Qiao Xingyue finally understood clearly.
So Comrade Xie’s wife was really from Chadian Village!
What a coincidence!
Seeing her remain silent, Aunt Mei maintained her loud voice and asked again:
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, didn’t you know Zhongming’s wife is from Chadian Village?”
Holding a net bag of vegetables and eggs in her hand, along with two and a half jin of pork belly tied with hemp rope, Qiao Xingyue smiled faintly:
“Aunt Mei, I’ve only just started working at Division Commander Xie’s home, so it’s not appropriate for me to inquire about such matters.”
“I just found the name Chadian Village somewhat familiar when I heard it, so I casually asked about it. I didn’t mean anything else by it.”
A couple of days ago, she had asked why Comrade Xie’s wife didn’t follow him to the army.
That was also just a casual question, without any particular meaning.
Unexpectedly, it had aroused Comrade Xie’s suspicion.
She had no idea what that man was suspecting her of.
Even now, she still worried about losing her job. This job was too important for her, An An, and Ningning. Only by keeping this job and earning money could she afford Ningning’s medical treatment.
It seemed she needed to be more careful and cautious about what she said from now on.
Therefore, she decided not to continue inquiring further. She smiled and said to Zhang Hongmei, “Aunt Mei, I’m going to get some soy sauce.”
“Perfect, I need to get soy sauce too. Let’s go together since we’re heading the same way.”
Zhang Hongmei walked alongside Qiao Xingyue and casually asked, “Comrade Xiao Qiao, you know about Chadian Village too?”
Walking as she answered, Qiao Xingyue said, “I stayed there for a short while before.”
But she didn’t like Chadian Village.
That place had barren mountains and vicious waters, producing nothing but troublesome people.
When she was still using Pang Ya’s identity, she had briefly stayed in Chadian Village for two months.
Because she was over two hundred jin at that time, the entire village mocked, ridiculed, and sneered at her in every way possible. Even Pang Ya’s biological mother Zeng Xiuzhu and older brother Liu Dazhu treated her poorly. The things they said to her were extremely harsh. Many children in the village would throw stones at her while shouting “ugly freak,” “fat woman,” saying she was fatter and uglier than a pregnant sow…
Fortunately, she had now shed Pang Ya’s identity and would never return to Chadian Village again, nor would she acknowledge the original host’s biological mother and brother.
She didn’t want to talk too much about matters related to Chadian Village.
Seeing her fall silent, Zhang Hongmei walking beside her continued chatting nonstop.
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, don’t you think it’s strange? Zhongming and his wife have been married for many years, but we’ve never once seen his wife come to the army.”
“But I heard from the Xie Family Old Lady that Xie Zhongming’s wife is as beautiful as a fairy and exceptionally capable.”
The Xie Family Old Lady was Chen Suying, who was partially paralyzed.
Back when Xie Zhongming married Pang Ya, Xie Jiang and Huang Guilan didn’t want the old lady to worry about their fourth son’s affairs, so they didn’t tell her how Pang Ya’s family had schemed against their fourth son. Instead, they falsely claimed that their fourth son had married a wife who was as beautiful as a fairy and exceptionally capable.
At that time, the old lady wasn’t paralyzed yet and often visited neighbors, chatting about daily life. Her proudest topic was how beautiful and capable her fourth grandson’s wife was. Through such repeated conversations, everyone in the Compound came to know that Xie Zhongming had married a beautiful and capable wife.
Except for Zhang Hongmei’s son Jiang Beiyang.
Because Jiang Beiyang and Xie Zhongming had gone to Chadian Village together on a mission back then.
Jiang Beiyang had always forbidden Zhang Hongmei from prying too much into the matter of Xie Zhongming’s wife.
The more she was forbidden, the more Zhang Hongmei’s heart itched with unbearable curiosity.
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the Military Service Center.
