Shen Man leaned her head against Lin Zhilan's shoulder. "Auntie, after I graduate, will you take me on as your apprentice?"
Lin Zhilan poked her forehead with a finger. "No need to rush that. We'll see once you graduate."
Shen Man was part of the second cohort of college students after the college entrance examination was reinstated, and she attended a prestigious school like Capital Medical College. After graduation, she would have far too many options.
Lin Zhilan wasn't saying the island military hospital was bad—she just didn't want the girl making such a decision so early.
Shen Man smiled and nodded, her body gradually relaxing.
The bus stopped near the compound, and they got off.
Lin Zhilan led the two children to the guardhouse to register, and by the time she finished the paperwork and came out, there was a row of people standing at the gate.
Jiang Chengzhou and Yan Yuan were leaning against their bicycles by the entrance. As soon as Linlin and Su Li spotted her, they ran over and threw themselves into her arms, one on each side.
"Mom!"
Lin Zhilan hugged them both and reassured them with a few words.
She looked up at Jiang Chengzhou, about to say something, but her gaze drifted past him and landed on a strange girl standing nearby.
The girl was around seventeen or eighteen, with a ponytail and a floral print dress. She stood half a step away from Jiang Chengzhou, her eyes carrying undisguised curiosity and scrutiny as she looked Lin Zhilan up and down.
Lin Zhilan took the children's hands and walked over, looking at Jiang Chengzhou. "Is this a new friend of yours?"
Jiang Chengzhou's face fell. "No. I'm not familiar with her."
Wen Miao's smile froze for a moment, then she introduced herself to Lin Zhilan without missing a beat. "Hello, Auntie. My name is Wen Miao. I'm Jiang Chengzhou's good friend."
Linlin tugged at her mother's hand. "She's not my brother's good friend. My brother doesn't like her."
Wen Miao didn't look embarrassed at all. "Little sister doesn't know what she's talking about. Don't say things like that."
"Comrade Wen," Jiang Chengzhou said, displeased. "My sister is right. I don't like you, and I don't like how you keep pestering me. Please have some self-respect."
Wen Miao's smile faltered for a beat before she turned to Lin Zhilan, playfully whining, "Auntie, look at Chengzhou. I said something that offended him once, and he's held a grudge ever since. He never gives me a kind look."
Lin Zhilan gave a faint smile and said to Jiang Chengzhou, "Chengzhou, we're exhausted from the train ride. Let's head back, shall we?"
Wen Miao was startled. She hadn't expected Lin Zhilan to completely ignore her.
"Auntie, wait!"
" Aunt," Jiang Chengzhou glanced back at Wen Miao, a chill flickering in his eyes before he turned around with a smile again. "Don't mind her. She's out of her mind!"
"Jiang Chengzhou!"
Wen Miao was furious when she heard that.
Linlin was upset too—she didn't like Wen Miao—so she tugged at her mother's hand. "She's so annoying."
Su Li was even angrier and even tried to shove Wen Miao, but Yan Yuan held him back.
Lin Zhilan didn't know Wen Miao, but she knew her own children.
Jiang Chengzhou wouldn't be so rude to someone he didn't care about, and Linlin wouldn't openly call someone annoying.
Su Li was mischievous, but he wouldn't lay hands on just anyone.
For all three of her kids to dislike someone this much, Lin Zhilan couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for Wen Miao.
Lin Zhilan stopped and said softly to Jiang Chengzhou, "Trouble?"
"Yeah." Jiang Chengzhou gave his aunt a wry smile.
Lin Zhilan let go of Linlin and Su Li's hands. "You two take your brother and sister home first, okay? I'll take care of something with your brother."
Su Li puffed out his chest. "I'm not leaving. I'll stay and help you fight!"
Lin Zhilan knocked him on the head, annoyed. "Who said anything about fighting?"
Su Li pouted, shot a warning glare at Wen Miao, and was dragged away by Yan Yuan.
Shen Man watched from the side in silence, not thinking any of this had anything to do with her.
But Wen Miao grabbed her. "Who are you? What are you to Jiang Chengzhou?"
Jiang Chengzhou had reached his limit.
For days, Wen Miao had been chasing and ambushing him in every possible way. He thought he'd been polite enough, never saying anything too harsh.
But now she was dragging even the people around him into it, and Jiang Chengzhou's long-suppressed anger finally boiled over.
He pushed Wen Miao's hand away, his face grim. "Does it matter to you? What's it to you who she is?"
Startled by his shout, Wen Miao paused for a second, but then her stubborn streak kicked in again.
She didn't back down. Instead, she looked Shen Man up and down.
Shen Man's clothes looked a bit plain to her, but that face—cold, striking, with an effortless aloofness in her brows and eyes—made her impossible to overlook, even just standing there.
Wen Miao's internal alarm bells went off.
She'd already set her sights on Jiang Chengzhou, which meant no other girl could be near him.
Shen Man, annoyed by Wen Miao's blazing stare, didn't even glance at Jiang Chengzhou. She simply walked over to Lin Zhilan and said, "Auntie, I'll go inside first."
"Go ahead." Lin Zhilan said gently.
Shen Man acknowledged with a sound and walked off without hesitation.
Wen Miao watched her retreating figure and moved to chase after her, but Jiang Chengzhou blocked her path.
His patience had run out completely. "Wen Miao, if you keep this up, I'm really going to stop being nice."
Wen Miao had been spoiled and doted on her whole life. No one had ever spoken to her in that tone. Jiang Chengzhou's threat didn't frighten her in the least—in fact, she stepped forward. "Stop being nice? What exactly are you going to do to me?"
Jiang Chengzhou gritted his teeth.
By now, Lin Zhilan had seen enough to guess what was going on.
She pulled Jiang Chengzhou behind her and asked gently, "Wen Miao? Whose child are you?"
"Her grandfather was my grandfather's comrade-in-arms granddaughter."
"Don't like her?"
"Don't like her."
Lin Zhilan turned to Wen Miao. "You heard him. Chengzhou doesn't like you."
"It doesn't matter," Wen Miao raised her chin. "I like him, and that's enough."
Lin Zhilan laughed. "Wen, classmate, this is the new China. There's no princess around here."
Linlin was also a girl raised with plenty of love at home, but Lin Zhilan and Su Lang taught her the same lessons they taught anyone.
No one is born to yield to others. No one is born to have others yield to them.
Wen Miao was a girl, sure, but being a bully was being a bully. Lin Zhilan had sent the others ahead on purpose, already saving Wen Miao some face.
Wen Miao's face flushed red. "Auntie, I'm from the capital. My grandfather and Jiang Chengzhou's grandfather were comrades in arms. I'm pretty, too—lots of people court me. Chengzhou just hasn't seen my good qualities yet."
Jiang Chengzhou frowned and complained to Lin Zhilan, "She's really not right in the head. She just talks and talks. Forget her, Auntie, let's go."
Lin Zhilan gave him a reproachful look. "You can't dodge her forever, can you? And besides, you haven't done anything wrong, so why should you be the one to back off?"
She then turned her attention back to Wen Miao. "So you're very accomplished, are you?"
"Yes, I am."
Lin Zhilan smiled. "Too bad I don't think so."
Wen Miao bit her lip. "Why?"
"Hmm..." Lin Zhilan paused thoughtfully. "Because being from the capital is just your place of origin, not a virtue. Your grandfather being a comrade of Chengzhou's grandfather—that's your grandfather's virtue, not yours. As for being pretty..."
