How could Chubby Wife possibly have had a child for him?
Under the blood-red sunset, Xie Zhongming’s face was full of disbelief.
In the backlight of the setting sun, his expression was hard to read. His voice carried a heavy weight as he said, “Five years ago… just that once. Chubby Wife already had a child?”
How could it be such a coincidence?
“It really is that coincidental.” Jiang Beiyang patted his shoulder. “Zhongming, if the missing Chubby Wife is still alive, and nothing went wrong, this child would already have been born. Calculating the time, the child should be just over four years old now.”
The orange-red glow fell on Xie Zhongming’s shoulders. He seemed frozen in place.
He stood there for a good half-minute before pressing his hand to his forehead. “Chubby Wife disappeared for five years without a word. And now suddenly a child appears?”
“Zhongming, should we keep searching?” Jiang Beiyang also felt the absurdity of it. He and Chubby Wife only had that one encounter, yet she could still have conceived.
In the afterglow of the sunset, Xie Zhongming responded with silence.
He sorted through the chaos in his mind, then replied after a long pause, his voice heavy, “One encounter, five years ago, with no feelings… and now a child? Beiyang, are the comrades in Kun City sure about this? Is the information reliable?”
Jiang Beiyang did not answer directly but asked, “Zhongming, do you want the information to be reliable or not? Do you want Chubby Wife to have had a child or not?”
Xie Zhongming, overwhelmed by his thoughts, could not answer. His face was dark, and his chest felt heavy. “No matter what, we need to find Chubby Wife first.”
“All right.” Jiang Beiyang nodded. “Then let the people in Kun City keep looking. Uncle Luo in the Public Security Department will also continue to help check. If there’s news, they’ll send a telegram or call immediately.”
Two days later, Jincheng Military District, Sixth Division, Third Brigade, 19th Regiment, regiment headquarters bungalow.
Xie Zhongming, Jiang Beiyang, and Jiang Beisong were rehearsing a battle plan over the sand table. Xie Zhongming, bent over, pointed at a thin wooden rod moving along the contour lines. His strong, commanding voice carried authority. “The left wing of the Third Battalion must hold this trench.”
At that moment, a guard reported, “Regimental Commander Xie, you have a phone call. It’s from the Kun City Public Security Bureau.”
“Beiyang, Beisong, continue.” Xie Zhongming straightened his back and strode out in his boots.
Receiving the call, his eyes, previously sharp over the sand table, softened into courtesy and respect. “Uncle Luo!”
“Zhongming, there’s news on the matter you asked me to check.” The voice on the line was deep and resonant like an old bronze bell.
Hearing this, Xie Zhongming’s back tightened, his fingers clutching the phone, his breathing heavy. Could this be news about Chubby Wife and the child?
“Uncle Luo, is there news about Chubby Wife and the child?”
“Not exactly. It’s about Jiang Chunyan’s nephew, Jiang Yongqiang. We checked, and what we found was shocking. This scoundrel had already committed crimes in his village. He abused a mentally ill mother and her daughter. The daughter was only eleven years old at the time. Since they had no other relatives in the village, nobody reported it.”
There really was someone as despicable as Jiang Yongqiang in this world.
Xie Zhongming, usually calm, felt his expression tighten, gripping the phone and clenching his teeth. “Jiang Yongqiang deserves a bullet. Eleven years old and he could do that?”
Even worse, he abused both the mother and daughter.
On the other end, Director Luo’s voice was full of righteous anger. “Zhongming, I’ve sent people to Jincheng. They will coordinate with local comrades to handle this case. Such a harmful person must be severely punished.”
That evening, the courtyard was covered in sunset clouds.
The clouds on the horizon were dyed orange-red.
Riding his bicycle, Xie Zhongming returned to the Xie family’s two-story courtyard. His father, Xie Jiang, had already arrived.
He entered the hall and poured a cup of water from an enamel mug. Voices came from the kitchen, Huang Guilan and Qiao Xingyue, but Jiang Chunyan and Deng Yingying were absent.
After drinking, Xie Zhongming saw Xie Jiang squatting at the kitchen door peeling potatoes. “Dad, Jiang Aunt and Deng Yingying aren’t here?”
“Your mother said they went on a blind date.”
“Who’s going on a blind date?”
“Who else, your Aunt Jiang.”
