Seeing how Nan Sheng, a stepmother, treated Battalion Commander Lin's children as her own, even better than Yuying treated her own biological children, Li Gongliang's determination to divorce burned even fiercer.
Even if he couldn't marry a capable and financially independent woman like Nan Sheng, as long as his future wife had a monthly salary and could bear him a son, he’d be satisfied!
When Nan Sheng knocked on the neighbor’s door earlier, Sizhe had followed closely behind her, worried she might face trouble. Fortunately, Li Gongliang had apologized first.
The neighbors upstairs and downstairs also breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone understood Nan Sheng’s actions—the building had thin walls, and the Li household was always noisy. Who could tolerate that?
But this was a military compound after all. Every move could affect a man’s career prospects, so resolving conflicts peacefully was the best outcome.
After Nan Sheng confronted the neighbors, Siqi was thrilled. She felt an immense sense of security with her mother, pampering her with shoulder rubs and leg massages.
Nan Sheng warned both children, "School is starting soon. Don’t keep running outside. Stay home and review your lessons. And no more contact with the Li family."
Sizhe didn’t fully understand but obeyed out of habit. As for Qiqi, she was still thinking about the apology gift Li Gongliang had mentioned.
"Mom, if Uncle Li brings me treats, can I accept them?"
"This time, yes. But never again after this."
Li Gongliang was a schemer who cared deeply about his reputation. The fact that he dared to beat his wife openly suggested the matter wasn’t over—Nan Sheng just couldn’t figure out his true intentions.
The Women’s Federation representatives visited the Li household the next day. They sternly reprimanded the couple and issued a warning: if it happened again, both would face punishment.
The consequences this time were severe. Yuying lost her chance at a job assignment, and it might be years before she got another opportunity. Furious, Li Gongliang moved into the barracks.
Now the Li family was the talk of the military compound. The moment Li Gongliang left, word spread quickly. To mitigate the fallout, Commander Ye sent mediators to smooth things over.
Zhu Jinghui was the first to receive this daunting task. After some thought, he enlisted Zhang Yiheng and Lin Han for support.
"Let’s go together. I wouldn’t know how to talk sense into Gongliang alone. The commander insists this must be resolved—the negative impact is too great."
Lin Han followed silently behind the other two. He had no intention of speaking up—his wife had already forbidden him from associating with Li Gongliang, calling the man untrustworthy.
Battalion commanders had private quarters. When the group knocked and entered, Li Gongliang was taking a nap. He had moved all his belongings in, seemingly planning to stay long-term.
Zhang Yiheng, never one to shy from conversation, broke the awkward silence first.
"What’s going on, Gongliang? Enough already. I doubt your wife will dare repeat her mistakes. Just go home."
Li Gongliang invited them to sit but looked utterly dejected.
"Brother Zhang, I don’t want to go back. What’s the point of working myself to death out here? All I want is for my kids to be fed and clothed, and to come home to a warm meal.
But this time, after just a few days away, Yuying beat the children so badly. How can I trust her with them now? How can we keep living like this?"
His voice cracked as tears welled up. "Now everyone says I favor sons over daughters. She’s ruined my reputation."
The men spoke bluntly among themselves. Zhang Yiheng pressed on.
"If you’re worried about the kids, moving out is the worst thing you could do. What if your wife takes her anger out on them again? And staying in the barracks will only hurt your career and standing."
Zhu Jinghui added, "Exactly. Go home and take care of your children—that’s what matters. Who cares about pride? People will forget this soon enough."
Li Gongliang thought to himself, No, that won’t do. If people forget, how can I justify the divorce?
He wiped his tears and continued his lament. "What career? The commander reprimands me daily now. Getting promoted will be impossible."
Then, as if steeling himself, he declared, "I want a divorce. I’ll raise the kids myself!"
Lin Han had been listening quietly, but at the mention of divorce, his disapproval was immediate.
"Don’t be absurd. Divorce isn’t some game. You can focus on your duties because your wife manages the household. She made mistakes, but she can change. If you divorce her, what happens to her? What happens to your three children?"
He thought Li Gongliang was too young and shortsighted—unaware that the man had been inspired by Lin Han’s own happy marriage.
"Then what about me? I can’t live like this anymore!"
When the men left the barracks, their expressions were grim. None had expected Li Gongliang to consider divorce. Every family had conflicts—you couldn’t just end a marriage over them.
"Let the women handle this. Have Yuying go to the barracks, apologize, and coax him back home."
With no better options, Lin Han immediately vetoed Nan Sheng’s involvement.
"My wife had a disagreement with Yuying recently. Better not send her."
Zhu Jinghui and Zhang Yiheng knew about the incident—the day Li Gongliang hit his wife, it had frightened Qiqi.
"Fine, leave Nan Sheng out of it. We’ll find someone else."
Zhang Yiheng couldn’t help but remark, "Lin Han, your wife is truly exceptional. I’ve never seen a stepmother treat her stepchildren so well. Do you think Gongliang might be hoping to remarry?"
He immediately laughed at his own suggestion. With three kids already, how would a divorced man manage a new family?
Though he dismissed the idea, it stuck with Lin Han, who grew increasingly convinced it might be true.
Meanwhile, Nan Sheng was attending meetings in the county town. After last year’s annual review, spring demanded new plans.
After the general assembly came a smaller meeting. Director Ou gathered all key members of the Revolutionary Committee.
"Higher-ups have issued directives. This year, our focus shifts to ideological reform, particularly for those sent down for re-education. Below, I’ll outline specific assignments."
As Ou Yaosheng droned on, Nan Sheng struggled to stay still. Who could sit for hours without their legs going numb?
Then, the leader called her out. "Director Nan, Sanwei Town’s re-education workload seems heavy. If you’re overwhelmed, I can assign assistants to help."
Nan Sheng’s eyebrows shot up. Is Director Ou trying to undermine my authority?
"Thank you for your concern, but perhaps redistributing half of Sanwei’s assigned personnel to other towns would be more efficient. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?"
Director Ou chuckled. That wasn’t within his power.
"The list was decided by higher authorities. The county can’t alter it. You’re still relatively new—having support would ensure smoother operations."
Ou Yaosheng had sensed something off the moment he saw the list. Out of a hundred re-education assignments county-wide, Sanwei Town alone received over thirty. The imbalance was glaring.
Nan Sheng's political ideals were at odds with his—one strict, the other lenient. If this continued, Sanwei Town would inevitably become a burden, hindering his path to promotion.
Exhausted and hungry, Nan Sheng’s tone was naturally curt. He didn’t even bother to consider that Ou Yaosheng was his superior, firing back with a sharp retort.
"Director Ou, I may not have as much experience as you in the revolutionary committee, but Sanwei Town’s staffing is already at capacity. Sending more people there would be impractical, and I don’t appreciate others meddling in my work.
If you doubt my ability to serve as the committee director, then just transfer me. I’ll comply with whatever arrangement you make."
Let’s see if you even have the authority…
