Actually, Zhao Lingcheng still had no clear concept of his daughter.
But his grandfather had raised Zhao Hui, an outstanding female senior colonel in the Air Force.
Zhao Lingcheng looked at the old man, full of flaws but confident.
As arrogant as he was, he believed the daughter he raised would be even better.
Yet if Chen Mianmian educated Niuniu the same way she had taught Miaomiao, what reason would he have to snatch the child?
Weakness wasn’t the key to failure—arrogance was.
Still, because of arrogance, Zhao Lingcheng fell unprepared into the pit he’d dug for himself and kept silent.
But Chen Mianmian wouldn’t let him off just because he pretended to be dumb.
She said, “If you don’t speak, I’ll take that as your agreement.”
Just then, the waitress Guli came out to the backyard and said, “Mianmian, you’re the best at reading the weather. Do you think it’s going to rain?”
There was a cloud in the sky that looked like it might pour.
Chen Mianmian asked, “Are you going out? Worried about rain?”
In those days, with no accurate weather forecasts, people always checked the sky before going out.
Guli said, “My water cellar is almost empty. If it rains, I need to go home and sweep the yard to collect water.”
The Northwest basically had no underground water.
Before running water was common, people dug water cellars.
But digging a water cellar was extremely hard.
They first had to dig a pit about five meters deep, then use the special collapsible red clay of the Huangtu Plateau, mix in soaked flax stalks, and repeatedly pound it to make the cellar walls waterproof.
Only one thing could render a water cellar useless—someone drowning in it.
Chen Mianmian wasn’t sure if it would rain, but heard Zhao Lingcheng say, “It won’t rain in the city, but it will in the countryside.”
Guli laughed, “Why? Does rain have eyes to pick places?”
Just then, a plane flew overhead. Zhao Lingcheng pointed at it: “The Air Force sees the clouds and performs artificial rainmaking to make the rain fall where it should.”
Guli slapped her head, “The teacher talked about this…what’s it called again?”
Chen Mianmian said, “Artificial Rain.”
Guli sighed, “I forgot. You still remember. No wonder you never play with classmates—you’re always secretly studying.”
Chen Mianmian smiled shyly, “Of course, I’m a top student.”
Artificial rain was a new technology developed only in the past couple of years.
Other students knew nothing about it, but Chen Mianmian was so clear on it that Zhao Lingcheng had to believe she really was a top student.
Curious, he walked over to Guli and asked, “Is Director Jiang of the guesthouse widowed?”
Guli, also a gossip lover, said, “It’s been five or six years now. His wife drowned herself in the water cellar. Serves him right!”
Zhao Lingcheng was puzzled, “Why serves him right?”
Guli explained, “Digging a water cellar is no easy feat. When his wife jumped in, that cellar was ruined.”
The workload and cost to dig a water cellar were huge.
People saved for years to afford one—it was a family heirloom.
The worst revenge a woman could give her husband’s family was to die in the water cellar, because once a corpse soaked the water, the cellar had to be sealed and a new one dug.
Zhao Lingcheng glanced out at Director Jiang’s yard, “I see.”
Chen Mianmian was a bit doubtful, thinking maybe he guessed where Xu Dagang hid the stolen goods.
Bastard, his brain couldn’t be that fast, right?
Xu Xiaomei stomped her feet anxiously, staring at Chen Mianmian with desperate eyes.
But Chen Mianmian ignored her, simply handing two deposit books to Wu Jingjing and telling her to check them at the Credit Union.
Director Jiang was smirking, waiting to talk to Chen Mianmian, but she walked straight to the Ma brothers.
The two of them each held a chunk of meat bone, standing dazed by the roadside.
Chen Mianmian tapped Ma Jiguang’s shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
He sighed, “Sigh!”
Of course, they didn’t want Xu Dagang to be released, but Xu Xiaomei was Chen Jinhui’s wife, and Chen Mianmian was famously doting on her brother.
They feared Xu Dagang’s release and wore heavy expressions.
Chen Mianmian pulled out two two-yuan food coupons, giving one to each: “You two work hard cleaning dung every day.”
Not only did she treat them to meat, but she also gave them food coupons?
Because they were so honest, other classmates looked down on them, but Chen Mianmian treated them so well?
Ma Jiguang choked back, “Mianmian, if your dung pit is full, or the fields need tilling, or if you need help digging a water cellar, just call me. If I don’t help, then I’m just livestock.”
Ma Jiye said, “Me too. If I don’t work, I’m a donkey. Damn it.”
Wu Jingjing was speechless, “You two are really dumb. Officer Zhao’s family doesn’t even have a dung pit.”
Guli laughed, “Mianmian drinks tap water, doesn’t need to dig water cellars. You two big fools.”
The Ma brothers were embarrassed, then looked at Zhao Lingcheng: “Brother, do you need us to do anything else?”
Chen Mianmian never helped people blindly; helping the Ma brothers was also helping Zhao Lingcheng.
Seeing him ignore the brothers, she pinched him.
Still no response, so she said, “To Brother Zhao, working hard cleaning dung is the best repayment.”
The Ma brothers nodded in unison, “We’ll work hard cleaning dung.”
Chen Mianmian still ignored Xu Xiaomei, who was nearly in tears.
Zhao Lingcheng said, “Xu accountant, right? Go to the detention center to see your brother. If you don’t, he might get beaten to death.”
Xu Xiaomei was essentially a former version of Chen Mianmian; loving her brother was in her bones.
She gave a quick “Ouch!” and ran off.
Jiang Director followed, and the two headed to the detention center.
Zhao Lingcheng hadn’t paid attention to the Ma brothers earlier because he was watching Lin Yan, who was being led by militia to get a haircut, just entering the barbershop.
