The Overlord Flower's Guide to Intercepting a Woman's Wife's Death and the Male Lead&

The door opened, and a lean old man entered.

He wore an old military uniform that had been washed until it was faded, and leaned on a black wooden cane with his left hand. He walked with a limp, but his back was straight.

Two young men followed behind him, their posture clearly indicating they were soldiers.

Old Master Zhou came out of his study.

"Xiao Zhenshan, what brings you here?"

One of the people Su Yuanzhen saved on the battlefield back then.

He later rose to the rank of army commander in the logistics system and retired to live in the western suburbs of Beijing.

I'm not particularly close to the Zhou family, but I know them well.

The old man walked to the center of the living room with his cane and poked the cane into the ground.

"I heard Yuanzhen's granddaughter was bullied?"

Old Master Zhou's expression changed for a moment.

How did you know?

"My son works in the political department of the military region."

Xiao Zhenshan switched the hand with his cane, his tone hard and unyielding.

"I saw the investigation team's business trip approval document last night, and they handed the message to me this morning."

The old man's brow furrowed even more.

"I'm handling this."

"You handle it?"

Xiao Zhenshan snorted coldly.

"Old Zhou, you've been dealing with this for twenty years, and you still haven't figured out how to handle Yuanzhen."

These words stung the old man, making his face darken.

Grandma Zhou stood at the door of the study, holding a tea tray, her fingers slightly clenched, without making a sound.

Xiao Zhenshan didn't stop.

"Whether you lost your memory or married someone else back then, it was all fate."

"Yuanzhen never married in her life, waiting for you. You owe her so much that you'll never be able to repay her debts."

The old man's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he didn't refute it.

He actually hoped that Yuanzhen didn't marry because of him.

"Now that her only granddaughter has married into your Zhou family, she's been accused of being a spy with just one document?"

Xiao Zhenshan raised his cane and pointed to his chest.

"If your Zhou family can't protect it, send it to my Xiao family."

"Although I don't have any great skills, I, this walking stick, will not stand for those who throw dirty water at my doorstep."

The living room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.

The old man's face remained tense for a long time before he finally spoke.

"Stop pretending to be a good person in front of me."

"Once Yuanzhen's granddaughter marries into the Zhou family, she becomes a member of the Zhou family. It's none of your business, Xiao Zhenshan, to worry about her."

"Why should I worry about it?"

Xiao Zhenshan sneered, lowering his voice by half an inch.

"I wish Yuanzhen had just married me back then, how wonderful that would have been."

"Brother Xiao."

Grandma Zhou came over with a tea tray and handed a cup of tea to Xiao Zhenshan.

"If Yuanzhen knew you were still being sarcastic at this age, she'd probably prick you with a silver needle."

Xiao Zhenshan opened his mouth slightly, and his cane stopped on the ground.

He paused for two seconds, then reached out and took the teacup, taking a swig in a muffled voice.

Grandma Zhou spoke again, her tone calm but her voice carrying weight.

"Don't worry, Xingmian is my Zhou family's granddaughter-in-law."

"I'll risk my old bones to make sure she suffers the slightest injustice."

She paused.

"I can never repay Yuanzhen's kindness in this lifetime."

"Back then, I faced a difficult childbirth and the risk of losing both myself and my unborn child. She saved my life by administering acupuncture while comforting me and telling me not to be afraid."

"If I can protect this child for her, that's how I repay her."

Xiao Zhenshan paused his teacup at his lips, staring at Grandma Zhou for several seconds.

"OK."

He drank the tea and put the cup back on the tea tray.

"If your Zhou family can't handle it, I'm ready to take over anytime."

He suddenly added a sentence.

"That girl is pretty. My third son's grandson is twenty-five this year, which is just right."

"Get out of here!"

The old man slapped the armrest, almost jumping off the sofa, and reached out to grab his cane.

Xiao Zhenshan retracted his cane, nimbly took two steps back, and curled his lips into a smirk.

"Just kidding, is it really that serious?"

He nodded to Grandma Zhou and walked out, leaning on his cane.

He turned back once he reached the door.

"Old Zhou, remember this."

"Dr. Su saved more than just you and me on the battlefield back then."

"Among those people, some have retired, and some haven't."

"If you need help, just say so."

"I won't give you face, but I will give it to Yuanzhen."

The door closed.

The sound of a cane tapping on the ground came from the courtyard, one tap after another, fading into the distance.

The old man sat back down on the sofa without saying a word.

Three cigarette butts were stubbed out in the ashtray, and the water in the teacup remained untouched even after it had gone cold.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his throat tight.

"Zhenshan is right about one thing."

"I owe Yuanzhen so much, I'll never be able to repay her even when I die."

His gaze fell on the old iron box on the second shelf of the bookshelf, inside which was a silver hairpin with a hibiscus flower engraved on the head.

He looked at it for three seconds, then stood up.

"Prepare the car."

"I will go to see the commander in person."

Xiao Zhang hurriedly went out to make arrangements.

The next morning, Zhou Bangcheng and Fang Lan were summoned back to the compound.

In the living room, after hearing what had happened, Fang Lan knocked her teacup against the edge of the table, spilling tea all over the back of her hand without wiping it off.

"Is my daughter-in-law a spy?"

Her voice rose, and Zhou Bangcheng quickly pulled her arm.

"Calm down first."

"What do you mean, 'calm down'?"

Fang Lan pushed his hand away and stood up abruptly.

"Mianmian has only been married into the Zhou family for a short time. I haven't even been her mother-in-law for three months."

She slapped the armrest with her hand.

"He was kidnapped by human traffickers, but he helped the second brother catch spies and made a contribution. Then he was falsely accused and locked up in a guesthouse."

Her voice suddenly dropped a beat, but it was actually louder than before.

"The child's body temperature was one degree lower than normal. Before I left, I gave her two thick cotton-padded coats and told her to put on an extra one if she got cold."

"I stayed at that guesthouse. In winter, the plaster would peel off the walls and frost would fall. She was there all by herself..."

Fang Lan's eyes reddened.

This time, Zhou Bangcheng didn't pull her back.

He sighed and looked at the old man.

The old man didn't stop Fang Lan.

Fang Lan stood up from the sofa, grabbed her coat from the hanger, and put it on.

"I want to go to the Great Northwest."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Bing was filled with righteous indignation and clamored to go as well.

"We can't stop them."

The old man spoke.

He picked up a sealed envelope from the desk and handed it to Fang Lan.

"Go."

"Once you arrive, just give this to Bingheng."

Fang Lan took the envelope, weighed it in her hand, and found it to be quite thick.

Without asking what was inside, she simply put it in her inner pocket and buttoned it up.

"OK."

"If anyone bullies my daughter-in-law, I, Fang Lan, will risk my life to protect her."

The old man added another sentence.

"I've also brought the handwritten medical records I kept here. They have Yuanzhen's signature and personal seal, which can prove that Mianmian has a lineage with her."

Fang Lan nodded, turned around and went out to pack her luggage.

Zhou Bingwen followed behind, trying to pull some strings to get train tickets for today.

Zhou Bangcheng was the only one left in the living room.

He stood there for a while, then walked to the telephone table and dialed the number twice.

"Old Liu? I'm Zhou Bangcheng."

He speaks very slowly.

"Could you please help me investigate something? Has anyone been in contact with that Wang guy from Pingxi Village recently?"

He switched the receiver to his other hand.

"Yes, the sooner the better."

After hanging up the phone, he opened the closet again, took out two thick wool military blankets, folded them neatly, and stacked them next to Fang Lan's suitcase.