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

At the dinner table, Zhou Zhonghai casually instructed Yu Fu: "Tomorrow, turn over the soil in front of the gate. It's time to plant winter cabbages. Also, the plums on the tree are all sour. Get rid of them. Our yard looks a bit desolate."

Yu Fu immediately replied, "Yes, I'll take care of it tomorrow."

Zhou Wenhui has difficulty walking and cannot turn over.

Qiaoqiao has to do a big clean on Sunday, so she doesn't have time.

Hu Xiaomei is very busy taking care of the family's food and drink, as well as picking up and dropping off Xiaowei.

Luo Meiyun can only perform surgery; she can't even cook. Occasionally, she shows off her culinary skills, but no one eats the dishes she makes.

Zhou Zhonghai was too busy interrogating corrupt officials to bother turning over the soil.

We're just waiting for Yu Fu to come home so we can quickly get the heavy chores done around the house.

"The plums are a bit sour, let's go to a bar instead."

Qiaoqiao suggested that it would be a waste to throw it away.

"It's so sour, can it be used to make wine?" Zhou Zhonghai asked.

"Why not give it a try? What if it's good?"

Qiaoqiao saw that her mother had made plum wine, and her father liked to drink it very much.

Later, during the Cultural Revolution, the plum tree was cut down, and my mother stopped making them.

"Okay, let's give it a try. Drinking plum wine is healthier than drinking Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). I'll clean the plums tomorrow."

Luo Meiyun readily agreed, as she always knew how to wash plums.

While arranging chores around the house, Zhou Wenhui suddenly asked, "Yu Fu, how's work? Are you settling in?"

Everyone came to their senses. Yu Fu had just started his new job; shouldn't we be concerned about his work?

"Yu Fu, I completely forgot you went to work. Are you alright?"

Zhou Zhonghai grinned smugly.

"It's fine, but a little strange."

"What's strange?"

"It seems that the security department has split into two factions. One faction follows Section Chief Lin and lives a life of luxury, while the other faction is neglected and suppressed."

"Which faction are you on?" Qiaoqiao asked anxiously.

"I'm one of the ones who got sidelined," Yu Fu said with an embarrassed smile.

"No way! You've known Lin Jie since you were in the compound, how could he ignore you?" Qiaoqiao exclaimed.

"Maybe it's because I know him, but he doesn't know me."

"Human psychology is always strange. Perhaps you know too much about his past," Zhou Wenhui said calmly.

Yu Fu smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll just do my job well."

"Tell me what's so strange about it?" Zhou Zhonghai wasn't familiar with Lin Jie, so he continued to ask Yu Fu.

"There was an employee named Zhao Weiguo who wanted to invite Brother Sun to dinner at Jufeng Restaurant. Brother Sun said that a serving of fish at Jufeng Restaurant costs more than twenty yuan."

"Zhao Weiguo?" Zhou Zhonghai frowned.

"Jufeng Restaurant sounds mysterious. Is it really that delicious?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"None of us have been there, so we don't know if it's good."

Luo Meiyun smiled; her family couldn't afford to eat at Jufeng Restaurant.

"It'll definitely taste better than Mom's fish." Zhou Wenhui smiled unintentionally, and Luo Meiyun glared at him.

"This Zhao Weiguo is no simple character. Yu Fu, don't deal with him, lest you get hurt," Zhou Zhonghai said sullenly.

"Yu Fu, don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of trouble either."

Zhou Wenhui said coldly, and Zhou Zhonghai looked up in surprise. The boy's tone was the same as when he was protecting Liu Songming.

Indeed, during the most difficult time for his family, Yu Fu stayed by his side, and their relationship was no less than that between himself and Liu Songming.

Soldiers who have returned from the battlefield value loyalty more than personal gain.

It wasn't loyalty; when Zhou Wenhui was carried to the back, he hadn't just lost his legs, he had lost his life.

Zhou Zhonghai was somewhat gratified; this kid was also cultivating his own friends.

Yu Fu, Yao Xing, Gu Tong'an, Zhao Jintao, and Yang Zheng were all loyal to him.

