The military wife is pregnant and the tycoon, who has no heir, spoils her rotten.

Chapter 73

"Wife, didn't you say you weren't going up the mountain?" Lu Beiting asked as he saw her deftly sling the basket over her shoulder, her movements revealing an indescribable urgency.

"Oh, I'll just go for a walk, I'll be right back." Xia Zhi said, slinging her basket over her shoulder and heading up the mountain without stopping.

She's currently heavily in debt, and if she doesn't take more initiative, she might really be finished.

Xia Zhi's figure quickly disappeared from Lu Beiting's sight. He stared at the closed door for a long time.

With her brows furrowed and her eyes filled with doubt and worry, she kept thinking about what had made her change her mind.

Suddenly, the image of the leader talking to her flashed through his mind.

Is it because of myself?
Lu Beiting's breathing became rapid, and a dull pain shot through his chest. He raised his hand to cover his heart, and the familiar pain seemed to intensify.

He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, his heart filled with self-blame and helplessness.

In the end, it still implicated Xia Zhi.

Despite his inner turmoil, Lu Beiting began tidying up the house.

His movements were somewhat slow, and every action conveyed a deep sense of powerlessness.

He carefully organized the clothes, folding Xia Zhi's clothes neatly and gently placing them in the closet, then wiped the tabletop spotless.

He felt that all he could do for her were these insignificant little things.

On the other side, Xia Zhi hurried up the winding mountain path. The path was rugged and uneven, with weeds growing wildly on both sides, occasionally brushing against her trouser legs.

Suddenly, a yellow figure darted onto her like lightning—it was a ball.

The usually agile and lively ball now appeared unusually anxious and agitated, its eyes wide open and emitting low growls.

"Ball, don't rush, take me there quickly."

Xia Zhi's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition welled up in her mind.

She followed the ball closely, her pace quickening until it became a jog.

As she ventured deeper into the forest, the surroundings grew increasingly quiet, with only the sound of her hurried footsteps and heavy breathing echoing through the woods.

The fallen leaves under her feet rustled under her feet, and suddenly the scene in front of her made Xia Zhi's face turn deathly pale.

In the bamboo forest, a pool of bright red blood was a shocking sight, and the surrounding bamboo was knocked askew.

Her hands trembled involuntarily as she took a sharp sickle from her basket, gripped it tightly, and rushed into the depths of the bamboo forest.

"Liping, quick, run! This thing is too aggressive!"

Beside the river, Gu Yunshen stood with a look of terror on his face. He tightly covered his injured left hand with his right hand, and blood kept seeping out from between his fingers.

His once fair cheeks were now covered with beads of sweat, and his face was as pale as paper.

Hao Liping, standing to the side, was in no better shape. Her clothes were torn to shreds, her hair was disheveled and scattered across her face, and her eyes were filled with fear and despair.

If Gu Yun Shen hadn't done everything in his power to protect her, she would probably have been covered in wounds long ago.

The two huddled close together, watching the little dumpling warily in the distance.

The dumpling's white fur was now stained with blood, its eyes were bloodshot and gleaming with ferocity, and it was letting out a low growl.

When Xia Zhi arrived and saw this scene, she felt her heart stop beating.

Anger surged into her heart like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming her reason.

"Gu Yunshen, Hao Liping, you dare to hurt Tuanzi, I'll kill you!" she roared, her voice echoing through the mountains and forests, startling a flock of birds.

Xia Zhi dropped the basket on her back, rushed over, grabbed Hao Liping's shoulder, and slapped her hard across the face with all her might.

With a sharp "smack," a red handprint appeared on Hao Liping's face.

Seeing this, Gu Yunshen tried to step forward to stop her, but Xia Zhi fearlessly raised her foot and kicked him hard. "Ah!"

"Xia Zhi!"

Their screams mingled together, shattering the silence of the forest.

Xia Zhi didn't even glance at them, turned around and quickly walked to Tuanzi's side.

She crouched down and carefully examined Tuanzi's wound, her eyes filled with heartache and concern.

She gently stroked the little dumpling's fur, murmuring, "Little dumpling, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Gu Yunshen and Hao Liping, who had just helped each other up, looked at this scene with gloating expressions.

This thing is so ferocious. If Xia Zhi gets this close, she'll definitely be pinned to the ground and torn apart.

