Winter, 1975.
Shen Qingqing had traveled alone for three days on a green-skinned train to reach the far northwest.
Carrying the wind and snow with her, she was escorted to a guesthouse.
“Captain Jiang hasn’t applied for housing in the family compound yet, Comrade Shen. Please stay here for now. Once Captain Jiang finishes his mission, I’ll have him come see you.”
Shen Qingqing knew full well that Jiang Zhixun had never intended for her to accompany him to the military base.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to the northwest without a word, let alone gone three years without returning home.
The northwest and the capital were over two thousand kilometers apart.
If she hadn’t come, many people might not even know that Jiang Zhixun was married.
Her hands, clutching the leather suitcase, had gone numb from the cold, and along with them, the heart that had once burned with passion had also calmed.
Shen Qingqing smiled and thanked the other person.
Then she said, “When Jiang Zhixun returns, please let me know, comrade.”
If he knew it was her, Jiang Zhixun might not show his face.
She didn’t have that much time to waste on Jiang Zhixun.
Three years had been more than enough.
The guard didn’t know about the situation between Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun, assuming she simply wanted to see her beloved sooner.
His weathered face broke into a grin, revealing a row of white teeth, looking quite honest and simple.
“Don’t worry, Comrade Shen. As soon as Captain Jiang returns, I’ll call the front desk right away. I guarantee you’ll be the first to know.”
Shen Qingqing could tell from his expression that he had misunderstood.
But she didn’t explain.
She simply smiled and said, “Thank you.”
She was beautiful, with an air of cool elegance, but when she smiled, a small, shallow dimple appeared on her cheek.
The coolness melted away.
Replaced by a gentle, refined temperament.
The guard thought to himself, Captain Jiang’s wife is truly stunning.
But why had Captain Jiang kept her hidden away?
If the young woman hadn’t come to the military district, they never would have known that Captain Jiang was already married.
Curbing his stray thoughts, he saluted Shen Qingqing and turned to leave.
Shen Qingqing carried her suitcase into the room. The moment the door closed, the heavy suitcase slipped from her hands.
A dull thud echoed through the room.
The train had been crowded with all sorts of people, and Shen Qingqing had boarded alone in the capital.
Halfway through the journey, she’d encountered a hooligan.
Taking advantage of the dead of night, when everyone in the carriage was asleep, he had followed her into the restroom.
Although the conductor had arrived in time, she’d injured her shoulder during the scuffle.
After walking through the freezing cold just now, the strained muscle ached even more.
Shen Qingqing didn’t even have the strength to lift her suitcase.
She simply crouched down on the spot and pulled out a change of clothes, shoes, and socks from the case.
The room had no private bathroom and no hot water.
Just as she was about to go downstairs to fetch a pot of hot water, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
“Comrade Shen, are you in there? I’m Xiao Li from the front desk.”
Shen Qingqing answered, “I’m here.”
Wondering what the other woman wanted, she quickly got up and walked toward the door.
As the door opened, a round, smiling face came into view. “I’ve brought you some hot water.”
The young woman gestured with the thermos she was carrying.
Shen Qingqing smiled. “I was just about to go downstairs to get some hot water, and you’ve brought it to me. I’ll shamelessly accept it this time, but next time I’ll get it myself.”
“It was nothing, Comrade Shen. No need to be polite with me.”
Xiao Li looked at Shen Qingqing with curious eyes.
Jiang Zhixun was a legendary figure in the military district, incredibly skilled at flying fighter jets.
He was also tall, handsome, and the object of admiration for many young women.
She never expected him to be married.
There hadn’t been even a whisper of it before.
This Comrade Shen had delicate features, fair skin, and a small face, no bigger than the palm of a hand.
Her eyes were stunning, with slightly upturned outer corners, accented by a tiny teardrop mole.
Her long black hair, straight and sleek, was held back by a headband, cascading softly down her back.
No matter how you looked at her, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
No wonder Captain Jiang never got close to any female comrades and never accepted their confessions.
He already had such a beautiful wife at home.
Shen Qingqing knew the other woman was looking at her, and she let herself be looked at openly.
Her expression remained the same as before.
Her lips curved into a perfectly measured smile.
She seemed easy to get along with, yet gave off the illusion of being hard to approach.
The young woman snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing slightly.
She told Shen Qingqing where the cafeteria was, and that when mealtime came, she could bring her mess kit to get food.
Finally, she said, “Comrade Shen, if you need any help, just come downstairs and find me. We’ll take good care of you until Captain Jiang returns.”
Shen Qingqing nodded. “I appreciate your help.”
“It’s nothing.”
Shen Qingqing didn’t go to the cafeteria to eat. She soaked her feet, changed into clean clothes, and went to bed.
She hadn’t slept in three days, and she was truly exhausted.
She fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.
“Comrade Shen, looking at your examination results, your condition appears to be amnesia caused by psychological abnormalities.”
Shen Qingqing sat in the doctor’s office.
There was no family, no friends, and no husband by her side.
She only felt a chill running through her entire body.
Whatever the doctor said afterward, she didn’t really take it in.
Her mind was consumed with one thought: she was sick. What was she going to do now?
It wasn’t until the doctor in the white coat spoke again that Shen Qingqing was pulled back to the present.
“Where is your family? I have some instructions I need to give them.”
Shen Qingqing’s throat felt as if it were stuffed with a wad of cotton, choking her with discomfort.
Her voice was hoarse and strained. “No family members.”
Shen Qingqing’s parents were both university professors, but they had both passed away in a car accident when she was just fifteen.
Father Jiang and Professor Shen had been close friends. After the tragedy, Shen Qingqing was taken in by the Jiang family.
In the first year Jiang Zhixun went to the northwest, the Jiang elders felt deeply guilty toward Shen Qingqing.
In the second year, Mother Jiang asked Shen Qingqing to quit her job and go to the northwest to cultivate a relationship with Jiang Zhixun.
In the third year, Mother Jiang compromised, asking Shen Qingqing to take an extended leave and visit the northwest—she could return to the capital once she was pregnant.
Shen Qingqing refused all of it.
From then on, Mother Jiang’s attitude toward her grew increasingly cold. Even under the same roof, they could go days without exchanging a single word.
Shen Qingqing had a translation job at a publishing house with flexible hours—she only needed to submit her manuscripts on time.
Because of the awkward relationship with her mother-in-law, she simply used work as an excuse to rent a place and live alone outside the family compound.
She only occasionally returned to the compound to keep Grandpa Jiang company over tea and chess, staying for a couple of days at a time.
What made her realize something was wrong with her body was that she had forgotten two important things in a row.
First, on Jiang Zhixun’s birthday, she hadn’t called the northwest.
Second, she had missed a meeting scheduled with her chief editor.
Since she had started working, she had never once made a mistake.
Compared to forgetting to send Jiang Zhixun birthday wishes, the latter was clearly more serious.
Shen Qingqing thought that resting for a while might improve things, but in reality, her memory was only getting worse.
Many things, if she didn’t make a deliberate effort to remember them, would slip her mind the moment she turned around.
All of this was too abnormal, so she came to the hospital.
She never expected it to be this result.
“Doctor, can it be treated?”
The doctor looked at the examination results. “Your condition isn’t severe right now. Conservative treatment is possible, but if it worsens, psychological intervention will be necessary.”
What the outcome would be if her condition worsened, Shen Qingqing didn’t know.
She sat in the hospital corridor for half an hour.
She made only one decision.
She was going to divorce Jiang Zhixun!