To please others? It's better to please yourself.

Shen Yue's return caused an uproar in the family compound.

"Commander Shen is back?"

"I thought he had died!"

"I was wondering why his wife and kids hadn't left."

"I used to say that the division commander was really good to his family!"

"Hey! What nonsense are you talking about?"

The gossiping crowd immediately dispersed and went home, leaving only the one who had been making sarcastic remarks. Even when gossiping, one must understand what can and cannot be said.

Commander Song looked at Shen Yue with relief: "It's good that you're back safe and sound! You can rest at home for a few days."

Shen Yue smiled and said, "Commander, I'm going back now."

Song Weihua waved his hand: "Go back! Spend more time with your wife and children."

Two years have passed, and Gu Panpan's hair is falling out in clumps due to staying up late. Fortunately, she has finally finished junior high school.

She'll be starting high school next month. She had some time today, so she taught her child to read.

As soon as Shen Yue entered the house, he heard the voices of several children.

"This is a white cloud."

"White Clouds"

This character is pronounced "hua".

"Is Mommy a red flower?"

Gu Panpan looked up and saw Shen Yue, exclaiming with delight, "You're back?"

Before Shen Yue could answer, he saw the unfamiliar looks in the children's eyes. He smiled helplessly.

"I'll make you something to eat, it'll be quick." Gu Panpan said, turning to leave.

Shen Yue said, "No need, I already ate when I got back. I'll go rest for a while."

Sister Tang and Gu Panpan immediately coaxed the children out to play.

Three days later, Shen Yue returned to his unit. Song Weihua became the deputy army commander, Yang Tao became the division commander, and he was also promoted to deputy division commander.

……

The author asks: "Commander Shen, when you witnessed such a tender scene at your doorstep, did you feel any attraction towards your wife?"

Shen Yue stared at the other person in surprise: "Are you kidding me?"

"Our mutual understanding is that we're just partners. Since it's a partnership, let's not let love get involved!"

The author writes: "Yet she remained devoted to caring for her four children, reflecting on her mistakes and striving to improve herself!"

Shen Yue smiled and said, "The crux of the matter is whether I've made a sacrifice!"

The author said, "Many readers regret that you didn't marry the person you love."

Shen Yue: "I also feel regretful."

Author: "So, do you think it was happier for you to live with Chen Xiangxiu after losing your leg, or to live with Gu Panpan after keeping your leg?"

Shen Yue: "May I ask why you harbor such malice towards me?"

"Look through the whole book, is there anyone more pitiful than me? Can't I have both legs and love?"

"Why should I be the only one who's destined for a tragic, strong, and beautiful life, when everyone else in the book is happy?"

Author: "Because you're so unique, your popularity has already surpassed that of the male lead, Shen He!"

Shen Yue snorted coldly: "It's intentional. I suspect the second son did it on purpose. Just because he lived in my shadow when he was a child, he wants me to be in his shadow when it comes to marriage."

Author: "There's another one with a name who's even worse off than you!"

Shen Yue: "Who is it?"

Author: "Zhou Lang!"

Shen Yue: "Give me a break! I'm not even in the same league as them, okay?"

"That's a true story; it was even in the newspapers back then. And me? A supporting male character in an original novel!"

"Besides, what kind of promotional effort did Zhou Lang have back then? What were my novel's click counts like? We're not even in the same league! The traffic difference is huge, okay?"

Author: "So, what advice or experience do you have for gay men who also read period dramas?"

Shen Yue: "I hope all men will not underestimate women. If you don't understand why, just look at me!"

……

Author: "Comrade Gu Panpan, you've screwed over Shen Yue in two lifetimes. Many readers are dissatisfied with you, and many have abandoned the book because of you. Do you have anything to say about this?"

Gu Panpan thought for a moment, "I really feel sorry for him. I hope I never meet him again in the next life!"

The author writes: "Now you know that relying on yourself is worse than relying on others. If you were given another chance, would you still choose Shen Yue?"

Gu Panpan answered confidently, "Absolutely! From childhood to adulthood, there has never been anyone more outstanding than him within a radius of hundreds of miles."

Author: "He's such a good person, don't you have any conscience at all?"

Gu Panpan: "Didn't I just tell him to never run into me again?"

……

Xu Jianshe received a letter from his third sister, Xu Jing'an, and remained silent for several days. That night, after putting his daughter to sleep, he said to Zhao Xiaofang, "Wife, what do you think? Should I change jobs, or do something else?"

Zhao Xiaofang asked curiously, "Why?"

Xu Jianshe counted on his fingers and said, "The eldest son and his wife went to the Forestry Bureau, the second son is in the Municipal Women's Federation, the third son went to the Education Bureau, and only my wife and I are still in the factory. I have a bad feeling about this!"

"We don't want to end up being overshadowed by the boss and his gang!"

In the Xu family, if you don't want to be bullied or look down on others, you have to stand on equal footing with them. Otherwise, no one will care about your thoughts, nor will they give you the right to speak!

Zhao Xiaofang thought for a moment and said, "Okay! If we don't know what to do, it's always good to learn from our second and third sisters!"

She didn't know how capable others were. In Zhao Xiaofang's mind, Xu Jing'an was a role model, and she couldn't go wrong by following him.

Mentioning his two older sisters instantly opened Xu Jianshe's eyes. They were like beacons in the darkness, illuminating his path forward!

What was originally just a matter of hesitation has now become a matter of resolute decision.

Zhao Xiaofang already worked in the finance office. She used her mother Feng Chuncao's connections to get transferred to the high school's accounting office.

Xu Jianshe was also taken to the school's general affairs office. His usual duties included guarding the gate, collecting newspapers and mail, and repairing desks and chairs.

