However, Fu Weicheng didn’t press Song Yuntang for more details. He seemed to already know the answer. His magnetic voice continued calmly.
“I was stationed at the Southwest Frontline for a whole year. During that time, I sent you money and tickets every month. After a year, I finally had leave and returned to find you at Wang Family Village.”
Song Yuntang frowned. “You… actually went to look for me?”
“Yes. It was summer at the time. The village had been flooded. I didn’t know where you had gone to seek refuge. After asking around, I finally found your eldest uncle’s family.”
“You mean that old Song Mingde?!”
Song Yuntang almost jumped with excitement. She could already guess what had happened next.
Sure enough, she heard Fu Weicheng say, “Your eldest uncle said that after I left, you became pregnant. But your delivery didn’t go smoothly. You died during childbirth, taking both your life and the child’s with you.”
At that time, because the original owner hadn’t received Fu Weicheng’s money or letters, she had no choice but to return to her uncle’s house, living as their servant. How could those wolf-hearted people let her return and live peacefully with Fu Weicheng?
If the original owner had complained, exposing all the suffering she had endured, wouldn’t it have been like lifting a rock to hit herself in the foot?
So Song Mingde and Ding Yuzhen simply claimed she had died!
But could Fu Weicheng have blindly believed Song Mingde’s words?
Fu Weicheng seemed to notice the doubt in Song Yuntang’s eyes and continued, “I saw one of the villagers in the village. He confirmed you were indeed pregnant. I also met Captain Zhang of the production team, who gave me your death report.”
Song Yuntang flipped through the documents in her hands, seeing numerous remittance slips, and finally, the death report with her name on it.
The report was signed by Zhang Jianshe, with the authority of the Production Team Leader. It was understandable that Fu Weicheng believed him.
Yet a bigger problem remained…
Five years ago, why didn’t the original owner receive the letter with two hundred yuan and the train ticket?
Why didn’t Fu Weicheng receive her desperate letter?
Fu Weicheng had even returned to find her at the critical time of her childbirth, yet by some twist of fate, they still missed each other…
Was it merely fate’s cruel trickery?
Song Yuntang couldn’t make sense of it. She kept looking down at the documents Fu Weicheng had given her. Many were remittance slips.
Remittance slips, one after another.
At first, the slips were sent from the Southwest; in the past six months, they were issued from the capital post office. The most recent one was dated the first of last month!
Song Yuntang held the slips, frowning. “I’m already dead, and you’re still sending money?”
Fu Weicheng lifted his hand, brushing the knuckle of his finger along his high nose bridge, a hint of embarrassment in his expression.
“Your eldest uncle’s family asked me for compensation.”
Compensation!
Song Yuntang’s eyes widened. She carefully examined the slips. One month, fifty yuan!
Even though she was supposedly dead, Song Mingde still managed to extort fifty yuan a month from Fu Weicheng.
“Fu Weicheng, do you have money with nowhere to spend?” Song Yuntang looked at the slips, her chest aching. “Can’t you see that my relationship with Song Mingde’s family is bad?”
Fu Weicheng’s voice was calm and low. “When we were together, you never said a bad word about them.”
Song Yuntang was once again choked, her chest rising and falling violently. She couldn’t utter a single word. The original owner truly never spoke ill of others.
Over the past five years, Fu Weicheng had sent large sums of money, even knowing she was dead, continuing to compensate the Song family.
Meanwhile, his wife and children had been living on barely enough to eat.
Now that the truth had come out, Song Yuntang felt utterly absurd. This wasn’t a novel—how could such a ridiculous twist of fate really happen?
If she hadn’t come to the capital this time, Fu Weicheng would have been supporting Song Mingde’s ungrateful family for life!
Thinking of this, she grew even angrier.
Fu Weicheng watched Song Yuntang’s rapid, red-tinged breathing. He didn’t dare mention that it wasn’t just the fifty yuan monthly; when he first “learned of her death,” he had sent five hundred yuan in one go.
