The sixties had their share of hardships, but if there was one thing that was top-notch, it was the thermos bottles.
The hot water had been drawn in the morning, yet it still kept its just-boiled temperature—scalding hot.
Chen Jinhui’s wound had only been dabbed with a bit of iodine, not bandaged at all, and now all that boiling water was poured straight over his injury.
A donkey-like wail burst from his throat as he bent over, clutching his face.
Chen Mianmian pressed the attack, pouring the rest of the hot water down the back of his neck.
As she poured, she shouted,
“Oops, I accidentally bumped into the thermos! Did you get burned?”
Xu Xiaomei saw everything clearly and screamed,
“You clearly poured the water! Second Aunt, are you crazy?!”
The bystanders chimed in,
“Everyone saw it, she poured the hot water!”
Poor Chen Jinhui’s face was now covered in huge blisters, and he howled in pain, completely losing the will to fight.
Since she was afraid of hurting the baby, Chen Mianmian didn’t want to drag things out. She grabbed her stick and headed for the door, ready to make a break for it.
But Chen Jinhui suddenly straightened up and lunged after her, grabbing her by the throat.
As he strangled her, he cursed,
“I’m doing this for your own good, you stupid woman! You just don’t know what’s good for you!”
He tried to drag Chen Mianmian back into the house, but the onlookers wouldn’t have it.
Someone blocked his way: “You’re not allowed to hit women!”
Another person said,
“Let go right now, or we’ll call the Public Security Bureau!”
At this critical moment, Xu Xiaomei shouted at the top of her lungs,
“Comrades, she’s crazy!”
She held the crowd back, saying,
“My sister’s out of her mind—she’ll hit anyone! Everyone, keep your distance!”
She had a work position, so people trusted her, and sure enough, no one tried to mediate anymore.
But Chen Mianmian seized the opportunity.
While Chen Jinhui’s hands were occupied strangling her, she used the nail-studded end of her stick to jab at the blisters on his face—each jab popped one with a wet splat.
The pain made him let go, and she spun around and bolted.
Xu Xiaomei grew anxious and called out,
“Quick, help me catch the lunatic!”
Calling a woman crazy was the best way to control her.
Chen Mianmian was enraged.
She turned back and whacked Xu Xiaomei on the head with her stick.
She shouted,
“I’ve got rabies! I’ll bite anyone, and whoever I bite will get infected!”
Rabies was no joke—many people were scared stiff.
But a few brave souls still seemed eager to try and catch her.
Chen Mianmian bared her teeth.
“Woof, woof woof, I’ll bite you all!”
She was biting people now?
This was serious.
Afraid of being bitten and infected, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.
Clutching her green satchel tightly, Chen Mianmian calmly turned to leave, but after just two steps, she bumped straight into someone’s arms.
Thinking it was Xu Xiaomei, she raised her stick to strike, but the person said,
“I’m here to protect you.”
Chen Mianmian looked closely—it was the girl who had helped her earlier.
The girl wrapped an arm around Chen Mianmian and loudly declared,
“Comrades, she’s a Military Spouse! You can’t hit her!”
The supporting female character was only twenty-four this year, still quite young.
Because she was pregnant and disheveled, at first glance Chen Mianmian really did look like a madwoman.
But if she was a Military Spouse, then she was carrying a soldier’s child.
The American Aid Korea War had just ended, and people naturally respected soldiers.
When someone saw Chen Jinhui about to charge forward, they slapped him across the face: “How dare you hit a Military Spouse? Just try it!”
But someone else questioned,
“Didn’t you say she was crazy? How could she be a Military Spouse?”
Xu Xiaomei grew anxious.
“Jing Jing Wu, what nonsense are you spouting? If you don’t get back to work, I’ll dock your pay!”
The girl was a waitress at this guesthouse, named Jing Jing Wu.
She said,
“Chen Mianmian is my classmate. I’ve met her husband—he’s a very handsome Military Officer.”
She looked back at Chen Mianmian and asked,
“Didn’t we study together at the Red Specialized School? Don’t you remember?”
The supporting female character’s marriage to Zhao Lingcheng had lasted only two years.
Because she was illiterate, a complete illiterate, as soon as they married, Zhao Lingcheng sent her to school.
What a coincidence—the one helping her turned out to be an old classmate?
Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Chen Mianmian’s eyes darted as she came up with a plan.
She pointed at Xu Xiaomei first.
“I’m carrying a soldier’s child, but she’s forcing me to get an abortion!”
Then she pointed at Chen Jinhui.
“And he wants to sell me off to some fat, ugly, bald old man with a big belly!”
