Han Mei bit her lip and obediently went to wash the dishes.
That afternoon after work, Lin Zhilan took a trip to the seaside to pick up the fish and shrimp she had ordered from Yan Yuan’s grandfather.
Halfway there, she ran into Wang Xiuzhi, who was with Liang Ping and Han Mei picking clams on the tidal flats.
Han Mei’s face was sunburned red, and her hair was soaked with sweat.
Lin Zhilan told herself not to meddle, but she couldn’t help speaking up. “Sister-in-law, I bought some fish and prawns from the fisherman today. Want me to share some with you? No ration tickets needed.”
Wang Xiuzhi looked up and waved her hands hurriedly. “No need, no need. We have food at home.”
It was hard to catch prawns while foraging on the flats. Han Mei glanced at Lin Zhilan’s bamboo basket and said quietly, “Mom, I want to eat prawns.”
Wang Xiuzhi was about to scold her, but Liang Ping chimed in, “Mom, I want some too.”
Wang Xiuzhi hesitated.
Han Mei’s eyes flickered. “Mom, Dad has probably never eaten prawns either.”
Lin Zhilan sneered inwardly. Captain Han was in the Navy—there was no way he’d never had prawns before.
But the moment Wang Xiuzhi heard that Captain Han might like them, she immediately agreed.
Lin Zhilan felt conflicted and said directly, “These prawns cost me three yuan. I’ll give you half for one fifty, how about that?”
Wang Xiuzhi was startled by the price, but since she had already agreed to buy, she gritted her teeth and paid.
That evening, Su Lang came home for dinner.
After their meal, as they went for a walk, Lin Zhilan brought up the neighbors again.
Normally, given Captain Han’s rank, his allowance should be decent. So why was Wang Xiuzhi living so... frugally?
Su Lang furrowed his brow slightly. “I heard Captain Han is the eldest in his family, and they’re from a poor area...”
Lin Zhilan raised a hand. “Alright, alright, say no more. It’s probably another Captain Ma situation.”
Su Lang rubbed his nose. “Not entirely. He had an elderly grandfather who fell ill, and they racked up a lot of debt. They only just finished paying it off, and then his grandfather passed away. Since there was no one left at home needing care, his wife brought the children to join him here at the military camp.”
“I see.” Lin Zhilan felt a twinge of guilt for having judged them earlier.
At the same time, her impression of Wang Xiuzhi deepened.
Hardworking, enduring hardship without complaint, taking care of the elderly and children all alone at home...
Wang Xiuzhi wasn’t Captain Han’s wife; she was his round-the-clock, selfless nanny.
Lin Zhilan could tell that Wang Xiuzhi genuinely believed in putting her husband first in everything.
Though Lin Zhilan didn’t agree with it, she didn’t plan to criticize or meddle in someone else’s life.
That changed when Wang Xiuzhi and her two children collapsed from heatstroke and were rushed to the Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic.
By the time Wang Xiuzhi was brought to the hospital, she was already semi-conscious.
The children’s symptoms were milder, but their faces were flushed and their lips cracked. When Lin Zhilan took their hands, both palms and backs were burning hot.
Captain Han was summoned from the regiment. He jogged all the way, and by the time he reached the TCM clinic, his shirt was soaked through on the back.
Lin Zhilan led him into her office, her tone none too polite. “Captain Han, your wife and children all have moderate heatstroke and are dehydrated. Luckily the kids had enough sense to call for help. If your wife had collapsed on the road, any later and the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
Captain Han looked shaken, his brows knit into a tight knot.
Lin Zhilan took a deep breath and told herself not to meddle.
But thinking back to the children’s pulses—their hands nothing but skin and bone—and coupled with the oppressive heat, her temper got the better of her. “Captain Han, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Captain Han stood facing her, ramrod straight, his expression still stern and unsmiling.
“Do you really not know what Xiuzhi does with the children every day, or are you pretending not to?”
His brow tightened further, as if he didn’t understand what she was getting at.
Lin Zhilan crossed her arms and paced around the office. “Let me tell you what I’ve seen. She goes out at dawn to forage at the shore, digs the vegetable plot at noon, and spends her afternoons gathering firewood and wild vegetables in the hills. One adult, two kids, going nonstop from morning till night. You live with them—how can you not know this?”
Captain Han remained silent.
He came from a poor background. He’d gone hungry plenty as a child, and merely having enough to eat already felt like a good life. To him, the things Lin Zhilan described were what he’d always done, what his parents had done. He didn’t think those chores were particularly heavy.
And he was used to it.
Wang Xiuzhi was capable; all he had to do was provide money. Everything else at home required no involvement from him.
When he didn’t respond, Lin Zhilan had no idea what he was thinking.
Standing there as he stood straight and silent, she finally exploded. “Captain Han, are you deaf?”
Nobody had ever scolded him so bluntly to his face. His pupils trembled, and it took him a moment to find his voice. “Xiuzhi has always been like this. I thought it was fine.”
Lin Zhilan took another deep breath. “But she’s in the hospital right now, which means your assumption is wrong. And that might mean it’s been wrong all along.”
Captain Han had no response to that. “I’ll make sure they take it easier in the future.”
Lin Zhilan was stunned by his answer. She decided to lay it all out. “Captain Han, do you not give your family enough money?”
Captain Han looked baffled. “?”
“Sister-in-law Xiuzhi doesn’t have a job. If you gave her enough money, why would she have to work like this?”
Flustered, Captain Han replied, “I’ve given her this month’s entire allowance.”
“Giving money isn’t enough. You have to let her spend it. Look at the clothes she’s wearing—the collar is frayed. And the children’s clothes don’t fit well. I’m not saying they need expensive things, but at least have a couple of outfits that fit and are decent.”
Captain Han was about to respond when the office door suddenly swung open from outside.
Wang Xiuzhi stood there, face still pale, and immediately stepped in front of Captain Han.
“Dr. Lin, I know you mean well.” Wang Xiuzhi’s voice trembled. “But I know my own body. All the work is my own choice. It has nothing to do with him. His work keeps him busy with so many things at the regiment. Don’t bother him with such trivial household matters.”
She looked at Lin Zhilan with reproach in her eyes, as if scolding her for bringing all this up to Captain Han.
Suddenly, Lin Zhilan felt like a fool.
She had wasted so much breath, standing up for someone, only to have that person not appreciate it at all. Instead, she was seen as meddling.
Captain Han looked down at his wife. “Dr. Lin does have a point. You should take it easy when you work. We have enough money at home—we don’t need to push ourselves that hard.”
Wang Xiuzhi just smiled. “It’s fine. I’m used to it. It’s just that it’s hotter here than back home. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Hearing that, Captain Han had nothing more to say. He simply replied with a quiet “Mm.”
Lin Zhilan felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly showed them out.
