Chapter 42

Tian Yu couldn’t bear to see Ge Yun go.

So when the Ge siblings were leaving the base, she made a point to see them off, and naturally, Tian Mi accompanied her. Ge Yun had a gentle, easy-going personality, and she was well-liked in the community; quite a few people ended up gathering at the base entrance to bid her farewell.

As soon as they drove off, a group of a dozen or so military spouses on their way back began discussing what would happen next.

Most were cursing the Qian siblings, calling them heartless monsters for daring to lay a hand on his wife.

Some, however, were still fooled by Qian Sheng’s facade, believing the problem lay solely with Qian Jingjing, his meddlesome younger sister, and took the opportunity to generalize, saying younger sisters-in-law always loved to stir up trouble.

Naturally, someone immediately countered that argument, insisting that her own younger sister-in-law was nothing but kind, and that it wasn’t fair to blame all younger sisters-in-law for one bad apple like Qian Jingjing.

The most frustrating comments, though, came from a few narrow-minded folks who felt the Ge family was making too big a deal out of it. They said it was normal for couples to fight, and there was no need to blow things out of proportion, as it made reconciliation harder—after all, they’d still have to live together in the future…

What was maddening was that several people actually agreed.

Tian Mi and her sister walked at the back of the group, quietly listening to the conversation without adding their opinions.

Only when she heard that last comment did Tian Mi, displeased, ask her sister, “… After everything that’s happened, they’re still… not divorcing?”

Tian Yu shook her head, replying softly, “Hard to say. That older lady’s words were unpleasant, but there’s some truth to them. These days, how many people actually get divorced? Fights and even scuffles are pretty normal in marriage. Don’t be fooled by how well your brother-in-law and I get along—that’s only because, in the first few years of marriage, we hardly saw each other, maybe once a year, and it was always in a hurry, with no time for arguments… It was only when I came over to join the military life that we really started living as a couple. And, as good-natured as your brother-in-law is, we still argued a lot at first—it took us half a year to really adjust and get along.”

Curious, Tian Mi asked, “You two even got physical?”

Tian Yu looked a bit embarrassed. She’d never thought much of it before, but after watching Qian Sheng get beaten up today, she couldn’t help but feel a chill down her spine. She stammered, “We… did.”

Tian Mi frowned, upset. “I didn’t expect Jie Fu to be that kind of person!” People really could be deceiving.

Seeing this, Tian Yu hurried to interrupt her sister’s rising anger and, seeing her confused look, admitted sheepishly, “It was me. I was the one who got physical—your brother-in-law wouldn’t dare.”

Her own sister was actually the one who got physical… For a moment, she didn’t quite know how to respond.

The sisters looked at each other awkwardly for a few seconds until Tian Mi forcibly changed the subject: “Jie, do you think Ge Yun will get a divorce?”

“It’s hard to say. If Qian Sheng shows genuine remorse and promises never to do it again, they might stay together. But judging by the attitude of Ge Yun’s brothers, this marriage might really end.”

“Domestic violence only happens once or it happens endlessly. With someone like Qian Sheng, she needs to leave him quickly. What’s there to hang on to?” Tian Mi muttered in frustration. Of course, she wasn’t about to run over and offer her opinion to Ge Yun, but she had no problem venting about it to her sister.

“Where did you pick up these strange sayings?”

Tian Mi crossed her arms and huffed, “Doesn’t matter where I learned it—just tell me if I’m wrong! I would never accept a man who hits his wife. If it were me, there’d be only one outcome: divorce and raising the child on my own.”

Then, leaning close to her sister’s ear, she whispered slyly, “Husband gone, child stays. Perfect.”

“Perfect, my foot! Looks like you’re asking for a beating!” Tian Yu shot her sister a fierce glare as her remarks got more outlandish. Yet, inwardly, she couldn’t help but imagine how she would respond in Ge Yun’s shoes…

Forget it… better to give the scumbag a beating first, then divorce him!

What a load of nonsense!

