Lin Yining's face flushed crimson with anger, her eyes like daggers forged from ice, wishing she could bore holes through Shen Nanchu with her glare.
"Shen Nanchu, do you have any evidence for your accusation against me?"
"Lin Yining, do you have any evidence for your accusation against my husband, Pei Zhengnian?"
Shen Nanchu shot the words right back at her.
Lin Yining was instantly rendered speechless.
[Disgust Value +50]
[Disgust Value +80]
[Disgust Value +100]
...
Is that all?
Is that really all you've got?
(•̀ω•́)✧
Shen Nanchu felt a bit bored by it all.
"The burden of proof lies with the accuser."
"If you have no evidence, then it's slander and defamation."
Shen Nanchu turned to Political Commissar Liao.
"Political Commissar Liao, what charges apply for falsely accusing and slandering an active-duty serviceman like this?"
"Depending on the severity, it could result in disciplinary action or even criminal detention."
Political Commissar Liao played along perfectly.
Hearing this, Lin Yining began to panic.
"You... you accused me too! Then you provide the proof!"
"Oh? Perhaps I mistook the person. My apologies."
Shen Nanchu offered a light, utterly insincere apology.
"By the way, Comrade Lin Yining, you are just an ordinary civilian."
"I have recognized my mistake and apologized. The rules of the military don't apply to me."
Shen Nanchu flashed a smile that was utterly infuriating.
"However, you slandered a regimental commander. That's quite different from my situation!"
[Disgust Value +100]
[Disgust Value +100]
[Disgust Value +100]
Lin Yining was livid, her face red and neck thick with rage, her teeth grinding audibly, almost losing control on the spot.
If Zhang Zhengye hadn't been holding her back, Shen Nanchu was sure Lin Yining would have charged at her in a fury.
What a pity~~~
Shen Nanchu looked somewhat regretfully at Lin Yining's arm, restrained by Zhang Zhengye.
If a fight had actually broken out, Shen Nanchu believed no one in the entire military district would dare provoke their family again.
Alas, it was just a thought.
Zhang Zhengye held Lin Yining firmly.
"How much longer are you going to keep making a scene?"
"I'm making a scene?"
Enraged, Lin Yining slapped Zhang Zhengye across the face.
Slap!
The sharp sound echoed in the office.
Now Zhang Zhengye was angry too.
He simply let go of her and stepped back, washing his hands of the matter.
"Political Commissar Liao, as you can see, Comrade Zhang Yining and I have serious ideological differences. Please bear witness. I want a divorce."
If he didn't get a divorce now, he might not even be able to stay in the army.
Zhang Zhengye had long realized that Political Commissar Liao's meeting today was a setup, a trap. Only a fool like Lin Yining couldn't see it, still clinging on stubbornly.
He finally understood why Pei Zhengnian could secure the position of regimental commander. That man had a supportive partner, while he had one who dragged him down.
Lin Yining stared at Zhang Zhengye in disbelief.
"Zhang, what do you mean by this?"
Zhang Zhengye didn't even glance at Lin Yining.
They had no children anyway, and he had handed over all his previous salary to Lin Yining.
Looking back on their marriage, Zhang Zhengye felt he had done nothing to wrong Lin Yining.
But what about Lin Yining?
Devious, obsessed with vanity and status.
How could Zhang Zhengye not guess the reason behind Lin Yining's actions?
It was all because he hadn't become the commander of the Fifth Regiment!
Zhang Zhengye had explained to Lin Yining before: Pei Zhengnian had performed outstanding service, and his own seniority and qualifications weren't sufficient yet.
He asked her to wait a little longer; he would get promoted someday.
Why couldn't she wait?
Why did she have to resort to such underhanded methods to get what she wanted?
This was something Zhang Zhengye could not tolerate.
The entire office fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Political Commissar Liao felt somewhat awkward.
Questioning the matter had ended up breaking up a couple.
What a mess this was.
"Political Commissar Liao, it seems the truth of the matter is quite clear now."
Pei Zhengnian stood up.
"How to handle this, I will follow the organization's decision."
"It's almost mealtime. My wife has been out for a while and is probably hungry."
"We'll take our leave now."
Political Commissar Liao nodded.
The matter was essentially settled. There was no need for the Pei couple to stay, and it might only add fuel to the fire.
Political Commissar Liao had finally figured it out: how could the wife of a difficult man like Pei Zhengnian possibly be a simple character?
...
Before Shen Nanchu could even ask Pei Zhengnian to inquire about the aftermath,
that evening,
a notification blared from the military district's loudspeakers, announcing a meeting for family members to be held that night.
Holding a family meeting for no apparent reason?
One could easily guess why...
Shen Nanchu, sitting at the dining table eating, smiled like a cat that got the cream.
"Satisfied now?"
Pei Zhengnian served Shen Nanchu a bowl of soup.
"Not bad."
Shen Nanchu replied with a grin, nibbling on a chicken leg.
Pei Yunzhou looked at his second brother, then at his second sister-in-law.
What kind of secret code were these two speaking?
He couldn't understand.
...
After dinner, Pei Zhengnian took a stool and accompanied Shen Nanchu to the sports ground.
Niu Aihua had arrived early to snag a front-row seat.
Seeing Shen Nanchu, she immediately stood up and waved,
"Sister-in-law, over here!"
"Coming!"
Pei Zhengnian escorted Shen Nanchu to Niu Aihua's side, then headed to his office.
Although he was on leave to spend time with Shen Nanchu these days, whenever he had a free moment, Pei Zhengnian would still go to the office to handle some work.
After Pei Zhengnian left,
Niu Aihua began whispering to Shen Nanchu.
"Do you know what finally happened to that Liu Yan?"
"No, I don't."
Shen Nanchu never paid excessive attention to outcomes she had already guessed.
"Let me tell you, but don't tell anyone else, okay?"
Niu Aihua looked left and right, putting on a vigilant, wary expression.
"I overheard my husband quietly saying that Liu Yan was locked up in the military prison. She's an enemy agent."
Niu Aihua lowered her voice mysteriously.
"There's someone behind her, a man, said to be from the capital."
Shen Nanchu didn't doubt the truth of these matters.
"Sister-in-law, where did you hear this?"
"I was delivering lunch to my kid's dad and just happened to overhear it outside the office door."
Niu Aihua looked proud, as if to say, 'Aren't I clever?'
Shen Nanchu was both amused and exasperated.
"Sister-in-law, you need to be more careful next time. What if you overhear some military secret and it gets leaked? You'd be the prime suspect."
Hearing this, Niu Aihua immediately covered her mouth.
"No way?"
"Girl, don't scare me!"
Shen Nanchu nodded seriously.
"Sister-in-law, it's better to be safe than sorry."
Niu Aihua immediately grew nervous.
"Girl, do you think tonight's meeting is because of what I said?"
"It couldn't be that the matter got exposed, and the organization is looking for the source, could it?"
As she spoke, Niu Aihua's face turned pale.
Shen Nanchu held back a laugh.
"Sister-in-law, who have you told about this?"
"Only you! I just told you."
Niu Aihua was absolutely certain.
"Then don't worry! I haven't had time to tell anyone else yet!"
Shen Nanchu said with a perfectly straight face.
Niu Aihua patted her chest in relief.
"That's good, that's good."
"But then why are they holding a meeting tonight?"
...
