Unable to endure the hardships of rural life, she returned home to arrange a marriage with a militar

In the morning, after returning from the service center, Gu Jun very conscientiously handed over all his possessions: a bankbook, a pile of loose change, and tickets that almost filled the small tin box. Shu Yun was slightly surprised when she received it.

Gu Jun had served in the military for many years, spending almost all his time there. Aside from the occasional cigarette, he didn't have many expenses. His only fixed monthly expenditure was sending money back to his parents in his hometown. Therefore, the amount in his savings account was quite substantial.

Shu Yun counted the money; the savings account and loose change totaled around eight thousand yuan, and with the money in her hands, the total came to about ten thousand yuan.

If this were in the 70s, Shu Yun would be a well-known wealthy person with ten thousand yuan, she thought to herself with a smug smile.

She counted the money, took out the money for the eggs from the tin box, and then went to the service store to buy a bag of eggs.

After saying goodbye to Li Jianqing, Shu Yun carried the eggs back home. She passed by the sandpit area where children played, where many people were sitting, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

Shu Yun hesitated for a moment, afraid that some people would think it was impolite of her to see them but not come over to say hello, but still smiled and walked towards the crowd.

Before she could even open her mouth to greet them, a voice suddenly rose in volume from someone with their back to her, “Pretty, pretty, can being pretty put food on the table? In my opinion, Xiao Gu is still too young. What’s the use of just looking at her face?”

The woman was short and plump, with a lot of gray hair, and was quite old. Shu Yun judged that she was probably a soldier's family member, perhaps his mother? As Shu Yun approached, her smile became even brighter.

Grandma Zhang was completely oblivious to Shu Yun's approach. Relying on her age, she spoke spittle flying and pointed to the sky, making it seem as if she had encountered some major injustice.

Among the military wives who were listening to the commotion, one of them recognized Shu Yun. Her expression stiffened, and her eyes darted around frantically, gesturing towards Granny Zhang.

However, Granny Zhang clearly didn't understand the other person's good intentions. After her clothes were tugged twice, she became impatient, rolled her eyes, and said rudely to the person who was pulling her clothes, "What are you doing? If your eyes are twitching, go see a doctor. Why are you pulling my clothes? My son bought this for me. If you tear it, you'll have to pay for it."

"Hello, sisters-in-law," Shu Yun greeted politely.

Those who recognized Shu Yun looked somewhat uneasy, and some even turned and left. However, Granny Zhang was oblivious. She turned to look at the smiling Shu Yun, her eyes widening in amazement, and said warmly, "This lady looks unfamiliar. I haven't seen her before. Are you here to visit relatives too? You're really beautiful."

Granny Zhang immediately thought of her youngest son, who was idling around in their hometown, getting on in years but still single, and became even more enthusiastic, completely oblivious to the suppressed laughter of those around her.

Shu Yun didn't spell it out, but smiled sweetly and said, "Hello, Auntie, what were you talking about? Can I listen in?"

Granny Zhang immediately returned to the topic and continued her rant, "Speaking of the Gu family's new daughter-in-law, I can tell Gu Jun's wife is no good even without seeing her. Who would marry a skinny woman? Thin arms and legs, how can she give birth to a son? A wife should be strong and sturdy, good at everything from housework to childbirth."

“Just you wait and see, they won’t last long, they’re bound to fall apart,” Granny Zhang said confidently, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the person in question was listening intently.

Granny Zhang was so excited that she choked on her saliva and coughed several times.

Shu Yun suddenly spoke up, "Auntie, you're so sure, so you've seen the person?"

Granny Zhang was puzzled. "No."

“Oh, I see. Then you really should get to know me, ma’am. My name is Shu Yun, Gu Jun’s wife, oh, the woman you mentioned who can’t have children.”

Shu Yun spoke the last sentence word by word, and the atmosphere instantly became eerie and quiet.

Caught red-handed, even the thick-skinned Granny Zhang felt a little embarrassed, but she still stubbornly said, "So what? You won't let me speak?"

Shu Yun said slowly, but her eyes were sharp as she stared at Granny Zhang, "No, it's just that Granny is a military dependent, and her ideological awareness is a bit low. Times have changed, everyone is equal, and there is no difference in status between men and women. Why do you only see your son and not your daughter? Even our great leader said that women hold up half the sky. Do you think that's wrong?"

Granny Zhang was startled. This little girl was too clever; if she said the wrong thing, she could be paraded around and pelted with stones. She had seen this in her old village before, when the girl herself had thrown stones at her several times in the crowd. Now that it was her turn, she was so scared her legs went weak.

She quickly waved her hand, "I didn't say that, I didn't say that. Men and women are equal."

The old woman's face, which resembled an orange peel, turned deathly pale. Shu Yun was quite relieved. She continued, "Auntie, you really need to be careful with your words. You speak so freely, but you're not the only one affected. This time you were lucky to get a friendly reminder from me. If there are other people with ulterior motives next time, you'll be in big trouble."

Granny Zhang dared not refute. She understood Shu Yun's subtext: her son was still in the army, and she was counting on him to bring honor to the family in the future. Recalling what she had said in the past, she got goosebumps all over.

"Auntie, think it over carefully. Sisters, I have something to do, so I'll be going now." Shu Yun carried the eggs and left leisurely. Now the whole family compound knew that although Xiao Gu's wife looked weak and easy to bully, she was not someone to be trifled with. Just by looking at Granny Zhang, who shrank her head and left, you could tell how powerful Shu Yun was.

Granny Zhang slunk away, and someone in the crowd chuckled, "Serves her right. Granny Zhang always has a loose tongue; someone should teach her a lesson."

Some of the newlywed brides, unaware of the situation, asked curiously, "Granny Zhang has never even seen Shu Yun's face. What deep-seated grudge could she possibly have that would cause such a young couple to be cursed to not last long right after their marriage?"

"Hmph, what else could it be? If a beautiful woman can cause trouble, then a handsome man can too."

Gu Jun was tall and handsome, with a bright future ahead of him. When he was first transferred to Haicheng, many people had designs on him, some introducing him to girls, others to distant relatives, including Granny Zhang.

She was the most proactive, calling over her youngest daughter. However, Gu Jun was picky and had high standards, so she didn't like her at all. This made the petty old woman Zhang remember it, and she hated Gu Jun's new wife as well.