In these times, with so few entertainment options, even a small event could easily be blown out of proportion.

Sure enough, the whole afternoon, talk of the Qian siblings and Ge Yun buzzed throughout the base and the family quarters.

To avoid seeming anti-social, the Tian sisters sat in the group, half-listening to the ongoing discussions. Every now and then, the military spouses would get into heated arguments, faces red and voices raised over differing opinions, leaving Tian Mi slightly stunned and unable to get a word in edgewise.

Fortunately, Aunt Mei soon returned, looking a bit grim. First, she urged everyone to curb their reckless gossiping, then announced a new rule: in three days, there would be a mandatory political education class in the cafeteria.

Hearing that the monthly political class was now shifting to a weekly one, everyone’s gossiping expressions vanished, replaced by dismay.

When they found out that Liu Xiuju was the one behind it all, they were furious, as if they wanted to tear her apart on the spot.

Who liked being forced into a so-called political education class under the guise of “awareness”? Most people in the community could barely read, and yet they’d be stuck in there for half a day, every week.

This thought felt suffocating. The military spouses lost all interest in talking about the Ge Yun and Qian Sheng incident, scowling as they grabbed their stools and headed home, muttering curses toward Liu Xiuju’s ancestors all the way.

“Tian Tian, prepare a draft for the meeting.” Once everyone had left, Ruan Mei still looked exhausted, though her expression softened a bit when she looked at Tian Mi.

This was Tian Mi’s first official task.

She had already prepared most of it over the past two days, but with the recent developments regarding Ge Yun, she asked, “Aunt Mei, should I add domestic violence as a point and address it with the family members?”

Ruan Mei paused thoughtfully, then nodded. “Yes, go ahead and draft it. Once it’s ready, let me review it.”

“Alright, I’ll do it as soon as I can.”

“No rush, let’s take our time.”

“…”

This day was undoubtedly busy.

When they got home, Tian Yu turned down her younger sister’s offer to help with lunch, telling her to focus on her work.

In fact, these past few days, Tian Mi hadn’t just gone through the few issues of past materials that Aunt Mei had given her—she’d also asked Lou Luhui to borrow similar materials from the army’s publicity department.

After reviewing several dozen files in a row, she now had a pretty clear understanding of her job.

To put it bluntly, as long as she understood the quotations thoroughly and could use them flexibly, there shouldn’t be any problems with her role as a publicity officer.

To that end, Tian Mi had even fully reviewed the Little Red Book that she’d already memorized well. Now, while she couldn’t recite it backward, she was able to quote from it easily.

So she wasn’t particularly nervous.

If anything, her elder sister was more anxious about her first job than she was.

Not only had she prepared a clean desk, but she’d also set out paper, a pen, and a water cup, and even took away the lively Xiao Guo Guo, her chubby daughter.

Tian Mi figured her nephews, Chen Xun and Chen Zhao, likely didn’t get this level of treatment.

When Chen Gang returned for lunch, he was met with the curious looks of his wife and sister-in-law as soon as he walked through the door.

He quickly guessed what they were curious about—after all, the incident was quite the talk of the town.

Without keeping them in suspense, he washed his hands and, as he picked up his bowl and chopsticks, asked with amusement, “What do you want to know? Go ahead and ask!”

“What did Commissar Liu and Commander Wang have to say about Qian Sheng’s situation?”

Chen Gang took a bite and sighed, “It’s hard to say…”

Tian Yu lightly smacked her husband and joked, “Come on, just tell it like it is. No need to be mysterious!”

Tian Mi nodded in agreement… Exactly!

Chen Gang sighed again, “Comrade Xiao Yu, I’m really not keeping any secrets. I told you before, this kind of thing is hard to handle. To put it plainly, it’s just a quarrel between husband and wife. Just wait and see; by tomorrow at the latest, Qian Sheng will definitely be writing a letter of self-criticism. Once he makes that gesture, showing remorse and willingness to reform, he’ll still be seen as a good revolutionary comrade. If the Ge family keeps pushing for a divorce after that, they’ll likely end up being criticized instead.”

