The more Zhao Hui spoke, the more upset she became. Her words grew incoherent. “I had five brothers, but three didn’t even live to see liberation, and the other two died in Korea. Our family is almost… almost gone. Xiao Chen, you can’t… you mustn’t…”
Director Qiu immediately backed down upon hearing this. “Your family has suffered so much—fine, you take the child. I’ll give her up, alright?”
Seeing Zhao Hui still crying, she added awkwardly, “Do you… want a piece of cake too?”
From what Chen Mianmian had learned in the book, the Zhao family truly had a tragic history.
Zhao Lingcheng’s father had been an instructor at the first aviation academy. He had four younger brothers, all fighter pilots before liberation—a profession with almost no survival rate. By Zhao Lingcheng’s generation, he was the only one left.
Seeing Zhao Hui crying so hard, Chen Mianmian had no choice but to step forward.
She said, “You’re his aunt, right? No matter what happens between Lingcheng and me, I won’t remarry and take your family’s child with me.”
Then she explained to everyone, “She’s my ex-husband’s relative. She came to find me.”
Just then, the driver drove into the courtyard, and everyone realized that this woman had arrived in a car.
Director Jiang rushed forward to shake Zhao Hui’s hand. “You must be a leader’s wife—my apologies, my apologies.”
Chen Mianmian, who had seemed so ordinary, was actually the daughter-in-law of a high-ranking family?
But Zhao Hui stunned everyone with one sentence: “I’m single, thank you.”
The driver got out of the car and saluted Zhao Hui. “Director, what are your instructions?”
Zhao Hui stood straight with her hands behind her back. “Go get food—the most nutritious kind. Also, tell the city bureau chief to wait for me.”
Director Jiang broke into a cold sweat, his legs trembling.
When he had driven Chen Mianmian out earlier, he had no idea her backing would be such a powerful female leader.
Stammering, he said, “Please, let’s talk inside. We have a special guest room—it’s warm and comfortable.”
Director Qiu rubbed her hands nervously. “Comrade leader, I… I…” She didn’t know what to say.
But seeing that the military vehicle didn’t even have a license plate—only a string of coded numbers—it was clear Zhao Hui was a high-ranking figure, possibly from a confidential base or aerospace facility.
Director Qiu wisely chose not to ask further.
People quickly changed their attitudes. Just yesterday, everyone had been criticizing Zhao Lingcheng.
But now, the mood had softened completely.
The elderly woman held Zhao Hui’s hand. “It’s fine if a man has a bad temper, but he mustn’t beat his wife. A harmonious family brings prosperity.”
Wu Jingjing added cautiously, “Mianmian has suffered so much. Please treat her better.”
Another girl, Guli, said, “Mianmian is like a living Lei Feng to us—please don’t hurt her.”
Zhao Hui often stayed in touch with her nephew because of work.
Of course she had asked about his life, but Zhao Lingcheng rarely shared anything personal.
When she urged him to have children, he would only retort, “Have your own and stop bothering me.”
Now that her impression of Chen Mianmian had completely changed, Zhao Hui firmly believed the fault in the divorce lay entirely with her nephew.
She declared loudly, “I will take full responsibility for Mianmian and the child.”
Clenching her fists, she added, “Whoever dares touch her—even a finger—I’ll deal with them myself.”
Wu Jingjing suddenly remembered something. “Auntie, you punched Xu Cigang just now—you even gave him a black eye.”
Only then did everyone realize how formidable Zhao Hui was. Their faces were full of admiration.
But Zhao Hui said calmly, “I’m getting old. Back in my younger days, I could take on three men like him at once.”
Wu Jingjing grabbed Chen Mianmian’s arm excitedly. “Mianmian, you’re saved!”
Guli added, “If your husband ever abuses you again, go to her—she’ll stand up for you.”
Zhao Hui put an arm around Chen Mianmian and gritted her teeth. “Lingcheng actually learned to abuse his wife? I’ll deal with him.”
Just yesterday, Zhao Lingcheng had only been accused of abandoning his wife and child. Now he had become an abuser.
Chen Mianmian was about to explain when the driver stepped forward. “Director, the food is here, and also…”
Zhao Hui said, “Eat and rest first. I’ll go to the city bureau and handle your transfer to the army.”
As they watched the car leave, Director Jiang looked like he was about to cry. “Xiao Chen, come inside and eat.”
The elderly woman was also heading home and said, “Go eat. Only when you’re full will you have the strength to give birth.”
The crowd began to disperse, all urging her, “Go back to your room and eat slowly.”
Yesterday, Wu Jingjing had only managed to get three small pieces of lamb with bones.
But today, Zhao Hui’s driver brought a large bowl of lamb—boneless, all meat.
Chen Mianmian knew Wu Jingjing had told a kind lie yesterday, so she invited her to eat together.
Sharing with everyone present, she gave each person a piece of meat as thanks for supporting her.
Director Jiang respectfully led her into the so-called “special guest room.”
It wasn’t much different from a normal room—just warmer and more comfortable.
Chen Mianmian had been wondering something, so she asked Director Jiang, “Do you know where Xu Xiaomei went?”
Director Jiang scratched his head. “She left on a bicycle. Probably went to the militia unit.”
Wu Jingjing said, “She must have gone to find Xu Dagang, the deputy militia captain.”
Director Jiang sighed. “Even now, she still won’t settle down. What a headache.”
Then he laughed. “But Xiao Chen is a military wife—why would she be afraid of a militia deputy captain?”
As a lawyer, Chen Mianmian was used to analyzing and counter-analyzing situations.
The Xu family would later become a powerful force in the railway system in the northwest. She couldn’t afford to underestimate them.
