Chapter 25: The frail woman before her was actually the battalion commander’s wife

Su Yuanyuan packed a few old clothes for herself and her children, putting two steamed buns and water bottles in the children’s bags for later.

Leaving the [spatial storage], Su Yuanyuan took her children to the guesthouse to check out.

“Comrade, do you know where the nearest military base is?” Su Yuanyuan collected her deposit and asked the receptionist.

The receptionist, a young woman with pigtails, shook her head apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t know.  But it’s probably far from the station. I’ve lived here for years and haven’t noticed any military bases.”

Train stations were usually in city centers, while military bases were in the suburbs.

Su Yuanyuan felt frustrated.  Leaving the guesthouse, she saw a wide road.

A few cars passed occasionally; cars weren’t common then, and Beijing traffic wasn’t yet congested.

The wind dried her face.

A market was nearby, relatively quiet at that time, with a few vendors chatting.

Su Yuanyuan approached, smiling and asking politely, “Excuse me, do you know how to get to the nearest military base?”

Lu Zhengan had done well in the army, rising to the rank of battalion commander.  Finding the base, even if not his specific unit, and mentioning his name would lead her to him.

Su Yuanyuan thought asking for directions to the nearest base would be easiest; she didn’t want her children to tire themselves out.

The vendors looked up and saw a delicate, pale face pretty but thin. Her two children were also thin, carrying nothing, their clothes faded, looking pitiful.

“I don’t know.  There aren’t any military bases nearby.  My goodness, comrade, why are you in Beijing alone with two children? Where’s your family?” The vegetable vendor, a loud woman, drew attention.

“Grandma and Grandpa didn’t give us food at home. We were starving, so we came to find Daddy,” Lu Mingzhu explained clearly. Being a girl, she was thinner and spoke sweetly, her voice endearingly childish.

The children were so young; it was unlikely they were lying.  Seeing how thin they were, everyone guessed their living conditions.

The vendor felt awkward for bringing up a painful topic and gave them two radishes.

“Beijing is big, and it’s hard to find places. These are homegrown radishes; they’re sweet.  Take them home.”

Su Yuanyuan thanked her, but she needed to find Lu Zhengan and didn’t have time for small talk.  She asked others, but no one knew the exact location or said it was very far.

By noon, despite it being autumn, the sun was strong. Su Yuanyuan, rarely going out, had delicate skin; her cheeks were flushed.  She continued asking for directions.

Lu Mingzhu and Lu Siyuan also asked passersby about the military base.

But ordinary people mostly stayed near their homes, workplaces, or markets. Transportation wasn’t as developed then; people usually went where they could reach by bicycle.

After asking many people, no one knew the exact location, and those who did said it was far away.

If she searched blindly, taking a bus to the suburbs would take half a day.  Missing a bus would be troublesome.

Su Yuanyuan was parched and saw her children sweating.  She took them to the shade of a tree.

Su Yuanyuan wiped the children’s sweat and gave them water; heatstroke was a possibility in this weather.

The children were well-behaved; she couldn’t afford for them to get sick.

Lu Siyuan drank from his army-green water bottle, his manner impeccable.

His eyes darted around, then fixed on a spot.

He handed the bottle to Su Yuanyuan, urging her to drink.  Only after she finished did he point to the police station.

“Mommy, let’s ask the police officers for help. Maybe they can help us find Daddy.”

Su Yuanyuan took a large gulp of water, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the police station.

She hadn’t noticed it earlier.  She could ask for help.

The army and police had connections; this would be faster than searching aimlessly.

“Hold Mommy’s hand tightly,” Su Yuanyuan secured the water bottle and led her children into the police station.

It was midday; the station was quiet.  A dry wind blew in from outside, contrasting with the harsh sun.

A police officer saw a thin woman with two small, thin children enter.

They carried little luggage, just a patched bag.

The officer approached. “Comrades, do you need help?  If you’re reporting something, please fill out this form.”

Su Yuanyuan saw their shabby appearance in the reflection and realized the officer had misunderstood.

Feeling relieved to be at the police station, Su Yuanyuan had her children sit in the waiting area.

“Officer, I’m not here to report anything; I’m looking for someone,” Su Yuanyuan placed her bag on the floor.

“Who are you looking for?  Let this comrade register your information,” the officer greeted a female officer at the counter.

Su Yuanyuan reached into her bag, explaining, “My husband is a battalion commander in the Beijing Military Region. His name is Lu Zhengan. We’ve just arrived and don’t know his unit’s location.  Please help us.”

The officer paused, momentarily studying Su Yuanyuan and her children.

As a police officer, his gaze was inappropriate.

But he was shocked.

Su Yuanyuan and her children were dressed in old, patched clothes; they looked impoverished, nothing like a battalion commander’s family.

“We have the Beijing Military Region’s address and phone number. We can help you contact him, but you’ll need to show identification or a letter of introduction.”

The police station and the military sometimes collaborated on training or missions and had direct lines.

Su Yuanyuan took out a neatly folded cloth from her bag.  When she arrived, Su Yuanyuan had carefully stored important items in this clean cloth.

Su Yuanyuan felt a pang of sadness but calmly handed the officer her documents.

“This is my marriage certificate and his military service record.”

She didn’t have a letter of introduction, but these documents sufficed.

The officer recognized the seal on the service record, realizing the woman was indeed the battalion commander’s wife. 

Though surprised, he wrote down the address and gave it to Su Yuanyuan.