How infuriating. “So, Jie Fu, are you saying that Qian Sheng is putting himself on the moral high ground first to prevent the Ge family from pursuing a divorce?”

Chen Gang nodded. “That’s right. But all this is just minor drama. The Ge family probably anticipated his move and are likely allowing him to act clever. I think the Ge family is worried that Ge Yun might soften, so they’re using this as a chance to kill any hope of reconciliation.”

But Tian Mi thought it was redundant. From the looks of it, Ge Yun seemed completely disillusioned with that scumbag.

When a woman’s disappointment reaches a breaking point, no force can pull her back.

“So… who actually tipped off the Ge family? When I helped Xiao Yun leave, I found out that she hadn’t even called her family. How could they have known… unless the Ge family planted a spy here to keep an eye on Qian Sheng? Surely not?” Despite her skepticism, Tian Yu was truly curious about the informant.

Chen Gang swallowed his food. “You’re half-right. It probably wasn’t anyone intentionally watching Qian Sheng; it was likely a coincidence.”

“Then who was it?” Tian Yu asked again, and this time even Chen Xun and Chen Zhao looked at their father curiously.

Looking at their eager faces, Chen Gang chuckled, fed his daughter a spoonful of egg custard, and finally said, “I think it was Zhu Jingbing.”

“You mean Battalion Commander Zhu? How could it be him?” The sisters exchanged puzzled glances, unable to understand how he could be connected to this situation.

“Zhu Jingbing and Ge Yun’s second brother, Ge Jun, served in the same squad for a year during their new recruit training. They got along well, but since they only served together for a year, not many people know about it.” Chen Gang only knew this by chance as well.

He had a good memory and recalled that a few years back, he had seen Zhu Jingbing receive a package from someone named Ge Jun.

Later on, after Qian Sheng was transferred here, Ge Yun married into the area not long after. It was at their wedding that he happened to see Zhu Jingbing and Ge Jun standing together, smoking. That’s when he learned from their conversation that they were close friends.

Over the years, they remained the kind of friends who would still send each other things.

After hearing this twist in the story, Tian Yu clicked her tongue, “What a shame… Battalion Commander Zhu is a good man. It would’ve been great if Ge Yun had married him back then.”

Chen Gang chuckled, “Who knows? Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be!”

The time for their father’s call arrived.

After lunch, as Chen Gang headed back to work, he took the two sisters along with him.

As expected, their fourth sister, Tian Xue, had ultimately decided not to come—she couldn’t bear to leave her little brother, Xiangyang, behind.

On the phone, the young girl’s voice sounded noticeably more upbeat than usual. “… Er Jie, I know you and big sister are worried about me, but Dad has already agreed to Jie Fu’s suggestion. When Si Mei heads over to you, he’ll talk with Grandpa and Grandma about it, and then we’ll stay far away from them… In a few more years, when Didi is older, I’ll come find you all… Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone take advantage of me. I know how to handle Wang Hongyan now; Da Jie Fu and Er Jie Fu both taught me. Da Jie Fu even introduced me to a few people I can rely on for help… Not to brag, but with Wang Hongyan’s brain, she’s no match for me at this point.”

Tian Mi believed her—her fourth sister was indeed sharp and quick-witted, almost like a little schemer.

At the same time, she was a bit speechless. Whether it was her own husband or her sister’s, teaching a young girl like this… what kind of person would her little sister grow up to be?

Plus, age was an undeniable drawback. No matter how smart she was, when it came to physical strength, there were times when cleverness alone wouldn’t be enough.

After much thought, Tian Mi decided she would write a letter to her little sister as soon as she got home. In it, she’d describe all sorts of melodramatic and malicious stories from future novels, so she’d be extra vigilant…

Her older sister was the one to answer their father’s call, and Tian Mi stayed close to the receiver, listening to their conversation.

Their third sister was set to come over, but given her timid nature, traveling alone was out of the question.

