Thank goodness!
The wound hadn’t split open.
However, the man’s arm was now tightly gripping her wrist, as if to stop her from taking off his pants.
But it was too late.
His arm wasn’t exceptionally thick, but it was like meticulously forged fine steel.
Every inch of muscle was taut and firm.
Seeing it was too late to stop her, Xie Zhongming quickly let go.
Qiao Xingyue smiled. “I’m just checking. Don’t be shy. In a doctor’s eyes, there’s no distinction between men and women.”
The man’s ears turned red again.
Her tone became serious. “Comrade Xie, I’m warning you. From now on, you must lie here obediently and not move. You need to recuperate for at least three to five days, or you really will lose the ability to have children.”
Xie Zhongming didn’t respond.
So what if he did?
He had already hidden from Pang Ya in the army for five years. Even when he had family leave, he never went back to Chadian Village to see her.
But he couldn’t hide for a lifetime.
It would be even better if he lost the ability to have children. Then, even if he met Pang Ya in the future, he wouldn’t have to do that thing with her that he resisted to the death.
…
Three days later, a second collapse occurred at the mine.
Before the people buried underneath could be rescued, more villagers and soldiers participating in the rescue became trapped.
Anxious to save people, Xie Zhongming heard the news and immediately rejoined the rescue efforts.
As a result, this time, his wound truly did split open again.
When Jiang Beiyang carried Xie Zhongming before Qiao Xingyue once more, she was surprised to see the blood-stained crotch of his pants.
“Why is there so much blood again? Didn’t I tell you to lie down and rest properly?”
Jiang Beiyang was also a little angry. “He’s disobedient. After the second collapse at the mine, he secretly went to help with the rescue. I didn’t find him until after he had cleared a life-saving passage. By then, it was too late.”
Qiao Xingyue frowned. This man, was his mind completely filled with disaster relief?
Did he have no regard for his own personal safety?
She had no choice but to perform the surgery a second time and began her preparations.
Watching her prepare the surgical tools, Jiang Beiyang asked, “Comrade Qiao, you’re not going to charge us again this time, are you?”
“In light of his dedication to disaster relief, there will be no charge this time.”
The man’s spirit was quite admirable.
The surgery this time was quite successful.
However, looking at the condition of Comrade Xie’s wound, Qiao Xingyue became thoughtful.
Immediately, she instructed Jiang Beiyang, “Comrade Jiang, your comrade-in-arms will need a special antibiotic this time. We don’t have it in the village. I’ll have to trouble you to make a trip to the city. Otherwise, the post-operative infection could be very serious.”
Jiang Beiyang quickly asked, “What medicine? I’ll go buy it right now.”
Qiao Xingyue said an English name. Fearing Jiang Beiyang would buy the wrong medicine, she specifically wrote down the name of the imported antibiotic on a piece of rough paper.
After hearing the name of the medicine she spoke and seeing the English name she wrote, they were stunned.
Her English was written fluently and beautifully.
Her spoken English was also so standard it surprised them both.
It was clear she knew English.
Jiang Beiyang and Xie Zhongming simultaneously raised their guard.
Their gazes met in a tacit understanding.
The organization had previously given specific instructions that foreign intelligence forces had been active recently. The possibility of them infiltrating key military personnel could not be ruled out. If any strangers deliberately approached, especially beautiful women who adopted a gentle demeanor to intentionally close the distance, they must be extra vigilant to prevent spies from stealing secrets.
After exchanging a look, Xie Zhongming and Jiang Beiyang looked back at Qiao Xingyue.
She was just a barefoot doctor in a village. How could she know English, and write it so fluently?
Xie Zhongming furrowed his brow.
However, he couldn’t jump to conclusions based on this point alone.
He couldn’t determine that there was definitely a problem with Comrade Qiao’s identity, but he had to be cautious.
It was dusk when Jiang Beiyang returned from the city with the box of purely imported antibiotics.
Qiao Xingyue lit a kerosene lamp and a flashlight to change Xie Zhongming’s dressing.
She knelt in front of him.
The braid on her chest gently brushed against his arm.
Though it was just the touch of her hair, Xie Zhongming felt as if he had been scalded by fire. His arm jerked back, and coupled with the fact that his pants were off, exposing him to Comrade Qiao, he froze completely.
A wave of heat spread across his cheeks, burning all the way down to his neck.
In his flustered state, his gaze swept over to the medicine box placed nearby.
It was all in English.
While Comrade Qiao was changing his dressing, Xie Zhongming picked up the box and asked, seemingly unintentionally, “Comrade Qiao, is this medicine imported from abroad?”
Qiao Xingyue finished applying the medicine and was re-wrapping the gauze. “Yes.”
Xie Zhongming deliberately asked again, “Comrade Qiao, what’s written on this box?”
In truth, Xie Zhongming could understand all the English on it.
He was just testing her.