But if Xu Xiaomei had gone to find Xu Dagang, it wouldn’t matter much. The militia was only a temporary organization—he couldn’t cause too much trouble.
However, there was one person who could overturn the cases of both Chen Jinhui and Xu Cigang.
She would prepare her countermeasures accordingly.
…
The lamb was delicious. She and Wu Jingjing ate until their mouths were greasy.
After eating, she prepared to take a nap.
But just as she lay down, the window was pushed open, and Director Qiu’s face appeared. “Girl, do you really know English?”
In her previous life, Chen Mianmian had specialized in international legal cases and knew five languages.
And Zhao Lingcheng had enrolled the original Chen Mianmian in a program for Russian and English—she even had a diploma.
Director Qiu continued, “You’re from the countryside. Your mother must be very open-minded to let you study foreign languages.”
Her mother, Wang Ximei, was someone who made Chen Mianmian shudder.
Chen Jinhui had actually been a twin—a boy and a girl—but before they were born, their father died unexpectedly.
Wang Ximei strangled the baby girl and handed her to her eldest daughter, Chen Huandi, saying tiredly, “Burn it.”
The baby, still warm, was burned to ashes in the stove.
While nursing her son, Wang Ximei told Chen Mianmian, “I wanted to strangle you too, but you were too pretty. I couldn’t bear it. Mianmian, I’ve shown you great kindness—you must repay me.”
It was a complicated emotion.
Smelling the burnt scent of her sister, the original Chen Mianmian both loved and feared her mother from then on.
Her mother said her brother was their family’s pillar, and both sisters believed it.
They ate scraps while feeding him the best food.
They supported his education and career, believing he would bring honor to the family.
These things weren’t easy to explain, so Chen Mianmian simply said, “It was alright.”
Director Qiu asked again, “Where did you learn your foreign language?”
At that time, people who knew foreign languages were often labeled as rightists and sent to labor camps.
But factories needed people who could understand foreign machinery manuals, so such talent was rare.
Being from a “red” background and knowing a foreign language was a strange combination, so Director Qiu wanted to confirm.
Chen Mianmian lied smoothly. “I was a top student at Hexi Red-Expert School.”
In reality, she had barely attended classes—but exaggeration cost nothing.
Director Qiu handed her an envelope. “Try this—translate it.”
Chen Mianmian opened it. It was a short article about lasers, just over a hundred words.
Taking out a pencil, she thought briefly and began writing the translation in her notebook.
Once she had been an elite lawyer. Now she would become a translator—and the best of her time.
…
Wu Jingjing spent the afternoon cleaning rooms and only returned in the evening.
Just as they were about to talk, a crying voice came from outside. “Mianmian! Where are you?”
Chen Mianmian had the window open, and the woman spotted her immediately and rushed over.
It was her elder sister, Chen Huandi.
Chen Mianmian asked, “Sister, where’s Xu Xiaomei? Did she go to find our mother?”
Their family home in Hongqi Commune was forty kilometers away, and Chen Huandi lived halfway there.
It seemed Xu Xiaomei had first gone to the elder sister, then rushed back to their mother.
That was actually the best way to overturn the case.
Once Wang Ximei learned her son had been sent to the police, she would be furious.
As his mother, she could testify that Chen Mianmian was the mastermind.
With her testimony, Xu Cigang might avoid execution, and Chen Jinhui could be released immediately.
Chen Mianmian couldn’t help but admire Xu Xiaomei’s strategy.
No wonder she would later build such influence in the railway system—she was clever.
Chen Huandi burst into tears before speaking. “Mianmian, we’re daughters. Jinhui is the son—the family line. As his sister, you should help him, not harm him. Come on, go to the police station and get him out.”
Chen Mianmian replied coldly, “What if I don’t?”
Chen Huandi froze. “We’re daughters—worthless things. Mother could have killed us at birth. She raised us with hardship. If we don’t repay her, aren’t we ungrateful?”
She continued, “Aren’t you afraid of retribution? That you’ll give birth to a bunch of useless daughters?”
Wu Jingjing couldn’t stand it. “Sister, Mianmian is the victim. Your brother almost beat her to death.”
Chen Huandi spread her hands. “Even so, she shouldn’t have called the police. Jinhui is the only son—our family’s future.”
Wu Jingjing was left speechless, unable to understand.
But Chen Mianmian understood.
As the eldest, Chen Huandi had witnessed everything and helped her mother. She empathized with her mother and loved her brother even more.
For someone so deeply conditioned, there was no point arguing.
Her real opponents were Xu Xiaomei and Wang Ximei.
What she said next was meant for them.
After all, she still needed to get back the 500 yuan bride price and the 200 yuan divorce compensation.
She said, “If you want me to get Jinhui released, fine. But Xu Xiaomei must give our mother 300 yuan. And I want our mother to personally write me a severance letter—stating we are no longer mother and daughter, and that her future life or death has nothing to do with me.”
Xu Xiaomei and Chen Jinhui both had stable incomes, and she still had the 500 yuan bride price.
Chen Huandi found the demand reasonable. “I’ll agree for her.”
Then she added harshly, “Fine, sever ties. Ungrateful girl—you’ll definitely give birth to a daughter.”
To her, having a daughter was the worst curse.
But just as she said that, a voice behind her said happily, “Mianmian is really carrying a girl?”
It was Zhao Hui, who had just returned after handling the military paperwork and had only heard part of the conversation.
But she knew well—the old man in their family had always dreamed of a granddaughter.
Chen Mianmian smiled. “I have a feeling this baby is a girl.”
Wu Jingjing felt a bit worried, since society still strongly preferred sons.
But Zhao Hui was genuinely excited. “If it really is a girl, then our Zhao family’s dream will finally come true!”
Then she looked at Chen Huandi and said sincerely, “Thank you for your kind words.”