After sleeping through the morning, Shen Qingqing had regained her energy.
Staying cooped up in the guesthouse all day would be suffocating.
But she had no one to talk to, and wandering around the compound would easily draw unwanted attention.
Shen Qingqing decided to go out for a while—to see the local customs of the Northwest and pick up some daily necessities along the way.
She hadn’t expected to stay this long when she came, so there were many things she hadn’t prepared.
Though she could make do, tissues were absolutely essential.
She needed them for everyday use.
And when her period came, the consumption would be even greater, so she had to prepare in advance.
Shen Qingqing had taken the train from the capital to the Northwest herself, transferring twice along the way, so she knew the route to the county town.
She planned to grab lunch at the cafeteria first, then set off.
If she couldn’t make it back by afternoon, she’d stay a night at an inn in town.
Just as she came downstairs, a female comrade called out to her.
The woman had short hair cut to her ears, just like the one she’d seen yesterday.
“Are you Comrade Shen Qingqing?”
Shen Qingqing nodded. “Hello.”
Zhou Xiaomei knew everyone in the compound, but this female comrade was unfamiliar—and stunningly beautiful, the kind that made people stop in their tracks.
Her clothing was stylish too, and her hair was jet-black and silky, clearly well cared for.
She was fair and clean all over, with a faint, pleasant fragrance about her—Zhou Xiaomei couldn’t tell what brand of face cream it was, but it smelled lovely.
Carrying a small bag in her hand, she descended the stairs unhurriedly, every movement graceful.
The moment Zhou Xiaomei saw her, she guessed who she was.
And when she asked, sure enough, it was Shen Qingqing.
She thought to herself: Jiang Zhixun is truly blessed to have such a beautiful wife!
Zhou Xiaomei smiled and explained her purpose.
“My name is Zhou Xiaomei, wife of Lin Zhidong. Tomorrow is our child’s birthday, and I’d like to invite you and Captain Jiang over for a meal.”
Afraid Shen Qingqing didn’t know who Lin Zhidong was, Zhou Xiaomei added, “Lin Zhidong is Captain Jiang’s comrade-in-arms. You saw him at the cafeteria yesterday.”
She pursed her lips apologetically. “Lin Fengmian is my husband’s younger sister.”
With that explanation, Shen Qingqing had the relationships sorted out.
She had a good sense of Jiang Zhixun’s attitude—he definitely wouldn’t want her visiting the Lin family or having dealings with his comrades.
So she tactfully declined. “I need to go into town today, and I’m not sure if I can make it back by tomorrow.”
Zhou Xiaomei said, “Captain Jiang is on leave—have him accompany you. You’ll definitely make it back in time.”
Shen Qingqing knew nothing about Jiang Zhixun’s affairs, including his leave.
Since she’d promised Mother Jiang not to hold Jiang Zhixun back or affect his transfer back to the capital, she couldn’t easily reveal the true state of her marriage with him.
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Qingqing said, “Then I’ll try my best to make it back. If I don’t arrive on time, don’t wait for me.”
She didn’t mention Jiang Zhixun at all, which made Zhou Xiaomei’s curiosity itch like a cat scratching.
She was genuinely curious about what had happened between Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun.
Why hadn’t Jiang Zhixun gone home in three years?
And why did he never mention Shen Qingqing?
Now that Shen Qingqing had come all the way to the Northwest to find him, the couple seemed anything but familiar with each other.
Tell me—what married man would let his delicate wife stay alone in a guesthouse?
Her own husband, Lin Zhidong, was burning hot every night after returning from a mission.
He’d go all night without sleep, just for that one thing.
Jiang Zhixun and Shen Qingqing had been apart for a full three years—any normal man would’ve been unable to hold back long ago.
This was too strange!
Zhou Xiaomei didn’t dwell on it further. Now that Shen Qingqing was in the compound, there’d be plenty of opportunities to figure out what was going on between her and Jiang Zhixun.
