Chapter 84: Wake Up and Follow

At home, Old Lady Han was already growing anxious. The two little ones hadn’t seen their mother for two days, and no matter how much she coaxed them, they cried endlessly.

Once, they even held hands, ready to run out the door, shouting, “We’re going to find Mom!”

Old Lady Han quickly pulled them back, trying her best to persuade, “Mom will be back soon, don’t worry, don’t worry.”

But the children had heard this far too many times. They no longer believed her. Their little feet stomped restlessly, and Xiaobao grew angrier, pounding the door with his tiny fists. “Look for Mom, Grandma! You won’t let us find Mom!”

Dabao’s temper flared too. He charged at the door like a small calf, nearly slipping out of her grasp. Old Lady Han was at her wits’ end, her eyes brimming with tears.

Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Han Aiguo’s deep voice. “Mother, it’s me. Quickly, open the door.”

Her heart leapt. She rushed over and swung the door open. At once, she froze seeing Han Aiguo was holding Su Yue in his arms. Seeing her limp and pale, Old Lady Han’s voice shook. “What happened to Yueyue? Is she alright?”

Without answering, Han Aiguo carried Su Yue straight inside. He quickly removed her damp clothes, tucked her into bed, and pulled the quilt tightly over her. After a thought, he added another quilt for warmth.

Seeing her frown in her sleep, he said anxiously, “Mother, Yue’er is frozen through. She’s running a fever. Please get the antipyretic medicine.”

Old Lady Han hurried forward, pressing her palm to Su Yue’s forehead. The heat almost burned her hand. She gasped in alarm before rushing to fetch the medicine. Thankfully, she always kept the basics at home for the children, including fever reducers.

Han Aiguo carefully fed Su Yue the medicine, and then placed a damp towel on her forehead. Old Lady Han also filled a hot water bottle, slipping it under the covers to warm her.

Meanwhile, the two little ones finally saw their mother again. But when she didn’t open her eyes or call to them, their small hearts broke. They scrambled at the bedside, trying to climb up, but their legs were too short. They stood there crying pitifully, “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Han Aiguo quickly lifted them up, smoothing their hair with his large hand. “Don’t cry. Mom is just tired and sleeping. You can’t wake her up, understand?”

The boys sniffled hard, wiping their tears with their chubby hands, but their eyes remained fixed on Su Yue.

Watching them, Old Lady Han couldn’t hold back her own tears. She gently combed Su Yue’s hair with her fingers, muttering, “How could it come to this? Who on earth reported Yueyue? If I ever find out, I won’t let them off!”

Han Aiguo’s gaze hardened at the reminder. He said nothing, but his eyes carried a sharp glint.

Old Lady Han stayed at Su Yue’s side, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve, before quietly telling Han Aiguo what had happened at home.

“I was so worried. You weren’t home. Yueyue asked me to find Xu Can, but what bad luck, her water broke early in the morning, and she was sent to the hospital. I couldn’t find anyone else to save Yueyue. In the end, I had no choice but to rush to the army gates. Luckily, a young soldier helped me. He said he would pass word to you. Otherwise…” Her voice trembled. “Otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened to Yueyue.”

That “young soldier” was Zhuzhu. Without him, Han Aiguo would never have made it back in time.

Seeing his mother’s tired face, Han Aiguo didn’t explain further. He didn’t want her burdened with more worry. “Mother, Yue’er will be fine. I’ll handle the rest. Please cook some porridge for her. She hasn’t eaten since she was taken away. She’ll definitely be hungry when she wakes.”

“What? She hasn’t eaten for that long?” Old Lady Han’s heart ached. She immediately bustled off to the kitchen to make porridge.

Han Aiguo lowered his gaze to the boys, whose eyes were red and swollen. He kissed their foreheads softly. “Dabao, Xiaobao, Mom is sleeping. Can you go out and play for a while?”

Xiaobao shook his head furiously, his little voice choking. “No, no! Xiaobao stay with Mom!”

Dabao, quieter but just as stubborn, shook his head too. He slipped out of his father’s arms, kicked off his shoes, and carefully climbed onto the bed. His small face leaned close to Su Yue’s for a long moment, before he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then, with cautious movements, he lifted the quilt and snuggled beside her.

Xiaobao followed his brother’s lead, crawling onto the other side and burrowing into her arms.

The two had never been apart from their mother for this long. Now that they had her back, they refused to let go.

Han Aiguo’s chest ached at the sight. He didn’t stop them. Perhaps with her children close, Su Yue would recover faster.

After a while, Dabao and Xiaobao, exhausted from crying, finally drifted to sleep beside their mother.

Han Aiguo sat silently, watching over his wife and children, until Yu Weiliang (Commander Yu) arrived at the door.