Zhang Hongmei handed over the soy sauce bottle, asked for half a kilogram of soy sauce, then lowered her voice and whispered to Qiao Xingyue:
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, don’t you think it’s strange? Since Zhongming married such a beautiful and capable wife, why hasn’t he ever allowed her to join him in the army?”
This question struck Qiao Xingyue as somewhat peculiar too.
But she had no intention of prying further. “Aunt Mei, I’m not really sure either.”
One after the other, they took the filled soy sauce bottle and walked out of the Military Service Center together.
Zhang Hongmei continued her probing:
“Comrade Xiao Qiao, do you really not know anything about Zhongming’s wife?”
“If you know something, you can tell Aunt Mei. I promise I won’t spread it around.”
As she spoke, Zhang Hongmei stopped and made a vow-to-heaven gesture.
Then she asked curiously:
“Is it that Zhongming and his wife don’t get along well?”
Qiao Xingyue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.
The people in this Compound really loved to gossip.
But she wanted no part in it.
She replied bluntly, “Aunt Mei, I really don’t know.”
Then, transferring the soy sauce bottle to her left hand that already carried the pork belly, she added: “Aunt Mei, at the Xie household I just want to work hard and do everything well. I never ask about things that don’t concern me. So if you want to know about these matters in the future, you should ask Aunt Lan directly.”
“I need to hurry back to take care of Grandma. Aunt Mei, I’ll be going now.”
She was efficient in her work and equally brisk in her walking.
Her tall, slender figure soon disappeared into the morning mist.
Carrying the pork belly tied with hemp twine, along with the potatoes, cabbage, eggs in her net bag, and the bottle of soy sauce, Qiao Xingyue moved through the Compound’s lanes.
March was the season when spring returned to the earth.
The Compound was filled with rose bushes budding with flowers, while the nearby paulownia trees bloomed with purple blossoms.
The air was filled with the fresh fragrance of flowers.
Compared to the pervasive smells of chicken droppings and cow dung in her Shantang Village, this was much more pleasant.
The red brick walls were painted white with slogan after slogan:
—The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history.
—We hail from all corners of the country and have gathered together for a common revolutionary goal.
Each slogan was inspiring, and the conditions here were far better than in the countryside.
An An and Ningning particularly loved living here.
She was determined to stay in the Family Compound, to work hard at the Xie household, and strive to become their long-term housekeeper. Walking as if borne by the wind, she soon arrived at the Xie family’s two-story house.
The yard in front was planted with some flowers and vegetables.
Qiao Xingyue casually picked a few plump garlic sprouts, planning to make twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts today.
In the main room.
Hearing the news Xie Zhongming brought back, Huang Guilan looked worried. “Old Four, has Pang Ya really gone missing?”
Xie Zhongming’s expression remained unchanged, but worry clouded his eyes. “Yes.”
Huang Guilan set aside the half-mended army green shirt on her lap and let out a long sigh. “Then what are we to do? If she’s really missing, how can you divorce Pang Ya?”
Xie Zhongming had never been fully resolved about the divorce matter.
Previously, misunderstanding that Pang Ya was the one stealing chickens and causing trouble in Chadian Village, he had considered filing for divorce whenever Jiang Beiyang and his parents urged him to end the marriage.
But since none of those incidents were actually committed by Pang Ya—all the accusations had been falsely pinned on her by Pang Ya’s mother and eldest brother—he no longer had any reason to initiate divorce proceedings.
“Mom, finding Pang Ya is the priority right now.”
The trail of Pang Ya’s disappearance had gone cold in Chadian Village.
However, he had already filed a police report and would be notified at the military unit once the authorities had any leads.
“Lao Si, if we can find Pang Ya, you should still divorce her. I’d rather you compensate her more money than have your marriage be so troubled. With her mother and brother engaging in all these deceitful schemes, Pang Ya can’t be much better.”
“Mom, this matter…” Xie Zhongming’s words were cut short by footsteps approaching from the main hall.
Looking up, he saw Qiao Xingyue returning from grocery shopping.