Rather than fighting alone, why not use the power of the crowd?
She shouted,
“Come on, catch the human trafficker!”
Just as Chen Jinhui was about to struggle, he was met with a few punches, and the men shouted in unison,
“Damn it, behave yourself!”
Xu Xiaomei saw things going south and hurried to explain,
“She’s already divorced! She’s not…Ow!”
Chen Mianmian had no intention of letting her ruin things.
She swung her stick.
With nails in the stick, every blow drew blood.
Afraid of ruining her looks, Xu Xiaomei ran off.
Returning, Chen Mianmian yanked up Chen Jinhui’s sweater.
Pointing to the ropes around his waist, she shouted,
“These are the ropes he wants to use to tie me up!”
Kidnapping, and attempting to sell a pregnant Military Spouse?
The crowd was furious now, and their fists rained down on Chen Jinhui.
Xu Xiaomei, seeing her husband about to be beaten to death, angrily kicked Jing Jing Wu twice and ran off to call the police.
She had just reached the main gate when a group of officers in peaked caps arrived.
She was overjoyed.
“Help, help!”
She wanted to lead the Police Officers to save her husband, but behind her came Chen Mianmian’s voice: “Comrades of the Public Security Bureau, help!”
Her voice was even louder.
“Someone’s kidnapping me and trying to sell me!”
She was making things up and playing the victim first?
She threw herself into a Police Officer’s arms, crying,
“They want to sell me to an old, bald, single man!”
Meanwhile, a group of people dragged Chen Jinhui forward.
“Comrades of the Public Security Bureau, the bad guy is right here!”
The crowd had caught the culprit, so the Police Officers moved to cuff him.
But the Police Officers followed procedure.
Seeing blood on Xu Xiaomei’s head, one of them first asked her,
“Who hit you, and why?”
Then to Jing Jing Wu,
“You reported the case. Point out the kidnapper.”
Jing Jing Wu was an honest girl and only spoke of what she knew: “I overheard Accountant Xu and her husband plotting to tie Chen Mianmian up. But she’s my classmate, and a Military Spouse, so I think Accountant Xu’s husband is the bad guy.”
Xu Xiaomei cursed in anger,
“What do you know?!”
She tried to hit Jing Jing Wu, cursing again,
“That’ll teach you to meddle!”
Four or five Police Officers had arrived, and as things started getting noisy again, one barked,
“Everyone, shut up!”
Another snatched the stick from Chen Mianmian’s hand and pointed at her,
“You too, quiet!”
Now that the police were here, Chen Jinhui wasn’t afraid anymore.
He said,
“Comrade, I’m with the Railway System. I’m a government worker.”
With his hands cuffed behind his back and unable to move, he nodded and bowed.
“That’s my sister, and that’s my wife.”
Xu Xiaomei said,
“Quick, go get my Work Permit!”
The Police Officer frowned.
“If you’re all family, then this is a domestic dispute, isn’t it? Are you making a false report?”
Jing Jing Wu was confused and looked at Chen Mianmian.
“You’re all family?”
Because the supporting female character had kept to herself in the guesthouse, the two weren’t very familiar and hadn’t interacted before.
Today, hearing Chen Jinhui and his wife plotting to tie someone up and force medicine down her throat, Jing Jing Wu had wanted to help out of genuine concern.
But if they were relatives, didn’t that mean she had made a false report?
And for domestic disputes, even in the future, the Public Security Bureau wouldn’t get too involved—let alone now.
Chen Jinhui nodded quickly,
“It’s a family matter, just a little argument.”
They thought it was a real trafficking case and sent a whole team of Police Officers, only for it to turn out to be a minor family squabble?
And in a brawl, the one who struck first was in the wrong, so the Police Officer scolded Chen Mianmian,
“Comrade, hitting people means you’ll be detained.”
Another Police Officer uncuffed Chen Jinhui and asked,
“Who hit you, and why?”
Xu Xiaomei pointed at Chen Mianmian,
“It was her! And she’s the one playing the victim!”
She pulled a wallet from her pocket and shouted,
“I have proof that she’s not a Military Spouse!”
She held up a Divorce Certificate and shouted,
“Look! She and her Military Officer husband divorced long ago!”
Jing Jing Wu was even more confused,
“Chen, you really got divorced?”
Chen Mianmian rolled her eyes, lowering her gaze.
The supporting female character was truly foolish—to let her sister-in-law keep her Divorce Certificate.
Director Jiang from the guesthouse rushed over, saying,
“I can vouch for it—Chen Jinhui is an Iron Pipe Patrol Officer.”
