Xi Muzhou offered precise advice, which reminded Qu Chuning that she recalled gold prices experiencing a significant drop in 1982 and 1983. With all her money invested in gold, wouldn't she profit when the prices rose later?
Thinking this, she stood up and went into the room, retrieving all the money she had hidden and handing it to Xi Muzhou. "Then please help me buy it!"
Xi Muzhou looked at the girl before him. Her eyes sparkled brightly, and in them, he saw no trace of worry or doubt. She seemed to trust him completely—a feeling he couldn't quite understand. From their first meeting to their marriage, only a month had passed. Why did she trust him so implicitly?
Perhaps Xi Muzhou's gaze was too direct, for Qu Chuning gradually blushed under his scrutiny. She hurriedly averted her face, not daring to meet his eyes, and said softly, "I know her well. The most important thing for her coming here is probably this three thousand yuan. I don’t usually have many expenses, so please use all this money to buy gold for me!"
From that day until Qu Chuning’s vacation, she never encountered Duan Chunping directly, but she saw Shi Zhenzhen every day. Previously, Shi Zhenzhen had been relentlessly opposing her, but ever since Duan Chunping arrived, there were days when Shi Zhenzhen didn’t exchange a single word with Qu Chuning after leaving the printing factory.
This was indeed a strange turn of events.
However, Qu Chuning’s relief was short-lived. As soon as she entered the Military Family Area, several wives lowered their heads and whispered upon seeing her. But as she approached, they fell silent. Qu Chuning found it odd but didn’t pay it much mind.
In the evening, Xi Muzhou hadn’t returned yet. Noticing that the oil at home was nearly empty, Qu Chuning picked up the oil container to get some more. As she stepped out, she noticed the women in the Military Family Area pointing at her even more brazenly. She frowned slightly.
Meanwhile, Xi Muzhou was stopped by the Political Commissar and others.
"Muzhou, when you go back, comfort your wife properly. Pay no attention to the idle gossip outside!"
Xi Muzhou’s face darkened as he said sternly, "Political Commissar, this matter should be addressed with Deputy Battalion Commander Lin. He ought to keep his relatives in check!" After a pause, he added, "Regarding the disciplinary decision, Deputy Battalion Commander Lin has repeatedly used excuses to avoid carrying it out, allowing others to slander my spouse. Political Commissar, if this isn’t resolved properly soon, I will have to lodge a complaint!"
"You rascal, alright, alright. I’ll keep an eye on this matter. Don’t worry, your wife won’t be wronged."
After Xi Muzhou left, the Political Commissar lit a cigarette. He knew a bit about Lin Dongguo’s situation, but Lin, a grown man, was now acting shamelessly. Since the decision didn’t specify a deadline, he had been delaying it. Now that his mother had come to the garrison, even he, a man, had heard some rumors. No wonder Xi Muzhou was angry.
Qu Chuning needed to go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, about half a kilometer outside the garrison, to buy oil. After leaving the garrison and purchasing the oil, she also bought some household seasonings and half a kilogram of white sugar. On her way back, she ran into Lan Xia, who was returning with her child.
"Chuning, out shopping?"
Qu Chuning smiled and nodded. Lan Xia was accompanied by three children—the eldest was even taller than her, while the youngest looked about seven or eight years old. Since Qu Chuning had nothing else on hand, she grabbed a handful of white sugar and gave it to the children.
Lan Xia quickly protested, "No, no, don’t! Such a precious thing—you should keep it for yourselves. How could we accept it?"
"It’s just a little treat for the children."
White sugar was indeed expensive, but social niceties had to be observed in daily life. In situations like this, a handful of sugar, while not extravagantly valuable, was still a rare delight for children.
The eldest child in Lan Xia’s family didn’t eat the sugar but gave it to the youngest sister instead.
Seeing her child enjoy the sugar, Lan Xia felt a bit embarrassed. Hesitating for a moment, she tugged gently at Qu Chuning’s sleeve and whispered, "Chuning, have you heard about Shi Zhenzhen’s mother-in-law spreading rumors about you in the Military Family Area?"
Qu Chuning was taken aback—she truly hadn’t known.
Seeing her reaction, Lan Xia immediately understood and continued, "Chuning, please don’t tell anyone I told you this. Shi Zhenzhen’s mother-in-law has been telling everyone that you were previously married to Deputy Battalion Commander Lin and even lived with their family for three years. The things she’s saying aren’t pleasant. You should think of a way to handle this—don’t let people tarnish your reputation!"
Previously, Qu Chuning had been worried that Duan Chunping might covet the large sum of over three thousand yuan, so she had already given the money to Xi Muzhou, asking him to buy some gold for her to save. She hadn’t paid much attention to how others were looking at her, but now, hearing Lan Xia’s words, she began to realize why so many people had been giving her strange looks today. This sounded exactly like the Duan Chunping she knew.
"Sister, thank you for telling me. I understand now!"
When Qu Chuning returned home, Xi Muzhou had already prepared a meal. Curious, she asked him, "We were out of cooking oil—I took the oil pot to buy some. What did you use to cook?"
A pot of stewed potatoes simmered on the stove, filling the air with a rich aroma. Xi Muzhou had sprinkled some chopped scallions over the dish and apologized, "Today, we only have stewed potatoes."
Usually, Xi Muzhou would stir-fry two dishes because Qu Chuning loved stir-fried food.
"It smells wonderful!"
During the meal, Xi Muzhou rehearsed his words over and over in his mind, but each time he tried to speak, he couldn’t find the right way to phrase it. In the end, he was left feeling conflicted.
"Earlier, when I was on my way back, one of the wives from the factory told me that Lin Dongguo’s mother has been spreading rumors everywhere. If you hear anything unpleasant, don’t take it to heart. There’s no connection or affection between me and Lin Dongguo or the Lin Family."
What Qu Chuning worried about now was how these rumors might affect Xi Muzhou’s perception of her. For some reason, she didn’t want him to misunderstand her.
"It’s fine."
Xi Muzhou wanted to say that the unit had already investigated the matter thoroughly and determined that Qu Chuning was the victim in the whole situation. Besides, he knew her circumstances better than anyone else—the slanderous words of others would never affect him.
But out of all those thoughts, only two words finally escaped his lips.
Qu Chuning held her bowl and stared intently at Xi Muzhou, wondering whether he truly didn’t care or if there was something else on his mind.
Xi Muzhou's expression remained unchanged, leaving Qu Chuning somewhat disappointed. He finished his meal quickly, and by the time she was done eating, she went to wash the dishes. Just as she finished cleaning the last bowl, she saw Xi Muzhou pushing a cart loaded with red bricks into the yard.
Behind Xi Muzhou followed two male comrades. When they spotted Qu Chuning, they stepped forward to greet her.
"Sister-in-law!"
Qu Chuning flushed crimson at their address. She had intended to ask Xi Muzhou what he was doing, but after being addressed like that, she felt too embarrassed to inquire. Instead, she picked up the remaining unwashed clothes and headed out.
Before she had gone far, she heard Duan Chunping's voice.