Chapter 110: Interrogation

Hearing her words, Lin Shulan was stunned, taking a while to react.

“Yubai’s wife, what nonsense are you talking about?”

Shen Chuning had been holding back, but Lin Shulan’s words caused her tears to flow uncontrollably.

Wiping her tears, she cried, “Mother, I know you and Brother Yubai are good to me, but now this happened to my family, if I don’t divorce Brother Yubai, it will implicate him!

I don’t want to ruin Brother Yubai’s future because of me, woohoo…”

Lin Shulan felt her heart ache as she watched Shen Chuning cry.

She used a handkerchief to wipe Shen Chuning’s tears, “Silly girl, what are you thinking? How could your Second Brother be a spy?

When your Third Brother went to the army, the army investigated your family. When you married Yubai, the army also investigated before approving it.

If your Second Brother had any problems, how could he escape the army’s investigation?”

Shen Chuning hung her head, sobbing, “Mother, I know my Second Brother isn’t a spy, but I’m afraid…”

She was afraid that she would be powerless, and Second Brother would end up the same way as in her dream.

The news from Uncle today, besides saying Second Brother was in the armed department, also said that the Revolutionary Committee wanted to take him from the armed department.

The higher-ups were unstable, the four people the Revolutionary Committee relied on were on the verge of collapse.

The division of labor between the Revolutionary Committee and the county party committee was unclear, leading to chaos as both sides competed for credit.

The armed department, under the county committee’s jurisdiction, cooperated with the army to capture the enemy agents, but the Revolutionary Committee also wanted the credit.

The dead enemy agents couldn’t be taken, they could only target the living ones.

Shen Zhengliang was the only living suspect and became the target of both sides.

Shen Chuning wasn’t worried as long as he was in the armed department, but once he fell into the hands of the Revolutionary Committee…

Lin Shulan had attended literacy classes, knew characters, and could use an abacus. Since Zhou Yubai joined the army, she bought old newspapers to read when she went to the city, understanding some political situations.

Hearing Shen Chuning’s words, she knew what Shen Chuning was worried about.

After a long silence, Lin Shulan sighed, hugging Shen Chuning, gently patting her back, “Ningning, you’re a good child. After this is over, Mother hopes you’ll still be Mother’s daughter-in-law.”

That night, Shen Chuning tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She hoped Zhou Yubai would return, but until the alarm clock rang, it was time for her to go to work, and Zhou Yubai hadn’t returned.

Wang Yumeng was also unable to sleep.

Since Shen Zhengliang was arrested, she had been anxious.

If Shen Zhengliang revealed the contents of Chen Ziyun’s letter, she might be suspected of knowing about the enemy agents on the mountain and luring Shen Zhengliang to the mountain to frame him.

Then, they would suspect her relationship with the enemy agents, and she wouldn’t be able to explain.

She remembered the original book mentioning enemy agents rushing into the village to take hostages, the heroine being captured, and the hero saving her, their relationship deepening.

But now Chen Ziyun, the hero, had been sent to a labor camp, she thought this plot would disappear, but unexpectedly…

The next morning, Shen Chuning took the teacher’s letter and the severance agreement her father gave Third Brother to the commune.

Her colleagues had probably inquired about her family’s situation after work yesterday.

Today, they avoided her even more, not wanting any eye contact.

Although Shen Chuning was prepared, she still felt heavy-hearted.

She finished a day’s work in the morning and asked the commune secretary for an afternoon off to go to the county town.

In the county town, Shen Chuning first sent a telegram to the army, applying for a divorce from Zhou Yubai.

Telegrams were charged by the word, one word cost seven cents, two words could buy a jin of corn flour.

But Shen Chuning didn’t care about the money now.

She wanted to explain everything to the army leaders in the telegram to avoid affecting Zhou Yubai’s career.

She had written the draft last night.

The moment she handed the draft to the operator, her tears fell.

She quickly wiped her tears, and after the operator sent the telegram, she paid 14.7 kuai.

Leaving the telegraph office, her tears flowed uncontrollably.

She wiped her tears and went to the county committee.

At the county committee’s gate, before she could ask for directions, she saw her uncle riding a bicycle out.

Shen Qingfeng was surprised to see her.

Seeing no one around, Shen Qingfeng quickly pulled her aside, “Ningning, why are you here? Are you here to inquire about your second brother or to see Uncle?”

Shen Chuning shook her head.

Thinking that her uncle was trustworthy, she told him about the letter the teacher gave her, asking her to find the county party secretary for help.

Shen Qingfeng frowned slightly and patiently analyzed with Shen Chuning, “Ningning, I don’t think it’s time to use this letter yet.

The county committee won’t act recklessly, as long as Zhengliang is in the armed department, he’s safe. Uncle will intercede, they won’t force a confession from Zhengliang.

Let’s wait, until your husband returns, see if he can help. If he can, don’t use your teacher’s favor. Once used, it’s gone.”

Shen Chuning initially thought so too.

But when her father wrote severance agreements for her and Third Brother, she realized she had thought too simply.

That’s why she decided to divorce Zhou Yubai, cutting ties with the Zhou family.

Shen Chuning knew she couldn’t hide the divorce, so she told Shen Qingfeng that she had already sent a divorce application to the army.

“What!” Shen Qingfeng’s eyes widened.

But he quickly understood, “Sigh, Ning girl, it’s good that you cut ties with the Zhou family, at least it won’t implicate them.”

“Let’s go, Uncle will take you to see the secretary.” Shen Qingfeng said.

Shen Chuning sniffed, holding back her tears, “Thank you, Uncle.”

On the other side, Shen Zhengliang was being interrogated.

Bright incandescent lights shone on Shen Zhengliang’s eyes.

Shen Zhengliang’s face was pale, his whole body blurry.

“Shen Zhengliang, confess honestly, what were you doing sneaking into the mountain on the nights of October 18th and 24th?”

“Hunting.” Shen Zhengliang repeated the answer he had given countless times.

“Hunting for what?”

“To sell.”

At first, when Shen Zhengliang was still awake, the answer was to eat.

But after the grueling interrogation, his answer became to sell.

“To sell for what?”

“To buy food.”

Shen Zhengliang’s lips were cracked, he didn’t know how many times he had repeated this conversation.

“Who instigated you to go to the mountain on those two nights?”

“It was…”