Chapter 8 You want to use me as an ATM? My man will be the first to object!

Chapter 8 You want to use me as an ATM? My man will be the first to object!

Ever since Lu Zhanting's thunderous intervention by the pool, Su Wanqing's days in the military compound have become completely peaceful.

Those scrutinizing and envious gazes have now been replaced by awe and avoidance.

When Aunt Li saw her, she practically walked around the wall to avoid her.

Aunt Liu became increasingly affectionate, genuinely treating her like family.

Su Wanqing's life was so stable it bordered on luxurious.

She kept the courtyard in perfect order, and in the vegetable garden irrigated by the spiritual spring water, tomatoes and cucumbers were already bearing unripe fruit.

She woke up to the sound of bugles in the early morning and prepared breakfast for Lu Zhanting.

In the evening, the man would return on time, his body shrouded in the chilling scent of gunpowder and sweat.

The two still didn't talk much, but a wonderful understanding had developed between them.

She hands him a towel, and he naturally takes the heavy object from her hand.

This home, which began with a simple agreement, unexpectedly developed a genuine warmth amidst the everyday hustle and bustle.

That afternoon, Su Wanqing was watering the plants in the yard when the postman's clear bicycle bell rang out from afar.

"A message has arrived from Battalion Commander Lu's family!"

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat.

letter?

She hurried out of the courtyard, where the postman handed her a letter: "From Comrade Su Wanqing, sent by the Red Flag Commune."

Red Flag Commune.

These four words made Su Wanqing's breath catch in her throat for a moment.

A letter arrived from my family.

She held the thin envelope in her hand, feeling the familiar touch on her fingertips, but her heart remained unmoved, even a cold smile rising within her.

This is the first letter she has received since she married into the family.

It wasn't about asking if she was doing well, but rather that it was time to "harvest" her.

Back inside, she looked at her mother Liu Lan's crooked handwriting on the envelope, and without the slightest hesitation, she tore open the seal with a flick of her finger.

The letter began as expected with words of concern and care.

"My dearest son, this letter feels like a longing from home. How are you doing in the army? Your mother worries about you day and night."

Su Wanqing's eyes were devoid of any warmth.

She could almost see her mother sitting under the dim oil lamp, calculating how much she could squeeze out of her while writing these hypocritical words.

Sure enough, the feigned concern didn't last more than three lines.

"I heard that the army is all men. The battalion commander you married, Mr. Lu, has been to the battlefield. He must be very rough around the edges, right? Has he ever hit or scolded you? You've always been gentle by nature. If you've been wronged, you must tell your family!"

Between the lines, there is no concern, but clearly a test.

He was testing her position in the family and whether she could control that man.

Su Wanqing turned the page expressionlessly.

The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled.

“Qingqing, you are now the battalion commander’s wife, the most promising girl in our Su family. However… your younger brother Su Wanqiang is of marriageable age, and his fiancé is asking for a high dowry, including ‘three turns and one sound’ (referring to a set of three watches and a radio), and new Dacron clothes.”

"You know our family's situation. Your father is so worried about this that his old ailment has flared up again."

"I'm really at my wit's end. Your husband is such a high-ranking official; he must have a lot of allowances and ration coupons. Do you think we could... get some cloth coupons, industrial coupons, and some money? This isn't just for your brother; it's also for your father's health and for the reputation of our entire Su family!"

“Even after you marry out, you will still be a member of the Su family. Your maternal family is your eternal root. You can’t forget your roots just because you’ve become an official’s wife!”

The letter ends abruptly here.

Su Wanqing held the letter, her fingers tightening slightly, crumpling the sheets of paper into wrinkles.

Every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing into her memories of her past life.

It turns out that all that concern before was just a prelude.

This is the real purpose.

Their concern wasn't for her, but for how much benefit her title as "battalion commander's wife" could bring to the Su family.

Her younger brother's marriage, her father's health, the Su family's reputation... all became shackles, binding her tightly and forcing her to bleed on Lu Zhanting.

The overwhelming sense of irony made her stomach churn.

She thought that by marrying Lu Zhanting, she would free her family from their troubles and gain face, and that they would know how to be content.

She was wrong.

Human greed is insatiable.

In their eyes, she was never a daughter, but merely a tool that could be converted into cash at any time.

The phrase "Your family is your eternal root" is not meant to shelter her from the wind and rain, but to bind her to the spot and drain every drop of blood from her body.

The tragedy of the past life began with these repeated compromises.

Having been reborn, these shackles, transcending time and space, have been placed upon me once more.

She carefully folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and sat there quietly.

The light in the room gradually dimmed, and she was enveloped in shadow, like a drawn blade, yet not yet unsheathed, radiating a chilling aura.

Until the courtyard gate was pushed open, the steady and powerful footsteps approached from afar.

Lu Zhanting is back.

As soon as he entered the room, his keen military instincts told him that something was wrong.

The lights were off inside.

There was no familiar aroma of food in the air, only a deathly silence.

The slender figure that should have been waiting for him to come home under the lamp was now sitting at the dimly lit dining table like an ice sculpture.

"Wanqing?"

He spoke in a deep voice and reached out to press the light switch.

The lights came on, illuminating Su Wanqing's pale yet unusually calm face.

Lu Zhanting's heart suddenly clenched.

He strode over, his gaze falling on the envelope beside her.

