Lin Ruo couldn't help but rub her arms.
Would this man be so angry that he wanted to hit her?
If he really dared to attack her, she wouldn't let him get away with it.
Even if she couldn't beat him, she would still scratch his face.
She wouldn't want to make him lose face, and she would have to report him to the army for domestic violence.
But on second thought, that didn't seem likely.
After letting off some steam and letting her mind wander, Lin Ruo calmed down.
Seeing the man silent and with a cold expression, she moved to sit down by the bed.
"What I said is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can check it out.
And please, check what happened three years ago and clear my name as soon as possible."
"No girl wants to carry the reputation of stealing her sister's fiancé's bed.
I need to start a new life after the divorce.
Who knows, I might meet a good man someday, and I don't want people to misunderstand and think there's something wrong with my behavior."
Hearing that she was already thinking about finding another partner before the divorce made Han Yao's head throb.
The person in front of him was chattering, and her words were so eloquent, unlike the person who didn't dare speak loudly three years ago.
She must have been extremely wronged in those three years.
Han Yao moved and reached out to push a chair to the side, but Lin Ruo subconsciously dodged and blurted out:
"Why, do you still want to hit me?"
Han Yao's hand paused in mid-air for a moment, then he pulled his chair half a meter away from Lin Ruo.
"I just wanted to sit down and talk to you properly. I don't hit women."
After sitting down, Han Yao looked Lin Ruo straight in the eye and said solemnly,
"Our military marriage is protected by law.
Divorce is only possible if one party is seriously at fault.
In our case, the organization won't approve it."
"How do you know they won't approve it when you haven't even filed?
To put it bluntly, we're just strangers, with no emotional foundation.
And you hated me so much back then.
Forcing ourselves together is torture."
Lin Ruo spoke calmly, her expression composed.
She didn't lose herself in the fact that Han Yao had a face so handsome it could easily outshine any young star in the entertainment industry.
It wasn't like she hadn't seen handsome men before,
but no matter how good-looking they were, they couldn't outweigh the years of hardship and loss the original owner had endured.
"You haven't even tried living with me, so how do you know it won't be good in the future?" Han Yao leaned forward.
"I'll investigate the past, but I don't agree to a divorce.
Comrade Lin Ruo, please give me a chance to make amends.
Once I've investigated everything, I'll double down on the injustices you've suffered."
"You should leave that opportunity to other women.
Relying on men won't last long. Let's part ways amicably.
File your divorce papers tomorrow. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be free."
The Lin Ruo of today is not the same as the original owner.
People from later generations think very differently from those of the 1970s.
A woman without a man can still live a carefree life.
Once the policies ease, she'll take advantage of the favorable conditions and go into business.
She'll buy a few courtyard houses in Beijing, a few small Western-style houses in Shanghai, and some land.
From now on, she can live a life of just lying back and collecting rent.
Earning her own money and spending it herself—
a life so beautiful she'd wake up smiling even in her dreams.
Hearing that Lin Ruo remained unmoved and insisted on getting a divorce, Han Yao's eyes dimmed.
"Do you really want a divorce?"
"Yes. If I can divorce tonight, I will leave early tomorrow morning," Lin Ruo said without hesitation.
Han Yao's face was stern and expressionless, but his heart was like boiling magma, while the chill emanating from his body was so heavy it felt as if he'd been frozen in a cold pond for a thousand years.
He had clearly asked his comrades to send money home every month—
one portion for his parents and one for his wife.
He had even asked for two remittance slips to prevent any mistakes.
Every month he sent 30 yuan to Lin Ruo.
However, the little woman in front of him said she had no money.
This only meant that the money had never reached Lin Ruo.
Thinking of his family withholding the money he gave to his wife and mistreating her, Han Yao felt even colder.
Han Yao stared into Lin Ruo's eyes, their depths like a pool, bottomless and seemingly absorbing.
Lin Ruo met his gaze calmly, her almond-shaped eyes large and bright, so how could she be afraid he wouldn't see through her?
A moment later, Han Yao suddenly stood up.
"Okay, I'll file for divorce tomorrow. The approval process will take time, so you'll need to stay a few more days."
"However, the guesthouse has other arrangements in two days and will no longer accept outsiders starting tomorrow.
Your superiors will arrange for you to stay temporarily in the family compound.
I'll pick you up tomorrow morning to settle you in."
Lin Ruo didn't think twice before calmly responding with a "yes."
Seeing Lin Ruo's agreement, Han Yao left and returned to the army, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
This little woman had become sharp-tongued and shrewd, and she wouldn't give up until she filed for divorce.
She could file for divorce, but how she told her superiors was his business.
After Han Yao left, Lin Ruo locked the door and hung the enamel teacup on the doorknob as a precaution.
While this was a military guesthouse and no bad guys were allowed in, it was always wise to be cautious.
After the windows were closed and bolted and the curtains drawn, Lin Ruo felt at ease entering her room to wash and rest.
At Commander Huang's house, Huang Meilin told her family about her experiences on the road.
"Mom and Dad, you have no idea how scared I was back then.
If it weren't for Lulu, you'd never see your daughter again."
Huang Meilin's mother, Liang Hua, patted her chest in a moment of dread.
"These human traffickers are despicable. Anyone caught should be shot.
Luckily, Linlin was lucky enough to meet Xiao Lu's lover.
Old Huang, this girl is our family's benefactor. You must praise Xiao Lu for marrying such a good wife."
"We should thank them, or our daughter's life would be ruined.
But…" Huang Wenhao changed the subject.
"Han Yao did marry a good wife, but she came to the army to seek a divorce from him."
The news that Lin Ruo had come to the army to seek a divorce from Han Yao was now known to most in the army.
"What?" Liang Hua and her daughter exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm afraid there's some misunderstanding between the couple.
How could a married couple not recognize each other and then get divorced right away?
I heard from Linlin that Xiao Lu's wife is so thin that she could be blown down by a gust of wind.
I'm afraid she's suffered a lot back home.
Old Huang, we can't just ignore this.
We need to have Old Lu do some ideological work on Xiao Lu.
Old Lu's wife and I will also go and try to persuade his wife."
Following the principle of "better to destroy a temple than to ruin a marriage," Liang Hua disapproved of Han Yao's divorce.
It would be best if the couple could reach a settlement on their own; otherwise, the sisters-in-law would mediate.
"Dad, if Han Yao dares to file for divorce, you must severely criticize him.
What does he want to do by not cherishing such a good wife like my sister Lulu?"
"If they really get divorced, Mom, please introduce Sister Lulu to someone with better conditions than Han Yao."
With the filter of a lifesaver in her heart, Huang Meilin was definitely on Lin Ruo's side.
It seemed that Han Yao, who dared to let her sister Lulu down, was not a good person.
"Fortunately, I liked him before, bah, I was so blind at that time."
Commander Huang's family originally wanted to invite Lin Ruo to visit and express their gratitude after she settled down,
but now it seems they should solve the relationship problems of the couple first.
Similarly, Political Commissar Lu's family was also talking about Han Yao,
and Political Commissar Lu also asked his wife to go to Lin Ruo to talk when she had nothing to do.
"You can't really let the couple get divorced."
The next day, after the morning training, Han Yao came to the guesthouse to pick up Lin Ruo.