A stunning beauty arrived on the island; she invented everything from childcare to babysitting.

Ma Cuihua was speechless when Song Wenyuan questioned her, but what came to her mind when she heard these words was not guilt, but a surge of heat that rushed to her head, making her face flush.

She almost snapped angrily, "Haven't I been good enough to you? The eldest didn't even finish junior high, but you managed to finish. You want to go to university, but what if your family doesn't have the money? Like the neighbors next door..."

Song Wenyuan interrupted her again: "My older brother didn't go to junior high school because his grades were bad, he couldn't keep up, and he didn't want to study. Don't keep mentioning the big shot next door. You didn't give me any money when I went to junior high school. I earned my tuition by helping others outside, and I still had to work when I got home. But Wenying didn't have to do anything and could easily finish her studies."

“How can you be the same as Wenying? Wenying is a girl, so naturally she can’t do too much work…”

“Wenying is a girl, but my wife and my daughter aren’t? Wenying can’t do housework, so why can my wife and my daughter? Changle is only five years old! You’re sending her up the mountain to cut pig feed, aren’t you afraid something will happen to her?”

Ma Cuihua was speechless again; she really couldn't deny it.

She wanted to scold her second son for siding with outsiders, but then she remembered the boast she had made in the village before coming to the army that she would live a good life there, and with many people watching from afar, her attitude softened a bit.

“This matter can’t be explained in a short time. Just let your mother and sister come to your place for a while, and I’ll explain it to you slowly,” Ma Cuihua said.

Song Wenyuan didn't want to make things too ugly at the military base, so he suppressed his temper: "I can explain slowly, but there's no need to do that at my place. My place is smaller than the main room at home, and there's only room for one bed. There's no room for you to sit. I'll take you to town to find a hotel."

Ma Cuihua was repeatedly humiliated by her son, and she was resentful, but she had not yet achieved her goal, so she could only endure it for the time being.

"I heard that the military has special accommodations for officers' families. Why don't you take us there?"

"I told you, that place requires an application. You didn't tell me that at all when you came. How am I supposed to apply for it for you?"

"Then go apply now."

"It's not that fast. My application is one thing, but the military's review is another. If you want to move in, the military has to send someone back to your hometown to investigate. Only those who meet the requirements will be approved."

"So complicated?" Ma Cuihua frowned. "What do we need to investigate?"

"Investigate interpersonal relationships, investigate whether someone has done anything wrong, investigate everything."

"Do they need to investigate personal relationships too? Isn't the military meddling a bit too much?"

"Otherwise what? The military isn't an ordinary place where you can come and go as you please. This is a state secret location. If a family member comes and causes trouble, making a mess of the military, how can the military's work proceed? Just a couple of days ago, the mother of a battalion commander next door was ordered to be sent back to her hometown because she was too harsh on her daughter-in-law. You can ask around; quite a few people know about it."

"Disciplining a daughter-in-law will result in her being sent back? Who knows if it's her daughter-in-law's fault! How can the army do such a thing?" Ma Cuihua's eyes widened.

"The military naturally has its own methods of identification; whether it is truly harsh or just pretending to be harsh, it can be found out with a simple investigation."

Ma Cuihua suddenly felt intimidated when she thought about what she had done in the past, and changed the subject, saying, "Where is Shen Anning? I'm the mother-in-law, even if she doesn't like me, she should at least show her face, right?"

“She has other things to do and can’t come,” Song Wenyuan said.

“What could she possibly have to do? She doesn’t have a job, and her child is all grown up. How much could she possibly have to do? She’s either out chatting with people all day or sleeping at home, right?” Song Wenying said.

"Military secrets, no comment," Song Wenyuan said, enunciating each word clearly.

Song Wenying was about to retort, but she was frightened by a look from Song Wenyuan and immediately swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Song Wenyuan practically dragged Ma Cuihua and the two women away from the military base, taking them to a guesthouse in a nearby town and registering them for rooms using his officer's ID.

There are usually no guesthouses in the town, but there are military units nearby, so this guesthouse generally serves the relatives of military personnel. No letter of introduction is needed; you can register them with your military officer's ID.

After settling them in, Song Wenyuan gave Ma Cuihua two yuan and said, "If you came here just for my father's medical treatment, I only agree to the plan I just mentioned. I can pay for it, but only one-third. If you insist on me paying for it all, then Song Wenying should return Anning's job, and for the next ten years, unless it's a serious illness, I will not give my family a single penny."

"Second brother, I think the army has turned you into an ingrate!"

Song Wenyuan stiffened his neck and refused to look at Ma Cuihua: "Everyone has seen what I've done for the family over the years. I've kept a record of all the money I sent back. Otherwise, if you cut ties with your older brother and younger sister, and you only have me as your son, I will naturally take responsibility for supporting you and Dad."

"Okay!"

Ma Cuihua readily agreed, but before she could finish speaking, Song Wenyuan added, "I won't let you two go hungry in the future, but it's absolutely impossible for you to take money from me to subsidize your elder brother. You also have to return Anning's job."

Song Wenying was extremely annoyed as she listened to Song Wenyuan keep talking about work. It seemed that the boss had nothing to do, but all the bad things had to fall on her.

Why?

She couldn't help but say, "Second brother, I think I've treated you well. I even wanted to introduce you to someone. It's clearly the eldest brother who uses the most of your money. He and Da Bao spend every penny of the family's money. Da Bao's toys cost five yuan each. I have nothing. Why should I bear all this burden? Besides, my sister-in-law volunteered to let me take that job, and I even paid her! That money would have been enough for me to buy a job!"

“Then use the other half of the money you’ve earned over the years to buy a job.” Song Wenyuan wasn’t swayed by her rhetoric. “I originally thought that the past was the past, and I didn’t have time to go home, but since you’re here, let’s have a proper talk.”

"You! You unfilial son!" Ma Cuihua gasped for breath and almost fainted. "No, I have to ask your unit leaders how they educate you soldiers! I sent my perfectly good son to join the army, and he's been turned into an unfaithful and unfilial person!"

“Fine, as long as you’re not afraid of being arrested as a spy, go ahead and go find them.” Song Wenyuan looked at them coldly, as if they were two strangers. “Do you really think I was lying when I said the people who were kicked out were just trying to fool you? If you don’t believe me, you can try. But you didn’t even pass the screening, so I’m afraid you weren’t just kicked out, but arrested and interrogated.”