What improper relationship?
Though Huang Guilan whispered into Xie Zhongming’s ear, her words made his hand clench tightly around the iodine tincture bottle.
The 15-watt lightbulb in the main room swayed in the wind.
The shadow of the light cord flickered across his face, making his stern expression appear even more tense.
“Mom, what nonsense are you talking? Aside from that time I was tricked in Chadian Village, I’ve always remained chaste and never had any improper thoughts about any female comrades.”
He hadn’t even entertained any impure thoughts about the match that Division Commander Xie and Huang Guilan had been pushing him to pursue.
A surge of frustration suddenly welled up in his chest!
How could he be wronged like this.
“You don’t trust your own son!”
“Can’t blame your mother for being suspicious.”
Huang Guilan felt it inappropriate to discuss such topics in front of An An and Ningning.
So she handed the clockwork frog on the table to the girls, letting them go play by themselves for a while.
Then, sitting on the long bench in front of the square table, she continued speaking with Xie Zhongming:
“It’s just that I like An An and Ningning too much, and both girls happen to have our family’s hereditary illness. It’s hard for me not to be suspicious.”
If Old Fourth had really been involved in improper relationships and fathered An An and Ningning with Comrade Xiao Qiao, Huang Guilan wouldn’t scold him but would actually be quite pleased!
Because she genuinely adored Comrade Xiao Qiao and her two daughters.
At this moment, Xie Jiang sounded a warning beside Huang Guilan, “Stop with your baseless suspicions. This concerns Comrade Xiao Qiao’s reputation. We’ve already said it’s just a coincidence. Just cherish these two girls as your own granddaughters and don’t speak nonsense.”
Just then, Qiao Xingyue brought the freshly cooked twice-cooked pork to the table. Xie Zhongming immediately stood up and went to the kitchen to help bring out the remaining dishes, while Xie Jiang went to help serve the rice.
Although she was the nanny in the Xie household, every family member would help with chores, never treating her as a servant.
Qiao Xingyue greatly appreciated this family atmosphere.
She wondered what kind of woman would be fortunate enough to marry into such a family and become Division Commander Xie and Aunt Lan’s daughter-in-law.
Although Qiao Xingyue had never met Comrade Xie’s eldest brother, second brother, or their wives, she imagined the sisters-in-law must be very blessed women.
As usual, Qiao Xingyue prepared to take the meal to grandmother’s room to feed her.
Huang Guilan stopped her, “Let Zhongming do it.”
“That won’t do. Comrade Xie has been busy all day. This is supposed to be my job.”
While she was speaking, Xie Zhongming had already taken the meal prepared for grandmother from her hands. The enamel basin contained soft minced meat tofu and twice-cooked pork with vegetables that smelled delicious just from its aroma. “Comrade Qiao, please sit down with the children and eat with my parents. I’ll go feed grandmother.”
“This isn’t appropriate. I should be the one feeding grandmother.”
“What’s inappropriate about it, Comrade Xiao Qiao? Please sit down. This is part of Zhongming’s filial duty too.”
The Xie family’s upbringing and family traditions were exceptionally good!
Watching Xie Zhongming carry the enamel basin into grandmother’s room, Qiao Xingyue sat down somewhat awkwardly. Huang Guilan immediately placed some twice-cooked pork into her bowl.
In this era, people prized fatty meat over lean meat. When buying meat with ration coupons, everyone would scramble for the fatty cuts. If you went late, you couldn’t even get the fatty pieces. People had endured hard times for so long that they generally lacked oil and fat in their diets.
The piece of meat Huang Guilan placed in Qiao Xingyue’s bowl was seventy percent fat and thirty percent lean. Recently, she had been eating a lot of such fatty meat. Eating like this, she was truly afraid she would revert to Pang Ya’s original two-hundred-pound obese figure. But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse, so she slowly ate all the fatty meat.
Huang Guilan thought she and the children were too thin and wanted to fatten them up a bit. Seeing there was no more meat in her bowl, she quickly added another piece.
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, I forgot to tell you today—your Uncle Xie also has asthma like Ningning, and even takes the same medication. It’s a hereditary condition in the Xie family.”
“Look at An An and Ningning—one has a peanut allergy like me and Zhongming, and the other has asthma like your Uncle Xie. Don’t these two children seem destined for our Xie family? Since fate has brought us together, don’t stand on ceremony. Treat this place as your own home, eat more meat, and don’t think about saving food for our family.”
It wasn’t that Qiao Xingyue wanted to save on rations—it was just that the meals were too rich, with meat and oily dishes at every meal. She really couldn’t eat that much.
Hearing that Division Commander Xie also had asthma made Qiao Xingyue pause mid-bite.
How could such a coincidence exist?
An An’s peanut allergy resembled Aunt Lan and Regiment Leader Xie’s.
Ningning’s asthma resembled Division Commander Xie’s.
And Regiment Leader Xie had married a woman from Chadian Village.
She gripped her chopsticks, lost in thought.
