Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 2

The first time Ye Fangfei saw Shen Zhanxun’s photo, she had already made up her mind—he was the one.
Standing at 1.87 meters, clad in a crisp military uniform, and with a handsome face to match, he made the young, love-struck Ye Fangfei’s heart skip a beat.

But more than two years had passed, and aside from the occasional letter, he had never come home.

Her excitement from the wedding had long since turned into a simmering frustration. Unable to see Shen Zhanxun, she had nowhere to vent her anger except on his parents and younger siblings.

Shen Jianhua and Sun Xiujü also felt guilty toward their daughter-in-law. A perfectly good girl had married into their family, yet they hadn’t even consummated the marriage before their son left for years. Who wouldn’t be upset in that situation?

They frequently called and wrote to Shen Zhanxun, urging him to take leave, come home, and finally fulfill the marriage—if possible, even bring his wife to join him in the military.

But Shen Zhanxun often had missions elsewhere and wasn’t around. Last year, he had written that he would be attending military school and couldn’t return for a while.

With no other choice, Shen Jianhua and Sun Xiujü doted on their daughter-in-law. If Ye Fangfei didn’t feel like working, she didn’t have to. The best food was always kept for her.

Sun Xiujü would even secretly slip her money so she could have special treats at her parents’ home—treating her own daughters and youngest son less generously by comparison.

Shen Cuijuan had already picked up a bamboo basket and sickle. Hearing that her sister-in-law was going to cut pig grass, she laughed and handed the basket over.

Ye Fangfei took it and was just about to step outside when Li Guiying clicked her tongue and sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm:
“Oh my, the sun hasn’t even fully risen yet, and Fangfei’s already up? Did the sun decide to rise from the west today?”

It had only been three days since she transmigrated, and this old woman had already mocked her several times. Ye Fangfei decided she wouldn’t endure it any longer. She tossed the sickle into the bamboo basket, turned, and met her gaze head-on.

“Aunt, you’re not that old yet—how could you be so deaf and blind? Why am I up so early? Didn’t you hear? If it weren’t for your daughter-in-law being so inconsiderate and disturbing a good sleep, I’d still be sound asleep right now.”

“I know you don’t like me, but so what? My husband is capable. Every month he sends money home. Even if I don’t lift a finger, that money is more than enough to live on.”

Ye Fangfei pinched her slender waist, her lips moving fast and sharp. “Aunt, I respect you as an elder, but don’t think I’m soft just because I look young. If you keep stirring trouble, I’ll go tell my mother, and she’ll come set things straight. My mother-in-law is kind and doesn’t like to argue, but my mom is different—you know her. She knows how to deal with people who act soft outside but sneak around behind your back.”

At 21, Ye Fangfei was the youngest in her family, with an older brother and sister. She had been spoiled from childhood—never really wronged.

Her mother, Zhou Hongyu, had been formidable even as a young woman, and after marriage had given birth to a strong son and two well-married daughters. She was even fiercer now, more spirited than ever. If anyone dared bully her precious daughter, they would have a fight on their hands.

Ye Fangfei’s words quieted the courtyard. The adults exchanged uneasy glances, and even Shen Zhan Tao’s two sons felt the tension and stopped playing.

Though Ye Fangfei had been lazy before, she rarely argued. She would just brood quietly in her room. Today, however, her words cut like knives, leaving Li Guiying pale and speechless.

Zhu Dongmei from the third branch had been enjoying the drama—almost clapping with glee. But when she heard Ye Fangfei say Shen Zhanxun’s ten yuan per month supported her, her mood soured.

This little girl was far too audacious. Their family hadn’t split estates yet, with so many elders above them, and she dared to claim the ten yuan as her own?

Still, Zhu Dongmei smiled like a fox. Even when speaking with pointed remarks, her face remained friendly. She walked over to Ye Fangfei, mockingly scolding, “Fangfei, you mustn’t say such disrespectful things. That ten yuan Shen Zhanxun sends is for your grandparents. If someone overheard what you just said, how would they view you and him? Calling you unfilial would be an understatement—they’d poke holes in your backbone!”

She even took Ye Fangfei’s hand, feigning affectionate guidance, “Fangfei, your grandparents have worked so hard to raise their grandchildren. Your words just now—how hurtful! Go apologize and explain you didn’t mean anything by it, that you weren’t eyeing the ten yuan.”

Sun Xiujü saw the eldest and third branches ganging up on her daughter-in-law and frowned. Though gentle, she wasn’t naive. When someone bullied her daughter-in-law in front of her, she had to speak up.

But Sun Xiujü had underestimated Ye Fangfei’s fighting spirit. The young woman didn’t even give her a chance to speak and instead turned directly on the third-branch daughter-in-law.

“Aunt, of course I know our grandparents worked hard, and we’ve always wanted to be filial. But grandparents have three sons. As the saying goes, a hand can’t reach where the index finger goes—elders come first. There’s no need for us juniors to interfere. Isn’t that right?”

Ye Fangfei smiled sweetly while lightly patting Zhu Dongmei’s hand, then jabbed, “I know my husband supports the family because the elders have little means. That’s fine with us. But just because he sends money doesn’t mean you can bully his wife.”

“And if outsiders heard this, they’d think our elders were terrible. Maybe they’d even poke holes in your backbone,” she added, tossing Zhu Dongmei’s own words back at her.

Shen Cuijuan and Shen Zhanqiang watched their sister-in-law with admiration, secretly giving her a thumbs-up.

Zhu Dongmei stared at the smiling young woman, mouth opening and closing, sharp words flying like invisible needles—painful yet leaving no blood.

How was she so formidable? They hadn’t noticed it before.

If Ye Fangfei knew what Zhu Dongmei was thinking, she might laugh—before transmigrating, she had silenced even her lawyer father with words; how could a few old women intimidate her?

Every word Ye Fangfei had spoken left no room for the others to save face. Though using ten yuan as leverage seemed petty, they had provoked her first.

She wasn’t the original timid Ye Fangfei who sulked quietly when wronged. Anyone who dared make her uncomfortable would receive double in return.

The men in the household fumed at her words—especially the eldest, Shen Jianguo, and the third, Shen Jianjun, along with their sons.

In their minds, ten yuan a month from Shen Zhanxun wasn’t impressive. Nine years of service, and only ten yuan? Meanwhile, ordinary workers in the county earned thirty. And yet she acted as if her husband were some great heroes!

Still, none of them dared speak. Ye Fangfei was a woman, and if the men argued, it might seem like bullying a junior.

The eldest, Shen Jianguo, glanced at his younger brother chopping wood. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Jianhua, Zhanxun’s wife is way out of line. Can’t you control her?”

Shen Jianhua remained silent, head down. “Big brother, she’s never argued before. This time, it was just words flying back and forth. Let’s men stay out of it—no need to worsen the atmosphere.”

It was almost as if he was saying, If our daughter-in-law argued, it’s because she was provoked.

Shen Jianguo gritted his teeth, threw down the axe, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Shen Jianjun, the third, looked between the eldest and second brothers but said nothing.

Shen Zhan Tao and Shen Zhanping exchanged a glance, their heads hanging slightly in reluctance.

Although uncomfortable, they knew better than to interfere.

When women quarrel, if men jumped in, it would seem like they were ganging up on Ye Fangfei. Better to let them argue—after all, the eldest branch had plenty of numbers on their side.