It was his oversight.
But—
Fu Weicheng spoke firmly, “Song Yuntang, you can see now that I didn’t ignore you and the children. I am not a scumbag.”
Holding all the evidence in her hands, Song Yuntang couldn’t refute him.
“I will investigate everything thoroughly—your sent letters, my registered letters—figure out who took them. I will take good care of you and the children. We—”
“The misunderstandings of the past exist, yes. I misunderstood you. But we should still divorce.”
Both Fu Weicheng and Song Yuntang spoke at the same time, their words completely at odds.
The man furrowed his brow again, asking, “Why?”
Song Yuntang spoke matter-of-factly, “Because there is no love between us.”
“Fu Weicheng, you married me because Ding Yuzhen drugged us. You forced yourself on me. I was set up, and you were compelled. You only have responsibility toward me, right?”
Song Yuntang’s honesty and directness shocked Fu Weicheng. Five years ago, she would never have dared to say a word of this.
But since their reunion today, Song Yuntang exuded a conflicting mix of familiarity and strangeness, the same person, yet entirely different in feeling.
For the first time, Fu Weicheng truly saw Song Yuntang’s eyes—they were bright and radiant.
There was only one thought in his heart: he didn’t want a divorce.
Song Yuntang and the two children had occupied a special place in his heart since the moment he saw them on the train.
He had to convince the stubborn Song Yuntang.
After a moment’s thought, Fu Weicheng spoke again, “We are a military marriage. If we go through the divorce process officially, it will take a long time, and it may not even be approved. Besides, Niannian and An’an are my children. Tangtang, I want to make up for them, and for you.”
The man called her “Tangtang” in a deep, magnetic voice. Song Yuntang felt a sudden tingle in her ears.
Honestly, from the moment she first saw Fu Weicheng, Song Yuntang had thought him handsome, with a noble, upright aura.
If they were strangers, she might have flirted a little. But he was her husband.
Though he had shed his “scumbag” identity, it felt strange and sudden to claim him as her own.
The pace was too fast; she couldn’t accept it immediately.
Yet Fu Weicheng’s earnest eyes made her heart inexplicably flutter.
Just as Song Yuntang hesitated, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Knock knock knock!
Lin Xiangdong pushed the door open and looked at Fu Weicheng. “Regiment Commander Fu, there’s a report.”
Clearly, they needed to discuss official matters. Lin Xiangdong was serious, no longer playful like at the train station. Fu Weicheng told Song Yuntang, “Rest here,” and then got up and left.
Once Fu Weicheng left, the office felt lighter. Song Yuntang held the remittance slips she had just reviewed and screamed in frustration.
“Ahhh—Fu Weicheng, are you crazy? All this money given to that despicable family! Ahhh! It hurts my heart!”
She didn’t realize that the office was poorly soundproofed and that the door was slightly ajar.
Outside, Fu Weicheng and Lin Xiangdong both heard her.
Lin Xiangdong raised an eyebrow, curious. “Regiment Commander Fu, it sounds like your wife just scolded you.”
Fu Weicheng, being scolded, was not angry at all. Instead, a faint smile flashed in his eyes, quickly gone. He said in a low voice, “Handle the matters first.”
He and Lin Xiangdong proceeded to Commander He’s office to follow up.
Song Yuntang, unaware of what was happening outside, continued fretting over the wasted money. She thought about how she had treated Ding Yuzhen and Song Jiaojiao earlier, still unsatisfied. If she had known, she would have thrown them into the pigsty!
While she was thinking, footsteps approached the door.
The sound was strange—not heavy male steps, but light, rapid taps, like high heels.
Song Yuntang looked curiously as the door opened, revealing a slender, beautiful figure.
“Brother Weicheng, you’ve finally returned. You’ve worked hard these past few days. I brought you your meal,” the woman said in a sweet voice, holding a silver lunchbox, warmly calling Fu Weicheng’s name as she stepped inside.