He didn’t want to talk much to the Ma brothers, so he just said, “You two, get to work.”
The Ma brothers left obediently.
Now only Officer Xiao Liu remained, ready to go back to work.
Zhao Lingcheng gestured him to move forward and whispered, “Check out the address of Director Jiang’s house at the guesthouse—the one where his wife jumped into the water cellar. I’ll meet you all at the Public Security Bureau in an hour. Oh…”
He hesitated, then added, “Wang Ximei is still at the Public Security Bureau, but I don’t want Chen Mianmian to know.”
Xiao Liu also had a mother-in-law.
Though not as extreme as Wang Ximei’s, she was still quite a handful.
He slung his bicycle and saluted with a smile, “Got it!”
Then he said, “See you soon.”
Zhao Lingcheng pushed his bicycle over to Chen Mianmian, saying, “Let’s go, to the Civil Affairs Section.”
Guli and Wu Jingjing were still there.
They exchanged a glance and smiled, “Congratulations, this time you have to live well.”
Their most important task today was to get the marriage certificate and get married.
But watching Xiao Liu leave, Chen Mianmian rolled her eyes.
In fact, the stolen goods the Xu brothers embezzled were hidden in Director Jiang’s house, in the water cellar where his wife committed suicide.
Compared to the farm or the Gobi Desert, their own home’s water cellar was the best place to hide things.
Because it was in Director Jiang’s courtyard, easy to conceal, and certainly abandoned and unused.
According to the Ma brothers, Xu Dagang often went to Director Jiang’s house to drink, but in reality, he was hiding stolen goods there.
Zhao Lingcheng’s mind was quick enough to realize this.
Well then, get the certificate quickly, then rush to find the loot.
But after entering the Civil Affairs Section, seeing a bench in the corridor, he gestured Chen Mianmian to sit and pulled out a big steamed bun from his bag.
He handed her his thermos cup, saying, “Eat something first, then we’ll register.”
It was his thermos, and a thermos cup at that.
Chen Mianmian looked and said, “It’s milk powder inside, it’ll smell funny.”
Milk powder in a thermos would indeed leave a lingering taste, but little Niuniu needed the nutrition.
Zhao Lingcheng understood well, “It’s the critical growth period; she needs to eat well and get nutrition. Hurry, eat up.”
Chen Mianmian hadn’t eaten lunch and was indeed hungry.
She broke off a piece of the bun and started eating, “So fragrant, so crispy!”
Usually these buns were best after cooling, when they melted in your mouth.
As she enjoyed it, Zhao Lingcheng suddenly gagged.
She got angry, “If you’re like that, how do you expect me to eat?”
Zhao Lingcheng’s mind was filled with the image of the Ma brothers shoveling dung, which made him want to vomit.
Since it affected the pregnant woman’s appetite, fine, he went outside to throw up.
But after several night shifts, only three hours of sleep last night, and skipping lunch, his complexion was pale.
Entering the marriage registration office, two staff members glanced at him, then at Chen Mianmian’s belly, and instantly showed disgust: “Comrade, you don’t look happy.”
He came to register for marriage but looked worse than someone getting divorced.
By his face alone, it seemed forced—like a duck being pushed onto a stage.
Zhao Lingcheng was digging for documents when an older woman quickly scribbled something and handed it to Chen Mianmian, “Can you read this? Want me to read it?”
Zhao Lingcheng glanced and saw it said: Women hold up half the sky.
If abused, contact the Women’s Federation.
From Wu Jingjing to Guli, and now this woman, all were concerned about one issue—domestic violence.
Zhao Lingcheng was stunned again.
So the whole city thought he was a wife-beater?
He naturally suspected Chen Mianmian was spreading rumors.
But looking at his ID, the women smiled broadly, “From the military industry base and here for remarriage?”
They read the divorce reason and finally let him save face, then all turned to criticize Chen Mianmian.
One said, “Don’t you know how bad things are outside? Food rations keep getting cut; everyone’s starving.”
Another said, “I’ve forgotten what white bread tastes like. Do you know?”
Not for the man, but for the good meals at the military base, the women thought she should stay there.
Zhao Lingcheng glanced at his ex-wife with a faint sense of pride.
Now marriage registration didn’t require photos, just filling out forms and stamping them.
The stamps came down with a slap.
One older woman shook Zhao Lingcheng’s hand and advised him, “Our local girls might be rough, but they’re kind-hearted, hardworking, and endure scolding and beatings. You can scold, but don’t hit her.”
Another added, “A wife should be loved, not hit. Don’t hit her, seriously.”
Pride frozen on his face, Zhao Lingcheng was speechless, “Sister, I’m a soldier, I don’t hit women.”
Actually, their worries were due to domestic violence being very common in the Northwest.
But in the old society, women had no protection from beatings; now with the Women’s Federation, women helped and informed each other.
Women in this era assumed men beat their wives, and Zhao Lingcheng’s bad complexion added to misunderstandings.
If he didn’t clear this up soon, the domestic violence reputation might spread to the capital.
Chen Mianmian held up the note and said, “Ladies, he has never abused me and won’t in the future because he’s a man of excellent character. But I’ll keep this note and give it to those who need it.”
The two women looked at Zhao Lingcheng, “Don’t be upset, see how understanding your wife is, speaking up for you.”
Zhao Lingcheng took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and linked arms with his wife, “I will.”
The women exchanged glances, handed over the certificates, and said, “A perfect match. How wonderful!”
But as Zhao Lingcheng left, they still warned, “If there’s a problem, talk it out. Don’t hit your wife.”
Zhao Lingcheng stiffened, thinking, “How do I feel like my wife-beater reputation will sooner or later reach the capital?”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.