Chapter 6

Li Chunhua and Jiang Fei waited at the hospital room door for almost an hour before the operating room door finally opened and the doctor came out.

Bai Niu’er rushed up and asked, “Doctor, how is my husband?”

The doctor took off his mask with a troubled expression and let out a sigh.

That sigh made Bai Niu’er’s heart clench. She asked nervously, “Doctor, just tell me, I’m dying of anxiety here.”

The doctor said, “Your husband’s life is not in danger. He just needs to rest and recover at home.”

Bai Niu’er breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, “Then what’s the other issue?”

“Do you have children?” the doctor countered.

Bai Niu’er nodded. “We have a three-year-old.”

“Then that’s good,” the doctor said with some relief. “Your husband was brought in too late. Although his life was saved, the injury has affected his sexual function. He likely won’t be able to anymore…”

Upon hearing this, Bai Niu’er collapsed to the ground and wailed, “Sun Jianbing, you heartless man! That’s what you get for chasing skirts!”

Factory Director Liu went over to comfort her, “Comrade Bai, please be mindful of your behavior.”

Bai Niu’er sobbed, “Director Liu, you heard the doctor! How am I supposed to live now? Think of the shame for my husband!” The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she tried to attack Jiang Fei again.

Jiang Fei quickly hid behind Li Chunhua and shouted, still defiant, “If you’ve got guts, call the police! Why hit me? I didn’t do anything!”

That only made Bai Niu’er angrier, and she lunged again, but just then, Director Sun was wheeled out of the hospital room by a nurse.

Bai Niu’er rushed to his side. Sun had woken up, but he looked drained and lifeless.

“Old Sun, how are you?” Bai Niu’er asked urgently.

Director Liu also stepped forward. “Old Sun, how are you feeling?”

Sun pressed his lips together and after a long pause, tears welled up in his eyes. He choked out, “Niu’er, I…”

Memories of plotting with Jiang Fei flashed through his mind. In truth, he had been interested in Jiang Ci for a long time, but never dared to make a move. Then she married a military representative, had a child, and that once-willow-like girl became a refined beauty. Her skin was soft as tofu, every expression full of charm. After her husband left, Sun’s thoughts stirred again, though he only fantasized.

Until Jiang Fei threw him a lifeline. She said Jiang Ci was lonely at night and desperately missed a man.

One thing led to another, and Sun took it seriously. The two of them schemed to lure Jiang Ci out to a cave in the cornfield in the outskirts.

But the location was too remote. When Sun woke up injured, he couldn’t find help for a long time and missed the optimal time for treatment. He’d already heard the doctor’s verdict—he’d be no different from a eunuch now. What was the point of living?

Tears streamed down Sun’s face.

Bai Niu’er held his hand and said, “Don’t cry. You’re alive, that’s what matters. We’ll just live a good life from now on.”

Sun nodded. “Niu’er, from now on, I only have you.”

Li Chunhua and Jiang Fei saw that Sun seemed to want to let things go, and felt all the more resentful at having been beaten for nothing. Jiang Fei said, “Director Sun, now that you’re awake, let’s call the police.”

Li Chunhua added, “Exactly. Don’t wrong our Jiang Fei.”

Call the police? Sun didn’t even know who stabbed him. Even if he did, calling the police would mean admitting to being involved in a scandal, and he’d go to jail too. He was already half-crippled; how could he survive jail? It was all Jiang Fei’s fault.

Infuriated, he suddenly got up from bed, stormed over to Jiang Fei, and slapped her hard. “You slut!”

“Ah! Why are you still hitting people?” Li Chunhua screamed.

Sun pointed at Jiang Fei’s face and yelled, “They should arrest you first, you shameless thing!”

Seeing this, Bai Niu’er rushed over again to fight Jiang Fei. The scuffle went on until late into the night before they all went home.

The issue was far from resolved, and reporting to the police was clearly off the table for now. But Jiang Fei’s face was swollen like a pig’s head, and she sobbed all the way home. “Mom, this had nothing to do with me. It was that shameless Jiang Ci!”

Li Chunhua hadn’t fared any better. She snapped, “You idiot, how could you get involved in something like this? She’s a military wife!”

Jiang Fei fumed, “Fine, I shouldn’t have done it, but she ran away and stabbed someone—how is that my fault?”

Li Chunhua said, “Stop talking nonsense. Sun doesn’t know who stabbed him. If you keep insisting it was her, you’ll get dragged in too.”

Jiang Fei said, “It was definitely her. I’m a hundred percent sure.”

The mother and daughter grumbled as they walked to the bottom of the building and suddenly saw someone tied to a utility pole, groaning in pain. They both jumped in fright.

Li Chunhua clutched her chest. “Heavens! Scaring people in the dead of night! Did you fall in shit?”

“Mom,” Jiang Fei whispered, “could that be…?”

With the current political climate—people being purged, sent to the countryside, or locked up for labor reform—being tied to a pole might be another form of punishment.

Still seething after her beating, Jiang Fei said, “Scum like that deserves it. If you ask me, we should dump slop water on him.”

The man groaned again.

Overwhelmed by the stench of alcohol, Li Chunhua kicked him. “Stop yelling, it’s annoying!”

Jiang Fei ran home and came back moments later with a chamber pot, which she promptly dumped over the tied-up man.

After that, the two returned home. Li Chunhua muttered, “Your dad back yet?”

Jiang Fei replied, “Nope. Probably staying at Jiang Ci’s place. I bet she’s getting scolded by him real good. Hmph!”

They put on some red medicine and went to sleep. The next morning, an urgent knock came at the door—it was Aunt Zhang from next door.

Li Chunhua, still half-asleep, answered in her robe. “What’s going on?”

Aunt Zhang was startled by her bruised, swollen face. “What happened to you?”

Li Chunhua said, “Tripped while walking at night.”

Like anyone would believe that could cause such bruising. But there was a more pressing matter. Aunt Zhang said urgently, “You better go downstairs and look. Isn’t that your husband?”

Li Chunhua shook her head. “No way. He stayed at our daughter’s place.”

Aunt Zhang insisted, “Just go take a look.”

Irritated and chilled by the morning air, Li Chunhua reluctantly shuffled downstairs. But when she saw the man tied to the pole—his skin battered, reeking of booze and urine—she screamed, “Oh my god! Lao Jiang, what happened to you?!”

—

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci slept soundly through the morning. Her baby had already woken up, waving her little arms and babbling—so cute. Jiang Ci stroked the child’s cheek. “Baby, are you hungry?”

The baby giggled and waved her arms happily.

After feeding the baby and getting ready, Jiang Ci made herself some breakfast and prepared to go to the market. She needed to buy some envelopes and stamps to send letters, and also planned to get a little stroller for her daughter.

As she stepped out holding the baby, she ran into Zhao Qing, who greeted her with a big smile, “Jiang Ci! Where are you off to?”