So, Tian Hongxing decided to personally escort her to Shanghai. He’d see her onto the train, then arrange for Pan Yue to inform the conductor and attendants, before returning home.

Tian Mi suggested into the receiver, “Dad, when you go to Shanghai, take San Mei and Didi with you. It’s a great chance for them to see a big city.”

Her father’s first reaction was to refuse. “That would cost too much!”

Straining on her toes to listen in, Tian Xue immediately responded, “I have money.”

“Where did you get money from?”

Tian Xue chuckled, “Er Jie gave me a hundred yuan when she left, just in case. Oh… she split it so that Si Jie and I each got fifty.”

At this, she suddenly realized something was off. She quickly turned and patted her little brother on the head, “Er Jie said that when you get as big as me, she’ll give you fifty yuan too.”

The largest denomination he’d ever seen in his life, Xiang Yang, who previously only got ten-cent coins during New Year, now had his eyes shining.

Fifty yuan… fifty whole yuan! He couldn’t even begin to calculate how many marbles that could buy.

Meanwhile, Tian Xin’s eyes went wide, and she stammered, “I… I get some too? Why didn’t I know about this?”

Tian Xue sneered. “If we told you, could you keep from telling Mom?”

Tian Xin wilted; she knew she couldn’t.

Tian Hongxing’s emotions, however, were complicated. He had sent Mi Yatou a hundred yuan as a contribution toward her dowry, only for her to send it all back and even add another hundred.

What surprised him even more was that Mi Yatou had given fifty yuan each to San Ya and Si Ya, and he didn’t need to ask what it was meant for—he knew exactly.

Thinking about this, a determined glint appeared in Tian Hongxing’s eyes.

He truly… couldn’t let the kids down anymore.

How shameless can a person be?

In her twenty-something years of life, today was a true eye-opener for Tian Mi.

Just as her brother-in-law had predicted, early the next morning, taking advantage of the soldiers’ exercise time, Qian Sheng shamelessly used the army’s loudspeaker system to read aloud a “self-reflection letter,” dripping with remorse yet subtly playing the role of an innocent victim.

In his lengthy and manipulative apology letter, Tian Mi picked up on two main points.

First, he had, by everyone’s admission, treated Ge Yun with consistent care over the past two years. They were a loving couple, and they had never even raised their voices at each other, much less laid a hand.

Second, in this unfortunate incident, he was “tricked” by his sister into impulsively slapping his wife.

In the end, he repeatedly emphasized that he now felt profound remorse and guilt.

The most nauseating part came after he finished reading, as he flaunted his bruised, swollen face around the base, showing everyone his pitiful state.

His intent was clear: he wanted everyone to know that, yes, he had impulsively slapped his wife under his sister’s influence, but he’d also “paid the price”—his injuries were far worse than hers…

To those who knew the whole story, like Tian Mi, it was utterly disgusting.

But plenty of people couldn’t help but sympathize with the “weaker” party.

Yes, by wandering around with his “pig’s head” face, Qian Sheng, who faced the possibility of being divorced by the Ge family, had already turned public opinion in his favor by mid-morning.

Many people judge only by the result. To them, a spat between a married couple is no big deal… Sure, Qian Sheng was wrong to hit his wife, but hasn’t he suffered for it ten times over?

After walking around outside and hearing that nearly half of the people in the family compound now thought Ge Yun should come back and live peacefully with Qian Sheng, Tian Mi was practically fuming.

But the worst was yet to come.

Qian Sheng took a two-week leave from the army, saying he needed to recover, and that he’d take his sister to the Ge family to sincerely apologize and then bring his wife back.

When the siblings left, they made sure everyone knew about it, and Tian Mi caught a glimpse of Qian Jingjing as they did.

In just one night, something had changed; Qian Jingjing, once so arrogant, now looked like a frightened bird.

Pale as a ghost and trembling, her former haughtiness was completely gone.

