After the matter of the competition, Cheng You and Qiu Yingxun met a few times in the courtyard.
She found it a bit strange; she hadn't seen Qiu Yingxun frequenting the courtyard before.
Sister-in-law He also found it peculiar, "He seems to be back quite often lately."
"Lately?" Cheng You asked.
Sister-in-law He, cracking sunflower seeds, said, "He doesn't get along well with Commander Qiu, so he doesn't come back much."
Qiu Desheng didn't pay much attention to this son either.
With a poor relationship between father and son, Qiu Yingxun naturally wouldn't return to cultivate affection with his father.
Cheng You lowered her eyes, remaining silent. The moment she looked up, she saw Cheng Tao's figure.
For the past few days, Cheng Tao and Feng Xue had seemed to disappear, leaving no trace.
After a long absence, she had become noticeably thinner, a gaunt sort of thinness.
Upon seeing Cheng You, she merely lowered her head and hurried past.
A red mark on her neck flashed by, causing Cheng You's gaze to deepen.
Cheng You suddenly, and unconsciously, linked her with Qiu Yingxun.
These two wouldn't be so bold, would they?
"Cheng You, what are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."
Sister-in-law He waved her hand in front of Cheng You.
Cheng You came back to her senses and smiled, "I was thinking about what to eat tonight."
"Isn't Cheng Yan going to the mess hall for food?"
Cheng You shook her head with a smile, "The mess hall is a bit too oily, he thinks it's not nutritious, so he'll cook for me at home tonight."
Sister-in-law He sighed. Only Qi Cheng'an had such dedication, cooking for Cheng You after a tiring day.
"When are you two planning to have a child? Last time I heard, the daughter-in-law of the Song family, your friend, seems to be pregnant. Your mother-in-law must be anxious."
Cheng You said in surprise, "Xiao Wan?"
"I don't know her name, but she's the one who recently married into the Song family. Tang Jing even wanted to go take care of her."
It was said that the Song family had another fuss because of this matter.
Sister-in-law He always went out to chat with people, and she was always well-informed.
Cheng You truly hadn't known about this. Otherwise, she would have definitely gone to congratulate Sun Xiao Wan.
"Qi Cheng'an and I are trying to conceive. A child should be on its way."
While she said "trying to conceive," it essentially meant they weren't using contraception.
As for when the child would come, it would depend on fate.
Cheng You and Qi Cheng'an were in good health and didn't need to take any special tonics to strengthen their bodies.
It was best to let nature take its course.
After chatting with Sister-in-law He, Cheng You went to buy groceries.
This rare moment of leisure allowed her to stroll around at a leisurely pace.
It would have been even better if she hadn't run into Tang Jing.
Cheng You had intended to bypass her completely, with no interaction.
Unexpectedly, Tang Jing called out to her first, "Cheng You!"
Cheng You packed away the meat she had just bought and greeted her coldly, not intending to chat.
"Aunt Tang, I still need to buy some vegetables over there, so I won't stay longer."
Tang Jing quickly picked up her purchases and hurried after her.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Xiao Wan is pregnant, did you know?"
Cheng You nodded indifferently, "I just found out."
Tang Jing's face broke into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum, revealing all her teeth.
Cheng You had nothing to add. She could see that Tang Jing was genuinely happy at this moment.
Even if she didn't approve of Sun Xiao Wan, she wouldn't dislike her own grandchild.
"Although Sun Xiao Wan comes from a humble background and has a temper, you have to admit, her womb is quite fertile!"
Cheng You: "..."
If she said this in front of Sun Xiao Wan, Sun Xiao Wan would show her with actions what a temper meant!
She didn't reply. She picked out a bunch of green vegetables, not daring to buy too much, as they would spoil easily in the heat.
In fact, Tang Jing just wanted to show off; it didn't matter whether Cheng You responded or not.
She pretended to give Cheng You some advice, "You've been married to Cheng'an for quite some time. Why aren't you in a hurry to have one? A woman, if she can't bear children, won't be able to stand firm in her in-laws' family. Aunt Tang is giving you this advice out of kindness. If there's a physical problem, go to the hospital quickly."
Cheng You smiled and replied, "I know my body very well, but it seems Auntie isn't very clear that your own body has problems."
Tang Jing's chattering mouth finally stopped, and she glared at Cheng You furiously.
"What are you saying? Whose body has problems!"
Cheng You tapped her forehead, "There's something wrong with your brain. If you don't believe me, go get it checked at the hospital."
Tang Jing was enraged, "Don't you have any manners! Is this how your family taught you to speak to elders?"
Cheng You scoffed, "My parents are no longer here. Would you like to ask them how they taught me? It's not the first time I've spoken to you like this. Why are you making such a fuss?"
She paid for the vegetables and slowly walked away, leaving Tang Jing still scolding in place.
Tang Jing had fallen out with Song Qinglan, so she didn't dare to badmouth Cheng You to Song Qinglan. She could only gossip with others outside.
However, these rumors had zero impact on Cheng You.
After all, Tang Jing wasn't the first person to say she couldn't have children.
But she had stirred up trouble and even involved Song Qinglan's maternal family.
Song Qinglan's birth mother had died early, and her current stepmother had a poor relationship with her.
Furthermore, her stepmother was a busybody who came to the military compound looking for Cheng You.
Cheng You didn't recognize her at first. It was Sister-in-law He, who had seen her once before, who told Cheng You.
"By seniority, you and your husband should call her Grandma, but she's not a proper Grandma."
Cheng You put away the cut mugwort grass and glanced at the old woman sitting beside her.
The old woman looked like she had never suffered hardship in her life. Her skin was very fair, and she wore many expensive ornaments.
Her style was more ostentatious than Old Mrs. Feng's, and her demeanor was not as gentle and calm as Cheng You's maternal grandmother.
She seemed to look down on people with her nostrils.
Just like now, since she entered, she had been scrutinizing Cheng You from head to toe with a picky gaze.
"You recognize me, so I'll introduce myself..."
Cheng You clapped her hands and stood up.
"No need. I know who you are."
Zeng Xiuyun's voice faltered, as if Cheng You's single sentence had pushed her dissatisfaction to its peak.
"Since you know who I am, why aren't you greeting me?"
Sister-in-law He didn't want to get involved in their family matters and said with a smile, "I'll be going home now."
Once the courtyard was empty of outsiders, Zeng Xiuyun spoke, "I came to see you today. Your mother-in-law should have told you, right?"
Cheng You raised an eyebrow, "It's not an important matter. My mother-in-law usually wouldn't tell me personally."
Zeng Xiuyun's mind went blank for a moment before she realized what Cheng You meant.
Her old face stiffened. She no longer had the mood to sit and talk nicely with Cheng You. She immediately stood up with a "thump."
"Just as Tang Jing said, you have no manners at all!"
Cheng You chuckled, "Then I'll say the same thing to you as I did to Aunt Tang. Regarding manners, you can discuss it with my parents."
Zeng Xiuyun raised her chin, looking down at Cheng You from under her eyelids.
"Where are your parents? I really must ask them properly how they raised their child!"
Cheng You: "In heaven."