Font Size:
“What? The Women’s Federation said my wife’s family background is unacceptable? Rejected?”
Xiao Zheng gripped the telephone tightly. He took a deep breath to calm his anger.
“Which comrade raised the objection, specifically?”
“… I understand.”
“… A state-run factory is fine too. Thank you, Minister Yang.”
Click.
He hung up.
Xiao Zheng lit a cigarette, took a drag, then stared blankly at a corner of the room. After a moment, he picked up the phone again and dialed.
The swirling smoke blurred his expression, but his cold, emotionless tone revealed his inner turmoil.
“Commander, last week there was an enemy sabotage incident at a neighboring county’s heavy industry factory.”
“Enemy activity is rampant. I propose we launch a counter-espionage investigation. It’ll serve as both prevention and public education.”
“This movement shouldn’t be limited to the military. Every government office, factory, and community organization in the county should be involved.”
“I’ll coordinate with the County Committee. This is part of our defense responsibility.”
—
Xiao Zheng stepped into his Courtyard at home but didn’t see his wife’s usual figure bustling in the kitchen window.
He wiped his sweat, washed his hands, and finally found An Huan and their son in a side room.
The room was set to become a study, a place for their child to learn. For now, it held only a desk and two chairs.
Dongdong sat upright at the desk, tiny hands holding a calligraphy brush, practicing on a newspaper.
An Huan sat beside him, also practicing her calligraphy.
Xiao Zheng stood in the doorway for a long while before An Huan, stretching her neck, finally noticed him.
She was startled. “You’re home already? I got so into practicing I lost track of time. I haven’t started cooking yet!”
She stood up in a hurry.
But Xiao Zheng blocked the doorway, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly.
“What’s wrong?” An Huan looked up in surprise.
Xiao Zheng gently pressed the back of her head, nestling her against his chest.
“Nothing.”
He just felt guilty. His heart ached for her.
Not only because of Ge Hongying’s hostility—he simply couldn’t shake the feeling that An Huan had sacrificed too much to follow him.
She could have lived a much better life in the provincial capital.
“You rest. I’ll cook,” Xiao Zheng murmured, rubbing her hair, his voice softer than usual.
An Huan’s arms tingled from the tenderness. Still, since he wanted to pamper her, she gladly accepted it without pretending otherwise.
She rose on tiptoes, looped her arms around his neck, and gave him a loud kiss. “I’ve never tasted your cooking before—today’s my lucky day.”
Xiao Zheng had grown used to her spontaneous kisses—and had even come to enjoy them. He bent down to kiss her back, hard, before heading to the kitchen.
An Huan reminded her son to keep practicing and followed after her husband, helping start the fire and chatting about their child.
“Did you know Dongdong can already write a bunch of traditional characters? He also memorized dozens of Tang poems! All thanks to my Father.”
She was surprised because in her original memories, overwhelmed by her struggles, she had never paid attention to her child’s learning. So these memories didn’t exist.
Xiao Zheng was impressed. “Already better than his old man.”
An Huan laughed. “To be a good cadre, you need some culture. You’d better study harder.”
His old commanding officer had also encouraged him to read more, but he’d always paid lip service.
This time, though, hearing it from his wife, he didn’t just nod—he made a real commitment in his heart.
If I don’t start reading, I’ll be the least educated person in this family!
Xiao Zheng wasn’t too skilled at cooking, but he was meticulous. His knife work was excellent—An Huan had always struggled with the heavy cleaver, but in his hands it looked like a toy. The shredded potatoes he cut were fine and uniform.
He looked solid, the kind of man who exuded boundless strength—capable of handling anything.
An Huan praised him at just the right moment. “Your knife work is amazing—just like a professional chef!”
Xiao Zheng glanced back at her and smiled. “From now on, tell me in advance what you plan to cook. I’ll prep the ingredients for you every morning before work.”
The cleaver was heavy, and her hands were delicate—it had to be tiring.
An Huan smiled. “No need. If I don’t practice the things I’m bad at, I’ll always have to rely on someone else.”
Xiao Zheng didn’t say anything else, but he tucked it away in his heart.
“What happened today?” An Huan could sense something was wrong from his mood. Since it likely concerned her, she didn’t want to be kept in the dark.
Xiao Zheng hadn’t planned on telling her—afraid she’d feel hurt—but he couldn’t avoid it under her pressing, so he downplayed it.
The Women’s Federation rejected her? An Huan immediately suspected Ge Hongying.
But she wasn’t upset. She’d never waste energy on people who didn’t matter.
“If they don’t want me, then so be it. I’m not in a hurry to find work. I’ll take my time.”
Xiao Zheng, seeing that she really didn’t mind, finally felt relieved.
—
“Didn’t you hear about last week’s chemical plant explosion in the neighboring county? It was in the papers! Killed more than ten people! One of the victims was even a relative of someone in our Courtyard.”
“Who? Who?”
“Logistics Xiao Li’s wife—her brother from her maiden family worked at that plant. It happened during his shift—poor guy got blown to bits.”
“No wonder I haven’t seen Xiao Li’s wife lately. She probably went back to her family’s place.”
A group of military wives were chatting at Zhou Meihua’s house. An Huan had come to pick up the pants Zhou Meihua tailored for her and got pulled into the conversation.
Mostly she listened, but when they brought up the explosion, she asked, “What caused the chemical plant explosion?”
Zhou Meihua answered right away, “Enemy sabotage!”
The term “enemy sabotage” had faded by An Huan’s time, but in the 1960s, it still came up often in daily conversations.
“How can those agents be so heartless? Over ten lives, and each of them left behind families!”
“They’re enemy spies! You think they have humanity?”
Because of that explosion, Yun County launched a full-scale counter-espionage operation. Every office, factory, and organization went through a nerve-racking review. Everyone’s past was re-examined.
Ge Hongying never imagined she’d be caught up in the investigation.
“You—do you know who I am?! How could I possibly be connected to enemy spies?!”
The investigators remained polite. “Deputy Director Ge, this is standard procedure. Even the Director is under investigation.”
“Him? Compared to me?” Ge Hongying sneered, but she couldn’t avoid it.
Fine, just go through the motions.
Though she was angry, she remained confident.
She had a good family background and seniority.
If nothing else, no one in the Women’s Federation had more clout than she did.
She should’ve been promoted to Director long ago.
Ge Hongying sat in her chair, looking at the investigators with cold disdain, completely unafraid.
But their first sentence wiped the smugness from her face.
“Comrade Ge Hongying, in September of 1946, your propaganda unit became separated from the main force and was captured entirely by the enemy…”