Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Shen Huijun blinked.

Is this the biased, unsmiling mother-in-law that Song Xiangdong described, who liked to use vulgar language and curse?

She had anticipated being questioned, insulted, and harassed.

She never expected that upon meeting him, he would shower her with compliments. Holding Song Xianglan's rough hands, her face instantly turned red to her neck.

"Mom..." Shen Huijun's throat tightened, "I..."

"Oh. Mom has prepared a gift for you when you address her as 'change of address' (a traditional Chinese custom), I'll give it to you when we get home."

Song Xianglan responded twice, her smile making the fine lines around her eyes dance. "Child, take me back. This journey has been quite tiring."

Shen Huijun's unease and tension dissipated considerably.

"Mom, Xiangdong has gone on a training exercise. Let's go home first."

All the young soldiers in the sentry post looked over. They all knew that Deputy Regiment Commander Song had found a beautiful capitalist's daughter, and that he had been reprimanded by his superiors for it.

I thought the old lady was coming to start a fight, but we were surprised to find that we got along so well.

Song Xianglan picked up the load.

Shen Huijun was startled. "Mom, let me choose."

"You city folks don't do much farm work, how can you carry loads? You take the canvas bag and water bottle." Song Xianglan picked up the load and walked ahead with a cheerful gait.

Shen Huijun followed behind, carrying a canvas bag and a water bottle.

A young soldier quickly ran over, "Auntie, let me do it."

"Need not."

Song Xianglan said she didn't need it, but the young soldier had already taken the carrying pole from her shoulder.

She had no choice but to take the canvas bag from Shen Huijun's hand.

From the family compound to the stone bungalow where she lived, Song Xianglan's mouth never stopped.

"I heard your parents also work on the island. Let's arrange for our in-laws to meet sometime. I brought a lot of things with me. Please invite them over for a meal."

"Is Xiang Dong good to you? Tell me if you need anything."

"You don't look too well. Take care of your health first before trying to conceive. When a woman is pregnant, she's using her own body's nutrients to support the baby."

Song Xianglan tugged at Shen Huijun's sleeve.

"Huijun, I heard you're an educated person. Before I came, I heard people say that the college entrance examination might be reinstated." Song Xianglan lowered her voice, "Don't tell anyone, I brought some high school books for you to review."

"We women shouldn't give up our ideals even after we get married."

Having been given a second chance at life, she remembered Shen Huijun's ideals from her previous life.

One sentence after another bombarded Shen Huijun's ears and mind, leaving her overwhelmed.

She heard that the college entrance examination might be reinstated and was encouraged to study.

She was stunned.

Seeing that she had stopped, Song Xianglan asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Huijun found it hard to reconcile the kind and amiable old lady in front of her with the mean and selfish woman that Song Xiangdong had described.

An old woman who barely knew any words and supported her family with a butcher's knife actually encouraged her to study.

"Mom. If the college entrance exam is reinstated, can I really...?" Will I be able to take the college entrance exam?

"Sure. Let's go to the health center to buy a small umbrella first, and then have a baby after you finish your studies. We want to ensure healthy births and childbirth."

Song Xianglan had made all the arrangements for them.

Shen Huijun felt a warm glow in her heart; her mother-in-law was warm and cheerful, like a vibrant flame.

Song Xianglan's rough hands held hers the whole time, and the two walked side by side toward home.

In their past life, their meeting was unpleasant.

Upon meeting Shen Huijun, Song Xianglan immediately berated her. Coupled with Chen Xiuqin's instigation, she became convinced that Shen Huijun had seduced Song Xiangdong.

My neighbor is a master at stirring up trouble.

Shen Huijun's life was not easy, and her health was deteriorating day by day.

We arrived at our doorstep.

Several military wives, including Zhao Xiaoyun, were gathered together sewing shoe soles, curiously peeking in.

"Who is that old lady?"

The first soldier to arrive explained, "It's Deputy Regiment Commander Song's mother who's come to visit."

"Oh God, are you visiting relatives or moving?"

"She's a capitalist's daughter after all; she's managed to win over the old lady from the countryside."

"Shen Huijun is beautiful. Don't be fooled by her usual docile nature; she has quite a few tricks up her sleeve."

……

Zhao Xiaoyun was insanely jealous.

Her mother-in-law would curse at her whenever she opened her mouth, and beat her if she talked back.

Her husband, Wu Fei, wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle, unlike Song Xiangdong who would pour water for Shen Huijun to wash her feet.

He often made sarcastic remarks about Shen Huijun, and his eyelids twitched.

"Shen Huijun isn't used to the simple food on the island, so her mother-in-law is here to take care of her. Deputy Regiment Commander Song, you don't need to pour your foot bath water anymore, right?"

