Chapter 331

Chapter 331

Gluttonous and Lazy

"He didn’t know!?" someone remarked sarcastically upon hearing her words.

Lin Nannan gave them a look but didn’t bother explaining.

Without Lu Hang here, no amount of talking would help. Once he returned, everything would become clear without her having to say a word.

Ah Si, noticing the tension, hurried Lin Nannan off, but the gossip behind them didn’t stop.

"Did you hear that? Commander Lu didn’t even know his wife was coming. He never mentioned letting her join him—did she just come on her own?" someone analyzed, their tone full of gleeful spite.

"She got lucky marrying him when he was paralyzed. He probably doesn’t even like her. Now she’s forcing her way here—just wait till Commander Lu sees her. He’ll be furious," a gossip-lover chimed in, eager for the drama.

"Ugh, someone like her paired with Commander Lu… what a waste!"

Pity and disapproval buzzed through the courtyard. A few voices tried to defend her, but they were quickly drowned out. None of this reached Lin Nannan’s ears.

At that moment, she was in the military canteen, her appetite perked up at the sight of the big communal meals.

Ah Si had told her she could eat first and settle the bill later when Lu Hang returned.

Without hesitation, she piled her plate high with her favorite dishes, her hearty appetite drawing astonished looks from the canteen staff. Who was this woman, eating like there was no tomorrow? Did she have no sense of budgeting?

Most families here pinched pennies, supporting children and elderly relatives on tight budgets. They carefully rationed their meals, prioritizing their families’ needs. Only those without such responsibilities could afford to indulge.

But among the military spouses, Lin Nannan stuck out like a sore thumb as the first to live so freely. Naturally, she became the center of attention.

Lin Nannan didn’t overthink it.

Since joining the Lu family, she had never gone hungry—except during those early days when Lu Hang was still recovering. Once he got better, their financial situation improved, and she was never deprived of good food.

Besides, she earned her own money, as did Lu Hang and the rest of the family. With no children to support, they had plenty to spare. She wasn’t worried about Lu Hang footing the bill for her meals, so she ate without restraint.

And so, on day one, she sealed her reputation as Commander Lu’s lazy, gluttonous wife—hardly a model spouse.

Lin Nannan remained oblivious to these judgments. No one said it to her face, and even if she caught snippets of unkind murmurs, she ignored them. As long as they weren’t said to her face, she wasn’t about to start drama. After all, Lu Hang wasn’t here, and she still had to live here peacefully.

Since she didn’t know how to cook, Lin Nannan took all her meals in the canteen, further convincing everyone of her laziness. No one considered that she might genuinely lack culinary skills—they simply assumed she was too lazy to try. Many shook their heads, saying poor Commander Lu.

Lin Nannan, though, found this lifestyle pretty comfortable. In her free time, she even enjoyed watching the soldiers train—far better than sitting around idly.

A few days later, as she sat eating in the canteen once more, the whispers grew loud enough for her to catch.

"Commander Lu is really unlucky—what kind of wife did he marry, eating in the canteen every single day?" a woman getting food said loudly.

"That’s not all—she eats more than my husband in one sitting!"

Everyone knew Commander Lu’s wife had a bottomless appetite.

"She’ll eat through Commander Lu’s whole paycheck!" another woman added.

"That’s their business. What’s it to you? Go home already!" A sharp voice shut them up.

Lin Nannan watched as a strict middle-aged woman scolded the group before approaching her. She hurriedly stuffed the last bites in, not wanting the food to go cold.

Hu Zhaoxia had to laugh seeing Lin Nannan’s cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk’s, her eyes wide like she was guarding her food. "No rush," she said kindly. "Just wanted to chat."

It was completely different from her previous sternness, making Lin Nannan warm up to her.

Swallowing the last bite of food, she nodded and greeted, "Hello, what should I call you?"

"You can call me Aunt Wang. My husband is the political commissar in the army and works closely with your husband," Hu Zhaoxia introduced herself with a smile.

Lin Nannan realized Lu Hang hadn’t mentioned any political commissar to her, so she just said "Oh" and asked, "Did you need something?"

Hu Zhaoxia paused briefly before smiling again. "Commander Lu isn’t here, and I was worried you might not be used to things, so I came to ask—do you not have food at home?"

Such a direct question made Lin Nannan understand her intention, and she rubbed her neck awkwardly. "Ah Si said he’d arrange things for me, but I didn’t let him because I can’t cook!"

"You don’t know how to cook?" Hu Zhaoxia was genuinely surprised.

Nowadays, women who couldn’t cook were extremely rare. Even children in their teens could skillfully light a fire and prepare meals, so Lin Nannan’s answer really shocked her.

"Yeah, I can’t cook, and I didn't want to waste food, so I just eat at the canteen. Is there something wrong with that?" Lin Nannan asked.

Hu Zhaoxia had come because her husband, Political Commissar Chen, had heard quite a bit of gossip and asked her to drop a few hints, hoping Lin Nannan would tone things down a little—eating so much at the canteen looked bad.

But upon hearing that Lin Nannan couldn’t cook, she was at a loss.

If the woman couldn’t cook and had such a big appetite, not letting her eat at the canteen would mean letting her go hungry, wouldn’t it?

"Can I not eat at the canteen?" Seeing Hu Zhaoxia frown, Lin Nannan hesitantly asked.

Hu Zhaoxia quickly shook her head and smiled. "No, it’s just that hardly anyone in the army eats all three meals at the canteen..." She tried to hint subtly, but Lin Nannan didn’t pick up on it at all.

"Oh, then next time I’ll take my food back to eat!" she said, thinking she was helping.

How was that any different from eating at the canteen?

Hu Zhaoxia couldn’t help but laugh in frustration, realizing that Commander Lu’s wife seemed clueless about how things worked. She decided to be blunt. "It’s just that eating all three meals at the canteen makes people think you’re indulging and wasting Commander Lu’s money. They also assume you’re lazy and gluttonous, which isn’t good for his reputation."

Lin Nannan’s mouth fell open in shock.

"Does Lu Hang earn so little that he can’t even let me eat my fill?"

Hu Zhaoxia felt like she was talking to a brick wall.

"No, it’s just that everyone thinks it’s better to save. After all, most families have elders and children to support, and money isn’t easy to come by!" Hu Zhaoxia thought she had explained it clearly enough for Lin Nannan to understand.