Chapter 118

Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng were both too busy. Even though they were on the island and lived together every day, they still looked like a young couple who were rarely together.

Lu Yuanzheng's Adam's apple rolled, and he raised his hands to hold the back of her head and press it towards himself. He also tilted his head slightly and his lips met hers first.

The light kiss turned into a deep kiss, and Lu Yuanzheng's hand inappropriately reached into Xu Wen's shirt, and it seemed that the kiss was about to go off accidentally.

"Dad and Mom, what are you doing?" Dongsheng asked curiously from the door.

Xu Wen and Lu Yuan suddenly separated.

After their lips separated, Xu Wen was still sitting on Lu Yuanzheng. She wanted to get up, but Lu Yuanzheng held her waist and prevented her from moving.

He raised the flag, and Xu Wen stood up. Without any cover, it would be even more difficult to explain if Dongsheng saw it.

The two of them were breathing heavily, and they hadn't figured out how to fool Dongsheng for a while. Dongsheng asked again, "Dad and Mom, are you giving me a little brother or sister?"

Xu asked: "..."

Lu Yuanzheng is a man after all, and a little thicker-skinned than Xu Wen.

At least Xu Wen saw that he looked no different from usual except that the tips of his ears were a little red.

"No, your mom has a toothache, so I checked to see if she has cavities."

Dongsheng looked back and forth between Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng with a half-believing and half-doubting gaze, and said uncertainly: "But I clearly saw you two kissing."

But he clearly saw his father and mother kissing each other mouth to mouth.

When he was playing house with Doudou, he was scolded by Doudou's mother for kissing him mouth to mouth.

Saying this is kissing, it is wrong for little boys and little girls to kiss!

They also said that they can kiss the person they like only when they grow up.

He said he liked Doudou.

Doudou also said that she liked him.

Doudou's mother held it in for a long time before she said that they had to wait until they grew up before kissing, otherwise they would give birth to a child.

Xu Wen was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but Lu Yuanzheng took the initiative to say, "What nonsense is this? Who told you that a kiss will give birth to a little brother or sister? No, not at all. If there is someone, I will tell you. Don't ask so many questions, kid! Come and choose the food! Little boy, don't be so wild and stay out all day! You might as well live at Doudou's house! Don't come back so late in the future!"

Xu asked: "..."

Should Lu Yuanzheng's behavior be called guilty conscience or turning the tables?

Dongsheng: “…”

He responded with grievance and walked to the tea table to start choosing the dishes that he had not yet selected.

Xu Wen took advantage of Lu Yuanzheng not noticing and stood up from him, "I'll go see if there's any firewood in the kitchen."

Then he ran out quickly with a resentful look in his eyes, as if he was being chased by a ghost.

Xu Wen let out a long breath after he walked out of the door. He was so annoyed that he wanted to swear. The children saw them kissing, which was so embarrassing!

She sat on the swing in the yard and didn't dare to go back to the living room.

After a while, Lu Yuanzheng came out with the selected dishes. Seeing Xu Wen still looking annoyed, he smiled softly and comforted her: "It's okay. Children forget things quickly. I have diverted his attention now. I drew a picture for him and told him that when he figured it out, he could make a boat. He is concentrating on 'research' right now. I also told him not to tell others about what he just saw."

Xu asked: "..."

After Lu Yuanzheng went to the kitchen to cook, Xu Wen pushed the door and returned to the living room.

Dongsheng half-knelt in front of the tea table, studying the paper that Lu Yuanzheng had casually torn from his notebook.

Xu Wen went up to take a look and saw that Lu Yuanzheng's painting was particularly perfunctory. He said it was a boat, and if you didn't look carefully, people would believe he said it was a house.

Dongsheng looked up and saw Xu Wen coming over. He spread the paper on the table and asked her, "Mom, can you really build a boat like this?"

Xu Wenben wanted to ask how is that possible?

Then I remembered a variety show I had watched before (note), in which there was such a ship.

A wooden house floats on the water on an air cushion.

Then he nodded, "Of course! When the school is finished, let's do it together, okay?"

"Okay!" Dongsheng was particularly happy. "Once it's done, I'll take Doudou and live on the sea."

Xu asked: "..."

She looked at Dongsheng with resentment: "I will help you build the boat and you can take Doudou to play on the sea? What about me?"

What about the one you said you loved the most?

Xu Wen felt that he roughly understood the feeling of raising a pig with great effort but then eating up other people's cabbages and having to pay the price with another pig.

It's really hard to put it into words.

Dongsheng scratched his head and chuckled twice, "Mom, you come too."

Xu Wen waved his hands and was too lazy to say anything.

She is only in her early twenties and doesn't want to become an "evil mother-in-law" who competes with her "daughter-in-law" for her son too early.

Besides, she couldn't rely on other people's husbands, so she might as well rely on her own husband.

After dinner, Xu Wen took Dongsheng to school.

Most of the sisters-in-law were already in the classroom, and the atmosphere was completely different from the first time.

When everyone got together for the first time, most of them didn't know each other and they just wanted to give Xu Wen face or to deal with things.