Qiao Xingyue had only faintly overheard the mother and son talking in the main hall.
She couldn’t make out what they were discussing clearly.
Noticing Comrade Xie suddenly stop speaking, she surmised he and Aunt Lan were discussing something she wasn’t meant to know. Tactfully, she greeted them both, set the meat and vegetables in the kitchen, then fetched a basin of hot water with an enamel bowl and went to the elderly lady’s room.
She didn’t inquire at all about what they had been talking about.
Huang Guilan watched as Qiao Xingyue entered the grandmother’s room and promptly closed the door.
She remarked with great satisfaction:
“This Comrade Xiao Qiao is not only efficient in her work but also very perceptive.”
Having been with the Xie family for just a few days, she already wished to keep Qiao Xingyue there long-term.
Xie Zhongming lowered his voice, “Mom, Grandma mustn’t be upset. Don’t let her know about Pang Ya’s situation.”
Huang Guilan picked up her needlework again, “Don’t worry, I know.”
Xie Zhongming walked to the grandmother’s door.
His well-defined knuckles tapped gently on the red-painted door panel.
The one who answered was An An, her face beaming with a smile.
She tilted her little head up, gazing at Xie Zhongming’s tall and imposing figure, her voice as cheerful as wind chimes:
“Uncle Zhongming!”
“Hmm.”
Xie Zhongming saw Qiao Xingyue wring out a hot towel and wash the grandmother’s face.
He pulled two toys from his army-green trouser pocket and handed them to An An and Ning Ning.
They were two green wind-up frogs with red eyes.
An An and Ning Ning had seen such toys before at the supply and marketing cooperative in Shantang Village.
But each wind-up frog cost twenty cents—their mother couldn’t afford to buy them, nor did she have the money, and the children, being sensible, never clamored for them, though they had longed for the toys for a long time.
“Uncle brought these back for you from Kun City. Here!”
The two children accepted them with shining eyes, exclaiming in unison, “Wow! Wind-up frogs! Thank you, Uncle Zhongming!”
With the toys in hand, the two kids crouched on the floor to play.
On the bed, the elderly Chen Suying looked at the travel-worn Xie Zhongming and asked, her speech slightly halting:
“Lao Si, why, why haven’t you, you brought your, your wife to the, the Compound?”
Xie Zhongming had never let the old lady know the truth about his marriage to Pang Ya.
She still believed his wife was a civilian cadre in the Kuncheng Military Region—tall, slim, beautiful, and exceptionally capable.
The old lady had no idea about Pang Ya whatsoever; she hadn’t even heard her name.
Knowing that her grandson had married a capable and beautiful wife, the elderly lady had long been hoping for the young couple to live together so they could soon give her a great-grandchild.
Preferably one as well-behaved and adorable as a little girl like An An or Ningning.
Because ever since Xie Jiang’s generation, the Xie family had only produced boys, without a single girl.
This time, when her fourth grandson said he was visiting relatives in Chadian Village but didn’t bring his granddaughter-in-law back, the old lady felt somewhat disappointed again.
Xie Zhongming realized that one lie required countless more lies to cover it up.
But in front of his grandmother, he had no choice but to continue deceiving her.
So he said, “Grandma, your granddaughter-in-law holds an important position in the Kuncheng Military Region too. It’s difficult for her to get away, otherwise I would have brought her back long ago to show her filial respect to you.”
Qiao Xingyue quietly continued giving the grandmother a massage.
She wasn’t deliberately listening to their conversation, yet she could hear everything clearly.
Only now did she understand the real reason why Regiment Leader Xie and his wife had been living apart for so long.
So Comrade Xie’s wife was also a soldier holding an important position.
However, she didn’t ask further questions, maintaining her silence while carefully and quietly kneading the grandmother’s stiff and numb left arm.
Xie Zhongming glanced at her briefly.
She held the grandmother’s arm, her palms working on the stiff shoulder and neck area, kneading inch by inch.
