I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Originally, it was supposed to be four dishes and a soup, but Han Dan brought an extra dish, making it five dishes and a soup, a whole table full.

"Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!"

Put aside all sadness and greet the guests with a smile.

Lin Jie opened a bottle of wine and asked, "Wenhui's wife, would you like some wine too?"

"No, no, I can't drink a drop. Sister Han, would you like some?"

"She can't drink either, so Wenhui and I will."

Han Dan helped serve the rice, Qiao Qiao took the chopsticks, and the four of them sat down to eat.

Soldiers have a high alcohol tolerance. Lin Jie and Zhou Wenhui clinked glasses, took a sip, and half a glass of wine was gone.

"Stop drinking and eat some food."

The last time Zhou Wenhui drank was when Zhou Zhonghai returned to his unit.

Qiaoqiao didn't know how much alcohol he could hold, so she hoped he wouldn't get drunk.

After drinking some alcohol, they became more talkative, and Zhou Wenhui and Lin Jie began discussing matters related to the military.

"Have you seen the inside news? Most of the border troops have withdrawn." Lin Jie ate his food heartily.

"You mean, the war is over?" Zhou Wenhui asked in surprise.

"The situation abroad is complex, but ultimately, a strong nation is the foundation of our confidence. Our national defense capabilities are growing stronger, and no one dares to underestimate us. In my opinion, the border will soon be completely stable."

Zhou Wenhui took a big gulp and said happily, "Then my dad won't have to go to the front lines."

Lin Jie looked at Zhou Wenhui with a puzzled expression: "You're injured. Logically speaking, your father shouldn't be on the front lines at all, right?"

"That's the policy, but my dad is even more stubborn than me. He insists on going to the front lines to avenge the brothers who sacrificed their lives."

Zhou Wenhui smiled gently, a sense of pride welling up inside him as he spoke of his father.

"Commander Zhou is also a hero. Come, let's drink to Commander Zhou."

After taking another big gulp, Lin Jie continued, "Even if I were missing a hand, I would still have to stay at the border. My orderly died right next to me; he was only eighteen."

Lin Jie's eyes reddened, while Qiaoqiao and Han Dan listened quietly.

Lin Jie is a hero and deserves respect, but why did he bully his defenseless wife?

None of my fifteen brothers have returned.

Zhou Wenhui said sullenly that after confiding in Qiaoqiao last time, he was no longer heartbroken.

"I've heard about what happened to you. It's been so tough. You're the only one left in your class. Wenhui, you have to live well, live well for your brothers."

The two raised their glasses again. Han Dan and Qiao Qiao finished eating and took their bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

"Qiaoqiao, will Wenhui tell you about what's happening at the border?"

The two men, each holding a low stool, sat at the kitchen doorway, keeping an eye on the two men drinking while whispering to each other.

"I told you once, it was so tragic, I even cried," Qiaoqiao said sadly.

"Lin Jie never told me this, no wonder he would wake up in the middle of the night shouting, 'Run, run!'"

Han Dan's expression was complicated. Lin Jie was a qualified soldier, but not a qualified husband.

"Wenhui, let me tell you, if we could make a trade, I'd rather die than lose that orderly's life. What's the point of me living, guarding the warehouse?"

If I die, I'll be a hero, and the country will take care of my parents. If I live, they'll worry themselves sick and spend their life savings to find me a wife. I... I'm such an unfilial son...

Lin Jie was losing his temper, but Zhou Wenhui quickly interrupted him: "Lin Jie, you can't say that. It wasn't easy for them to marry us, and we should respect them."

"What's the difference between this and a business transaction? We're after her care, she's after our glory. Wouldn't we be better off as bachelors?"

Zhou Wenhui quickly looked into the kitchen and saw Qiaoqiao and Han Dan sitting forlornly by the door. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Everyone knows this is a mutually beneficial marriage, and once it's exposed, both parties will feel awkward.