This Jiang Chunyan remarried less than half a year after Deng Shu died, now worried that her rural husband had divorced, and less than a month after the divorce, she was already going on a blind date? Couldn’t endure the solitude?
“Dad, Jiang Yongqiang really did commit crimes in his hometown.”
He told Xie Jiang what had happened. Xie Jiang paused peeling potatoes. “What? He abused a mentally ill mother and her daughter? And the girl was only eleven?”
“Luckily, Comrade Qiao is brave and knows acupuncture.”
Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
“Dad, don’t worry. This time Jiang Yongqiang will definitely get what he deserves.”
Because Qiao Xingyue had suffered only minor injuries in the cornfield, Huang Guilan cared for her and did not let her cook. She just had her tend the fire in the stove. They overheard Xie Zhongming’s conversation with Xie Jiang. Qiao Xingyue was not surprised, but Huang Guilan felt both regretful and angry. “Old Xie, we shouldn’t have helped Jiang Chunyan. We definitely shouldn’t have recommended Jiang Yongqiang to the logistics department as a soldier.”
She quickly asked, “Zhongming, is it confirmed that Jiang Yongqiang will face punishment?”
Xie Zhongming answered, “Almost certainly.”
Hearing this, Huang Guilan stopped stirring the tomatoes. “If Jiang Chunyan hears about this, she’ll make a scene and accuse the Xie family of being ungrateful.”
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu from Chadain Village, mother and son, carried a basket of red sweet potatoes along the gravel road to the military district residential compound.
The mother and son had traveled overnight by train from Kun City to Jincheng Military District.
They were very excited as they approached.
“Dazhu, the basket is heavy. Do you want me to carry it for a while?” Zeng Xiuzhu asked.
“No, Mom, I can manage.” Liu Dazhu wiped his sweat and said, “Mom, Chubby Wife has been missing for so long. Will her husband lend us money?”
“He will,” Zeng Xiuzhu said firmly. “I married my daughter to him properly. If he doesn’t lend even a little money, I’ll just fall to the ground and cry. The people in the compound will watch. The Xie family won’t embarrass themselves; they will lend us money.”
Liu Dazhu tightened the shoulder straps and moved forward. “Then we’ll borrow more, save some for when I get married.”
They arrived at the residential compound gate. The logistics department guard stopped them. “You cannot enter without permission.”
“I’m here to see my son-in-law.” Zeng Xiuzhu stood straight, her tone commanding. “My son-in-law is a platoon leader here. Open the gate.”
The guard still did not let them in.
Politely, he asked, “Ma’am, what is your son-in-law’s name? Please give your names too. Once I verify, I can let you in.”
Zeng Xiuzhu, unfamiliar with the regulations, thought her son-in-law was a platoon leader. The guards should respect her. She crossed her arms. “How many rules are there? I said my son-in-law is a platoon leader. Open the gate.”
“Ma’am, these are our rules. You can also let your son-in-law come out to receive you.”
Anyone claiming to know a platoon leader or regiment commander tries to get in, but verification is needed.
Zeng Xiuzhu wanted to get the money. She decided to comply and give the name.
“My son-in-law is Xie Zhongming. You can open the gate now.”
After verification, the guard opened the gate in an orderly manner. “Ma’am, follow me.”
“That’s better.” Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu entered the compound together.
They reached the service area of the residential compound.
Seeing a stall selling buns and fried dough sticks, Zeng Xiuzhu paused. “Let’s have breakfast. I’m starving.”
“All right, ma’am. You can eat here while I report.” The guard walked off.
Once seated, Liu Dazhu and Zeng Xiuzhu ordered four large meat buns, two bowls of porridge, and two fried dough sticks.
Liu Dazhu said, “Mom, let’s not eat at Chubby Wife’s husband’s place. We came from far away. They will definitely host us.”
Zeng Xiuzhu realized then. She had spent a small amount on breakfast unnecessarily.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“No matter, soon we’ll meet Chubby Wife’s husband and borrow a lot of money.” Liu Dazhu bit into half a large meat bun.
Chubby Wife’s husband? Chubby Wife?
Qiao Xingyue, holding An’an and Ningning, with meat ration tickets, was about to cut some pork fat for lard when she overheard them.
She led Ningning and An’an back and saw Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu sitting at the bun stall.
She recognized them immediately as Chubby Wife’s mother and the unreasonable brother, Liu Dazhu, who had once bullied her.
They came to see Chubby Wife’s husband? But Chubby’s wife’s husband was dead.