Zhou Zhonghai chuckled: "Wenhui is right. You have to consider the owner before you beat a dog. I'm still in this position."

"Dad, who's the dog?" Zhou Wenhui looked up, displeased.

"Wrong, wrong, it's all Xiaowei's fault. He calls the puppy 'Grandpa' every day, making me unable to distinguish between humans and dogs. Yu Fu, wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue. You should focus on doing your job well. If you see a problem, you have to address it. If others try to make things difficult for you, not only will Wenhui object, but I won't either."

Zhou Zhonghai used laughter to cover up his panic. That brat Zhou Wenhui, he has no respect for elders, he dares to talk back.

"Commander Zhou, I know my limits."

"Yu Fu, I hold you to the same standards I set for my children. If you use my name to act as an accomplice to evildoers, that won't do."

Zhou Zhonghai said one more thing, though it was as if he hadn't said anything at all.

Initially, he required Qiaoqiao not to mention her position in front of outsiders. Later, when Qiaoqiao was bullied, he rushed over with Fu Sanjun.

"Commander Zhou, I dare not, I dare not. No one knows that I have been working as a police officer in your house all this time." Yu Fu immediately became nervous.

Subtly, the Zhou family became very low-key; how could he dare to mention Governor Zhou?

"Yu Fu has been with me giving speeches everywhere, and I trust his character." Zhou Wenhui put a piece of duck meat on Yu Fu's plate.

"Son, don't worry, I'm relieved too. Yu Fu, eat up, Xiao Hu made duck stew with pickled vegetables, it's sour and refreshing. Oh, and Yu Fu, bring some pickled vegetables to the dorm tomorrow, they're delicious."

"Thank you, Commander Zhou."

Yu Fu felt a warm glow in his heart; he knew he had made the right decision to stay in Huailin.

After handling Zhang Da Niang's funeral arrangements, Zhang Man moved into the cadre housing allocated to Lin Jie's workplace.

Due to the miscarriage and excessive grief, Zhang Man's body was extremely weak, and Lin Jie took meticulous care of her.

"Manman, I'm sorry, I failed to protect you."

In the spacious bedroom, Zhang Man lay on the bed, her back to Lin Jie beside her.

"Manman, have some chicken soup and rest well. We'll have another child soon."

"Did you send a telegram to my brother?" Zhang Man asked without moving.

"I took the photos. He's a new recruit and won't receive any letters from home for three months. I don't have the ability to pull strings," Lin Jie said guiltily.

"Mom has already been buried. Even if he comes back, he won't have a mother anymore. Oh well, let him focus on his training."

"Manman, have a sip of chicken soup." Lin Jie was holding the chicken soup in one hand, so it wasn't easy to feed her.

"I can't eat. My mother is gone, my child is gone, Lin Jie, this big house, my mother didn't live in it for a single day. That woman destroyed everything I had."

Zhang Man spoke gently, as if she were describing someone else's story.

"I never expected that even after so long since the divorce, she would still be clinging to me. Meeting such a crazy woman is the worst luck imaginable."

"What was the court's ruling?"

"He committed a knife attack, which resulted in a miscarriage and indirectly caused the death of an elderly person. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison."

"Twelve years?"

Zhang Man sat up abruptly, her eyes filled with resentment, and said, "Just twelve years? She should compensate my child and my mother. After the criminal trial, I'll make her sue me for civil damages."

"But her family really doesn't have any money."

"I don't care, she killed my child, she killed my mother, I'll make her lose everything."

"Manman, her mother is always on medication, and her family is so poor they don't even have mice. How can they possibly compensate us?"

"Lin Jie, are you feeling sorry for her? If you feel sorry for her, why did you divorce her? Why did you get involved with me in the first place...?"

Zhang Man screamed like a madwoman, "Mom, I don't have a mom anymore, I have no home anymore, it's all your fault, Lin Jie, why did you have to mess with me?"

Lin Jie put down the soup bowl, held Zhang Man in one arm, and let her cry.