The more she spoke, the sadder she became.
Zhao Hui choked on her words, “I had five brothers, but three of them didn’t even survive to Liberation, and the other two died in Korea. My family is almost, almost gone. Xiao Chen, you can’t, you can’t…”
Qiu Director immediately caved, “Your family is so tragic, fine, your family first. I’ll give the child to you, is that not enough?”
Seeing that Zhao Hui still couldn’t stop crying, she asked again, “How about I give you a piece of cake to eat too?”
From what Chen Mianmian had read in the book, the Zhao family was indeed tragic and heroic.
Zhao Lingcheng’s father was an instructor for the first class of the Aviation Academy.
He had four younger brothers, all fighter pilots before Liberation—a profession with almost zero survival rate.
So by the time it came to Zhao Lingcheng, he was the only one left.
Watching Zhao Hui cry her heart out, Chen Mianmian had no choice but to step forward.
She said, “You’re the aunt, right? No matter what happens between me and Lingcheng, I won’t remarry and take your family’s child with me.”
She explained to everyone, “She’s my ex-husband’s family, here to find me.”
At that moment, the driver drove into the yard, and everyone noticed that this female comrade had actually arrived in a car.
Director Jiang rushed to shake Zhao Hui’s hand, “You must be the wife of a high-ranking officer, my apologies, my apologies.”
So Chen Mianmian was the daughter-in-law of a high-ranking official’s family all along?
But Zhao Hui’s next sentence left everyone stunned: “I’m single, thank you.”
The driver got out of the car and saluted Zhao Hui, “Director, what do you need me to do?”
Zhao Hui stood with her hands behind her back and her chest out, “Go find food, the most nutritious kind. Also, have the City Bureau Chief wait for me.”
Director Jiang saw this and was sweating bullets, his legs trembling.
When he drove Chen Mianmian away, he never imagined her backing would be a female leader.
He stammered, “Come inside and sit, let’s talk. Our cadre guest room is empty, the kang is especially warm.”
Qiu Director rubbed her hands, “Comrade Leader, this, this…”
She didn’t know what to say.
But seeing that the military vehicle didn’t even have a license plate, only a string of numbers, proved she was either from a military-industrial base, a nuclear plant, or a top leader from the aerospace city.
Qiu Director wisely stopped asking questions.
Judging people by their status—just yesterday, everyone had cursed Zhao Lingcheng collectively.
But now, everyone’s attitude had softened considerably.
The Old Lady held Zhao Hui’s hand, “A man with a bad temper isn’t a big deal, but he can’t just hit his wife. Harmony in the family brings prosperity.”
Jing Jing Wu only dared to say, “Mianmian is so pitiful, please treat her better.”
Another classmate, Guli, was also present and said, “Mianmian is our living Lei Feng, don’t hit her.”
Zhao Hui and her nephew often contacted each other for work and frequently communicated.
Of course she would ask, but Zhao Lingcheng almost never shared anything about his private life.
Whenever she tried to urge him to have children, he would only retort, “Have one yourself, stop meddling in my business.”
After completely changing her view of Chen Mianmian, Zhao Hui was now convinced all the fault in the divorce lay with her eldest nephew.
She said loudly, “Mianmian and the child will be my full responsibility.”
She cracked her knuckles, “If anyone dares touch a hair on Mianmian, I’ll beat them up, no matter who it is.”
Jing Jing Wu thought of something, “Auntie, earlier you punched Xu Dagang so many times, you even gave him a black eye.”
Only now did everyone realize how formidable she was, their faces full of admiration.
But Zhao Hui said, “Age catches up with you. Back when I was young, I could take on three of those guys at once.”
Jing Jing Wu linked arms with Chen Mianmian, excitedly saying, “Mianmian, you’re saved!”
Guli added, “If a man dares to hit you, just go to her, let her stand up for you.”
Zhao Hui pulled Chen Mianmian close, gritting her teeth, “Lingcheng has actually learned to hit his wife? Just wait till I deal with him.”
Yesterday, Zhao Lingcheng was just a husband who abandoned his wife and child.
Today, he’s already a domestic abuser?
Chen Mianmian was about to explain, but the driver came forward, “Director, the food is here, and also…”
Zhao Hui said, “You eat and rest first. I’m going to the City Public Security Bureau to help you process the paperwork to return to the army.”