“Fang Tonghua claimed he received a report from the masses, so he took sister-in-law in for interrogation,” Yu Weiliang said grimly. “The higher-ups knew nothing. He was planning to report after she confessed. I’ve already sent word up the chain and testified for her. Don’t worry, this matter will be settled.”

Han Aiguo’s voice was low and sharp. “Who is this Fang Tonghua, to have so much authority?”

Yu Weiliang frowned. “He came from another unit, and was transferred here just two months ago. You probably don’t know him. I only just learned myself. He has some backing. He’s Master Lin’s brother-in-law.”

Han Aiguo’s eyes narrowed. “Master Lin? Isn’t that Battalion Commander Feng’s father-in-law? Then Fang Tonghua is…”

“Yes,” Yu Weiliang confirmed. “He’s Feng Junwei’s wife’s uncle.”

So Fang Xiaoli’s maternal uncle.

The detail of their surnames didn’t matter. What mattered was that someone was targeting Su Yue and they had used this connection to strike.

“Who was the one who filed the report?” Han Aiguo asked coldly.

Yu Weiliang lifted a hand in reassurance. “Fang Tonghua is under investigation. He’ll talk soon enough. I’ll let you know the moment I hear.”

Han Aiguo lowered his eyes. In his heart, he already had a strong suspicion. But for now, he only nodded. “Thank you, Commander.”

Yu Weiliang clapped him on the shoulder. “No need for thanks. Just take care of your wife. My own wife is still in the hospital so I need to go back.”

That evening, Xu Can had given birth to a son. Yu Weiliang had been at her side when the call came from Han Aiguo. He had rushed back to handle the matter, but now that things were under control, he was eager to return to his wife and child.

Han Aiguo saw him out. “Once sister-in-law comes home, Yue’er and I will come visit.”

Yu Weiliang nodded and left.

—-

Su Yue slept the entire day. When she finally woke up, it was already noon the next day.

In the morning, when the two children saw their mother still asleep, they had a bad feeling. They thought something terrible had happened to her. Frightened, they clung to Su Yue and cried golden beans all morning.

(T/N: “Golden beans” means they cried a lot.)

Old Lady Han coaxed and comforted them, assuring them that their mother was fine, but the little ones refused to leave her side. They kept whispering softly, begging her to wake up.

Now that she finally opened her eyes, the two little ones were overjoyed. They rushed to her side, calling out “Mom! Mom!” over and over again.

Su Yue’s body felt limp and her mind was hazy. It took her quite a while to fully regain her senses. When her vision cleared, she saw the room around her and the two children waiting anxiously by her bed. She finally remembered, Han Aiguo had rescued her yesterday, and now she was back home.

She raised her weak hand, stroked their little heads, and kissed each of them. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, “Dabao, Xiaobao, were you good while mom wasn’t here?”

The two nodded in unison.

Xiaobao quickly raised his little hand and said eagerly, “Mom, Xiaobao was good. I didn’t make noise, I didn’t wake you up.”

Dabao nodded solemnly, as if confirming his brother’s words.

“Really? That good?” Su Yue gave them a thumbs-up. “My babies are amazing!”

Xiaobao immediately giggled proudly, and then snuggled into her arms, rubbing his chubby cheeks against her. “Mom, I missed you. Xiaobao missed you so much.”

Su Yue’s lips curved into a smile. This little one loved to act spoiled.

When she turned to Dabao, she found him staring at her with his dark, round eyes, full of longing and attachment. She pulled him into her arms too and whispered, “Did my good Dabao miss mom as well?”

Dabao gave a low “mm,” wrapped his little arms around her neck, and rubbed against her silently.

Hearing the noise, Old Lady Han hurried out from the kitchen. The moment she saw Su Yue awake, she clapped her hands in relief. “Oh, finally! If you didn’t wake up soon, I would’ve died from worry.”

She touched Su Yue’s forehead. The heat was gone. With a sigh of relief, she said, “Good, no more fever. You must be hungry. I’ve cooked porridge and kept it warm in the pot. Let me bring it over.”

Before Su Yue could respond, the old lady rushed back into the kitchen. Soon, she returned, balancing the pot carefully. Sitting down by the bed, she scooped some porridge into a bowl and tried to feed her.

“You must be starving. You didn’t eat for a whole day. Look at you, you’ve already lost weight. Drink this first to warm your stomach then I’ll make something tasty for you later.”

Su Yue smiled and took the bowl. “Mother, I can manage.”

Seeing she still had the strength to hold the bowl, Old Lady Han let her eat by herself.

As Su Yue ate, the old lady told her what had happened yesterday and that Xu Can had gone into labor, which explained why she hadn’t been around. It was such a coincidence.