Tian Mi didn’t understand how Qian Sheng could turn this into such a spectacle, making it a grand show, even treating the soldiers’ families who didn’t know the whole story as fools. Didn’t he fear that Commander Wang and Brigade Commander Liu^[1]It was Commissar[政委] Liu in previous chapters and I’m not sure if it is referring to the same person so since Brigade Commander[旅长] was used in this one I left it as is. would be disgusted with him?

In any profession, having the boss dislike you is bound to make things tough—even a fool would know that.

That night, Tian Mi’s brother-in-law provided a clear explanation to satisfy her curiosity: “Qian Sheng won’t be getting any promotions for the next few years. Hitting his wife is shameful, after all. So now, he’s trying to milk whatever benefits he can from the current situation. By putting on this pity act, he’s at least managing to salvage his reputation with most people. After that, he’ll probably look for an opportunity to transfer out of Unit 836.

Once he’s in a new environment, if the chance for promotion arises, this self-sacrificial act might even help him. A mixed reputation like his, as long as he pulls a few strings, won’t be much of a hindrance. After all, to outsiders, this just looks like a family dispute.

Tsk… it’s a calculated move, I’ll give him that.”

Of course, Chen Gang still looked down on Qian Sheng’s ‘cleverness,’ considering it a low tactic.

“To put it bluntly, he’s like a sewer rat, always too scared to act in the open, always sneaky.”

Tian Yu slammed the table in anger after cursing him repeatedly, saying, “Someone like him could actually get a promotion?”

Chen Gang expertly soothed her. “Don’t worry. The old Mr. Ge is highly respected despite his low profile. Although he only made it to the battalion commander rank before retirement, he was once one of the most promising elites. In one battle, he led a team and saved over thirty soldiers’ lives, sacrificing his right leg, which was half-crippled by an explosion. Among the soldiers he saved, several have now become senior officers. With the Ge family’s influence, dealing with someone like Qian Sheng would be effortless.”

Chen Gang gave a smirk, adding, “I’d bet Qian Sheng only knows a fraction of what the old Mr. Ge can do. Otherwise, even if he had a hundred times the nerve, he wouldn’t have dared to lay a hand on Ge Yun.”

Hearing this, the Tian sisters both relaxed, especially Tian Yu, who looked delighted. “That’s exactly how it should be! Letting such a hypocrite rise through the ranks—who knows what kind of shameless things he’d do. If you ask me, he deserves to be discharged. Wearing that green uniform is wasted on him.”

Chen Gang gave her a reassuring pat. “Relax. With someone as calculating yet misguided as Qian Sheng, even without the Ge family’s involvement, he’d sooner or later make a greedy misstep. When that day comes, he’ll be lucky if he just gets discharged. He might even end up in a labor camp.”

What can I say? This is definitely justice served, thought Tian Mi, feeling satisfied to see wickedness meet its end.

“Oh… I nearly forgot. Comrade Xiao Yu, how about we discuss something?” Chen Gang’s tone suddenly changed, and he looked at his wife almost pleadingly.

“No way!” Tian Yu immediately refused.

Her tone was as firm as it could be. Chen Gang’s mouth twitched, and he persisted. “Comrade Xiao Yu, I haven’t even said what it is yet. How can you say no already?”

“I don’t need to hear it to know! Especially with you looking so eager—it must be about participating in this year’s winter swimming competition. Well, I don’t approve.” Tian Yu couldn’t understand why men would want to strip down to their shorts in freezing weather and jump into icy water, all for the sake of some so-called thrill… ha!

Chen Gang, unable to participate for the past two years, wasn’t above harboring the “petty” thought that if he couldn’t swim, his brother-in-law shouldn’t either. He pleaded again, “Xiao Yu, you see, this year Lao Lou will definitely be joining the winter swimming competition. So, as his dear brother-in-law, wouldn’t it be inappropriate if I don’t go?”

“What’s inappropriate about it? Besides, Xiao Mi would never let her husband risk his life in freezing water.” Tian Yu was confident without even glancing at her sister.

But to her surprise, Tian Mi looked excited. “When does it start? I agree! I’d love to join, too!”

Chen Gang: …

Tian Yu: …