Watching the car drive off, Director Jiang was almost in tears, “Xiao Chen, come inside and eat.”
The Old Lady was also heading home for dinner and said, “Go eat, fill up so you’ll have the strength to give birth.”
The onlookers also began to disperse, all saying, “Go back to your room, take your time and eat.”
Yesterday, even with Jing Jing Wu’s best efforts, she only managed to get three pieces of lamb with bone.
But with Zhao Hui’s driver in action, they brought back a giant bowl of boneless lamb, all meat.
Chen Mianmian knew Jing Jing Wu had told a white lie yesterday, so today she invited her to eat together.
To be fair, she gave everyone present a piece of meat, as a reward for supporting her.
Director Jiang bowed and invited her in, so she entered the legendary cadre guest room.
In reality, it was no different from an ordinary guest room, except the kang was warm and comfortable for sleeping.
Chen Mianmian had always had a question, and now was a good time to ask Director Jiang, “Where did Xu Xiaomei go, do you know?”
Director Jiang scratched his head, “She left on her bicycle, probably went to the Minbing team.”
Jing Jing Wu said, “She must have gone to find the Militia Vice Captain, Xu Dagang.”
Director Jiang pulled a long face, “She’s already like that, can’t she just settle down? She’s such a headache.”
Then he laughed, “Xiao Chen is a Military Spouse, would she be afraid of a Militia Vice Captain? What a joke.”
As a Lawyer, Chen Mianmian was used to analyzing and reanalyzing situations.
The Xu family would become Railway Brahmin in the future, holding great power in the northwest, so she couldn’t let her guard down.
But if Xu Xiaomei was looking for Xu Dagang, it was useless.
The Minbing were only a temporary unit; he couldn’t stir up any big trouble.
However, there was one person who could help Chen Jinhui and Xu Dagang overturn their cases.
If the enemy comes, she’ll respond accordingly.
She needed to come up with a counter-strategy.
Half a bowl of lamb—so delicious.
She and Jing Jing Wu ate until their mouths were oily, and after dinner, she planned to take a nap.
But as soon as she lay down, the window was pushed open, and Qiu Director’s face appeared, “Girl, do you really understand English?”
In her previous life, Chen Mianmian mainly handled foreign-related cases and knew five languages.
And Zhao Lingcheng had enrolled the female supporting character in Russian and English, and she had a diploma.
Qiu Director continued, “I heard you’re from the countryside. Your mother must be very open-minded to let you learn foreign languages.”
Her mother, Wang Ximei, was a woman who made even Chen Mianmian shudder at the thought.
Chen Jinhui was actually a twin—a boy and a girl—but just before they were born, Father Chen died unexpectedly.
Wang Ximei strangled the baby girl until she stopped breathing, handed her to her eldest daughter, Chen Huan Di, and said tiredly, “Burn her.”
The little sister, still warm, was stuffed by the eldest sister into the kang and burned to ashes.
While breastfeeding her son, Wang Ximei told the female supporting character, “I originally wanted to strangle you too, couldn’t raise you, but you were too pretty, I couldn’t bear it. Mianmian, my love for you is deeper than the sea, you must repay your mother.”
It was a particularly complicated feeling.
Smelling the burnt scent of her sister, the female supporting character loved and feared her mother ever since.
Her mother said the brother was the pillar of support for all the women in their family, and the female supporting character and her eldest sister believed it wholeheartedly.
They ate chaff and wild vegetables, but gave their brother the best fish, meat, and fine white rice.
They supported him through school and work, firmly believing he would bring glory to the family.
These things weren’t fit to share with outsiders, so Chen Mianmian only said, “It was alright.”
Qiu Director asked again, “Where did you learn your foreign language?”
In this era, anyone who knew a foreign language was usually labeled a Rightist and sent down for labor reform.
But factories had a lot of imported machinery, and language talent was in short supply.
The Red Five Categories and foreign language skills were like thunder and fire—an impossible combination—yet she claimed she was both, so Qiu Director had to dig deeper.
Chen Mianmian lied without blinking, “I was once a top student at Huangxi Red Specialized.”
In reality, the female supporting character had only attended three classes in total, but bragging didn’t require paying taxes.
Qiu Director handed her an envelope, “Try this, translate it.”
