Good Wife
“What a beautiful view!” Xie Wan exclaimed as their group arrived in Spring City. Gu Sheng had arranged for someone to pick them up, and they travelled in a jeep, getting off at the entrance to the family compound.
Though the mountain roads were bumpy and tiring, stepping out of the vehicle to see the lush green scenery and feel the gentle breeze was refreshing and uplifting. Green is a colour that naturally soothes the soul.
It felt as if their spirits had been washed clean by the dewy greenery.
Zhang Shuyang, Xie Wan’s fiancé, adjusted his glasses. Seeing the tall, imposing soldiers and patrolling guards around the compound, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.
The sharp sound of a bugle broke the air, prompting Xie Wan to remark to Qin Lu, “It’s been so long since I heard that sound.”
As they entered the family compound, they saw a young soldier walking a black German shepherd named Laifu. The dog was already massive, standing nearly as tall as a person, its majestic presence making Zhang Shuyang feel lightheaded.
Qin Lu said, “Didn’t Gu Sheng raise a dog like that before?”
Xie Wan burst into laughter as she recalled, “Oh, I remember now! His dog even bit Pingping back then. And yet Pingping married him anyway? Seriously?!”
Qin Lu’s daughter, Zhou Ting, timidly tugged at her mother’s side, her curiosity piqued. “Mommy, big doggy!”
“Be careful.”
As they approached Zhan Aiping’s house, they noticed a man doing laundry in the neighbouring yard. That man was none other than Commander Luo, who was washing clothes and diapers for his wife and child.
Xie Wan, Qin Lu, and Zhang Shuyang stared at him as if they had just encountered a gorilla in the wild, dumbfounded by the sight of this big man washing laundry in broad daylight.
A big man like him, doing laundry out in the open?!
He doesn’t seem like an easy-going man of the Gu family type.
Xie Wan speculated, Is he responsible for logistics, moving equipment, or overseeing warehouses and engine oil? But judging by the size of his yard and house, his rank must be decent.
Commander Luo looked up and saw the three of them staring at him with expressions like they’d seen a ghost.
Commander Luo: “?!!!” *What are you staring at?!*
Xie Wan whispered to Qin Lu, “The man next door to Gu Wu is such a family man! He’s even washing diapers for his kids. What a good husband!”
“Teacher Zhang, take notes,” she added.
Zhang Shuyang chuckled but remained silent. Seeing Commander Luo, such a big man, washing diapers had clearly left a strong impression on him.
Xie Wan was an elementary school teacher, and Zhang Shuyang was a high school teacher. Although his job was better on paper, marrying Xie Wan was undeniably a step up for him.
Xie Wan came from a well-off family, while Zhang Shuyang’s was poor. He had won her over with his good looks, attentiveness, and romantic gestures.
Before the wedding, he made all sorts of promises—to do housework and take care of everything—but deep down, he knew most of these commitments were unrealistic.
Even Qin Lu’s husband, Teacher Zhou—known as a model husband—had never washed diapers himself. That job fell to his mother, Qin Lu’s mother-in-law.
Men washing diapers was seen as bad luck, something that could hinder their careers.
While Zhang Shuyang had agreed to be a thoughtful husband, he didn’t necessarily plan to follow through. After all, traditionally, men worked outside and women took care of the home. Housework and childcare were seen as women’s responsibilities.
He had accompanied Xie Wan to meet her childhood friends hoping she would see their husbands—mostly domineering military men—and feel satisfied with her own situation.
But the first thing they encountered was a male officer washing diapers.
Zhang Shuyang: “…”
Qin Lu: “…”
Xie Wan, being outgoing and straightforward, greeted Commander Luo with a smile. She even teased, “Comrade, you’re so caring and considerate. The men living next to you must feel a lot of pressure!”
Commander Luo: “…”
At that moment, Commander Luo felt a swirl of complex emotions. He thought about how, in past years, it was Gu Sheng who made the men around him feel pressured.
But things had changed. Gu Sheng had stepped up as a “man’s man,” and his wife had become a caring and capable partner.
Although, truth be told, her hardworking phase hadn’t lasted long—she was already slipping back into her old ways.
Commander Luo decided to brag about his neighbour, deliberately praising the “diligent, understanding, and supportive” Zhan Aiping to these outsiders.
“Who says my wife doesn’t compare to the neighbour’s?” he thought smugly. “I’ll make sure everyone knows how amazing their lazy wife has become—at least ‘recently.’”
“What?” Xie Wan was stunned. “The wife next door is caring and gentle? Are you talking about Zhan Aiping?”
Commander Luo replied, “That’s right! Zhan Aiping is incredibly thoughtful and attentive to her husband!”
Xie Wan: “…??!!!”
Qin Lu: “…?!”
Even Zhang Shuyang looked astonished.
According to Xie Wan, her childhood friend had a fiery personality, as tough as a man, and was incredibly stubborn.
But now they were being told that she was a gentle and devoted wife?