Could Regiment Leader Xie be the man she had ridden that night?
She was almost suspicious.
At that moment, she turned her head and glanced into Grandma’s room. Regiment Leader Xie was sitting by Grandma’s sickbed, his posture as straight and dignified as a pine tree while feeding her. He was so meticulous and patient, spoon-feeding Grandma while gently wiping the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.
“Grandma, eat slowly. Chew thoroughly.”
Qiao Xingyue strained to recall.
That night had been dark and windy.
She only remembered having just transmigrated, feeling dizzy, feverish, and unbearably uncomfortable—her body burning as if scalded by lava, her mind consumed with thoughts of being with a man.
Then a solid wall of muscle had appeared out of nowhere. Groping that wall of muscle, she had dazedly climbed on top.
In the pitch-black thatched hut, she couldn’t see anything.
Many details had faded from memory.
She only remembered that night, she was like a small boat on fire, rising and falling in a scalding river.
How could she remember what that unlucky platoon leader looked like? The beast medicine used for breeding had strong side effects—for days afterward, she remained in a daze, many memories blurred.
Wait, that unlucky man was just a platoon leader.
And Comrade Xie was a regiment leader.
Moreover, that unlucky platoon leader had already died for his country, long becoming a revolutionary martyr.
Besides, that day in Grandma’s room, Regiment Leader Xie himself had said his wife was serving far away in the Kuncheng Military Region. Grandma also said Regiment Leader Xie’s wife was tall, slender, beautiful, and very capable.
It seemed she had overthought things.
She resumed eating her rice. “Aunt Lan, it seems my children really are fated to be connected to the Xie family. If you don’t mind, I’ll let An An and Ningning honor you and Uncle Xie as their own grandparents.”
“How could we mind? Aunt Lan is overjoyed. I adore well-behaved, lovely girls like An An and Ningning.”
“…”
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, would it be alright if Aunt Lan calls you Xingyue from now on?”
“Of course, as long as Aunt Lan doesn’t mind.” Qiao Xingyue replied readily, feeling deeply honored.
…
Evening.
The night in the Compound was enveloped in tranquility.
Occasional barks and meows could be heard, while frogs in the corner croaked intermittently.
After giving Grandma her bedtime massage, tucking her in, and pulling the light cord, Qiao Xingyue emerged from Grandma’s room.
In the main hall.
Huang Guilan sat on a small bamboo stool, continuing to stitch the shoe sole she hadn’t finished in the morning.
The size of the sole clearly indicated it was for a small child.
While threading her needle, she spoke with Xie Zhongming.
“Old Fourth, Xingyue has been busy from morning till night without rest. Starting tonight, you’ll take over the task of bringing Grandma the chamber pot at midnight. Don’t let Xingyue get up multiple times in the middle of the night anymore.”
Xie Zhongming answered decisively, “Alright.”
“Aunt Lan, this won’t do.” Qiao Xingyue stepped forward. “Comrade Xie has to attend to military affairs during the day and needs proper rest at night. Besides, these tasks are originally part of my duties.”
“Just listen to Aunt Lan. You’ve done too much work since coming to our family. Taking care of the elderly lady at midnight goes beyond your job responsibilities. Be good and don’t get up tonight – let Zhongming handle it. As her grandson, it’s his duty to serve the old lady.”
“Comrade Xie, please don’t get up at night. I’ll take care of it.”
“Don’t worry about this matter. Listen to my mother.”
Although Xie Zhongming spoke with absolute determination, Qiao Xingyue still got up once during the night.
Fearful of disturbing Comrade Xie next door and Aunt Lan and Uncle Xie downstairs, she tiptoed into Grandma’s room.
The wooden door painted red was gently pushed open.
A sliver of light emerged from the doorway.
The 15-watt bulb wasn’t bright, but it framed Xie Zhongming’s tall, straight figure within its glow.
“Grandma, I’ll turn off the light for you. Go back to sleep.”
“Alright.”
In the March midnight, the chill hadn’t yet retreated.
Xie Zhongming wore only an army green tank top and camouflage shorts.
The warm yellow light wrapped in a faint halo outlined the firm muscle lines on his arms.
Tall and lean, he stood in the light, tucking Grandma in before pulling the light cord.
As he pulled the cord, the tendons on his forearm became more defined and solid.
His entire figure exuded a restrained yet substantial sense of strength.
The next moment, the bulb dimmed.
Suddenly, it became pitch black.
Before Qiao Xingyue could react, a wall of muscle had already collided with her. “Hiss…”
Her slender body stumbled backward unexpectedly.
Recognizing her voice, Xie Zhongming instinctively reached out to catch her.
Only after confirming she hadn’t fallen from the impact did Xie Zhongming realize he was holding her slender waist.
Neither had time to process what happened.
Qiao Xingyue covered her forehead where he had bumped her.
Hiss… it really hurt!
Had she just collided with his teeth?
How could this male comrade’s teeth be as hard as iron?
And his solid chest had hurt her breastbone badly.
