Chapter 132: Lost Contact

In the evening, Yu Xiangnian took the bankbook out of her bag, looked at it, and then locked it back in the drawer.

The money for the washing machine came from the shared household funds. Whether or not they get divorced, the washing machine is for Cheng Jingmo’s use, so it naturally should come from the household funds.

From the time the account was set up until now, they had saved 1,040 yuan. After spending 290 yuan on the washing machine today, they had 750 yuan left.

From that day on, Xiao Jie had an additional task: he was responsible for washing the clothes every night.

Cheng Jingmo left on December 20th. Time flew by, and it was now late January, and Xiao Jie was on winter break.

During this month, Yu Xiangnian usually worked from home, occasionally taking Xiao Jie into the city to stroll around, and sometimes bringing him to her own home for a meal or two.

She didn’t pay attention to much else.

Damn Cheng Jingmo, didn’t he say he’d be back in at most a month? It’s been over a month now, and he still hasn’t returned.

Yu Xiangnian didn’t think too much about it. Going on missions, it wasn’t unusual to be back a few days early or late.

It was Wang Hongxiang who came to visit her that day, comforting her not to think the worst.

Yu Xiangnian felt strange and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Wang Hongxiang’s face showed worry and sympathy. “I heard from Dong Minghao that Cheng Jingmo and his team lost contact over half a month ago. No one knows what the situation is now.”

She paused and added, “But don’t worry, no news is good news. They might come back in a couple of days.”

Yu Xiangnian felt irritated and vaguely uneasy.

They lost contact more than half a month ago, and everyone else knew about it, but she, the family member, had no clue.

“I need to go to the military district leadership to find out what’s going on,” Yu Xiangnian said, standing up to leave.

She arrived at the entrance of the Political Department’s office, stated her purpose, and a soldier led her to Commissioner Ma Dacheng’s office.

The two sat facing each other. Yu Xiangnian said, “Commissioner, Cheng Jingmo told me before he left that he’d be back in a month at most. It’s been nearly forty days, and he’s still not back. I’m here to ask about the situation.”

Ma Dacheng had someone pour a glass of water for Yu Xiangnian. “Comrade Yu, don’t worry. Have a sip of water first.”

Yu Xiangnian took a sip and then put the cup down, waiting for Ma Dacheng’s response.

Ma Dacheng slowly blew on the tea leaves floating on his cup and took a slow sip.

Seeing his demeanor, Yu Xiangnian knew he was organizing his words. She had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

After a while, Ma Dacheng put down the teacup and said, “Comrade Yu, it’s like this.”

“Deputy Commander Cheng led a team of five on a mission. The plan was to return within a month, but something unexpected might have happened, and they haven’t returned yet.”

Yu Xiangnian said, “Commissioner Ma, please speak plainly. As a family member, I have the right to know my husband’s situation.”

Ma Dacheng thought for a moment and said, “Comrade Yu, I’ll tell you the facts, but don’t overthink it. Deputy Commander Cheng and his team lost contact with headquarters on the night of January 7th. Headquarters has been trying to reach them every day since, but there’s been no contact.”

Today was January 25th, which meant Cheng Jingmo and his team had been out of contact for eighteen days.

Feeling uneasy, Yu Xiangnian asked, “Can you tell me where they went?”

Ma Dacheng said, “I can’t disclose that for now. They went to a remote area, and it’s possible they’re out of signal range, which is why we’ve lost contact.”

Yu Xiangnian understood that military secrets couldn’t be revealed, so she asked, “Has the military sent anyone to look for them?”

Ma Dacheng looked troubled. “Comrade Yu, it’s common for troops to return a few days late from a mission. Also, we don’t have precise information about their location. Sending out search parties without specific targets isn’t practical.”

In other words, no one had been sent to search.

Ma Dacheng’s comments reflected practical issues that Yu Xiangnian could understand, but she still felt anxious and dissatisfied.

“Commissioner Ma, when do you plan to send someone to look for them?” Yu Xiangnian couldn’t control her emotions, “They’ve been missing for almost twenty days, and you haven’t taken any action. Are you waiting for twenty months or twenty years?”

Ma Dacheng said, “Comrade Yu, please have a sip of water and calm down.”

Yu Xiangnian took a large gulp of water. “Alright, I’m calm now! Please continue!”

Ma Dacheng continued, “We haven’t informed you earlier because we considered the family’s feelings. Given the current situation, our urgency won’t help. Just wait at home calmly. We’ll inform you as soon as there’s any update.”

With that said, Yu Xiangnian found it hard to argue further.

On her way back to the compound, her mood was at its lowest.

With only three days left before New Year’s Eve, Yu Xiangnian had previously thought that Cheng Jingmo would definitely be back before the New Year.

Given the current situation, that seemed unlikely.

She hadn’t told Xiao Jie about Cheng Jingmo; the child was still eagerly waiting for his uncle’s return.

On the morning of the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, Yu Xiangguo drove to pick up Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie to celebrate the New Year at their home.

Yu Xiangnian remembered that not long after her marriage to Cheng Jingmo, the New Year had come. At that time, she wanted to go home for the New Year, but Zhao Ruozhu refused.

Zhao Ruozhu’s reason was: a married daughter shouldn’t return to her parental home for the New Year.

This year, however, she was being brought back, likely knowing that Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie were alone and wanting to have a lively New Year together.

Xiao Jie finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Aunt, will Uncle not be back for the New Year?”

Yu Xiangnian replied, “He’s delayed by something outside and won’t return until after the New Year.”

Xiao Jie asked again, “How long after the New Year?”

The child, like Cheng Jingmo, was sometimes naive and easy to deceive, but other times very sharp.

Yu Xiangnian didn’t want to give him false hope and then disappoint him, so she thought for a moment and said, “I can’t say for sure. We’ll just wait.”

They packed some belongings and went to Yu Xiangnian’s own home.

Her family usually had their New Year’s Eve dinner on the twenty-ninth night because Yu Jiashun and the rest of the family spent New Year’s Eve in the army with the soldiers on the thirtieth day.

At this moment, Yu Xiangnian still hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation and complained, “Dad, Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangyang have been out of contact for so long. Why haven’t you arranged for anyone to look for them? What if something happens?”

Yu Jiashun, having held high positions for a long time, rarely showed his emotions, even in front of his daughter.

He retorted, “I heard you went to see the military district leaders again?”

“Of course I did!” Yu Xiangnian said with conviction, “Everyone outside knows they’re…”

Yu Jiashun interrupted her with a serious tone, “The military has its own decisions and considerations. They’ll notify you if there’s any news. Don’t interfere!”