Everyone watched as Lai Gou struggled to breathe. Even though they didn't really want to help, they still stepped forward. After all, he was the deputy leader, higher in rank than all of them, and he hadn't committed a crime. He couldn't just die in Sienna's hands.
Steve stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, let go. If you keep choking him, he'll die. If that happens, Rowan will also be punished."
Felix and Brandon added, "Yeah, he can't die here."
The others also came over, hoping she would let go. Rowan walked up and said, "Wife, if you're upset, just give him a beating. But don't kill him."
Sienna listened to Rowan and finally let go of Lai Gou. He collapsed to the ground and gasped for air. Seeing his miserable state, Sienna said coldly, "If you ever bother Rowan again, I'll turn you into fertilizer for this land. And stop giving me that disgusting look. If you don't, I won't mind crippling you."
Without giving him a chance to reply, she kicked him hard and sent him flying.
Rowan walked up, took Sienna's hand, and said to everyone, "Let's keep eating. Don't worry about him. He won't die."
"Yeah, let's go back to eating. I only held back because I didn't want to ruin the food, or I'd have fought him inside."
Everyone looked at each other and went back into the house.
The next day, Rowan had just arrived at the training ground when he was called into the office.
"Tell me what happened. Lai Gou came in last night to file a complaint."
"Report, it's my fault. I didn't control my strength during sparring."
"That's not what he said. He claimed your wife attacked him without reason and caused serious injuries. He's accusing her of attacking an active-duty officer."
"Report..."
"Don't say you did it. There were too many witnesses. Once an investigation starts, as soldiers, they'll have to report the truth."
"Enough for now. I've already asked someone to bring your wife in. Lai Gou will be here soon too. We'll talk once everyone is here."
"Yes."
Soon, both of them arrived.
Sienna walked in and stood directly next to Rowan without even looking at the commander or political officer.
"Everyone's here. Explain what happened."
"Commander, Rowan's wife hit me for no reason. Even if I wasn't welcome as a guest, that doesn't mean she can just attack me. She hit an active-duty officer."
Hearing this, Commander Yao Yun looked at Rowan and Sienna. "What do you have to say?"
"Report…" Rowan had just started to speak when Sienna tugged his arm to stop him. She had decided to handle it herself. She wanted to protect Rowan. Even if someone was only being verbally disrespectful, she wouldn't let it slide. Right now, he was her husband, and she would protect him.
Sienna looked at the commander and political officer and said, "I didn't want him in my house. I don't even know him well. He knows exactly what kind of person he is, yet he still tried to show up at my door."
"And another thing, how did someone like him even become a soldier? When they recruit people, do they only care if their background is clean? What about their character afterward? How could someone like him become a deputy regiment commander? Commander, Political Commissar, explain it to a rural girl like me. Or does he have someone powerful backing him?"
"The way he looks at pretty girls is disgusting. Aren't you afraid he'll disgrace the word 'soldier'? And he's an officer? That's even worse. If you don't give me a clear explanation today, I'll make a big deal out of this and push for a full investigation."
"Hurting someone isn't just about hitting. His eyes were full of filth. I don't believe he's clean. Even if he hasn't raped anyone, he's definitely harassed women before."
"The way he looked at me yesterday, I only held back because of Rowan. And now he has the nerve to cause trouble for me?"
Yao Yun and Wu Wen were both stunned by how well this girl could talk. Wu Wen, even as a political commissar, felt like he couldn't match her.
"I didn't do anything to you and you hit me. That's assaulting a soldier."
"You say my eyes were disgusting? That's harassment. Fine, let's take this public. Let's see how many women you've looked at that way. Let's see how long you'll be sentenced. Yes, I hit you, and everyone saw that, but they also saw how you looked at me."
"I'm a young woman who just became an adult, and being stared at like that by a soldier is humiliating. Of course I reacted strongly. Or is that how all soldiers look at women? Maybe I'm just a clueless village girl."
"Wife, don't talk like that. I'm a decent man. My eyes are pure."
Sienna glanced at Rowan, then said, "Either you shut up and let this go without trying to get Rowan or me punished, or we'll take this all the way. I want to see if you can handle being investigated. Worst case, Rowan and I go back to farming. But you'll end up in prison."
Hearing this and seeing the way Rowan and Sienna stood their ground, Lai Gou had no choice but to back off. He had done things before, but his family used money to cover it up, so no one knew. Otherwise, he never would've made it into the army. His background check had been faked. He couldn't afford a real investigation.
"Commander, Commissar, it was my fault. It was just a sparring match with Captain Rowan. I lost and then tried to stir up trouble. I'll write a formal apology and apologize publicly to both of them."
"Alright. Then all of you can return. Be more careful next time during training."
"Yes."
"Yes."
They all left the office.
"Old Yao, Rowan's wife is really something."
"She is. And this also shows Lai Gou really has a problem. We should send someone to investigate. We can't keep someone like him around."
"Agreed. Make the arrangements. But Rowan's wife seems pretty skilled. Even though Lai Gou's not a good guy, he's still pretty tough."
"She really is. Her background check report is coming soon. We'll know everything then."
"Wife, how did you know he had a problem?"
"Just from the way he looked at me. I'm your wife, and he still dared to look at me like that even though we're in the same unit. Imagine how he treats powerless village girls who have no one to protect them. If he's timid, he probably just touches them. If he's bold, then his actions are worse."
"Wife, I thought you only knew medicine and martial arts. I didn't expect you to be sharp in other areas too."
"I know a bit. But where I came from, most things were gone already. Just surviving was hard enough. That's why my understanding of some things isn't perfect. I still have a lot to learn. I'm human now. You have to teach me."
"Alright, I'll teach you slowly."