The courtyard gate was gently pushed open as Shen Zhiwei walked in carrying a basin of freshly washed clothes.
Her mother, Wang Lan, looked increasingly healthy under the nourishment of the spiritual spring water. She was sitting in the yard, squinting as she mended an old piece of clothing.
Her father, Shen Guodong, sat by the old desk under the window, carefully sorting through some yellowed technical drawings.
Shen Zhiwei set the basin down, her gaze sweeping over the strings of bright red dried chilies hanging in the corner of the yard.
The old locust tree in the corner cast dappled shadows, and a few hens were leisurely pecking at the dirt.
Just before entering, she noticed Aunt Zhang from next door peeking over curiously. The moment she saw Shen Zhiwei coming, she quickly pulled her head back.
Shen Zhiwei understood well back in the military compound of 1975, divorce was an extremely shameful thing.
If any family had someone who divorced, the gossip alone could drown them.
But her mind was clearer than ever.
Chen Weidong and Li Man would never let things go so easily, but she couldn’t afford to wait for them to make the first move.
“Dad,” she walked over, her voice calm, “you once mentioned the batch of scrapped parts from the factory a few years ago. Do you still have a copy of the internal investigation report draft?”
Shen Guodong paused, looking up in surprise. “Weiwei, why are you suddenly asking about that? That’s all old history…”
“I suspect someone might try to make an issue out of it,” Shen Zhiwei said, her eyes sharp. “Li Man and the others got away too strangely. I’m worried you might be their next target.”
“We need to prepare in advance.”
Shen Guodong’s expression turned serious. After a moment of thought, he got up and pulled out a tightly oilcloth-wrapped folder from the bottom of an old camphorwood chest under the bed.
“It’s all here. Back then, I felt there were doubts about the reasons for scrapping, so I secretly kept a copy.”
Gu Yanzhou returned from outside. He had clearly just finished his military duties, with a trace of sweat still at his temples.
“Engineer Shen, Zhiwei,” he greeted, his gaze naturally falling on Shen Zhiwei. Seeing the sweat at her brow, he casually took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Wipe it.”
Shen Zhiwei was momentarily stunned. She took the handkerchief, catching a faint scent of soapberry, and couldn’t help but feel her cheeks warm slightly. “Thank you.”
Gu Yanzhou glanced at the documents in Shen Guodong’s hands and immediately understood. “Preparing countermeasures?”
She nodded slightly and briefly explained her concerns and the draft her father had kept.
“You’re thinking in the right direction. Rather than passively defending, it’s better to take the initiative clarify the facts and hold onto evidence for a counterattack.” He paused for a moment.
“I’m keeping an eye on the divorce process; there should be results soon. As for the factory…”
He looked at Shen Zhiwei, his eyes deep. “I’ve already sent a letter to the factory’s party committee in the name of coordinating work with the military discipline commission, urging fair handling of the workers’ treatment and technical issues. They won’t dare act as brazenly as before.”
Hearing this, Shen Guodong let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Gu Yanzhou with gratitude.
Shen Zhiwei also felt much more at ease. Looking at Gu Yanzhou, she suddenly remembered something and went inside to fetch a small notebook. “Gu Yanzhou, these are some key events I think might happen in the next few years related to technology or policy.”
“They might… be useful to you.”
These were notes she had pieced together from her memories of her previous life at least they could serve as a reference before things happened.
Gu Yanzhou took the notebook, his fingertips brushing lightly against hers.
He didn’t open it immediately, but instead held it firmly in his hand, looking at her with a steady, intense gaze. “Zhiwei, thank you.”
Shen Guodong looked at the two of them and sighed. “After Weiwei divorces, it’ll be hard for her to remarry. Isn’t that no different from living like a widow…”
Just as Shen Zhiwei was about to speak, Gu Yanzhou naturally took over, though his gaze remained on her. “Zhiwei is outstanding and independent. Nowadays, freedom of marriage is encouraged.”
“No one can say for sure what the future holds.”
Her heart stirred slightly.
His way of addressing her had quietly changed from “Comrade Shen” to “Zhiwei.”
The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze and the faint sound of revolutionary songs playing from a distant loudspeaker.
The sound came and went, indistinct.
Shen Zhiwei stood on tiptoe, hanging up the freshly washed bedsheets. The cut on her arm from Chen Zihao earlier that afternoon had turned a little red and swollen, likely from getting wet.
Before she could take a closer look, a well-defined hand had already grasped her wrist.
Gu Yanzhou had appeared behind her at some point, his brows slightly furrowed. “Don’t move.”
He had just finished bathing as well, carrying a faint scent of soapberry, his hair still damp with droplets of water.
“It’s just a small injury.” She tried to pull her hand back, but his grip tightened.
Gu Yanzhou took a small first-aid kit from his pocket. “It’s bleeding. If you don’t treat it, it could get infected,” he explained in a low voice.
As he worked, his warm fingers occasionally brushed against her palm, sending a faint ticklish sensation.
The cotton swab lightly touched the wound, and his breath brushed against her arm.
She suddenly recalled how, in her previous life, when she had been forced to kneel in the military compound to endure public criticism, only this man had taken off his military coat and silently draped it over her trembling shoulders.
Back then, his fingertips had carried that same restrained warmth through the fabric.
“Is Comrade Gu always this attentive to everyone?” she couldn’t help but ask softly.
Gu Yanzhou didn’t stop what he was doing, but he lifted his eyes to look at her deeply, his voice low. “That depends on who it is. If it’s certain comrades who keep getting themselves hurt…” He paused meaningfully, “then they deserve extra care.”
[Expression] The cicadas in the courtyard suddenly sounded especially loud tonight.
At Chen Weidong’s house, the atmosphere was stifling.
Li Man watched Chen Weidong pacing irritably and Zhang Chunfang wailing loudly, a trace of impatience and cold disdain flashing in her eyes.
These two fools good for nothing but shouting and cursing.
“Enough!” Li Man suddenly raised her voice, cutting off Zhang Chunfang’s cries. “Can yelling bring her back? Or bring the money back?”
Chen Weidong froze.
Li Man took a deep breath, her tone turning earnest. “Brother Weidong, if we confront her head-on now, we’ll definitely lose. Shen Zhiwei’s weakness is her parents especially her father, Shen Guodong.”
“I heard,” she deliberately emphasized the words, “that Engineer Shen has recently been sorting through some old data in private, related to a batch of scrapped parts from a few years ago.”
“That batch of parts caused significant losses to the factory back then.”
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. “As long as Deputy Director Wang discovers that Engineer Shen is tampering with or destroying those records to cover up his major mistake or even… embezzlement back then ”
“Digging up this old technical case would be far more convincing than some baseless accusation like colluding with the enemy. It would be enough to ruin him completely, with no chance of recovery!”
Chen Weidong’s eyes lit up. This plan was more insidious and harder to detect.
Zhang Chunfang nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Li Man looked at them and sneered inwardly. This is only the beginning, Shen Zhiwei. You and your family won’t escape.
Back in the small courtyard.
Shen Zhiwei had just helped her mother finish taking her medicine when there was a knock at the gate. Outside stood two men in uniforms from the mechanical factory’s security department, their expressions serious.
“Is Comrade Shen Guodong at home? Deputy Director Wang from the factory’s Revolutionary Committee requests his presence regarding a batch of scrapped parts from years ago. We need him to assist with verification.”
Shen Zhiwei’s heart suddenly sank.
It’s here! Li Man’s counterattack had come this quickly?
Instinctively, she turned back just in time to meet Gu Yanzhou’s grave gaze as he stepped out of the house, having heard the commotion.