These words were spoken.

All eyes turned to Song Xianglan.

Even Shen Huijun's palms were sweating.

She tried to explain, her lips barely moving: "Mom...I...Xiang Dong, he..." Oh no, her mother-in-law definitely wouldn't like her anymore.

Her face turned deathly pale.

Song Xianglan thanked the young soldier first, then turned around and forcefully put the canvas bag on the ground.

He approached Zhao Xiaoyun and looked her up and down.

Shaking his head, he clicked his tongue in agreement:

"You seem straightforward, but you don't have to spew nonsense the moment you open your mouth, do you?"

"You poor thing. You've been married for so long, and your husband has never poured you any water to wash your feet? No wonder you're jealous of my Huijun. I'll send you a bowl of aged vinegar to soak your mouth later."

Zhao Xiaoyun's face turned purplish-red.

He stammered, "Men are meant for important things, how can they pour out foot-washing water?"

"A great man once said that women hold up half the sky. Men do great things outside, so what's wrong with them coming home to pour water for washing their feet?"

Song Xianglan's face turned cold. "If I ever hear you mention my status as your daughter-in-law again, I, Song the Pig Butcher, will make sure you have nightmares every night."

She looked around.

"You are all women in the same residential compound, and you should be helping each other and working together to build Qingshan Island. Instead, you're all just looking to ridicule others, which is detrimental to unity."

A label that is detrimental to unity has been attached to them.

None of the women in those family compounds dared to say a word.

Some people automatically moved away from Zhao Xiaoyun.

Zhao Xiaoyun hurriedly explained:

"I wasn't making fun of her. Shen Huijun is just a capitalist's daughter; people like her should be taught a lesson."

"Is Shen Jiazi your relative?" Song Xianglan pressed aggressively. "The organization arranged for her to marry my son, which means she is innocent and there is no problem at all."

"You don't even trust the organization, what do you want to do?"

Zhao Xiaoyun was surprised that the old lady from the countryside was so quick-witted.

I wanted to slap myself and tell him to shut up.

I can't win the argument.

Song Xianglan gently instructed Shen Huijun:

"Go and call the logistics department comrades over. I need to register the things I brought. Don't give anyone a handle to use against me."

"Mom, thank you."

Shen Huijun's eyes filled with tears, and her nose stung with a soreness.

Since she was sent to the countryside with her family.

The first time she had ever been so firmly protected was by her mother-in-law, whom she was meeting for the first time.

"Silly child. Your mother has many flaws, the first of which is being overly protective of her own. I've been killing pigs for 38 years and I have a terrible temper. You'd better bear with it." Song Xianglan told Shen Huijun to bear with it, but anyone with eyes could tell she was referring to them.

The military wives were all dumbfounded.

I originally thought I was going to see a battle between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, or a volatile butcher versus a capitalist's daughter.

Unexpectedly, the butcher started a war and burned the onlookers to the ground.

Zhao Xiaoyun was driven mad with jealousy.

Both are women, so why did she encounter a vicious mother-in-law, while Shen Huijun encountered a mother-in-law who protected her own?

She is not convinced.

Song Xianglan looked around, her sharp gaze landing on the gossiping women.

"Don't let me hear you talking about my daughter-in-law behind my back again. If it happens again, I'll tear your mouths apart. Look at you all, so mean and cowardly, you can't even save face."

They dare not resist at home, but they bully the weak and fear the strong when they go out.

When my son Xiangdong comes back, I'll tell him to find one of your men and have a good contest.

She ignored the fact that others were frowning.

He spoke to Shen Huijun:

"Tell Xiangdong if anything happens in the future. A man should protect his woman from being bullied."

Shen Huijun nodded subconsciously.

A young soldier went to call the logistics department, and other military spouses and their families, having heard that Deputy Regiment Commander Song's mother had come from her hometown, all came to see what was going on.

The houses in the family compound are all single-story stone houses arranged in rows.

A wall half a person high was built of stones.

When Song Xianglan looked over, it was just like her memories from her previous life.

There's a mango tree inside the courtyard wall. Dragon fruit, which hasn't yet blossomed, is also climbing on the wall.

A few newly planted bougainvillea saplings.

Garlic, scallions, and ginger were also planted along the wall.

Undeterred, Zhao Xiaoyun added, "Shen Huijun planted bougainvillea. It would be great for growing vegetables."

Song Xianglan nodded.

"Bougainvillea is beautiful, it makes you feel good. We can grow vegetables on this big plot of land, and we can even cultivate vegetables on the island." Song Xianglan pointed to another corner, "We'll find a jacaranda tree to plant there later, it'll be so beautiful when it blooms."