Chapter 19: Taking Sides

“Sister-in-law, do you not get along with her?”

Momo asked curiously. In these two days together, she hadn’t once heard Sister Xu speak about anyone with such disdain. Clearly, there was deep resentment here.

“It’s not exactly that we don’t get along,” Sister Xu said, curling her lip. “She thinks of herself as a city person and looks down on us country folk. In the 3rd Regiment, families split into two camps: city versus countryside. They don’t see eye to eye, and quarrels are common.”

She snorted inwardly. What was wrong with being from the countryside? Without farmers, would city people even have food to eat? These so-called refined urbanites acted like being born in the city made them superior. But weren’t they still the same, two eyes, one mouth? They might have more schooling, but they weren’t necessarily more decent.

**“In our 1st Regiment, we’re the most united. Sure, people squabble now and then, but never anything serious. Some personalities just don’t mesh; that’s normal. If you get along, you spend more time together; if not, you keep your distance. Simple as that.

The 3rd Regiment is different. Their regimental commander’s wife is from the countryside, so she naturally sides with the rural families. The deputy commander’s wife sides with the city families. They never deal with things fairly, only by preference. Over time, small disagreements piled up into big conflicts.”**

Sister Meng, who was with them, shook her head. As a cadre’s wife, one was supposed to help resolve problems, not inflame them. Favoritism only deepened division, and now the 3rd Regiment was a mess.

The 2nd Regiment, she noted, had always been mediocre; neither making trouble nor making great achievements. But in recent years, they had followed the 1st Regiment’s lead and improved. Their missions were completed well, and the two regiments had even started exchanging experiences.

“Momo, you’d better be careful. That woman next door is unreasonable. If she bullies you, come to us. We won’t let anyone push around the 1st Regiment’s families.”

Momo smiled. “Don’t worry, Sister. I’m not easy to bully. I’ve trained before. If it comes to a fight, she won’t win. Even in an argument, I’ve never lost.”

She wasn’t bluffing. Back at the orphanage, no one dared provoke her. And in school, anyone who tried to mock her ended up stripped of their pretense.

“Good. We don’t bully others, but we can’t let others trample us either. When she first moved in, she mocked me all the time.. said I smelled, said my clothes were dirty if she brushed against me. At first, I didn’t catch on, but when I realized she meant me… oh, I was furious.”

As they chatted, the three women gathered wild vegetables. Before long, each had a basket full.

“That should do. Let’s head back.. It’s getting hot.”

They split ways along the path. Sister Meng’s home was nearer, while Momo walked another five or six minutes before reaching her yard.

Just as fate would have it, they had been talking about the deputy commander’s wife on the mountain. And now, as Momo approached, she spotted a woman standing at her gate.

“That’s her…! The deputy commander’s wife. What’s she doing at your door?” Sister Xu muttered.

“No idea. Let’s go find out.”

Momo walked up and called out:

“Comrade, why are you standing at my gate?”

The woman raised her chin. “I live next door. You moved in, yet you never came to greet me.”

Good heavens. With her nose in the air like that, it sounded less like a visit and more like she was here to pick a fight.

To be fair, the woman wasn’t unattractive. She wore a checkered dress, unusual among the plain, dark clothes most women favored. Her complexion wasn’t pale, but not dark either, average at best. Still, she couldn’t compare with Momo, whose fair skin seemed to glow.

Her pride had some basis; in the compound, she was considered good-looking and well-dressed. But standing next to Momo, even with Momo wearing plain clothes from her trip to the mountain, she faded.

Momo raised a brow. “Is that necessary? Who are you that I must greet you? I’ll have to ask my husband, Deputy Commander Lin. Is there some rule that says if a leader lives next door, I’m obliged to call on them?”

The woman stiffened. “I… I was here first. Is it a problem for you to come meet me? And now you’re building right after moving in… you’ve disturbed me.”

She spoke of “leaders,” but in truth, it was awkward. Her husband was already in his thirties and still only a deputy commander. Lin Xingchen, more than ten years younger, already held the same rank. Between the two, who was really in a more embarrassing position?

Momo shrugged. “Oh? Is there a regulation forbidding it? Why don’t I go ask the division commander? If he says I can’t, I’ll have the toilet and bathroom torn down immediately.”

She reached for the woman’s arm. “Come on, let’s not waste time. The division commander might be heading home for dinner soon. You said I didn’t greet you.. Perfect! We’ll ask if it’s mandatory. Maybe I even need to bring a gift. After all, you can’t visit someone empty-handed.”

Momo glanced meaningfully at the woman’s empty hands. Not even the courtesy of a token gift, hardly the behavior of someone “paying a visit.”

The woman blanched. “No, no, that’s not necessary. I was just saying hello. Don’t make such a fuss. I only wanted to look after you since you’re new. If you don’t appreciate it, then fine! consider my kindness wasted.”

She turned and hurried away, as if chased by a dog.

In truth, the mere mention of “gifts” and “bribes” was enough to terrify her. Such a thing could ruin reputations, even get people reassigned. Even if Momo had only been bluffing, if someone really investigated, it would be humiliating.

Sister Xu burst out laughing. “Hahaha! That was brilliant. She’s nothing but a bully who crumbles when challenged. Only you could shut her down like that.”

Momo grinned. “With people like her, you just need to act fearless. She’s nothing but a paper tiger.”

The little spats that showed on the surface were no big deal. What mattered were the schemes behind one’s back.

Sister Xu sighed. “You’re right. But my husband always reminds me he’s a commissar, I need to mind my behavior, be friendly, and keep unity. That’s why I hold back, for his sake.”

It made sense. A commissar was responsible for political work and morale. If his wife got into open fights, it would reflect badly.

After chatting a little more, Sister Xu left. Momo packed away the wild vegetables into the cellar, then stretched out in the shade with a medical text. With the gate closed, she didn’t worry about anyone barging in.

Soon she was absorbed, so much so that an hour passed before Xingchen returned from work. Only then did she look up.

“Oh no! I got lost in my book and forgot to cook.”

She smacked her forehead. Some habits never changed; once she was engrossed, she could go an entire day without remembering to eat.