"Lin Jie, you've had too much to drink. Marriage is about mutual support. My father and mother were introduced by my father's old superior, not through a love marriage, but they're just as happy. There's no such thing as romance; a simple, ordinary life is what truly matters."

Zhou Wenhui was saying these words to Qiaoqiao.

Qiaoqiao couldn't listen to any of it, and she and Han Dan both shed tears.

"I'm just a rough old man, I'm content to have a wife and a stable life. You're different, I heard you have a female college student..."

"Lin Jie, you've crossed the line. Everyone has their own thoughts. My marriage is fine now, so please don't talk nonsense. This isn't the military base, this is home," Zhou Wenhui said, his expression changing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, look at me, I've been drinking too much and talking nonsense. Let's not talk about women anymore, let's drink, let's drink."

Zhou Wenhui took a sip of wine in a sullen mood. On the front lines, men always used vulgar language when talking about women, and he didn't want others to humiliate Cheng Zhaoying and Yang Qiao.

Qiaoqiao grabbed Han Dan's hand, smiled, and said, "We were bought, so they look down on us from the bottom of their hearts. It's okay, we have to respect ourselves."

"Your Zhou Wenhui is very protective of you," Han Dan said with a smile, her eyes red.

"What he's protecting is his female college student. Oh well, when I agreed to marry him, it was because he could get my brother a job in the factory. Actually, what they said is true, but we just don't want to face it."

Once I understood my own position, the pain wasn't so intense anymore.

Two men finished two bottles of Erwotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and got drunk.

Qiaoqiao called the logistics department and they sent two soldiers to carry Lin Jie back.

Qiaoqiao went to great lengths to get Zhou Wenhui into bed. He kept vomiting and asking for water, filling the room with the smell of alcohol.

Qiaoqiao thought to herself, "I'll never invite Lin Jie to dinner again."

If I had known he would speak so bluntly and rudely, I shouldn't have invited him to this meal.

Zhou Wenhui vomited bile, calling out for Dunzi, the squad leader, and Cheng Zhaoying.

Of course, she's also called Qiaoqiao.

"Yang Qiao, water..."

"Yang Qiao, if you need to vomit, go to the trash can."

"Yang Qiao..."

"Yang Qiao..."

Serving him tea and water, wiping him up after he vomited, Yang Qiao was as busy as a spinning top.

Finally, Zhou Wenhui, his face flushed, calmed down. He stared blankly at Yang Qiao and said, "Those words were said by Lin Jie, not me. You know my heart; I care about you, but I'm insecure, do you understand? I'm not good enough for you; you have a better future..."

As he spoke, he hugged Yang Qiao tightly and burst into tears.

Qiaoqiao remained motionless; she knew these words were meant for Cheng Zhaoying.

Zhou Wenhui cried until he was exhausted. Seeing that Qiaoqiao had no reaction, he sighed in boredom and fell asleep.

Qiaoqiao emptied the filth out of the house, mopped the floor again, then moved a small stool and sat at the door to watch the moon.

Grandpa and Grandma, did Mom and Dad receive my letter?

Grandpa's eyesight is failing, so Dad will read the letters to him.

They must be happy. I have food and clothes, and I even have braised pork. It's so much better than Dashui Village.

What's wrong with her? The military region has abundant resources, and the soldiers respect her.

The life that rural people dream of, so why aren't they happy?

Because all of this was not achieved through hard work, but through opportunism.

Qiaoqiao burst into tears. This great family: her father-in-law was a veteran of the Korean War, her mother-in-law had excellent medical skills, and her husband was a hero on the battlefield.

Their comfortable lives today were bought with their blood and lives, and I, Yang Qiao, am an intruder.

An intruder, to put it bluntly, is a thief.

Qiaoqiao wiped away her tears sadly. She wasn't a thief. Zhou Wenhui needed someone to take care of him. Even if it wasn't Yang Qiao, there would be Li Qiao or Zhang Qiao.

No matter how others see you, you must first respect yourself.

In the lonely night, no one cared about Qiaoqiao's heartache; only she herself could untangle her knot in her heart.