“Grandma, is the pressure appropriate?”
Her voice carried a crisp efficiency, without any hesitation, yet contained a gentle thoughtfulness toward others.
With each kneading motion, the stray hairs at her forehead fluttered lightly.
Those soft strands brushed across her delicate face, then swept over her slender, fair neck.
Her focused working demeanor was strikingly noticeable.
Yet since he had entered, she hadn’t glanced at him again, nor had she asked him anything.
Xie Zhongming deliberately observed her for a while longer.
His gaze was hawk-like—was this female comrade no longer interested in his affairs today?
Qiao Xingyue knew her boundaries well. The other day, her extra questioning had aroused Comrade Xie’s suspicion.
Today, she kept her head down and worked diligently, not uttering a single unnecessary word, not even making eye contact with Comrade Xie.
However, while working diligently, she constantly felt Comrade Xie’s gaze fixed on her.
Though she couldn’t see what kind of look it was, she felt the weight of his stare like a heavy stone.
It made her heart tighten suddenly, yet she never forgot the proper pressure in her massage for the old lady.
When she reached a certain acupoint on the grandmother’s body, her pressure gradually increased from light to heavy. “Grandma, this might hurt because there’s a blockage here. But the pain is a good sign. With more sessions and combined with acupuncture, it will gradually clear up. Grandma, please bear with it for a moment.”
Xie Zhongming remained standing where he was.
The scrutinizing intensity in his eyes slowly relaxed. “Comrade Qiao, it seems you’re quite proficient in traditional Chinese medicine.”
Qiao Xingyue maintained her massage movements. “I only know a little, I wouldn’t call it proficiency.”
“Oh!” Xie Zhongming’s eyelids didn’t flicker as he asked casually, “I wonder where Comrade Qiao studied?”
This question made Qiao Xingyue pause slightly in her movements.
This subtle reaction didn’t escape Xie Zhongming’s notice, yet she appeared completely composed and straightforward.
“I never formally studied under a teacher, but my entire family practices medicine.”
“In the 1950s, my parents took me to the countryside when I was just born, and we never had the opportunity to return to the city.”
“So I grew up in the countryside, but I learned a lot of medical knowledge from my parents. However, both my parents have passed away.”
Qiao Xingyue had two suspicions: either Comrade Xie suspected she was trying to seduce him, or he suspected she was a spy. In either case, she would lose her job.
She hoped this explanation would dispel his doubts and prevent her from losing this hard-won job.
If she told Comrade Xie about her previous identity as Pang Ya, who never received formal education, not only Comrade Xie but anyone would doubt her.
What rural woman without education could be proficient in both medicine and English?
“Regarding nursing Grandma back to health, I’ll trouble you with that, Comrade Qiao.”
“I’ll do my best.” She didn’t make any absolute promises, not wanting to appear too boastful.
After speaking, Xie Zhongming bid farewell to his grandmother and left for the military base.
After he departed, Grandma had a long conversation with Qiao Xingyue, explaining that her grandson was cautious by nature and his earlier questioning meant no harm, urging Qiao Xingyue not to overthink it.
She added, “Xingyue, my granddaughter-in-law is just like you—tall, slim, beautiful, and exceptionally capable. The only regret is that they’ve been married for five years without having a child.”
Speaking of her granddaughter-in-law, the old lady’s face lit up with pride, and her speech suddenly became much more fluent.
It seemed the old lady often praised her granddaughter-in-law to others.
Qiao Xingyue thought to herself that Comrade Xie, being so young and already a regiment commander, handsome and dignified, must have married someone beautiful and capable—certainly no ordinary woman.
Just as she was about to agree with the old lady, Huang Guilan outside suddenly screamed, “Ningning, what’s wrong with you? Ningning, Ningning?”
“What happened?” Qiao Xingyue rushed out from the old lady’s room.
The scene in the main hall instantly alarmed Qiao Xingyue.