Without asking any further questions, he turned around, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it in front of her. The warmth of his fingertips carried an undeniable comfort.

"Something happened?" His voice was low, with a hint of tension that was hard to detect.

Su Wanqing raised her head, her beautiful eyes devoid of moisture, only filled with a cold indifference that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world.

She stretched out her cold fingers and pushed the letter in front of him.

"My family home." Her voice was soft, but every word was clear.

Lu Zhanting's brows furrowed instantly.

He picked up the letter and skimmed through it.

As the letter was turned over, his aura became increasingly terrifying, and a storm was gathering in his deep eyes.

When he read the last few sentences, in which he demanded things with such self-righteousness, the murderous aura he carried from the battlefield could no longer be suppressed.

"Bang!"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the letter to flutter up and fall back down.

"court death!"

These two words weren't squeezed out from between teeth; they carried a palpable, menacing aura, as if capable of freezing a person to death.

The woman he cherished and feared most, the woman he treated with utmost care, was, in the eyes of his so-called relatives, nothing more than a tool to be exploited at will!

Every word in the letter pierced Su Wanqing's heart and ignited Lu Zhanting's anger!

He looked up and gazed at Su Wanqing.

There were no tears in the girl's eyes, yet they made his heart ache more than if she had cried.

It was the chilling feeling of utter heartbreak after being betrayed by a loved one.

Lu Zhanting's heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an iron hand, both suffocating and aching.

He walked around the table, stood beside her, and squatted down in front of her, looking up at her.

He stretched out his large, calloused hand and grabbed her cold hand in his palm, forcefully transferring his warmth.

"Don't be sad for them." His voice was rough, but with an unprecedented seriousness. "Those kinds of things don't deserve it."

Su Wanqing's eyelashes trembled violently.

She looked at the man squatting in front of her; his face was filled with undisguised anger and heartache.

That anger was for her.

A surge of hot liquid rushed to her eyes, but she forced it back.

“I’m not sad.” Her voice carried a hint of self-mockery and coldness. “I’m just laughing at myself. In this life and the last, I’ve fallen into the same trap.”

“What they want is never whether I am doing well or not, but how much benefit I can bring them. In their eyes, I, their daughter, am not even worth as much as a dowry.”

Lu Zhanting held her hand, increasing the pressure as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

“You’re not a joke.” His voice was deep and domineering, like a branding iron piercing her heart. “You are Su Wanqing, my wife, and the mistress of this house.”

He stood up, looking down at her, and spoke each word with conviction.

"Your home is here."

“Your family member is me.”

"As for them..." he let out a cold, violent sneer, "what are they anyway!"

Su-Wanqing stared at him blankly.

This man, in the most domineering and direct way, pulled her out of the mire of her original family and forcefully brought her into his own territory.

There were no gentle words of comfort, only an unquestionable declaration.

With him around, she no longer needed to carry any burdens.

“Then this letter…” Su Wanqing looked at the letter on the table and had already made up her mind.

"Do whatever you want." Lu Zhanting's attitude was crystal clear. "My money and tickets are only for my wife. Anyone who dares to try and take them will have their hands chopped off! Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you!"

These words, though blunt and direct, were like a thunderclap that cleaved through the gloom, instantly bringing clarity to Su Wanqing's mind.

Yes, she is no longer the helpless Su Wanqing from her previous life.

She has a husband.

A husband who would get angry for her, stand up for her, and stand by her side without any principles.

What else is she afraid of?

Su Wanqing stood up, and a sharp light rekindled in her cold eyes.

She can no longer be as weak and yielding as she was in her previous life; endless compromises only breed endless greed.

She looked at Lu Zhanting, her eyes filled with an astonishing determination: "I've made up my mind."

“The money must be given. Otherwise, given my mother’s personality, she could ruin my reputation throughout the entire commune. My father is too sensitive to face that.”

"But we can't let them think that this is a treasure trove where they can take whatever they want at will."

Su Wanqing walked to the desk and took out paper and pen.

“I’m sending back twenty yuan and ten jin of national grain coupons. The money is my wedding gift to my younger brother. The grain coupons are my filial offering to my father.”

"We didn't get a single penny of anything else, like cloth coupons or industrial vouchers."

"I will write another letter and make things clear. This is the last time. From now on, if Su Wanqiang wants to get married and support a family, he should rely on himself like a man, instead of sucking blood from his sister. If they dare to push their luck again, then we don't even need to maintain this little bit of affection between us!"

She wanted to take this opportunity to sever all ties and draw a bloody line!

Lu Zhanting looked at the slender woman under the lamp, who exuded a powerful aura, his eyes filled with burning admiration.

This is the woman he truly loves.

I may get hurt, but I will never become addicted.

She can stand up in the blink of an eye, wipe away the blood, sharpen her claws, and deliver the most ruthless counterattack to her enemies.

"good."

He uttered only one word, yet it spoke volumes.

The night outside the window was as dark as ink, but the room was brightly lit.

Su Wanqing sat under the lamp, writing furiously.

She is no longer the girl bound by her family of origin, but the mistress of this house, writing a brand new set of rules for herself and her family.

Lu Zhanting didn't disturb her. He simply turned around and went into the kitchen, reheated the food that had gone cold, and brought it out, placing it beside her.

In this battle, she was in charge of the charge.

He was her strongest and only support.