Fortunately, both of them were permanent employees with official positions.

……

The author said, "Comrade Xu Jianshe, your two older sisters aren't gods either; there are many people more capable than them! What if they make the wrong choice? Won't you regret following in their footsteps?"

Xu Jianshe: "Is that the key point?"

Author: "What? I didn't understand?"

Xu Jianshe: "Whether the direction is right or wrong is not important; the key is to follow!"

"There are four siblings in my family. Everyone else is wrong, and I'm the only one who's right. Do you believe me? They can't possibly turn around and scheme against me! Besides, is there anyone in our family who would suffer a loss?"

Author: "Many readers were waiting for you and Xu Jianguo to have a showdown. Why did you give up in the end?"

Xu Jianshe: "If you could beat me, you would have done so long ago. Didn't you say you couldn't?"

The author wrote: "Comrade Xu Jianshe, you got your job transferred thanks to your wife. Aren't you afraid of what people will say about you?"

Xu Jianshe: "What did you say? Do you think every man can live off a woman these days?"

Author: "But do you know whose favor your wife got in return?"

Xu Jianshe: "Of course I know! It's my mother-in-law!"

The author stated, "To be precise, it was the family your mother-in-law arranged for Zhao Xiaofang's marriage before she passed away. Your mother-in-law even saved his life!"

Xu Jianshe: "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Author: "If I told you, would you change your mind?"

Xu Jianshe: "I already said I came to the door this morning."

"You think you can pretend you don't know I saved your life just because you didn't come to my door? What a joke!"

……

Author: "You heard Xu Jing'an mention the Xu family before, so why did you still choose Xu Jianshe?"

Zhao Xiaofang: "No matter how bad their family is, as long as they don't scheme against me, it's fine! Besides, Xu Jianshe is sensible! He never suffers a loss anywhere, and he listens to his wife. Isn't that the kind of husband I want?"

Author: "Did you tell your husband about switching jobs with Xu Jing'an?"

Zhao Xiaofang: "No!"

Author: "Why? Shouldn't two people be honest with each other?"

Zhao Xiaofang: "I didn't lie to him! He didn't ask!"

The author stated, "He had absolutely no idea what happened back then!"

Zhao Xiaofang: "You understand, this matter has nothing to do with him from beginning to end. Since it's unrelated, there's no need to mention it!"

……

Author: "Comrade Xu Jianguo, you've been working in fire prevention for several years, traversing the entire city's mountainous areas. What do people call you?"

Xu Jianguo smiled and said, "A living map!"

Author: "Don't you find it tiring? I heard you wear several pairs of shoes a year."

Xu Jianguo: "It depends on who you compare it to. If you compare it to when we were in Northwest China, I think we are very fortunate now."

Author: "What are your thoughts on the entire Xu family, including your parents?"

Xu Jianguo: "If possible, I'd like to be reborn into a different family. This platform isn't suitable for me!"

Author: "What if we can't?"

Xu Jianguo: "Then could you let my parents travel through time?"

Author: "Where to wear it?"

Xu Jianguo: "Now, of course!"

Author: "Why?"

Xu Jianguo: "Of course it's the one-child policy! I'll definitely be a dutiful son then, because no one will be competing with me for his attention."

……

Xu Jingping, who just returned from training school.

The author writes: "Comrade Xu Jingping, many readers like you very much!"

Xu Jingping: "Thank you everyone for your support!"

The author said, "In your past life, you took Xu Jing'an's job but didn't appreciate it. Some readers can't forgive you for that."

"You've done pretty well without her sacrifices in your life."

Xu Jingping smiled and said, "If you're dying of thirst, and there's water right next to you that you can reach out and grab, who would go out of their way to find it?"

Author: "But that's someone else's water?"

Xu Jingping: "What I drink is mine!"

The author said, "You've worked so hard to climb up the ladder, and many people say you have good character."

Xu Jingping: "Why do you say that?"

The author says, "You're just looking for opportunities, not creating them by harming others!"

Xu Jingping: "Because nobody's a fool! Everything leaves a trace. I want to build connections, not make enemies!"

……

These days, carrying a weapon to and from get off work is inconvenient. But Xu Jing'an felt uneasy if she didn't bring something. After thinking about it for a few days, she brought along a rolling pin for making dumpling wrappers.

Author: "Aren't you tired of doing this every day?"

Xu Jing'an: "I'm used to it. Besides, being overworked is worse than being exhausted!"

Author: "What would you like to say to our readers?"

Xu Jing'an: "Compared to life, you can never be too cautious."

Author: "Comrade Xu Jing'an, you are the female protagonist of this book. Can you give an objective evaluation of the Xu family?"

Xu Jing'an thought for a moment: "A small temple has a lot of evil spirits, and a shallow pond has many turtles."

The author asks: "What kind of distance do you think is best to maintain with your wife's family?"

Xu Jing'an: "To the ends of the earth."

.............................................

Author's Note:

Thank you all for your continued support and companionship.

In this novel, everyone is the protagonist of their own life. They are imperfect, with all sorts of flaws. But they also possess invaluable virtues.

Many people dislike the character Gu Panpan.

But if you look closely, you'll find there are many such people, both men and women.

Some mistakes may be repeated.

For them, there is no such thing as a big picture or noble sentiments; they only grasp at the happiness that is within their reach.

They are just ordinary people!

When a couple lives together, you'll find that you might not be entirely clear about your partner's strengths and advantages. Your neighbors, relatives, friends, and colleagues, however, know far more than you do.

But what are the difficulties in making a living? Only you know!

So it's fine to get married or not; it's fine to have children or not.

As long as everyone feels happy, that's all that matters!

Happiness has no definition (^o^)o