Commander Luo added, “In our compound, everyone envies Gu Sheng for marrying such a beautiful doctor who not only takes care of the kids and the house but also dotes on her husband.”
Xie Wan: “…Does marriage change a woman this much?”
Gentle and caring Zhan Aiping?
“Exactly,” Commander Luo said with a knowing nod. “My wife was completely different before and after marriage too. Before, she was barely a flower; after, she turned into a carnivorous plant.”
Qin Lu: “…Is this really the same Zhan Aiping?”
Commander Luo continued, “Ever since Gu Sheng became a commander, he’s been more assertive. Just yesterday, he told me he was going home to discipline his wife.”
Qin Lu thought, that explains a lot.
Xie Wan was utterly dumbfounded.
Commander Luo didn’t bother chatting with them further. Being watched while washing diapers was embarrassing enough. He was more curious about what kind of drama might unfold next door.
Would there be an argument after these people left?
Either way, it wasn’t his business. He had only told the truth—nothing but the truth.
Commander Luo returned to his house, while Xie Wan and her group knocked on the door next door.
Inside, Zhan Aiping was with the children. The house was now so big that any noise from one side couldn’t be heard on the other.
She was preparing the guest room, as there were plenty of empty rooms in their house now.
When she learned Xie Wan had arrived, she came out to greet her. “Xiao Wan, you’re here! And this is your fiancé? And Qin Lu too.”
“Pingping? Zhan Aiping!!! Wow, you’re so beautiful!” Xie Wan was stunned when she saw Zhan Aiping. The gorgeous woman standing before her was completely different from the one she remembered.
Excitedly, Xie Wan grabbed her hands. “If I’d known you’d clean up this well, Old Zhao and the others would be kicking themselves—Gu Sheng really scored himself a beauty for free.”
“That Gu really hit the jackpot.”
Such a stunning, shapely beauty was a rarity.
“If I were a man, you’d be my wife instead.”
Zhan Aiping chuckled. “Keep dreaming.”
Xie Wan sighed, “I honestly never thought you’d marry Gu Sheng, let alone become such a highly-praised wife.”
Zhan Aiping froze. “Me? A highly-praised wife?”
Xie Wan nodded. “Absolutely! Even your neighbour says you’re caring and thoughtful.”
Hearing this, Qin Lu gave Zhan Aiping a contemptuous glance. Jealous of her beauty, Qin Lu also scorned her for trying to win over her husband.
Surely, Zhan Aiping’s kindness to Gu Sheng was all about his family background and career prospects.
After all, with Gu Sheng just recently promoted to commander, she must be angling for the status of a military officer’s wife.
Zhan Aiping’s lips twitched. “My neighbour? You mean Commander Luo next door?”
That Commander Luo, who spent more time loafing around than doing real work?
“Commander Luo? He’s a commander?” Xie Wan was surprised. “A commander washing diapers? What a great husband he must be!”
Zhan Aiping replied, “…He was probably forced to.”
Zhang Lirong truly had her ways, keeping Commander Luo firmly under her thumb. They were a classic case of “one pot fitting one lid.”
“Forced? Is his wife tough?”
Zhan Aiping nodded. “Tough. And a little crazy.”
Xie Wan teased, “Why aren’t you a tough one? I heard your husband disciplines you—Gu Sheng actually dares to ‘teach you a lesson’!”
“I find that unbelievable.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Before she could reply, her son Guobaorou interjected from behind her, his tone full of grievance: “My dad only disciplines the kids. He wouldn’t dare discipline my mom.”
After being caught wetting the bed and forced to eat radishes and greens, Guobaorou was still holding a grudge, seething with resentment.
Xie Wan blinked at him. His features were so much like a younger version of Zhan Aiping’s that she instantly recognized the resemblance. “Is this your son? He looks just like you when you were a kid…”
“Youyou, don’t talk nonsense,” Zhan Aiping said.
Xie Wan asked curiously, “Youyou? Your dad doesn’t discipline your mom?”
Guobaorou declared, “My dad’s scared of my mom. He only acts tough with us kids.”
Little Tangyuan rushed over to back up her brother. “Exactly! My dad’s scared of my mom.”
“If my mom told him to eat plain porridge and wild greens, he wouldn’t dare say a word.”
Guobaorou added, “Mom eats all the good food while us Gu kids eat plain radishes and greens without oil.”
Zhan Aiping: “…” These two kids couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
All this fuss over some radishes and greens.
Zhan Aiping didn’t bother denying it. “These two were disciplined by Gu Sheng yesterday, so they’re just full of resentment today.”
“But it was you who started it, Mom,” Guobaorou muttered.
“Dad only listens to you…”
Xie Wan: “…”
Turning to her old friend, Zhan Aiping said, “I hold a high status in this family. Gu Sheng listens to everything I say. He doesn’t dare go against me.”
Xie Wan: “…”
She wasn’t sure about Zhan Aiping’s supposed “high status,” but this house certainly felt like a battleground.
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