Chapter 187 Jiang Wanxia is dead

She pointed to the red Buddha statue on the wall and said, word by word, "I'm telling you, I've already spoken to the Buddha! The Buddha will help me! None of you who bullied me will escape! I'll come back for revenge sooner or later, so just you wait!"

Two soldiers helped her out, and she continued to chatter and laugh. The laughter in the empty corridor sounded more eerie than crying.

...

On the other hand, Qian Xiaoxia's life wasn't easy either.

She cried and made a scene in front of the Political Department building for several days, until her voice was hoarse, but she still couldn't see Jiang Wanqiu again, let alone get her to pay for her medical expenses.

Chief Le received a notification that leaders from Beijing would be coming down tomorrow to discuss Zhao Wenchang's promotion, and they couldn't afford any mishaps at this crucial juncture.

With a wave of his hand, he sent people that very night to "invite" Qian Xiaoxia, who was throwing a tantrum, out of the military compound.

Qian Xiaoxia was left at the entrance of the military region, with no one to turn to for help.

However much she hated and resented, she couldn't just stand by and watch her son die.

In desperation, she had no choice but to take the few dollars she had and go to the post office to send an urgent telegram home. After queuing for half a day, she finally got through on the long-distance call.

As soon as the call connected, she cried and begged her family to send money immediately, as it was Wang Jianjun's life-saving money.

But on the other end of the phone, her husband sounded even more desperate than she did.

"Transfer money? I was hoping you could get some money back from the Jiang family! Something terrible has happened at home!"

Qian Xiaoxia's heart skipped a beat.

All she heard was her husband's tearful voice on the other end of the line: "Your good-for-nothing son, Wang Jianhua! On his train journey back from Northeast China, he had dirty hands and touched a woman's butt!"

"What?" Qian Xiaoxia's vision went black.

"He touched her, that's all. Usually, an apology and compensation would be enough. But the problem is, that woman isn't just anyone! She's the daughter of a high-ranking official in Shanghai! She reported it as soon as she arrived at the station, and Jianhua was arrested on the spot!"

“Right now, our department store gets inspected every day, it’s either the fire department or the tax office! We’ve almost emptied our savings, it’s all gone to pulling strings and bribing people, and we still need to prepare more money to get Jianhua out! That’s hooliganism, if we can’t get him out, we’ll be shot!”

The husband's voice was filled with despair: "Jianjun's side... we really don't have a single penny left! Don't you still have Jiang Wanqiu? Her husband isn't that battalion commander, such a high-ranking officer. Go to them, try to get some money out of them! After all, they are Jianjun's sister and brother-in-law..."

Qian Xiaoxia didn't hear a single word that followed.

Then, everything went black before her eyes, and she fell straight backward, still holding the microphone.

...

In the family compound, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the windows, bathing the house in a warm golden light.

Jiang Wanqiu was sitting on a small stool, head down, carefully packing Ping An's schoolbag for tomorrow's first day of school.

The sharpened pencils were tied together with rubber bands, and brand-new grid exercise books were placed inside, along with neatly wrapped book covers made of newspaper.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!" A young soldier ran over breathlessly, forgetting to knock, and poked half his body into the door, his face full of anxiety.

Jiang Wanqiu frowned slightly when she saw his expression.

The young soldier hurriedly reported, "Sister-in-law! We just received an urgent telegram! It's... it's about Jiang Wanxia!"

It's Jiang Wanxia again.

Jiang Wanqiu's heart sank inexplicably, and an inexplicable sense of irritation welled up inside her.

Wasn't she already taken away?

Jiang Wanqiu put her schoolbag aside, stood up, and walked over to the young soldier: "What mischief has she gotten herself into this time?"

"She jumped off the train halfway through! The train was crossing a large bridge with a river below. She... she just rushed straight through the guards and plunged into the river," the young soldier hurriedly reported.

The river had just thawed; it was wide, the current swift, and the water was icy cold. If someone fell in, their chances of survival were slim.

"The train made an emergency stop, and some people went down to look for him, but the river was pitch black, and there was no sign of him. After the report was passed up the chain of command, a salvage team was finally sent down, but when they pulled him up... he was already dead." After the young soldier finished speaking, he cautiously raised his eyes to look at Jiang Wanqiu's expression.

Dead?

Jiang Wanqiu never expected that a woman would use her own life to put an end to everything.

He's a madman, an absolute madman.

But it also seems like something they would do.

"I understand." Jiang Wanqiu's voice was devoid of emotion. "Thank you for your trouble, young comrade, for making such a special trip."

Seeing that she showed no sign of sadness, the young soldier finally felt relieved.

Before coming, he was really worried that his sister-in-law wouldn't be able to handle the shock, after all, she was his own sister. Now it seems that he was overthinking it.