At this moment, Xie Zhongming was nearly dazed.
What had he just bumped into?
So soft, like tender tofu…
His mind went blank for half a second.
His palm had been firmly supporting Qiao Xingyue’s waist, but now he quickly released her and stepped back.
If the lights were on, Qiao Xingyue would certainly have seen his ears turning burning red at this moment.
“Comrade Qiao, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” She shook her head, enduring the pain.
Having adjusted to the pitch-dark night in the main hall, Xie Zhongming kept his gaze lowered to the ground. His voice remained as steady as ever, though the faintest trace of tension hid in its trailing notes. “My apologies, I didn’t see clearly and didn’t know you had come downstairs too.”
Qiao Xingyue also felt somewhat unsettled after that intimate collision. “It’s nothing.”
“Comrade Qiao, don’t get up again during the latter half of the night. Grandmother should be able to sleep until morning.”
The sensation from when his fingertips had brushed against her waist still lingered.
The heat in his ears hadn’t subsided either.
Even though he had released her in that split second.
Xie Zhongming’s mind was filled with the memory of that soft contact. He deliberately steadied his breathing, but his back tensed tightly. “Comrade Qiao, I’ll go upstairs to sleep first.”
“Comrade Xie, wait a moment.”
Xie Zhongming consciously regulated his breathing.
In the hazy moonlight, his eyes remained motionless, though his body was taut. “Comrade Qiao, is there something else?”
Qiao Xingyue spoke straightforwardly, “About Granny Zhou next door—thank you very much for today.”
If not for Comrade Xie, who knows how those rumors spread by Granny Zhou might have been twisted by the Compound residents.
Xie Zhongming replied with apparent calm, “I was merely speaking up for you and the children based on principles.”
“Thank you regardless.”
“No need for thanks, it was just lending a hand.”
Even after going upstairs and lying back in bed, the warmth in Xie Zhongming’s ears persisted for a long time.
In the midnight hours of March, the spring chill had yet to fully retreat.
After lying down, Xie Zhongming left the quilt tossed aside, showing no intention of pulling it over himself.
That earlier collision with Comrade Qiao burned like a raging fire within him, stirring unease.
A fine layer of sweat seeped through his back.
Sleep had fled, leaving only an inescapable warmth permeating the room.
His chest felt particularly stifled and restless.
Xie Zhongming knew exactly what was happening to him.
He was twenty-seven this year.
In perfect health overall.
At this vigorous age, it was normal to have certain physical needs.
Ordinarily, he would restrain himself.
But that sensation of softness kept intruding into his thoughts.
Utterly tormenting!
He began reciting the great leader’s quotations, starting with silent repetition in his mind, then progressing to whispering aloud.
When sleep still wouldn’t come,
He got up and started doing push-ups on the concrete floor.
On the cool ground, the man’s waist and back arched like fully drawn bows, without the slightest sag.
In the rhythmic rise and fall of standard push-ups, the muscles of his shoulders and back beneath the army-green undershirt tensed with each movement, firm and powerful.
Every descent of his shoulders carried steady strength.
After two hundred push-ups, he felt no fatigue at all.
Then he switched to one-armed push-ups.
Using only two fingers pressed against the cold concrete floor.
His other hand resting on his taut back.
Up and down.
One after another.
He completed another two hundred one-armed push-ups, rested briefly, then proceeded through several more sets.
Sweat dripped from the muscles of his arms and his prominent Adam’s apple, falling onto the concrete floor.
Only after half an hour did he finally begin to feel weary.
After resting a while, he took a shower and returned to bed, finally feeling the slightest hint of drowsiness.
He pulled the quilt over himself.
Hoping tonight he wouldn’t revisit that absurd and embarrassing dream from two nights before.
Although Xie Zhongming managed only two hours of sleep during the latter half of the night,
He still rose at 5:30 AM as usual, preparing for his morning exercise.
The wind had picked up outside.
The flowers, plants, and vegetables in the courtyard, adorned with morning dew, swayed gently in the breeze.
The clothes hanging on the bamboo pole fluttered vigorously in the wind.
Xie Zhongming finished tying his liberation shoes and was about to stand up to warm up when he caught sight of a piece of fabric hanging on the clothesline fluttering lightly onto the muddy ground.
It was a pair of white cotton underwear.
Comrade Qiao had hung it there the night before.
It landed right in front of him.
The tips of his ears flushed hot in an instant.
His hand lifted halfway but abruptly retracted, his fingers stiffening mid-air.
“If I pick it up, how inappropriate would that be…”
He stood up and dashed out of his small courtyard, the heat in his ears lingering for a long time. Even his morning run was faster than usual.
After running for half an hour, he returned to the main hall and heard sounds coming from the kitchen.
Xie Zhongming walked over. Qiao Xingyue, wearing a dark floral apron, was kneading the risen dough.
He lowered his gaze, avoiding direct sight of her slender back. His voice sounded calm, but his back was tense. “Comrade Qiao…”