Last time it was just like the first day of class meeting for freshmen. We didn’t know each other and everything was awkward and unfamiliar.

It is a large-scale socially awkward situation for multiple people.

This time was different, as everyone had been through thick and thin together for some time and were familiar with each other. Some had even become good friends, and they were able to chat animatedly spontaneously without the need for a host.

As soon as Xu Wen entered the room, Song Baoying waved at her and said, "Ask my sister-in-law, this is it."

This time was different from last time. Last time, everyone formed a double circle with food placed in the center of the circle.

Now that everyone has gotten to know each other well, they have spontaneously divided into several small groups, with about ten people in each group forming a circle.

Food and drinks were divided into several portions, one for each group.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes; a pajama party also has a center group.

Song Baoying and her group are undoubtedly the central group.

This was not arranged by anyone, it just happened spontaneously, and they themselves didn't even realize there was anything wrong with it.

Only Xu Wen, as a half-bystander, could see the subtlety.

Xu Wen didn't say anything and walked over holding Dongsheng's hand.

There is Doudou on the table, Dongsheng will definitely come over.

Now that everyone is familiar with each other, there is no need for Xu to use topics to guide the conversation like last time. Everyone can just say whatever they want to say.

The first topic was still about school.

My sister-in-law who can draw said that since it is an elementary school, it cannot be as formal as the family area. Can we draw some colorful pictures on the walls outside the classroom or on the floor of the playground?

This proposal was initially supported by the children.

Before they had decided on anything, they were already discussing what to paint.

The sisters-in-law didn't have any objections in the first place, and they had even less objections when they saw how happy the children were.

These children really helped in building the school. Some of them, like the adults, did not take a single day off.

As we chatted, the topic turned to private matters.

Several unmarried sisters-in-law chat about their respective partners.

For married sisters-in-law, the topic always revolves around their mother-in-law, husband and children.

Jiang Yiyi suddenly spoke up: "It's great to meet you! It's the most meaningful thing for me to come to the island!"

Xu Wen felt that the tone was a little off.

Besides, isn’t Li Mao the most important thing for her to come to the island?

Xu Wen was just thinking about it in his mind, but his quick-witted sister-in-law had already asked the question.

Jiang Yiyi choked up, "Actually, Li Mao and I have already broken up. I just don't want to be a deserter, so I want to finish building the house before leaving. Now that the teaching building has been completed, I am ready to leave!"

Xu asked: "..."

As a neighbor of Jiang Yiyi and Li Mao, Xu Wen often heard them quarreling and was used to it.

The two of them often break up and often make up.

But those were all private matters, and Jiang Yiyi would never talk about them in public.

It is most likely that they are really breaking up now.

Xu Wen thought about it carefully. It seemed that he hadn't heard them arguing for some time, at least a week. It was indeed not like their style.

"Why?" Song Baoying asked in confusion, "Weren't you guys fine two days ago?"

Jiang Yiyi is a relatively avant-garde girl of this era, who dares to love and hate!

She always expresses her love to Li Mao in a high-profile manner, and is also generous in showing Li Mao's love for her.

Some conservative sisters-in-law may not be used to her talking about love so openly and saying anything, but younger sisters-in-law envy her courage and sweetness.

Jiang Yiyi spread her hands and smiled bitterly, "Maybe it's not appropriate!"

"How can it be inappropriate? You've been talking for so long!"

"It wasn't that long actually. I was the one who pursued him in the beginning. There's something I'm embarrassed to tell you all, but I was the one who schemed against him to get us together.

We were classmates in junior high school. It was the year before last... I think it was, anyway, he was on vacation and came home, and just happened to catch up with our junior high school reunion.

Li Mao couldn't hold his liquor well, and he got drunk! I knew where his home was, but I still took him to the guesthouse, and I stayed to take care of him.

After he sobered up, he thought something had happened between us and he felt very guilty and repeatedly promised that he would be responsible and marry me.

In fact, nothing happened between us. Because of selfishness and the feeling at that time when I was ignorant, I didn't tell the truth and just went with the flow.

Later, he asked a matchmaker to come to my house to propose marriage. We lived in the same place and were classmates, so our families were basically well-matched, or I was marrying up, so my parents had no objection and just insisted on waiting until I graduated from technical secondary school before getting married.

I started school late, and I was already 18 years old at that time. As soon as I graduated, I gave up my job and came to the island.

All the sisters-in-law were silent and listened quietly. When they heard Jiang Yiyi crying, they just handed her a clean handkerchief silently.

Her sister-in-law, who was sitting near her, patted Jiang Yiyi's shoulder to comfort her.

She hadn't finished speaking, and no one knew the reason for the breakup, so it was difficult to offer comfort. They could only wait quietly for her to finish explaining the whole story.

After a while, Jiang Yiyi's crying gradually weakened.

"I thought love was too simple. I thought if I gave up everything and ran to him, our relationship would blossom and bear fruit sooner or later. In fact, Li Mao was also very good to me. At least he tried his best to be good to me. I also tried to understand him. But people are always greedy..."

