Chapter 123

This year's Mid-Autumn Festival came early. On the day of the festival, the weather was still warm, and everyone celebrated the festival in a lively and joyous manner.

Gu Xi and her friends finished their meal early and went to the square to watch a movie together.

This was Xu Huaisheng's favorite movie, and he had been looking forward to it since before the Mid-Autumn Festival. After watching the movie, he could also go to the auditorium to watch the cultural troupe's performance.

What she loved most to watch was Zhang Wanxia dancing. The troupe's star performer was highly skilled, like an elf on stage, exceptionally beautiful, and the focus of everyone's attention, captivating her completely.

Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng also went to see a movie. Shen Mingzheng was carrying a bag containing snacks such as melon seeds, peanuts, and candy.

The square was bustling with activity. Children ran around, their screams and laughter blending together, along with the chatter of adults.

Shen Mingzheng looked around, then turned to Gu Xi and asked, "It's very noisy here, won't it give you a headache?"

He recalled last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, when she only stayed for a short while before feeling uncomfortable, her head aching from the noise, and he worried that she was still not used to it.

"No, not at all." Gu Xi was in good spirits today, looking around. "I don't have a headache now, I'm fine."

Her health is indeed much better than last year. The exercise she's done over the past six months has paid off. Plus, she's in a good mood and living a comfortable life, so her health has naturally improved.

I used to be unable to stand the noise and it would give me a terrible headache, but not anymore.

As they were talking, they saw Political Commissar Xu and his wife come over with their child. They greeted each other and gathered together to chat.

Xia Xiuxiu pulled Gu Xi aside and said, "Gu Xi, the children really liked the picture books you donated to the kindergarten last time. Thank you so much."

Gu Xi smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. I'll send it to you next time the publisher sends another copy."

These picture book stories were written by Gu Xi, and she also drew the illustrations. She spent two months preparing for them.

The stories inside are educational and full of childlike fun, which are very popular with children. As a result, the publisher specially increased her royalties to five yuan per thousand words, and even the illustration fees were increased.

Every time the publisher sends a book, Gu Xi asks them to send extra. Besides the ones she keeps for herself, she donates the rest to military schools to enrich the reading experience for the children there.

Xia Xiuxiu, a kindergarten teacher, was deeply moved by Gu Xi's actions. At home, she often told Political Commissar Xu how wonderful Gu Xi was and marveled that Commander Shen had truly married a good wife.

Marrying such a beautiful, capable, and kind-hearted wife is truly a blessing earned through eight lifetimes of good deeds.

Commander Shen was also known as a lucky man in the army.

Political Commissar Xu wholeheartedly agreed, saying with amazement, "Commander Shen's wife is beautiful, can write articles, can paint, and can even save lives... How can she be so amazing? These days, when the young men in our unit talk about what kind of wife they want, they all say they want someone like Commander Shen's wife..."

Listen to what he's saying! He wants to find a woman like Commander Shen's wife to be his wife? Dream on!

However, Gu Xi's existence has indeed raised the standards for young men in the army to find wives. Political Commissar Xu is quite worried. What if their standards are too high and they can't find wives in the future? Wouldn't that make the army even more troublesome?

Fortunately, only young and passionate people would have such unrealistic ideas. Most people are more down-to-earth and are content as long as they can find a wife they like. They are not that picky.

Political Commissar Xu also felt that Shen Mingzheng was a lucky man. He was an extremely capable man, and with such a capable wife, even the higher-ups thought highly of him and intended to cultivate him.

Last year, the Mo family helped the military families find jobs, which made the military leaders have a very good impression of Gu Xi. Not to mention Gu Xi's act of donating books to the school, the school principal and teachers all praised her highly.

She's so popular, there's nothing else to it.

"Gu Xi, when you have some free time, why don't you go to the kindergarten and tell stories to the children? They're really looking forward to it," Xia Xiuxiu suggested, thinking it was a good idea.

The children loved the stories in the picture books she donated, and they must have loved the authors even more.

Gu Xi thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, I really don't have time."

She's been really busy lately. The publisher has commissioned another article from her, and this time it's in a really urgent time. Plus, she's also responsible for illustrations, editing, and other tasks, so she's been quite busy and hasn't had much free time.

Of course, the main reason is that she doesn't like to be around strangers. The thought of the unfamiliar teachers and children in kindergarten makes her not want to move.

Xia Xiuxiu was somewhat disappointed, but she didn't press the matter. She pulled her aside and continued talking, mentioning her daughter.

As soon as Xu Xiaoyin arrived, she grabbed Xu Huaisheng and the other girls and ran off, no one knows where they went to play.