However, to their surprise, when Xia Zhi approached Tuanzi, Tuanzi's tense body suddenly relaxed, the fierce light in its eyes gradually disappeared, and it became docile.

It gently rubbed against Xia Zhi's hand, making "woo-woo" sounds, as if telling her about its grievances.

Xia Zhi carefully examined Tuanzi's wound and found that it was nothing serious, which relieved her.

She stood up, looking at the two people in front of her with eyes full of disgust and anger.

"Xia Zhi, did you raise this thing?" Hao Liping covered half of her face, looking at her in shock.

In her previous life, she had never heard of Xia Zhi keeping such a thing.

Xia Zhi's eyes darted around rapidly, then she stood up, feigning composure, and crossed her arms. "Huh? What are you saying? I don't understand."

Seeing her like this, Hao Liping stomped her feet in anger, "Xia Zhi, if it's not your pet, why does it become so fierce as soon as it sees you?"

Xia Zhi narrowed her eyes and coldly scrutinized her, "Then why don't you reflect on why it only attacks you?"

Upon hearing this, Hao Liping and Gu Yunshen showed a hint of guilt on their faces.

They never expected that the seemingly docile and obedient dumpling would be so fierce when it launched an attack.

Seeing the two of them like this, Xia Zhi's face immediately turned cold. She knew in her heart that these two were definitely up to no good and were really after Tuanzi.

"Heh, Gu Yunshen and Hao Liping, if you're not afraid of death, then go ahead and provoke us. Don't end up being torn to shreds!"

Xia Zhi's tone was unusually fierce, and her eyes revealed a chilling majesty.

The two men were intimidated by her imposing manner, looked at her warily, and involuntarily took a few steps back.

Xia Zhi frowned unhappily, then shouted threateningly, "I heard wild monkeys making noise, run now!"

Upon hearing the words "wild monkeys," the two men's faces turned deathly pale.

They knew all too well how ferocious the wild monkeys in the mountains were; if they were targeted by them, their chances of survival would be slim.

The two turned and ran outside in a panic, stumbling and falling all the way, looking utterly disheveled.

After scaring the two away, Xia Zhi gently stroked Tuanzi, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

The Panda Protection Law was only promulgated in 1988, while it is only 1976 now.

Looking at Tuanzi's adorable appearance, she gritted her teeth. Although doing so was somewhat unconventional, she still decided to give it a try.

"Tuanzi, next time you encounter a bad guy like this, don't hold back, just don't kill him."

Xia Zhi knew that it was best for Tuanzi to live freely in the mountains and forests, and she never thought of locking Tuanzi up. Moreover, she believed that as long as Tuanzi didn't attack people, the patrol officers wouldn't do anything to it.

After Xia Zhi finished cleaning the bloodstains off Tuanzi's fur, she stood up and looked at the setting sun in the distance, sighing inwardly how quickly time flies.

It seemed like another fruitless day. She shook her head helplessly, picked up her basket, and slowly walked down the mountain.

[System, what kind of punishment are you talking about?] Xia Zhi asked silently in her mind.

[Host, I'll put you in solitary confinement for seven days. Your situation will be more serious; you'll have to endure seven days of excruciating torture.] The system's voice echoed in her mind.

"Is it just seven days of solitary confinement?" Xia Zhi asked, somewhat puzzled. She had expected her punishment to be more severe.

"Host..." The system's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Oh, so what? I save him, and he can save millions of people. It's not a loss."

Xia Zhi's eyes were filled with determination; she felt that everything she had done was worthwhile.

Xia Zhi carried a basket on her back and walked slowly along the mountain path, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a long shadow of her.

By the time I got home, it was already getting dark.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Lu Beiting busy inside the house.

"You're back? Perfect timing, Zhang Yi said the things he ordered have arrived and he'll bring them back to us later."

I'll have them take Aunt Qian's bicycle back with them. You can ride your own from now on; it'll be more convenient.

Lu Beiting's voice carried a hint of joy. He put down the clothes he was folding, closed the closet door, and then went to Xia Zhi's side, taking her hand and walking outside.

In the courtyard, a brand-new bicycle sat quietly, a bright red flower tied to the handlebars, shining brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun.

This is a Phoenix brand bicycle, its body gleaming and radiating a subtle sheen.

Lu Beiting gently stroked the handlebars of the bicycle and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I had them put a basket in the front so you can put things in there."