After wrapping the gauze, Qiao Xingyue covered his legs with the thin quilt again, stood up, and then took the medicine box from his hand to look at it.
As Qiao Xingyue quickly scanned the English instructions on the medicine, Xie Zhongming’s hawk-like gaze was fixed on her.
This female comrade’s identity was still unclear.
He had to scrutinize her carefully.
The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered in the wind, causing the walls plastered with old newspapers to appear alternately bright and dim.
He observed Qiao Xingyue’s every move.
Qiao Xingyue only glanced at it before handing the box back to him. “It’s an antibiotic for the urinary system, skin and soft tissue infections, and sepsis. It prevents infection. It can be taken orally or applied externally. With this medicine, your wound will heal faster.”
Xie Zhongming’s hand, holding the box, suddenly tightened.
This female comrade was unusually familiar with English.
He hoped he was just overthinking it.
But when it came to identifying spies, it was better to wrongly accuse a thousand than to let one slip by.
He would continue to observe this Comrade Qiao.
A week later.
The mine rescue work in Shantang Village had concluded.
By the time they returned to base, Xie Zhongming had not discovered anything else suspicious about Qiao Xingyue. Perhaps he really had been overthinking it.
When they were leaving Shantang Village, the village chief and villagers came to see them off.
Before getting on the truck, Xie Zhongming glanced into the crowd. Jiang Beiyang asked him, “Zhongming, what are you looking for? You’re not looking for Comrade Qiao, are you?”
Xie Zhongming didn’t answer.
The village chief beside them said, “Oh, Little Qiao, An An, and Ningning went to the city yesterday. She took the two kids to the city to see a doctor.”
Jiang Beiyang acknowledged, “I was wondering why I didn’t see Comrade Qiao.”
Then, he whispered in Xie Zhongming’s ear, “This Comrade Qiao, maybe she’s not a spy after all. She hasn’t made any moves. We probably overthought it.”
…
Jin Cheng City District.
Qiao Xingyue used the sixty yuan she earned from performing surgery on Comrade Xie to buy a month’s worth of special asthma medication for Ningning.
It cost twenty-four yuan.
For four years, this had been the family’s biggest expense, and because of it, Qiao Xingyue already owed the villagers a lot of money.
Working as a barefoot doctor in Shantang Village could no longer support her monthly expense of buying medicine for Ningning. Fortunately, Aunt Tang, who worked as a nanny for a military region commander, had introduced her to a good job.
Arriving at the Jincheng Military Region compound, she announced herself to the gate guard, “Hello, Comrade. My name is Qiao Xingyue. I’m here to apply for the nanny position at the home of Xie Jiang, Division Commander Xie. Could you please open the gate?”
Seeing that Division Commander Xie’s family had registered her in advance, the guard let her pass and led them inside.
As they passed the compound’s service cooperative, they saw someone selling fried dough balls. An An and Ningning couldn’t walk any further.
“Fried dough balls! Hot fried dough balls!”
Thinking it was a rare treat for the two kids, Qiao Xingyue bought two skewers.
“Big brother, there are no peanuts in these fried dough balls, right? My child is allergic to peanuts.”
“Don’t worry, there are none.”
An An and Ningning took the fried dough balls and began to eat happily.
Before long, the guard led them to a row of two-story buildings with red bricks and red tiles.
In front of these buildings, the walls were painted with white lime powder, bearing the slogan—”Firmly Grasp Revolution, Vigorously Promote Production.”
The front of the buildings were also planted with Chinese roses.
Spring was the season for roses to bloom, and the air was filled with their fresh, floral scent.
An An and Ningning had never seen such beautiful houses or such beautiful flowers.
“Wow, Mommy, it’s so pretty here.”
“Mommy, will we live here from now on?”
Qiao Xingyue replied gently, “If I successfully get the job at Division Commander Xie’s house, and they allow Mommy to stay here long-term as a nanny, then An An and Ningning can even go to school here.”
“That’s great!”
After the guard went to announce them, a short-haired woman in her fifties came out. She wore a neat and clean Zhongshan suit and walked with a gentle yet energetic gait.
She was all smiles when she reached Qiao Xingyue.
“You must be the Little Qiao that Aunt Tang introduced?”
“Madam Division Commander, hello. I am Qiao Xingyue.”
Qiao Xingyue observed the Division Commander’s wife. Her eyes were resolute, and she appeared intellectual and gentle. She looked like an educated woman of that era, with a very capable air about her.
“Calling me Madam Division Commander is too formal. My name is Huang Guilan. Just call me Aunt Lan from now on. Come, let’s talk inside.”
Huang Guilan’s voice was both gentle and warm, just like the smile on her face, making one’s heart feel warm.
As they entered the house, Huang Guilan was already chatting with the two children, asking their names.
Seeing how chubby and cute An An and Ningning were, with eyes as beautiful as dolls, Huang Guilan took an immediate liking to them.
