zhang Cuimei couldn't think of any other reason.
Fu Yang gets injured, and Si Nian shows up.
What kind of coincidence is that in this world?
Si Nian was also somewhat stunned. Why was Zhang Cuimei here?
She quickly collected herself. Presumably, the Si family had also heard about Fu Yang's accident and traveled all this way.
The novel mentioned Lin Sisi coming, but Lin Sisi was in prison now, so she definitely couldn't make it.
The Si family naturally wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity to curry favor.
Zhang Cuimei had really invested in this trip.
Si Nian noticed someone behind her and glanced over.
It was Liu Dongdong.
Liu Dongdong, it must be said, was dressed quite fashionably, but awkwardly, her hairstyle was exactly the same as Si Nian's.
Si Nian raised an eyebrow.
She remembered that the last time she saw Liu Dongdong, her hairstyle was different, wasn't it?
Not only that, the long journey hadn't left her looking haggard; instead, she wore a subtle no-makeup makeup look that most people wouldn't notice.
The fact that Liu Dongdong could get Zhang Cuimei to bring her here showed that her position in the Si family was now firmly established.
She had completely gained the trust of both husband and wife.
This time, Lin Sisi couldn't come, but Liu Dongdong did.
On the surface, she seemed to be accompanying Zhang Cuimei, but her real target was Fu Yang.
Yet, no one suspected her motives.
Si Nian felt that if her opponent weren't Lin Sisi but Liu Dongdong, she probably wouldn't be so easy to deal with.
Otherwise, in the novel, Lin Sisi wouldn't have been brought down by Liu Dongdong.
If not for the protagonist's halo, she would have been finished many times over.
Si Nian didn't like Lin Sisi, but she had no fondness for Liu Dongdong either.
Both went to great lengths trying to snatch what belonged to others. She didn't understand what kind of family would instill such twisted values.
But Si Nian didn't want to meddle either. Hearing Zhang Cuimei's words, she wasn't angry: "Auntie Si, do you have a persecution complex? Whenever I appear somewhere, you assume I'm here for Fu Yang?"
"Fu Yang might be a golden treasure, a good son-in-law in your eyes, but to me, he's a piece of shit." Si Nian borrowed Fu Qianqian's words.
Zhang Cuimei snorted coldly: "Putting on such airs. If you're not here for Fu Yang, why did you travel all this way?"
Then, she angrily turned to the guard who had stopped her, "Look at what you're doing! She has no relation to the Fu family, yet you let her in. I'm Regiment Commander Fu's mother-in-law, and you won't let me in? Is there no justice?"
Liu Dongdong was also surprised to see Si Nian here.
But then she felt a pang of panic. If Si Nian was here, had she really beaten them to it?
She hadn't forgotten Fu Yang's special regard for Si Nian. If Si Nian really traveled all this way to visit Fu Yang, he might very well soften.
Liu Dongdong firmly believed that Si Nian, who had driven Lin Sisi to such a desperate state, was no ordinary opponent.
Although she seemed married to Zhou Yuenshen, all her actions were drawing closer to Fu Yang.
Now she had even arrived before them. What made it even more incomprehensible was that Si Nian had brought Zhou Yuenshen's adopted son along.
Wasn't she afraid of causing suspicion, or worried that Zhou Yuenshen might find out?
Liu Dongdong felt something was off, but panic and resentment dominated her mind. She echoed Zhang Cuimei, "Comrade Si, you are married. Although I heard your husband has been away on a long trip and hasn't returned for a while, it really isn't appropriate for you to travel so far to visit another man, is it?" After saying this, she deliberately cast an apologetic glance at the guard.
Hearing this, Si Nian almost laughed: "It's inappropriate for me, but appropriate for you?"
Liu Dongdong was stunned, then flustered.
She had kept her feelings for Fu Yang well hidden; no one had discovered them yet.
Otherwise, the Si family wouldn't have kept her around.
But Si Nian's single sentence instantly sent a wave of panic through her.
It felt like being put on a spit over a fire.
As if Si Nian had seen right through her intentions. Her face paled, her eyes reddened, and she looked at Si Nian with a meek, pleading expression, saying, "Don't say such things. I'm just here to accompany Auntie Zhang. She's alone and not in the best health; I came along to take care of her."
Zhang Cuimei was deeply moved by these words.
She felt even more that Si Nian, whom she had raised from childhood, was inferior to Liu Dongdong. "Don't go too far! I asked Dongdong to come with me. You ruined my Sisi, and now you won't even spare her only friend?"
She thought Si Nian's mockery of Liu Dongdong was because Liu Dongdong was her daughter's good friend.
A surge of anger rose within her.
Zhang Cuimei's display of defending Liu Dongdong would make even a dog shake its head in disbelief, let alone Si Nian.
Although she felt Zhang Cuimei deserved it, she couldn't stand Liu Dongdong's hypocritical act either. She said, "I'm just a bit puzzled. A nanny who came to take care of you still found time to doll herself up. Those in the know would think she came to care for you; those who don't might think she's here for a date."
Hearing this, Zhang Cuimei instinctively sized up Liu Dongdong.
She noticed that Liu Dongdong had, at some point, powdered her face, tinted her lips, pinned pretty hair clips in her hair, and even changed her jacket.
She had been utterly exhausted along the journey. After all, she was getting on in years, and such a long train ride had naturally taken its toll. Her mind, moreover, was completely preoccupied with worry over whether something had happened to her prized prospective son-in-law, so she hadn't paid attention to these details at all.
If Si Nian hadn't pointed it out, she likely wouldn't have noticed.