Chapter 24

As the political instructor, Wang Dahu saw the cafeteria packed with people and shouted:

“What are you all crowding around for? Go back to your work! Has anyone seen Tian Li? His wife came looking for him—there’s an emergency at home and he doesn’t even know. How long has it been since he last went home?!”

Everyone mumbled nervously, not daring to speak. Eventually, they all tacitly made way, clearing a path.

Tian Li’s wife rushed to his side when she found him lying on the ground with a bleeding forehead and cried out, “Oh no, what happened to you? Who hit you like this?”

Su Nian covered her mouth—she couldn’t laugh, but she had clearly seen the upward curve of Tian Li’s wife’s lips. Looked like there was more going on here than met the eye.

Behind her, Fu Tingchuan looked at her dotingly. He put the things he was carrying down and shoved the document bag into Su Nian’s arms, helplessly stepping into the center of the commotion.

He’d originally thought to leave the matter to the political instructor, but his little wife loved a good show too much.

Wang Dahu had already spotted him when he came in. If Fu tried to escape now, it’d be too late.

“Comrade Fang,” Fu Tingchuan said, addressing the pregnant girl, “go with the instructor to the clinic and tell them exactly how you were deceived. Our corps will never tolerate this kind of vile behavior.

Tian Li, you’re a grown man. This little injury is nothing. Go to my office with your wife.

We’re settling everything today. And Comrade Qiao, you’re coming too. Crying like that in public—what do you think this is? Everyone else, back to work!”

Everyone had always been a little afraid of the young regiment commander. Now, with his face dark and full of impatience, they were downright terrified. People scattered so fast they left afterimages, leaving only Su Nian hugging the document bag and standing blankly next to Xiao Jiang.

Fu Tingchuan glanced at her, softening at the look of eager anticipation in her eyes.

“You come too. I’ve got something to talk to you about. After I deal with this mess, you can sign those papers.”

That was exactly what Su Nian wanted. Getting kicked out now when the drama was just heating up would’ve been torture. Of course, she told herself it wasn’t just about enjoying the gossip—it was about standing up for the wronged women.

She almost convinced herself.

Xiao Jiang pouted and, under the commander’s meaningful look, resignedly carried the items back to the new volunteers’ dorm.

In the office, Tian Li’s wound was bleeding more with his wife fussing over him.

“Don’t touch me—you’re so clumsy, you’ll make it worse. I’ll go to the clinic myself later. Why did you even come here? Didn’t I tell you not to?”

Wang Dahu slammed his hand on the table.

“Bullshit! Since when did our corps ban family visits? Your father’s seriously ill! You think your wife came all this way for fun?”

Tian Li panicked.

“My dad’s always been strong as an ox. No way he’s suddenly that sick. You stupid woman—did you not take care of him properly?” He raised his hand, about to hit her.

But his wife dodged with practiced ease—so well it made your heart ache.

“Tian Li, let’s talk about your misconduct with women first. You should know, in the corps, that kind of behavior can get you twenty years of hard labor.

Until now, there’s only been rumors. We had no concrete evidence, so we let things slide. But now someone’s pregnant. You think you’re going to walk away from this?

And what’s going on with Comrade Qiao? Even I heard the rumors, and I wasn’t even in the corps.”

Fu Tingchuan’s voice was calm, which only made it more frightening.

Tian Li stood frozen for a moment before finally saying, “I need to call my uncle. I want him to get me out of here. I’ll quit this instructor job if I have to.”

Wang Dahu nearly laughed.

“Your uncle? He’s not coming—he got locked up by the commune leaders a few days ago for exploiting the system. As for you, do you think you still have a position here?

The only thing you can do now is confess and hope for leniency.”

Comrade Qiao, realizing Tian Li was done for, quickly tried to distance herself:

“Instructor, I was tricked! He told me he wasn’t married, even bought me things and promised to transfer my job.

I’m just a girl—how was I supposed to resist that? Of course I agreed to be with him.

Just a few days ago, I asked when he’d take me home to make it official, and he said leaders in the corps weren’t allowed to go home often and that I should be patient.”

Tian Li’s wife chimed in, “He said the same to me!”

At this point, there was no room for Tian Li to lie, especially since a pregnancy could be medically confirmed.

“Fine, I’ll confess. Can you really reduce my sentence?”

He’d always relied on his uncle. From childhood, his uncle had enabled his behavior, saying things like “As long as you don’t kill anyone, I can clean it up.”

Naturally, he turned into the arrogant man he was today.

Now that his uncle was in trouble, Tian Li lost his nerve.

“We’ll see how cooperative you are,” Fu Tingchuan said coolly, the words cutting right to the bone.

“I officially started seeing Comrade Fang early last year. But I didn’t lie to her—she knew I was married. She just thought I’d divorce and marry her.

She was aiming for my status from the start. She wanted my uncle to get her a city job.

Back when she arrived, things were hard. Whether farming or building, it was tough.

She didn’t want to work, so she clung to me.

And when a pretty volunteer comes to your bed naked, what man can say no?

As for Comrade Qiao… I just wanted to have fun with her. I never planned to divorce my wife. I didn’t think city girls would be so easy.

She climbed into my bed before I even agreed to date her—so cheap!”

Whoa!

So things had gotten that far?

Su Nian’s curious eyes scanned Qiao Qiqi up and down like she wanted to see through her. Qiao Qiqi felt the scrutiny and, thick-skinned as she was, still burst into tears.

Wang Dahu glanced at Tian Li’s wife and gently asked, “Xiaofang, what do you want to do?”

His voice shocked both Fu Tingchuan and Su Nian—they hadn’t expected this burly man to have such a soft side.

Xiaofang blushed and said, “Brother Dahu, I’m done with him. I want a divorce! Ever since my mother-in-law died, life’s been unbearable.

Tian Li beats me, yells at me, and is never home.

My father-in-law is always sick and constantly cursing me for not giving him grandkids—I’ve suffered so much.”

Wang Dahu had liked Xiaofang since they were young, but his family was too poor back then, so her parents chose the more well-off Tian Li.

But now, things were different.

Her parents were gone, Tian Li had disgraced himself, and they had no children.

With his current position as political instructor, marrying a divorced woman like Xiaofang wouldn’t be seen as beneath him anymore.