Zhou Yinhua stood up with a stiff smile and walked towards the podium. At first, she stood in the corner, took out the letter, and just wanted to finish reading it quickly.

Zhu Xiudan frowned. "Move to the middle."

Zhou Yinhua had no choice but to walk to the center of the stage. She took out the letter and was about to read it when she looked down and saw Yu Yao sitting in the very center of the stage. Her face stiffened even more.

Yu Yao sat quietly with a smile on her face.

The smile meant nothing, but Zhou Yinhua didn't think so.

She felt that Yu Yao's smile was malicious, that she was watching her make a fool of herself, and felt even more ashamed, so she refused to speak.

The self-criticism was written by Zhou Yinhua at Zhao Desheng's urging and then submitted to Zhu Xiudan for review.

Zhu Xiudan believed that her understanding of the mistakes was not thorough enough, that she only reflected on the enemy agents but not on the coercion of military families, and demanded that she rewrite it.

Zhou Yinhua didn't think she was wrong; she just felt unlucky to have run into enemy agents and been used.

Looking at Yu Yao now, he suddenly couldn't say anything.

If she read it aloud, wouldn't that be admitting defeat to Yu Yao? Zhou Yinhua was unwilling, but with so many eyes watching her, and the man and Sister Dan standing on Yu Yao's side.

She didn't want to study, but she was forced into it and had no choice but to study, so she was stuck on the stage.

"Read it! What are you standing there for?" Zhu Xiudan urged her when she saw that she hadn't spoken for a long time.

Circumstances dictate that one must yield; one has no choice but to comply.

Zhou Yinhua forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and read her self-criticism with a stiff upper lip.

"My name is Zhou Yinhua, and I am the wife of Zhao Desheng, the battalion commander of the third battalion of the first regiment. Regarding the enemy spy incident that occurred in the compound a few days ago, I want to reflect on my mistakes..."

The reflection on the mistakes took several minutes to read, and I stumbled over it and mispronounced many words. Then came the summary.

"Here, I solemnly apologize to Yu Yao. Please take this as a lesson..." Zhou Yinhua stopped reading here, unsure of what to say next.

Zhu Xiudan shook her head and reminded him, "It should be a sincere apology, a lesson learned."

After Zhou Yinhua finished speaking awkwardly, she was about to leave when Zhu Xiudan called her back.

Standing on the stage, Zhu Xiudan spoke earnestly: "Comrade Zhou Yinhua has deeply realized her mistakes in this matter, but that's not enough. She must continue to demonstrate her change through concrete actions. Furthermore..."

At this point, Zhu Xiudan deliberately paused, her face turning cold as she criticized, "Comrade Zhou personally demonstrated the consequences of not being able to read. He stumbled over his 500-word self-criticism for several minutes, and mispronounced so many words. I hope everyone will attend the literacy classes in the military compound every Wednesday and Friday on time, and not make any excuses. I don't want to hear anything like, 'My child is going to the mountains or the sea to arrest someone today,' or 'I had a fight with my mother-in-law and want to go back to my parents' house.'"

"Alright, you can go now."

After Zhu Xiudan finished speaking, she looked at the huge crowd below the stage, her previous stern expression replaced by a smile, and said:

"This incident involving enemy agents has made us aware of the potential crisis, and it has also shown us the unity and wisdom of the military families. Punishment and review are not the goal, but rather to ensure that the military families can learn from this experience. Of course, there will be both punishment and rewards."

Sun Yu nudged Yu Yao with her elbow from below and whispered, "I heard the reward this time is very generous."

Hearing her say that, Yu Yao also felt a sense of anticipation.

Zhu Xiudan looked at Yu Yao below the stage and continued, "In this crisis, Comrade Yu Yao, Commander Lu's wife, performed exceptionally well. With her keen observation and fearless attitude, she saw through the enemy's tricks. Such a military family member is worthy of everyone's learning. Now, please invite Comrade Yu Yao to the stage to receive the award."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Yu, Ge Jinhua, and Song Yufeng, who were close to Yu Yao, took the lead in clapping.

Afterwards, enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

"Comrade Yu Yao, well done! We should learn from Comrade Yu Yao!"

"Learn from Comrade Yu Yao!"

Yu Yao stood on the stage, feeling excited. She hadn't expected to receive such a grand award and was a little nervous.

"Is that Commander Lu's wife? She's really beautiful. Her skin is whiter than the porcelain I used to see in landlords' houses."

“I used to think she wasn’t good enough for Commander Lu, but I didn’t expect her to be so outstanding. Now I understand why Commander Lu chose her. If I were Commander Lu, I would also be afraid that such an excellent partner would be snatched away by someone else. Of course, I would want to marry her as soon as possible.”

"Hearing you say that, she and Lu Tuan are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. They're even better suited than Dr. Mo."

Mo Ruqing listened from the side, smiling, but her fingernails were almost digging her knees into a swollen mess.

Her gaze fell on Yu Yao on the stage, her eyes icy cold.

Zhu Xiudan pinned a big red flower on Yu Yao, presented her with a certificate for "Advanced Anti-Espionage Military Wife," and various prizes.

Cheers and applause filled the air.

Zhou Yinhua sat below, her back teeth grinding together until they were shattered.

This jealousy reached its peak after seeing the rewards Yu Yao received.

In addition to a fountain pen, notebook, enamel mug, five pounds of meat, and two pounds of cooking oil, Yu Yao's prizes also included priority in being assigned a job.

Working at the Starfish Food Factory was one of the best jobs among the eight wealthy landowners—a secure, stable job.

This time, her provocation of Yu Yao not only failed to force her to divorce Commander Lu or kick her out of the compound, but actually even gave her a job opportunity.

Zhou Yinhua was furious. Looking at Yu Yao, who was being fawned over by everyone, she was so jealous that her eyes turned red.

After distributing the rewards, Zhu Xiudan gave a few concluding remarks, and the military dependents' meeting came to an end.

The discussion about this meeting has only just begun.

Before leaving, Zhu Xiudan gave Yu Yao the letter of introduction for her family visit, patted her on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Keep up the good work, don't be arrogant!"

"Thank you, Sister Dan, I understand."

Yu Yao was surrounded by people, her face full of smiles.

She wore a light blue cotton cardigan and loose-fitting pants today, looking energetic and capable.

Just as I was finally escaping the enthusiastic congratulations from the military families, I spotted a familiar figure.

"Auntie!"

Behind the crowd, a man with a camera waved at Yu Yao.

Yu Yao walked over happily, "Yuan Hao, what brings you here?"

Lu Yunhao patted his camera. "The newspaper sent me to the island to interview the soldiers and their families. The division commander said there was an awards ceremony today and asked me to record it. I never expected it would be my aunt."

Have you finished your work?

Lu Yuanhao nodded. "The work is all finished, and I've taken all the photos. I just need to go back and write the report."

"Okay, then come over for dinner tonight."

"I've heard from Tianya that my aunt's cooking is delicious, and I'm so jealous. Now I'm in for a treat. I'll let that little girl be envious when we get back. Let's see if she dares to tempt me next time."

After Lu Yuanhao finished speaking, he remembered something and said to Yu Yao, "Auntie, there's something else I forgot to mention. Grandma and Tianya were originally going to come over, but before they boarded the ship, Tianya had a stomachache, so Grandma took her to the hospital. Grandma asked me to bring you a surprise gift, which is in my suitcase. I'll give it to you in a bit."