Zhou Shuhua stiffened her neck and glared at the corners of her eyes, clearly showing her dissatisfaction.

"What do you mean by 'such a small matter'?"

Commissar Lei sat behind the old wooden table, his already burning temples throbbing. He slammed his hand on the table with a "thud".

"Even the army knows to take prisoners to the infirmary, but you're just a women's affairs director, yet you locked a sick military wife in your office and made her copy texts as punishment. Who gave you that authority?"

After more than twenty years of marriage, this was the first time Political Commissar Lei had ever lost his temper with her like this.

Zhou Shuhua's eyes reddened, and she twisted the hem of her shirt with her fingers, sobbing as she tried to explain.

"It's not as serious as you make it out to be. I have brown sugar, hot water, and a sofa in my office. She can lie down and rest there if she doesn't want to. Besides, I just wanted to teach her a lesson. I didn't know she would be in so much pain!"

"have no idea?"

Commissar Lei was so angry that his beard stood on end and his eyes bulged like copper bells.

"Huaichuan asked her, and Zhou Qiqi clearly told you she was going home to take her medicine. Did you listen to her? Did you open the door?"

"I..."

Zhou Shuhua hesitated for a moment. She had wanted to open the door according to her own heart, but Lin Yao had specifically told her that Zhou Qiqi was good at pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy, and that no one would have such severe menstrual cramps.

So she didn't believe it at all, and naturally there was no way she would open the door.

Now, recalling the large beads of cold sweat on Zhou Qiqi's forehead, I know that she was genuinely in pain, not faking it.

But he still stubbornly kept shouting.

"Even if... even if I did something wrong, she didn't suffer much. At worst, I can just bring her some gifts to comfort her. Why would I be dismissed like this? Did she tell you that?"

Her eyes darted around, hiding resentment. "Was it that brat Huaichuan who said it for her?"

Commissar Lei grabbed the enamel mug on the table and slammed it down hard, splashing water onto the corner of the table.

"Don't make wild guesses! Don't judge others by your own standards! Neither of them said anything! I made up my mind before Huaichuan even opened his mouth!"

Zhou Shuhua was stunned, her fingers digging into the edge of the table as she asked, "Why?"

Commissar Lei rubbed his temples, his voice full of exhaustion.

"This matter caused quite a stir. In addition to Director Lin from the logistics department, people from the operations department also went to inquire about it, and it even almost alarmed the old commander."

"You know Huaichuan's temper. He's very principled, but also very protective of his own. He's definitely planning to report it truthfully. Once it's reported, you'll inevitably get a public reprimand from the entire military region, and the Women's Federation will also issue a document. When it becomes public knowledge, everyone will laugh at you. Even if you're not removed from your position as Women's Director, do you think you'll still have the face to continue serving as the director?"

They've been married for decades, and Political Commissar Lei knows Zhou Shuhua's temper well. She's an intellectual with high standards, and this is the kind of situation she can't stand the most.

He sighed and looked out the window at the old locust tree that had lost all its leaves.

"Instead of doing that, I'd rather take the initiative to dismiss you, and you can submit a resignation letter. At least we'll save face for you."

Zhou Shuhua, however, became somewhat unreasonable and continued to try to defend herself.

"It's not my fault that things got out of hand! I only punished her by making her copy some documents, but she was the one who broke the window!"

"Enough!"

Political Commissar Lei suddenly stood up, his military trousers taut and straight.

"You're like you're possessed whenever Zhou Qiqi comes up! You used to be a university professor, how can you not understand this simple principle?"

He walked up to Zhou Shuhua, his tone curt.

"You're being dismissed because we're afraid you'll go and cause trouble for that young girl again!"

“I heard from Huaichuan that the girl lost her family when she was very young and grew up under the roof of others. She had endured more than ten years of hardship. By chance, she married Huaichuan. It’s their business that Huaichuan is willing to pamper her. If there are conflicts with military wives, it can’t be just her problem. How can you push all the blame onto her?”

He spoke earnestly and patiently, but Zhou Shuhua bit her lip and remained silent, her fingers rubbing the hem of her clothes until it was frayed.

Political Commissar Lei finally made the decision, "In short, you are not allowed to interfere in Zhou Qiqi's affairs anymore!"

"I've already had your things packed up in your office and will bring them back to you later. Just stay home, read a book, and calm your mind."

He left after saying that, and didn't come back until dinner that evening.

Looking at her husband's straight back, Zhou Shuhua felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

In the past two years, she has been busy attending meetings, writing documents, and mediating conflicts between military families. Her office walls are covered with banners of appreciation. Who would have thought that she would lose her job just because she punished Zhou Qiqi?

She sat in the wicker chair sighing and barely ate a few bites of dinner.

But in the military dependents' health clinic, Lin Yao was humming a little tune as she tidied up the medicine cabinet.

The thought of Zhou Qiqi being humiliated in front of Director Zhou made her lips curl up involuntarily, and she even arranged the medicine bottles with extra care.

A military wife came to her for a medical checkup, and she didn't pretend she wasn't there, unlike before.

Instead, she said politely, "I'm the only one at the clinic, and it's not all set up yet. I won't see a doctor for now; come back in a few days."

The military wife visited yesterday, but today she has a terrible headache and complained.

"What's there to pack? Doctor Qu packed everything up neatly before, what are you packing now? If you don't treat me soon, I'll report you to the logistics department!"

Lin Yao placed the medicine bottle on the medicine shelf and said slowly.

"Go ahead and sue me, what am I afraid of? A couple of days ago, in front of Director Zhou, Director Lin said that since I was just transferred here, I'm allowed to rest for a few more days to get familiar with things before starting work."

"I knew it! So you were relying on Director Zhou to back you up?"

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