“It’s about mealtime now, Comrade Shen. Go eat at the cafeteria first, then head to town. The journey will take time—you can’t go without eating.”
Shen Qingqing smiled. “That’s exactly what I was planning.”
Zhou Xiaomei went home to eat rather than to the cafeteria.
After settling on the time for the next day’s meal with Shen Qingqing, she headed home.
Having been to the cafeteria before, Shen Qingqing knew her way around and got her meal without trouble.
As she ate, she recalled what dishes had been served the previous day and where each had been placed.
She could remember every detail clearly. For the old Shen Qingqing, this would have been the most ordinary thing.
But now that she was ill, being able to recall these small details clearly was enough to make her happy for a long while.
This time, nothing unexpected happened, and Shen Qingqing filled her stomach without issue.
She washed her lunchbox, and instead of leaving it at the guesthouse, she packed it into the bag she carried.
She might need it once she got to town.
…
If Lin Zhidong hadn’t come to the dormitory and mentioned it, Jiang Zhixun wouldn’t have known that Shen Qingqing had left the compound.
“By this time, Comrade Shen has already taken the bus. Why didn’t you go with her?”
Jiang Zhixun’s expression was tight as he said dryly, “Her legs are her own. Where she goes is her freedom.”
Lin Zhidong snorted, putting on a knowing look.
“Don’t tell me Comrade Shen didn’t even tell you she was going into town?”
Indeed, she hadn’t told him.
Jiang Zhixun’s expression turned even colder.
Lin Zhidong mockingly rubbed his arms. “You walk around with that cold face all day—if I were Comrade Shen, I wouldn’t bother with you either.”
Jiang Zhixun pushed his cheek with his tongue. “I couldn’t ask for more.”
Lin Zhidong couldn’t contain his curiosity. “You and Comrade Shen don’t have some kind of grudge, do you? Otherwise, who would treat their own wife like that?”
After receiving a cold glare, Lin Zhidong knew he had overthought things again.
He rubbed the top of his head. “You young people’s affairs are truly hard to figure out.”
The two of them were the same age, so when those words reached Jiang Zhixun’s ears, it sounded like Lin Zhidong was taking a jab at him.
“Comrade Shen agreed to come to my place for dinner tomorrow. You two should come together. If there’s any conflict, it’s better to sit down and talk it out. Avoiding her will only make things more complicated.”
Lin Zhidong felt that since they were married, both husband and wife should be open with each other.
Say what needs to be said.
Hiding things isn’t good—it easily leads to misunderstandings.
Jiang Zhixun said expressionlessly, “I’m not avoiding her.”
Lin Zhidong chuckled. “Then why aren’t you keeping your wife company, holed up in the dorm instead?”
“She doesn’t need me to keep her company.”
That was Jiang Zhixun’s honest opinion, after all, that’s how the past three years had gone.
Shen Qingqing was very independent—she’d even dared to move out and live on her own.
Seeing Jiang Zhixun so clueless, Lin Zhidong felt anxious on his behalf.
“A wife needs to be coaxed. If you keep making a fuss and giving her the cold shoulder, be careful—Comrade Shen might stop putting up with you and want a divorce.”
After saying that, he felt he’d jinxed things, so Lin Zhidong quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, bring Comrade Shen to my place tomorrow. Don’t leave her behind. She has no family or friends here, not even anyone to talk to. It’s not easy for her.”
Once he’d said his piece, Lin Zhidong left.
Since he was hosting a meal, there couldn’t be a shortage of meat and vegetables—he needed to prepare in advance.
Jiang Zhixun didn’t want to deal with Shen Qingqing.
But she was a female comrade in an unfamiliar place, and it would be easy for something to happen to her.
Besides, she was still sick—even if the fever had broken, the strain in her shoulder hadn’t healed.
Instead of staying put at the guesthouse, she was causing trouble!
With a stony face, Jiang Zhixun put on his military overcoat and left the dormitory.