The first call didn’t go through, so Cheng Yifeng immediately tried a second time, then a third, then a fourth… all the way up to the twentieth call. Yet no one answered on the other end.
Cheng Yifeng’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat from anxiety.
Half an hour had almost passed. Even if his parents had gone out to visit relatives, there was no way they wouldn’t have returned by now.
The nosiest neighbor in the building next door would surely be eavesdropping, hearing the phone ring over and over—there was no way his parents wouldn’t have been aware.
If his parents knew the phone was ringing at home, they’d surely return—unless something else was keeping them away.
The operator, noticing Cheng Yifeng drenched in sweat, cautiously asked, “Captain Cheng, is something wrong at home? Do you need help?”
Cheng Yifeng licked his dry lips and whispered hoarsely, “N-nothing… maybe my parents went to visit relatives. No one’s home.”
He wanted to try again, but the other soldiers waiting in line behind him were growing impatient and started urging him to move.
“Captain, if no one’s home, just call tomorrow!” one young soldier behind him said, showing no deference despite Cheng’s rank. “My family just sent me a letter, talking about a match for me. I’m anxious to check on it! If it works out, I need to submit my marriage report quickly!”
“Yeah, if home can’t be reached, try again tomorrow! We’ve been waiting here for almost half an hour, and lunch isn’t ready yet!”
“Exactly. This is a convenience provided by the state so we can contact our families. Captain, you can’t selfishly hog it all for yourself!”
Hearing their complaints, Cheng Yifeng’s expression darkened. He handed the phone to the soldier behind him and stormed out of the communications room.
“Hey, who’s he sulking at?” one veteran spat toward Cheng’s retreating back. “He’s the one wasting everyone’s time, and he’s the one upset?”
“I heard a woman came to the base to see him yesterday,” another soldier said. “Looks like his wife. She came to divorce him.”
“What? Divorce?”
“Are you sure it’s divorce and not a forced marriage?”
“Definitely divorce. She even went straight to see the commissar!”
“Wow, what did Cheng Yifeng do behind her back? Forced her to propose a divorce?”
“If her family is open-minded, they might accept their divorced daughter back, and his wife would still have a life. But if her family can’t accept it, he’s basically forcing her into a dead end!”
“Exactly. People talk about gender equality, that women can hold half the sky, but there’s still a lot of prejudice and unfairness against women.”
“Little clerk, stop showing off your fancy words. My teeth hurt just listening!”
These rough soldiers were strict and serious on the training field, but off-duty, they were more gossipy than women.
Once they heard that Cheng Yifeng’s wife had come to demand a divorce, they stopped making calls and listened intently.
“So? Did the commissar agree?”
“Seems not, otherwise Captain Cheng wouldn’t be so anxious trying to reach home!”
“What good is calling home? Do you think his parents can come and drag her back?”
The older soldiers grinned knowingly at the young man who spoke.
The young man, clearly inexperienced, shivered under their gaze.
“Times have changed; people aren’t treated like livestock anymore.”
“You’re from the city, right? You city folks fuss over everything. Out here in the remote mountains, it’s not like that!”
The young man’s face turned pale, realizing what they meant.
“Stop scaring the kid,” another veteran said, changing the subject. “Do you know why Captain Cheng’s wife wants a divorce?”
“Why else? He’s rarely home. She doesn’t want to be a young widow!”
“She’s just overthinking. Captain Cheng isn’t unwilling to go home. As a man, if he doesn’t achieve anything outside, how is he supposed to support the family?”
“I think it’s because he sends too much allowance home. His wife has nothing to do, so she’s making trouble!”
“If he didn’t give any allowance, she’d be working hard in the fields. Would she even have time to demand a divorce?”
“The way you’re saying it, it sounds like she’s only after his money. But she’s taking care of his parents, helping with chores—how is that just chasing money?”
“Ask your wives. Did they marry you for your character or your allowance?”
A female operator who had just finished lunch overheard these macho men gossiping maliciously. She couldn’t stay silent.
“You men are lucky to have wives at all. With these disrespectful thoughts toward women, you’d be bachelors forever!”
“In reality, men get the easy part: three seconds to make a child, provide money, and maybe care for the family a little. But the real work—raising kids, caring for elders—they haven’t done. Yet they still think women should do it all for free! Ridiculous!”
She slammed the kettle on the table with a sharp clang and shouted at the crowded men, “Line up properly for calls and keep quiet! Once you’re done, leave—don’t linger!”
The noisy communications room immediately fell silent, only the sound of the operator working the equipment remained.
Cheng Yifeng had no idea that he had become the center of gossip. He left the communications room and headed to the cafeteria.
Although he had little appetite, he had to eat, or else his afternoon training would suffer, and he would face punishment.
Chewing mechanically, his heart felt a strange unease.