He turned his head to look at Xia Zhi, his eyes filled with anticipation and unease. He didn't even dare to ask her if she liked it, because this was the best he could give her at the moment.

"Oh my, Gardenia, this is a bicycle with three turns and one sound! My goodness, this bicycle doesn't look cheap."

And with this sewing machine, there's no need to sew clothes anymore.

And this radio, I can listen to so many interesting things at home.

"Zhi Zi married well; she has good taste."

The neighbors all gathered around, their eyes filled with undisguised envy as they looked at the things that had been moved in.

They showered him with compliments, causing a blush to rise around Lu Beiting's ears.

"Thank you, Lu Beiting, I like it very much."

A bright smile bloomed on Xia Zhi's face. She gently touched the bicycle and turned to look at Lu Beiting.

Lu Beiting stared blankly at the smile on her face for a few seconds, then the corners of his mouth also turned up slightly, "I'm glad you like it."

Just then, Gu Yunshen and Hao Liping, who had just returned from the military hospital after receiving treatment, happened to pass by.

They saw several people next door carrying things inside, and curiously went over to take a look. But what they saw made them freeze in shock.

All the brand-new furniture and household items were moved to where Xia Zhi and the others lived.

"If you ask me, Zhi Zi should marry Battalion Commander Lu. Look at her, she has everything she could want, and Battalion Commander Lu is so considerate."

We all watched when Zhi Zi was working at the Gu family's house next door. She had endless chores from morning till night, and she would get scolded when she got back.

Who could stand that?

"Don't say that. Before, Zhi Zi was thin and small, and dark-skinned. Look at her now, she's only been with Battalion Commander Lu for a few months, and she's completely changed."

The surrounding chatter reached their ears, with everyone praising either Xia Zhi or Lu Beiting.

Hearing these words, Hao Liping felt both angry and annoyed, and the pain on her face became more and more obvious.

She couldn't hold back any longer, her eyes reddening, and she turned and ran home.

Back home, Hao Liping looked at her simple room and then thought about Xia Zhi's brand-new bicycle and the three-wheeled car. The grievances in her heart surged up like a flood.

She buried her face in her arms on the table and burst into tears.

Chen Xiuping walked into the room and saw this scene, and sighed helplessly.

She had known this would be the outcome, and had tried to persuade Hao Liping before, but the child just wouldn't listen.

Now that everything has been agreed upon, there's no going back on it.

"Alright, Liping, don't be sad. You know, sigh..." Chen Xiuping gently patted Hao Liping's shoulder, her heart filled with helplessness.

"Mom, I'm fine, don't worry."

Hao Liping wiped away her tears and tried to remain calm as she comforted Chen Xiuping.

She couldn't be fooled by these superficial appearances. Xia Zhi was only doing well now; many hard days were sure to follow her in the future.

If she just endures a little longer, better days will await her next year.

……

As night falls, twinkling lights twinkle in the village.

Xia Zhi and Lu Beiting sat at the dining table, eating their meal in silence.

Xia Zhi glanced at Lu Beiting furtively, hesitated for a moment, then took out a sleeping pill from her pocket, handed it to him, and said:
"Lu Beiting, this is painkiller. It will make you feel better tonight."

Lu Beiting put down the bowl in his hand, took the pills from her hand, and in the dim light, he glanced at Xia Zhi, his eyes revealing a hint of doubt and gratitude.

He then swallowed the pills with the soup.

The moment the medicine entered his mouth, Lu Beiting's brows furrowed slightly, and he glanced at Xia Zhi imperceptibly.

After finishing their meal, the two washed up and went to bed to rest.

Lu Beiting quickly fell asleep, his breathing even and steady.

Xia Zhi slowly opened her eyes in the darkness, quietly listening to Lu Beiting's even breathing beside her.

She sat up, looked at Lu Beiting who was fast asleep beside her, reached out to take his pulse, and confirmed that the medicine was working.

She silently recited in her mind: "System, begin!"

The system ultimately said nothing and tacitly approved of her actions.

Xia Zhi's surroundings suddenly changed; Lu Beiting, who had been lying on the bed, was now lying on a white operating table.

Xia Zhi changed his clothes, injected him with anesthesia, and began a series of preparations.

Before the surgery began, she took a deep breath, gripped the scalpel tightly, and her eyes revealed an unprecedented focus.

(End of this chapter)