“My Xiaoyin is a little rascal. She gets along very well with your Huaisheng. I heard that Huaisheng is a very good student. Sometimes she even helps her with her homework. Her grades are much better than her brother’s. She’s definitely going to be a college student… It’s a pity that the college entrance exam was canceled, otherwise my Xiaoyin might actually be able to go to college.”

She said those last words very softly, her voice full of regret.

Gu Xi just smiled, thinking to herself that by the time Xu Xiaoyin finishes high school, the college entrance examination will have been reinstated, and she can take the exam.

Just then, Xia Xiuxiu said, "By the way, your son Yuansheng is nineteen years old this year, right? Shouldn't he be looking for a partner?"

Gu Xi: "...Still young."

“You’re not young anymore!” Xia Xiuxiu couldn’t help but laugh. “I married Lao Xu when I was eighteen and gave birth to my Xiaoyin when I was nineteen… Your Yuansheng is a capable girl. I heard that many people want to introduce her to potential partners, and there are also many young men in our army who want to date her…”

Gu Xi was stunned. She really didn't know about this; no one had told her.

"You didn't know?" Xia Xiuxiu was surprised, but quickly understood. "I heard it from my husband, Lao Xu. A lot of people have been asking him about your Yuansheng. I heard they actually wanted to find Commander Shen, but as you know, your Commander Shen has such a serious and upright demeanor that people don't dare to act rashly. Very few people dare to approach him with personal matters..."

Shen Mingzheng is an excellent person. He is meticulous and serious in his work. People usually come to him for work-related matters. No one dares to approach him with personal matters; they don't have the guts.

Even when it comes to gossip, no one mentions him.

In contrast, Political Commissar Xu, who partnered with him, seemed much more approachable. Everyone would go to Political Commissar Xu for anything, and only Political Commissar Xu dared to talk to Shen Mingzheng about random things.

So even if some young people have feelings for Xu Yuansheng, they don't dare to go directly to Xu Yuansheng's brother-in-law. Instead, they go around to Political Commissar Xu, who works with Shen Mingzheng, hoping he can help them make a connection.

Gu Xi found it amusing. Commander Shen certainly gave off that impression; he was a man to be handed over to the country. Who would dare to bother him with personal matters? Just thinking about it made her feel guilty.

Just like I was back then.

When Feng Min arranged the engagement between her and Shen Mingzheng, Gu Xi didn't feel much. She knew she had a fiancé, but she didn't have much of an impression of him and didn't even dare to talk to him.

From the age of fifteen to twenty, during those five years, their two brief meetings made Gu Xi feel that he was a man devoted to his country, difficult to get along with, and it was best not to bother him with personal matters.

So she never wrote him letters or sent him anything, which was also a way of not disturbing him.

However, after getting to know Shen Mingzheng, I found that Commander Shen was not so cold-hearted after all. In private, he was a caring and tolerant man.

He's very tolerant of his wife; he treats her like a daughter.

Commander Shen also felt regretful about her not writing to him or sending him anything during those five years. Sometimes when he talked about it, he would silently look at her, hoping that she would make up for it.

Xia Xiuxiu asked, "Hey, don't you really want to introduce someone to your son, Yuansheng? There are quite a few outstanding young men in the army; you could actually take a look." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Or do you not want Yuansheng to marry a soldier?"

Marrying a soldier is an honor, but being a military wife is indeed tough, and not all parents want their daughters to marry soldiers.

Gu Xi shook her head, "No, as long as she's happy, I won't interfere with her decision."

"That's great! Go ask Yuansheng. If she's willing, I'll have Lao Xu arrange a blind date for her. Or, when the time comes, invite all the young people to my house for dinner, and you can bring Yuansheng over too, so they can find her a partner..."

People these days are very decisive and energetic; once they have an idea, they immediately want to put it into practice.

Gu Xi broke out in a cold sweat and quickly said, "Sister-in-law, don't be in such a hurry. I need to ask Yuan Sheng. If she doesn't want to, I can't force her."

In her heart, Yuansheng is indeed still young, but if Yuansheng wants to find a partner, she will not stop him.

Xia Xiuxiu nodded, "Okay, you can ask Yuansheng sometime. If she's willing, just tell me, and I'll have Lao Xu arrange it. I heard there are several people with excellent qualities who want to date Yuansheng." Then she praised, "Your Yuansheng is beautiful and can sew clothes. She's so capable. It's no wonder someone would be interested in such an outstanding woman..."

Hearing this was comforting, Gu Xi smiled and nodded.

**

Because of Xia Xiuxiu's words, Gu Xi took Xu Yuansheng's search for a partner to heart.