Xu Xiaomei waved the Divorce Certificate around.
“See? She divorced half a year ago!”
Even if she’d married a Military Officer, she was already divorced.
A family argument, and she called the police to arrest her own brother?
Xu Xiaomei shot Chen Mianmian a vicious glare.
“She’s the one who should be arrested!”
Jing Jing Wu was still dazed.
“Chen, your husband was such a good man. Why did you get divorced?”
Her Military Officer husband was tall and handsome, a real catch.
When Chen Mianmian first started school, he’d gone from dorm to dorm, asking everyone to look after her.
The other girls were so jealous their teeth nearly shattered, but she’d still gotten divorced—why?
Chen Jinhui didn’t want things to escalate and said to the Police Officers,
“It’s just a family matter, no need to trouble you all.”
He turned to Chen Mianmian.
“Second Sister, I’ll get on my knees and apologize—let’s not make a scene, okay?”
So after all this fuss, not even the Police Officers could help her?
Three Police Officers continued handling the situation, while an older officer with graying hair stood off to the side, hands behind his back, watching.
Chen Mianmian quickly caught up to him.
“Uncle Police Officer, I have something to ask you.”
She’d observed that he seemed to be the leader.
If she wanted a real result today, she’d have to talk to him.
The old Police Officer nodded.
“Go ahead, little comrade, what is it?”
Chen Mianmian asked,
“So even if a younger brother beats his older sister to death, as long as it’s a family matter, the police won’t step in? If he wants to kidnap and sell his sister, that’s legal too?”
She pointed at Chen Jinhui.
“He says even if he beats me to death, the police won’t care. Is that right?”
Chen Jinhui was so angry he laughed, lifting his head to show his injuries.
“Everyone can testify—she did all this!”
Xu Xiaomei wiped the blood from her head, sobbing.
“She’s really lost her mind, just hitting people at random!”
The old Police Officer was experienced.
“There’s no smoke without fire. Why would she hit you for no reason?”
He turned to Chen Mianmian.
“If he’s done anything illegal to you, speak up. We’ll stand up for you. If he’s really trying to kidnap or sell you, if it’s true, we’ll arrest him and he could even be executed!”
He really was a leader—his words carried weight, and Chen Mianmian felt reassured.
But Xu Xiaomei, seeing her sister-in-law determined to make trouble, panicked and tried to smear her.
She blurted out,
“Comrades, my sister-in-law was rejected by her Military Officer husband!”
Chen Jinhui quickly echoed,
“She’s got a terrible temper—always hitting people. That’s why the Military Officer didn’t want her!”
With their slander, not only did the Police Officers frown, but even the bystanders shook their heads.
The army didn’t allow officers to divorce easily.
If even a military marriage could end, her temper must have been truly awful.
In an instant, Chen Mianmian was isolated—even Jing Jing Wu distanced herself.
Chen Jinhui took the chance to grab her arm.
“That’s just how my Second Sister is. Sorry for making a scene, everyone.”
He leaned in, baring his teeth.
“Useless lump. Just wait till the Police Officers leave—I’ll deal with you then.”
The supporting female character was actually quite tough—a northwestern girl, able to farm and hunt, skilled in all sorts of work.
But growing up, all the meat in the family was reserved for Chen Jinhui, while the womenfolk got only broth.
Whenever Chen Jinhui got into trouble, she’d stand up for him.
He didn’t want to farm, and she worked hard to get him a job.
Even his marriage to Xu Xiaomei—the bride price was paid with her own sacrifice.
He’d grown used to relying on his sister, so when she suddenly turned on him, he was both furious and humiliated.
And in the future, the reason he always beat Niuniu was because, after Chen Mianmian’s injuries, she couldn’t bear children for Wei Section Chief.
Wei Section Chief grew frustrated and scolded him in front of his superiors, so he’d take it out on Niuniu at home.
Chen Mianmian curled her lips slightly and undid her woolen coat.
She said,
“I want to accuse Chen Jinhui of beating a woman, forcibly aborting a soldier’s child, and being willing to kill his own sister for it.”
With that, she lifted her undershirt, revealing her swollen, bruised belly.
Her stomach was as round as a basket, covered in fist marks.
How much must it have hurt when she was beaten?
How strong must her unborn child be, to survive all that?
Chen Jinhui was stunned. Xu Xiaomei shrieked,
“You’re slandering us!”
But the old Police Officer grabbed Chen Jinhui by the throat.
“Damn it, you beat a pregnant woman like this?”
He roared,
“Cuff him!”