Chen Mianmian saw it was a report introducing a Laser Device, just over a hundred words, a simple little article.
She found a pencil, thought for a moment, and began writing her translation in her notebook.
She was once an Elite Lawyer, and now she was going to be a translator—she would be the best in this era!
Jing Jing Wu was busy cleaning the guest room and didn’t come find Chen Mianmian until evening.
But just as they were about to chat, they heard a woman crying outside, “Mianmian, where are you, Mianmian!”
Chen Mianmian happened to have her window open, and the woman spotted her and headed straight for the house.
It was her eldest sister, Chen Huan Di.
Chen Mianmian asked, “Big Sis, where’s Xu Xiaomei? Did she go to find our mother?”
Her family’s Red Flag Commune was forty kilometers away, and Chen Huan Di’s house was halfway there.
It seemed Xu Xiaomei had first gone to her sister-in-law, then gone back to her mother-in-law.
That was, in fact, the best way to turn the case around.
Because as soon as the mother found out her son had been sent to the Bureau by her daughter, Wang Ximei would fly into a rage.
As the birth mother, she could go straight to the Public Security Bureau to accuse and testify against Chen Mianmian, saying she was the real mastermind.
With her own mother as a witness, Xu Dagang wouldn’t have to be shot, and Chen Jinhui could be released on the spot.
Chen Mianmian couldn’t help but give Xu Xiaomei a thumbs up.
No wonder she became the woman who built the Railway Brahmin of Quancheng—she was sharp.
Chen Huan Di burst into tears before she could speak, “Mianmian, we’re just daughters, but Jinhui is a son, he’s the only hope of the Chen family. As his sister, I can only help him, how could I harm him? Hurry, go to the Bureau and get him out.”
Chen Mianmian coldly retorted, “What about me?”
Chen Huan Di was stunned, “We’re daughters, worthless. If Mother wanted to strangle us, she could have. She kept us and raised us with great hardship. If we don’t repay her, are we just ungrateful wolves?”
She added, “Hurting your own brother, aren’t you afraid of retribution? What if you end up having a bunch of daughters too?”
Jing Jing Wu couldn’t stand it anymore, “Big Sis, Mianmian is the victim—your brother nearly beat her to death.”
Chen Huan Di shrugged, “Even so, she shouldn’t have called the Police Officer. Jinhui is the only son, he’s the hope of the old Chen family.”
Jing Jing Wu was speechless, unable to understand her logic.
But Chen Mianmian could understand—as the eldest, Chen Huan Di had watched her mother give birth to daughter after daughter and helped clean up afterward.
She could empathize with her mother’s pain, share her love, and loved her brother even more than the female supporting character did.
To this pitifully ignorant elder sister, Chen Mianmian couldn’t be bothered to waste words.
Her real enemies weren’t her big sister, but Xu Xiaomei and Wang Ximei, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo.
What she said to Chen Huan Di was also meant for those two.
After all, the 500 yuan bride price and 200 yuan divorce compensation—she needed to get both from them.
She said, “If you want me to save Jinhui, fine, but I need Xu Xiaomei to give our mother three hundred yuan, and I want our mother to personally write a severance letter, stating that we are no longer mother and daughter, and from now on, her life and death have nothing to do with me.”
Xu Xiaomei and Chen Jinhui were both dual-income workers, with monthly salaries, and she still had the five hundred yuan bride price.
Getting her to give three hundred yuan to Wang Ximei sounded doable to Chen Huan Di, so she quickly agreed, “I’ll promise on Xiaomei’s behalf.”
But then she added, “Sever ties if you want, ungrateful wolf. With this pregnancy, you’re sure to have a daughter.”
She was cursing her, because in her view, the worst curse was to give birth to a girl.
But just as she was cursing, a joyful voice sounded behind her, “Mianmian is really carrying a girl?”
It was Zhao Hui, just back from handling the army paperwork, and she’d only heard half the conversation.
But she knew best—the old man in their family had dreamed of having a granddaughter!
Chen Mianmian smiled and said, “I have a feeling, this child is a girl.”
Jing Jing Wu was a little worried—after all, in these times, the preference for sons was still strong.
But Zhao Hui was genuinely excited, “If it really is a girl, our Zhao family’s dream will finally come true!”
She looked at Chen Huan Di and sincerely said, “Thank you for your good wishes.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.