Then, Old Lady Han’s thoughts turned back to the one who reported Su Yue. She slapped her leg angrily. “Whoever it was is truly vicious! If I ever find out, I’ll tear their mouth apart!”

Su Yue had already guessed, but she stayed quiet. If she told the old lady the truth, she would only get worked up and storm over to cause trouble.

She smiled faintly and reassured her instead, “Don’t worry, Mother. The matter will be investigated, and the truth will come out in time.”

Before Old Lady Han could continue, Xiaobao tugged at Su Yue’s sleeve and exclaimed, “Mom, Xiaobao wants to eat too!”

The little one had been eyeing the porridge for a long while, drooling silently. Now, unable to hold back, he opened his mouth wide.

Su Yue laughed at his greedy-cat expression and fed him a spoonful.

Xiaobao swallowed eagerly, shaking his head with delight as if it was the best thing he had ever tasted.

Su Yue scooped another spoonful for Dabao. He accepted it calmly, chewing slowly, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction.

Seeing how happily the children ate, Old Lady Han’s mood finally lightened. She sighed. “These two cried so much when you didn’t come back. They even wanted to go out searching for you. I couldn’t get them to eat anything. When you returned with a fever, they insisted on staying with you and still wouldn’t eat. I was worried sick they’d starve.”

Su Yue’s heart softened. She simply ate and fed the two children at the same time; one spoonful for her, one spoonful for them, until they finished the entire pot of porridge together.

After the meal, she still felt weak, so she lay back down to rest. But since she had slept so much earlier, she wasn’t sleepy anymore. Instead, she stayed in bed playing games with the children until Han Aiguo returned home.

The moment he saw her awake, he strode over and gathered her into his arms. In front of the two children, he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.

When Xiaobao saw this, he immediately covered his eyes with his chubby little hands, muttering in mock shyness. But his fingers spread wide apart, clearly peeking.

Su Yue: …This brat, who did he learn that from?

Han Aiguo chuckled and tapped Xiaobao’s head lightly before turning back to Su Yue. “Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”

Su Yue shook her head. “No, I’m fine. But I want to ask you, what happened afterward? Did this incident cause trouble for you?”

Han Aiguo shook his head. “Don’t worry. Commander Yu personally testified for you. No one dares to accuse you of illegal business anymore.”

Su Yue let out a breath of relief. “Then… who reported me?”

Han Aiguo didn’t hide it. “The man who interrogated you was called Fang Tonghua. He was transferred here two months ago and is in charge of discipline and supervision, so he had the authority. He also happens to be Fang Xiaoli’s uncle. Fang Xiaoli uses her mother’s surname, but her father’s surname is Lin, he works in our military department.”

Su Yue wasn’t surprised to hear Fang Xiaoli’s name. She only asked calmly, “So it was Fang Xiaoli who reported me, trying to deliberately cause me trouble?”

Han Aiguo gave a low “mm,” his voice laced with coldness. “According to Fang Tonghua’s own words, yes, it was her. But he took all the responsibility himself. He refused to admit she had anything to do with it.”

“What about Fang Tonghua then?” Su Yue asked. She knew Fang Xiaoli’s father was a teacher, her background wasn’t strong enough to cause major problems. But Fang Tonghua, abusing his power to extort a confession, couldn’t be let off so easily.

Han Aiguo’s eyes darkened. “He forced you to confess without investigation, and both Commander Yu and I saw it. He won’t escape punishment. The higher-ups already know and will deal with him. Even Company Commander Feng can’t protect him.”

Su Yue fell silent, her chest still tight with suppressed anger. She knew Fang Xiaoli was the true culprit. She had no grudge with Fang Tonghua, as he clearly had acted because of her. Yet Fang Xiaoli got away without consequences.

She was no saint, no meek pushover. The thought of being bullied for nothing made her blood boil. Part of her wanted to storm over and give that woman a beating. But she could only swallow her anger for now.

“Fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll let her off this once.”

Han Aiguo’s gaze deepened. He was far angrier than Su Yue. When he opened that interrogation room door and saw her being cornered by three men, the murderous fury in his chest nearly consumed him.

Letting it go was impossible.

Fang Xiaoli might not be punished openly for this, but he already had her in his grasp.

He had uncovered evidence of her using her position at the supply and marketing cooperative to take scarce goods and resell them at inflated prices. Witnesses and proof were all in hand.

Since she accused his wife of illegal business, then let her taste the consequences herself.

He had already handed the evidence to the Disciplinary Inspection Department. They were now investigating, and Fang Xiaoli had been called in to cooperate. Even if she somehow managed to escape, she would suffer greatly.

Han Aiguo was not someone who sought petty revenge. But this time, she had crossed his bottom line.

And for that, he would show no mercy.