Xu Wen understood.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Yiyi's love is too idealistic. She is a clingy girl who wants to stick with Li Mao 24 hours a day. In their eyes, there is only each other, and they always put each other first.

But Li Mao's career meant that he couldn't spend enough time with Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi left her hometown, gave up her future, and followed Li Mao wholeheartedly. She was still young, and it was inevitable that she would complain if her efforts were not rewarded equally.

Out of responsibility, Li Mao patiently coaxed her again and again.

The foundation of their relationship was weak. After all, Li Mao had no love for Jiang Yiyi before, and it was Jiang Yiyi who liked Li Mao unilaterally.

After repeated quarrels and reconciliations, the little affection Li Mao had for Jiang Yiyi gradually disappeared.

Still treat her well and still comfort her when she is angry.

But women are always sensitive, especially Jiang Yiyi. She almost lost herself and focused on Li Mao. Of course, she could notice the subtle changes in Li Mao.

So they started arguing again.

During this quarrel, Jiang Yiyi asked Li Mao if he would still be with her if she had not had sex with him that time.

Li Mao was silent.

Jiang Yiyi said she wanted to hear the truth.

Li Mao shook his head.

Jiang Yiyi cried and asked, "Why?"

“Because we are not suitable.”

"What's inappropriate?" Jiang Yiyi asked.

Since Li Mao had decided to tell the truth, he no longer concealed it: "It's really inappropriate. Yiyi, you have been on the island for such a long time, have you found out what these sisters-in-law have in common?"

Jiang Yiyi looked at Li Mao blankly.

The sisters-in-law range in age from twenty to over forty. They are of different heights, weights and sizes. There are rural sisters-in-law and city sisters-in-law. There are highly educated sisters-in-law like Xu Wen, and there are also illiterate sisters-in-law like Wang Lingling who couldn't even write her own name at first. There are sisters-in-law who got married early and whose second child is in junior high school, and there are sisters-in-law like her who have not yet registered.

So what is there in common?

"Military wives, like soldiers, are synonymous with greatness. The job of a soldier is to protect the country, but sisters-in-law are our last resort. So women who can really be military wives are very independent! Yiyi, you can take a look at those sisters-in-law who are married and have children. None of them complain every day, and they are used to being both a father and a mother.

They are the ones who can really go out of the living room and into the kitchen, carry rice on their shoulders and feed children. When the children are sick and have a fever, they can walk more than ten kilometers to the hospital with the children on their backs. Many sisters-in-law give birth without their husbands by their side. If it were you, what would you accept?"

It was Jiang Yiyi's turn to be silent. She couldn't accept any of it.

“Many of my comrades missed two weddings, the birth of two children, and continue to miss their children’s growth.

Many military wives are not born strong, nor do they really need a man's help when changing the gas. They just have no choice. Most of them cry behind their backs but smile in front of others.

What about you? You are still like a child who has not grown up. You need a man who always pays attention to you like you do. He should meet you every day, say sweet words to you, and treat you like a child. He should wash clothes and cook for you. If you are in a bad mood, he should find out the reason and comfort you immediately.

But, Yiyi, you have been on the island for more than a year. Tell me, is there any man on the island who can do this?"

Jiang Yiyi opened her mouth and subconsciously wanted to say that the journey was long.

But Lu was often busier than Li Mao due to his long expeditions.

In terms of companionship, Li Mao spent more time with her than Lu Yuanzheng spent time with Xu Wen.

What was Xu Wen doing every time he cried?

Maybe he is teaching Dongsheng to study, or maybe he is making delicious food, drinks and fun.

Anyway, I will always find something to do.

At least in the past year or so, Jiang Yiyi had never heard Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen quarreling.

Jiang Yiyi murmured blankly: "Then am I wrong to like you and want to be with you every day?"

"It's not your fault! It's me. I really can't give you what you want right now. You are a good girl, passionate, generous and simple, and you deserve to be cherished by men including me. But, Yiyi, I get tired too. When I get home after a busy day, I hope to see a warm you, hope you leave a light on by the bed, and hope there is a warm meal on the table after I come back from overtime.

But what I got was that you would lock me out at any time. No matter how I knocked on the door, you wouldn't open it, and no matter how I tried to coax you, you still felt wronged. Every time you locked me out, I could only go back to class to sleep.

I felt particularly embarrassed when my comrades asked me why I didn't go home, and I had to make up a different excuse every time.

After a while, everyone knew why they stopped asking and took the initiative to save a seat for me, but I felt even more embarrassed.

I don't expect you to change, I just hope that next time you get angry, you can tell me why instead of making me guess? Can you try not to lock me out? If you have something to say, let's talk about it face to face?"

Jiang Yiyi burst into tears.

Li Mao did not rush her, but waited quietly for her to finish crying. He could not wait for her to grow up, to grow up psychologically.

I can only force her to grow up, otherwise the two of us won't be able to live together for the rest of our lives.

After Jiang Yiyi cried enough, she only said one sentence: "Li Mao, let's break up! Anyway, we haven't got the marriage certificate yet."