Indeed, anyone would be heartbroken by the outrageous things Jiang Wanxia did.

The young soldier scratched his head: "I'm glad you're alright, sister-in-law. I'll head back now. Our regimental commander instructed me to report to you immediately if anything happens at home."

After seeing the young soldier off, Jiang Wanqiu stood at the door for a long time. A cool evening breeze blew by, and she pulled her thin shirt tighter around herself before turning and going back inside.

Zhao Wenchang returned as dusk fell.

He took off his military cap and hung it on the wall, still covered in the dust of the outside world.

Upon entering the room and seeing Jiang Wanqiu, his tense face softened instantly.

"How's the promotion going?" Jiang Wanqiu poured him a cup of hot water and asked casually.

"Everything's ready." Zhao Wenchang took the enamel mug, the warm touch soothing his heart.

He took a big gulp of water before speaking, "My documents have been reviewed, and the leaders from Beijing are very satisfied. The handover is almost complete today, and I'm afraid I'll be even busier in the future."

He looked at her, a hint of apology in his eyes.

Jiang Wanqiu smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"Of course, with great power comes great responsibility," she said lightly. "You just go about your business, I'll take care of things at home."

That night, the two lay in bed.

Zhao Wenchang stared at the ceiling with his eyes open. In the darkness, his voice sounded particularly deep: "Wanqiu, I'm thinking, if there's an opportunity for a transfer in the future, and we go to develop in other places, would you like to go back to Shanghai or to Beijing?"

He knew she was from Shanghai, the place where she grew up. But Beijing was the capital, the best place in the country, and he wanted to give her the best.

Jiang Wanqiu listened quietly. In the darkness, she turned over to face him.

“My thoughts don’t matter.” She looked at Zhao Wenchang. “I’ll go wherever your career is most successful. Home is where you are, and I’ll be there too.”

Zhao Wenchang was silent for a moment, then turned over and hugged Jiang Wanqiu.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her sweet fragrance.

He no longer wanted to dwell on whether she liked him or not.

As long as she said those words, as long as she was willing to stay by his side for the rest of her life, he would be content.

...

The next day was the official start of the school for children of employees.

Jiang Wanqiu escorted Ping An to school and then went to Principal Wang's office to check her class schedule.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Principal Wang saw her, he waved his hand cheerfully and said, "Oh, Comrade Wanqiu, you don't need to come to class!"

Jiang Wanqiu was taken aback.

Principal Wang pointed to her already noticeable belly and said with a smile, "Your husband, Commander Zhao came to see me a few days ago and gave me all the instructions! He said you're pregnant now, so you're very precious and can't overexert yourself. The kids in our school are all like little monkeys, they don't know their own strength. If they bump into you or hurt you, that would be a huge problem!"

Jiang Wanqiu was surprised that Zhao Wenchang had even thought of this; the man was incredibly thoughtful.

With no classes, Jiang Wanqiu had to go home first. Before leaving, she squatted down again and carefully straightened Ping An's collar.

"You must study hard at school, listen to your teachers, and don't be naughty anymore, understand?"

Ping An pursed her lips and nodded heavily.

Just then, a chubby-faced little boy ran over, made a face at Ping An, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fighting King! We don't want you anymore, get out of our school!"

Ping An's face immediately darkened, and he stared at the other person with an unfriendly gaze.

Seeing that Ping An didn't move, the little boy picked up a stone from the ground, intending to throw it at Ping An.

Just as a major battle was about to break out, Jiang Wanqiu stood up before him.

She pushed Ping An back and stepped forward herself: "Little kid, running over here to curse at people for no reason and even trying to throw stones at them, that's bullying, you know?"

The child shuddered under her gaze, stubbornly trying to argue back.

Jiang Wanqiu added, "Moreover, my Ping An never hits people without reason. Unless some kids are itching for a beating and want my Ping An to help loosen their muscles."

Finally, Jiang Wanqiu pulled out her trump card: "And where are your parents? You're so young and already learning to bully others. Call your parents over, I want to ask them how they raised their child!"

The little boy had never seen anything like this before. He was so frightened that he burst into tears and ran away in a flash.

Ping An looked up at Jiang Wanqiu with some surprise.

Jiang Wanqiu lowered her head and met her son's surprised gaze. She reached out and gently stroked his head.

"Ping An, remember what your mother said. We won't bully others, but if someone bullies you, don't fight back alone. Come back and tell your mother, and your mother will handle it for you."

Ping An looked at her, something flickering in his eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

After leaving the school, Jiang Wanqiu looked at the sky; it was still early.

Carrying a cloth bag, she walked briskly towards the nearby supply and marketing cooperative. She needed to buy some good vegetables to take back and cook for Zhao Wenchang.

He now sits in an office every day and no longer has to endure the wind, sun, and rain on the training field like before.