Outside the training ground, the wind, carrying particles of seawater, lashed against the camp gate, making a mournful, whistling sound.
Song Yaoyao sat in the center of the camp, holding her triplets, surrounded by a huge crowd of people.
Her voice was low, but every word could be heard by those around her: "You didn't see it, but that night, I could hear the battalion commander's wife and that Qin Jinshen talking in the basement from a great distance..."
A commotion immediately broke out in the crowd, and several men who were squatting on the ground eating hard flatbreads straightened up.
Seeing that everyone's reaction was good, Song Yaoyao raised her voice a bit more, "This is hardly imprisonment! I think these two are like dry wood meeting a raging fire, they're practically burning brightly together! As for me, I'm the one who's imprisoned, locked up in that basement, listening to the two upstairs every day. They eat and sleep together every day, they don't even respect Battalion Commander Zhou, it's so pitiful!"
She suddenly stopped, deliberately lowering her voice, which only made everyone around her move closer. "I also heard that guy surnamed Qin showing off, saying that he even knew that Ling Huanwu had a mole a little below her waist!"
"Ouch!"
Someone exclaimed softly, and the villagers, who had been hungry and listless, instantly perked up, their eyes all sweeping over Ling Huanwu, who had just come out of the office.
The men's eyes held an undisguised amusement, while the women huddled together, whispering and pointing without any attempt to hide their thoughts.
Ling Huanwu stared coldly at Song Yaoyao, who was still constantly stepping on her sore spots. Just as she was about to retort, Aunt Liu next to her exploded, "Song Yaoyao, what nonsense are you spouting! The battalion commander and Comrade Ling have a very good relationship. Stop spreading rumors!"
"I'm spreading rumors?" Song Yaoyao immediately retorted, her voice sharp like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Every word I said is true! If you don't believe me, go ask my husband's older brother if she has a mole below her waist!"
She suddenly looked at Ling Huanwu, her eyes full of malice, "Otherwise, let everyone see if she has a mole on her buttocks below her waist, then they'll know whether I'm spreading rumors or not?"
"How can you be so shameless!" Aunt Liu was so angry that she trembled all over, but the surrounding villagers remained silent.
Everyone knows that Ling Huanwu is Commander Zhou's lifeline.
Zhou Jiuzhen almost lost his life saving Ling Huanwu, how could they dare to?
Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to actually "inspect" it!
But Song Yaoyao's words were like a thorn stuck in everyone's hearts, and their gazes toward Ling Huanwu now held a more ambiguous meaning.
At this moment, someone in the crowd whispered, "How about... we wait for the battalion commander to come back and let him talk to him? After all, they're husband and wife, the battalion commander should know..."
No sooner had these words been spoken than a steady footstep was heard from outside the crowd.
Zhou Jiuzhen, leaning on a cane, happened to appear in the training field and overheard the last muttered remark and Song Yaoyao's earlier nonsense.
The temperature in his eyes dropped instantly, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
He knew, of course, that Ling Huanwu did indeed have a small, light brown mole a little below her lower back.
But now, these words, spoken by someone else, carrying sordid speculation, pierced his heart like a knife, causing his fingertips to tremble with pain.
No one can tolerate their loved one being imprisoned.
During the interrogation of Qin Jinshen's subordinates, their testimonies revealed that Qin Jinshen had stayed in Ling Huanwu's room for an entire night.
He almost went crazy whenever he thought about those words!
But if he were to answer "yes" now, he would be exposing Ling Huanwu's private matters to everyone.
It was the most humiliating insult imaginable.
Zhou Jiuzhen took a deep breath and strode through the crowd.
Under everyone's gaze, he reached out and pulled Ling Huanwu, who had been watching him intently, into his arms.
His arm was held tightly, his palm pressed against her back, as if transferring strength to her. His voice, however, was so calm that it was unreadable. He spoke lightly to the crowd, "Don't make wild guesses. Huanwu doesn't have a mole on her back."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.
Song Yaoyao opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but then she met Zhou Jiuzhen's gaze.
His gaze was as cold as ice on a high mountain, carrying the unique intimidating power of a soldier, causing her to swallow the rest of her words.
Ling Huanwu nestled in Zhou Jiuzhen's arms, and could clearly feel his chest rising and falling faster than usual. She could also touch the hand that was holding her, and her knuckles were turning slightly white.
She felt a warmth mixed with a pang of sadness in her heart, and quietly reached out to clutch the hem of his shirt.
Everyone on the training field fell silent.
Because of a single glance from Zhou Jiuzhen, several soldiers arrested Song Yaoyao, who was spreading rumors again, and dragged her away.
He and Political Commissar Hao had originally planned to release the triplets first, so that she could be arrested for treason after the storm subsided.
Unexpectedly, she started spreading rumors and causing trouble here.
When Song Yaoyao was arrested, she still struggled and cursed angrily, "Zhou Jiuzhen, you're just protecting that slut. You know in your heart whether what I said is true or not!"
"Furthermore, why are you only arresting me and not Ling Huanwu? She killed someone; she deserves to be arrested more than I do!"
Hearing these words, the islanders from the other villages also began to whisper among themselves.
"Yes, didn't she say she killed the widower and his son? How come she's here all this time?"
"Is this how you protect your own people...?"
Zhou Jiuzhen was at his wit's end. Ling Huanwu had saved them, yet they were still here gossiping about her with others!
He threw down his cane and shouted angrily, "She's just a suspect, she didn't kill anyone!"
The villagers of Stone Village also stood up one by one, angrily cursing those who had just said that Ling Huanwu had killed someone.
The scene quickly erupted into a commotion, with people pushing and shoving each other.
Fearing a riot might break out in the cramped training ground, Ling Huanwu quickly stepped forward to respond to everyone, "You're right, as a suspect, I should indeed..."
Before she could finish speaking, Political Commissar Hao and the cooks appeared on the training field pushing a bucket of fragrant food.
Smelling the food, the hungry villagers no longer cared who had committed murder. With red eyes, they rushed to find bowls and food, reaching out their hands and clamoring for food.
Instantly, the entire training ground erupted into chaos.
The triplets were terrified and cried loudly. Their mother wasn't around, and they were being jostled around by the villagers. The three little ones were helpless and pitiful in the crowd.
Guard Wang easily lifted the three little ones into his arms, but no amount of coaxing could soothe them.
Ling Huanwu had no choice but to say that she would take the three little ones back to the office and she would comfort them.
Zhou Jiuzhen pulled Ling Huanwu along, while Ling Huanwu held the hands of the crying triplets in her other hand, and strode back to the office, then locked the door with a "click".
Before Ling Huanwu could react, Zhou Jiuzhen, who had just locked the door, pulled her into his arms with one hand.
"Jiuzhen, what are you doing!"
Ling Huanwu struggled, but his embrace was like an iron hoop, and she couldn't break free even a little.
Zhou Jiuzhen didn't say anything, but kissed her fiercely, like a wolf.
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