That evening, the Liu family arrived at the hospital ward.
“Third daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, could you show some leniency? We’ve lived in the same Production Team for so many years. Demanding two hundred yuan right off the bat is truly excessive.”
“Excessive? Didn’t I tell the police officers that compensation isn’t mandatory? How you choose to handle this is your family’s decision—I’m not forcing you!”
“Third daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, please have mercy. As long as you’re willing to forgive Jiaxiang, we as his parents won’t object even if you want him to serve you like a beast of burden. My son is a high school student about to take college entrance exams. If you send him to jail, his entire future will be ruined!”
Seeing her remain unmoved and adamant about making their family choose between the two options, Mrs. Liu fell to her knees beside the hospital bed, weeping bitterly.
“Comrade, since they’re begging you like this, why not forgive them?”
“That’s right, one should be merciful where possible. You’re from the same Production Team—leave some room for reconciliation. Who knows, you might need their help someday.”
Patients and family members from the same ward, drawn by the commotion, gathered around to listen to the gossip if they could leave their beds.
Wen Nianxin ignored the bystanders’ pleas. Those who haven’t experienced such things themselves will never understand true pain.
“Auntie Liu, you’re mistaken. It’s him who’s sending himself to jail, not me. I didn’t force him to steal grain from the Production Team’s warehouse, nor did I make him push me so hard that I ended up like this. Those were his own choices. Those who make mistakes must face punishment—that’s only right. So begging me is useless.”
“But if you just waive the two hundred yuan compensation, wouldn’t that resolve everything?”
“Resolve my foot! The only reason we’re not demanding two thousand is because we’re from the same Production Team! My daughter-in-law can’t even recognize people now—she can’t even remember her own family members’ names! And you still want to negotiate about money? Dream on! If you don’t want to pay, then don’t! We don’t need the money—your thieving son should rot in jail!”
Zhou Mu cut in first, berating the Liu family furiously.
“Wha…what? She doesn’t remember people?”
“Seems true. The doctor came this afternoon and said she might never recover her memory.”
A family member from the adjacent bed spoke up to corroborate.
“How could it be this serious…”
The Liu family hadn’t expected the injury to be so severe, and immediately found themselves unable to continue pleading.
“Third daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, we truly can’t come up with two hundred yuan right now. Could you give us some time?”
“Uncle Liu, I understand you can’t produce the amount immediately. I’m not demanding immediate payment, but you must write an IOU specifying the monthly repayment amount. Once that’s done, I’ll naturally withdraw the police report.”
“Alright, we’ll do as you say.”
Liu Dazhu felt like he had aged nearly ten years since watching the spectacle that morning, his back slightly bent under the weight. His once prideful son had committed petty theft and injured someone because of it, burdening their already struggling family with a two-hundred-yuan debt. Ah…
After writing the IOU and leaving the ward, Liu Dazhu’s legs gave way, collapsing in the corridor.
“Husband, what’s wrong!”
Hearing the noise, Zhou Mu wanted to go check but was stopped by Wen Nianxin tugging her sleeve.
“Mom, there are doctors and nurses outside. Even if you go out, it won’t help. They probably don’t want to see anyone from our family right now.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll need you to go to the police station for me.”
“Why aren’t you making Liu Jiaxiang go to jail?”
“If it were just me, I wouldn’t care.”
“But there are others from the Zhou family living in the compound. As that outsider said earlier, we see each other all the time. If we go too far, our family could easily become the subject of gossip in the compound.”
Zhou Mu nodded in agreement.
Although the fall had caused memory loss, it had somehow made their usually unreasonable and reckless third daughter-in-law become sensible. Why did she even feel somewhat happy about it?
Early the next morning, Zhou Mu took her second granddaughter to the police station to withdraw the case.
Afterward, they went to the post office, and with Zhou Zitong’s help, she dialed the phone number Zhou Zhan had left.
“Hello, may I ask who you’re looking for?”
A polite voice came from the other end of the line—the military operator.
“Hello, I’m looking for Zhou Zhan. I’m his mother.”
“Hello, Auntie. Regiment Commander Zhou isn’t at the base right now. He’s out on a mission.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“Sorry, I’m not sure.”
“When he returns, could you please tell him that his father is seriously ill and he needs to come back as soon as possible?”
On the way to the post office, Zhou Mu had been thinking about how to trick her third son into coming back.
If she directly said Wen Nianxin had been injured, he might just send some money and leave it at that.
Zhou Mu didn’t want to curse herself with illness, so she finally decided to use the old man as an excuse.
“Of course, I’ll pass on the message when he returns.”
After hanging up, Zhou Zitong, who had listened to the entire conversation, was genuinely surprised that her grandmother could tell such a lie with a straight face.
“Grandma, you cursed Grandpa with an illness. He probably won’t be happy when he finds out.”
“It’s fine. If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, how would your grandpa know?”
Well… that seemed to make sense.
……
Meanwhile, on a desolate mountain in the western region.
Zhou Zhan, fully camouflaged, was resting in a cave with his comrades.
“Regiment Commander Zhou, do you think that group plans to just wait us out? I’m starting to think they might not even be on this mountain anymore.”
Yang Tiancai gulped down two mouthfuls of water, speaking with frustration.
Those people were just too cunning. They had been searching these barren mountains for almost a week and hadn’t found even a trace.
Zhou Zhan’s chapped lips pressed tightly together as he shook his head, gazing toward the cave entrance.
“We have people stationed at the foot of the mountain in several directions, and we brought military dogs. Some of them are injured, so they won’t dare act recklessly. Everyone should rest and recharge. Later, the first squad will hunt some game for everyone. After we eat, we’ll proceed with the next phase of the plan.”
“Alright, I’ll pass on the orders in a moment.”
Suddenly remembering something, Yang Tiancai blushed slightly and said, “Regiment Commander Zhou, after this mission, I’d like to take two weeks off to go home.”
“My mom hasn’t been feeling well lately, and she won’t tell me the truth over the phone. I want to go back and check on her.”
“Granted.”
“Regiment Commander Zhou, you’ve been married for three years now. Haven’t you ever thought about having your wife join you at the base?
“It’s not right for a young couple like you to live apart all the time. Unlike me—who still doesn’t qualify for a separate room—you’re stuck sleeping in the dormitory with us bunch of rough men. I’m starting to wonder if you’ve fallen for me.”
“Get lost!”
Zhou Zhan stood up and strode toward the cave entrance.
It had truly been three years since he last returned home for a visit.
Over those three years, he’d received countless letters from his family, yet hardly any of them spoke well of her.
Whenever she was mentioned, the letters were filled with accusations of her misconduct toward his family—either quarreling with someone in the production brigade, getting into fights, or extorting money from neighbors. He could compile at least a hundred such disgraceful incidents.
Being forced to marry Wen Nianxin was the biggest regret of Zhou Zhan’s twenty-seven years of life—a failure he still struggled to come to terms with.