In her early years, Huang Guilan had hoped for a daughter, but ended up with five sons. Among them, the eldest, second, and fourth were all married.
The fourth son’s wife was in the countryside and had not moved with the army.
The wives of the eldest and second sons had given the Xie family four grandsons, all boys as well.
Huang Guilan thought that if she couldn’t have a daughter, she could at least hope for a granddaughter, but there wasn’t a single girl in the Xie family, even down to the grandchildren’s generation.
She grabbed a handful of Great White Rabbit Milk Candy for each of them. “An An, Ningning, come, have some candy.”
In this era, Great White Rabbit Milk Candy was a treat only wealthy families could afford. An An and Ningning’s eyes lit up, but they didn’t dare to accept.
Huang Guilan stuffed the candy directly into their hands. “Go on and eat. Don’t be afraid. If it’s not enough, Grandma has more inside.”
“Thank you, Grandma,” the two children said in unison. Their voices were soft and sweet, melting Huang Guilan’s heart.
Sigh!
Why wasn’t she fated to have such beautiful and lovely granddaughters?
Looking at the two exquisite little girls who looked like good-luck dolls, Huang Guilan felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.
If only she could have such cute and beautiful granddaughters, how wonderful that would be!
After sitting down, Huang Guilan got down to business. “Comrade Little Qiao, Aunt Tang has told me about your situation. Let’s have a one-month trial period first, to see how we get along. If it works out, you can stay on long-term.”
Qiao Xingyue never expected to be hired without any kind of interview.
“Aunt Lan, don’t you need to see how I work?”
“Anyone Aunt Tang recommends is bound to be reliable. Besides, where else could I find a live-in nanny like you who knows medicine? My mother-in-law has been in poor health for years. Aunt Tang said you know traditional Chinese medicine and even Acupuncture. Maybe you can help nurse her back to health.”
Huang Guilan added, “By the way, as agreed with Aunt Tang, your salary will be thirty yuan a month. Seeing as you know medicine, I’ll add another five yuan. You’ll live here and eat here, so just work with peace of mind.”
She had noticed the patches on the clothes of Qiao Xingyue and her two children.
But the mother and daughters were clean and bright, and the children were so well-behaved.
She had specifically added five yuan to her salary.
Qiao Xingyue nodded crisply. “Aunt Lan, I will definitely work hard.”
She would certainly cherish this job. Thirty-five yuan a month was three months’ income for her as a village doctor. After buying Ningning’s medicine, she would still have some money left over for the two kids’ schooling.
“I’ll take you on a tour of the house.”
Huang Guilan led Qiao Xingyue around, showing her the layout of the two-story building.
“This room was originally a study. We’ve cleared it out for you and the kids to live in.”
“Aunt Lan, the Division Commander definitely needs a separate space for work and reading. Please don’t clear out the study. The kids and I can sleep on the floor in the main hall. We can just put away the bedding during the day.”
“That won’t do. People are always coming and going in the main hall. You and the kids won’t rest well. The study is cleared out for you to live in. It’s settled.”
This was the first time Qiao Xingyue had met such a good employer.
Her heart felt warm.
As they were talking, Aunt Lan led her to the door of a room.
The door was tightly shut.
Aunt Lan didn’t push it open. “This is my fourth son’s room. He’s quite territorial and doesn’t like people going into his room, so you don’t need to go in to clean. Also, he doesn’t allow anyone to touch his clothes, so you don’t need to wash them either.”
Aunt Lan added, “By the way, of my five sons, only the fourth and fifth live at home. The fourth is named Xie Zhongming, and the fifth is Xie Mingzhe. They are both regiment-level cadres.”
What?
Xie Zhongming?
How could he have the same name as the Regiment Leader Xie she had saved in Shantang Village?
That Comrade Jiang, who was Regiment Leader Xie’s comrade-in-arms, didn’t he call him Zhongming?
“My fifth son isn’t home these few days. My fourth son went on a mission and should be back tonight.”
How could it be such a coincidence that his name was also Xie Zhongming? Qiao Xingyue thought that perhaps it was just a common name.
After settling in, she made her first dinner at the Xie residence: a bowl of braised pork, a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, hot and sour shredded potatoes, stir-fried sweet potato leaves with garlic, and a tofu and cabbage soup.
Just as the dishes were being placed on the table, a person walked in from outside the main hall.
“Mom, I’m back!”
The person who walked into the main hall was Xie Zhongming, who had just rushed home after finishing his mission in Shantang Village. Although he looked travel-worn, his posture was still tall and imposing.
Xie Zhongming took a military canvas bag off his back, which contained his belongings, as well as a mesh bag holding an enamel mug, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.
He was about to set it down when his gaze inadvertently swept over and saw Qiao Xingyue coming out of the kitchen with a dish, followed by the two little girls carrying bowls and chopsticks.
When Qiao Xingyue met Xie Zhongming’s scrutinizing gaze, her steps came to an abrupt halt.