She found a time and asked Xu Yuansheng if she had any thoughts about finding a partner, telling her what Xia Xiuxiu had said: "...If you are willing, the Political Committee of Xu can help arrange blind dates for you. If you like someone, you can date them. If you don't like someone, it doesn't matter. You can get married whenever you want."

Xu Yuansheng frowned and asked, "They wouldn't be trying to set me up on a blind date because of my brother-in-law, would they?"

She felt that she was just a country girl who, apart from being able to sew clothes, had only average qualities. How could she possibly attract the attention of so many outstanding young men?

She was definitely there because her brother-in-law was Commander Shen.

Gu Xi felt that this was one reason, but the bigger reason was that Xu Yuansheng himself was outstanding enough.

"What are you saying? If you weren't good enough, why would they want to go on a blind date with you just because of your brother-in-law? Don't overthink it. Actually, when it comes to marriage, it's inevitable to consider the family situation of both parties. Just like your future husband, besides him being capable, if his family is also capable and has a good social standing, I would feel more at ease..."

Marriage is generally not just a matter between two people, but between two families.

Family factors play a significant role in marriage. When a man and a woman fall in love, they will inevitably consider each other's family situation.

After hearing this, Xu Yuansheng stopped dwelling on it and directly refused: "Forget it, I don't want to go on blind dates, and I'm not in a hurry to find a partner."

Why bother looking for a partner? Isn't working and making money the best thing right now?

Even if she were to find a partner, it would have to be someone she liked. She didn't want to go on blind dates with a bunch of strangers she didn't know; just thinking about it made her uncomfortable.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xi went to tell Xia Xiuxiu to stop worrying about Commissar Xu and thanked the couple for their concern for Yuan Sheng's lifelong happiness.

Xia Xiuxiu didn't think much of it when she heard her refuse; if the girl wasn't interested, she couldn't be forced.

Political Commissar Xu couldn't help but feel a little regretful. There were too many troublesome people in the army, and he wanted to sell as many as he could. Unfortunately, Xu Yuansheng wasn't interested, so he had to give up.

When Gu Xi returned, Xu Yuansheng asked her, "Big sister, what if I never get married?"

"Then let's not get married." Gu Xi said casually. "You can earn money to support yourself, so what does it matter whether you get married or not?"

Her thinking is completely influenced by the new era's ideas, which stem from spending too much time online. She believes that whether a woman gets married or not is her personal freedom, and that being single for life is fine as long as she has the ability to support herself.

However, these days, if you're older and still not married, it will definitely attract gossip.

Gu Xi didn't think it was a big deal. After the reform and opening up, Xu Yuansheng would go to university. The world was vast, and no one could control her. She could do whatever she wanted without being trapped in one place or hurt by rumors.

Xu Yuansheng smiled and said, "Big sister, it's not that I don't want to get married, I just want to find someone I like."

Since joining the army and witnessing Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng's relationship, she finally had clear requirements for marriage. She wanted to find a man she liked, someone she could get along with like her older sister and brother-in-law, someone who understood and cared for each other, someone who was always happy together and rarely argued.

This is the kind of marriage she longs for.

Gu Xi asked curiously, "So what kind of person do you like?"

Xu Yuansheng was stumped by the question: What kind of person does she like? She didn't know; she had no idea.

She thought for a moment, "At least they have to be good-looking, so that the children they have will also be good-looking, like Tuantuan, Xiaozhao, and Xiaoyun..."

Gu Xi burst out laughing, "So you're a sucker for good looks too."

That's normal. Which girl doesn't want to find a good-looking partner? It's pleasing to the eye, after all, it's someone she'll spend her life with.

She really liked Shen Mingzheng's overly handsome and wild face; it was like a thorn in her side.

Xu Yuansheng doesn't think she's a sucker for good looks; she just thinks it's normal to find a good-looking partner, right? I don't think any girl would choose an ugly guy, would she?

Speaking of beauty, actually all the members of the Xiang family are quite good-looking, especially Xiang Changchuan; it's rare to see a man with his appearance...

**

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather begins to cool down, with lower temperatures in the mornings and evenings.

Gu Xi really likes this kind of weather; it's neither too hot nor too cold, and she can just wear an extra layer of autumn clothing when she goes out. This kind of weather is also her favorite time to go out.

That day, Gu Xi went to the town market to buy things.

Today is market day, it's very lively, and there are many people in the town. Gu Xi even ran into a former educated youth from the farm, whom she knew through Cheng Yuanyuan. Sometimes when they bumped into each other at the town market, they would exchange greetings.

When the educated youth saw her, they greeted her and told her that Cheng Yuanyuan had had an accident and had been sent to the county hospital the day before yesterday.

Gu Xi was startled and quickly asked, "What happened?"

Then she learned from these educated youths that Cheng Yuanyuan had a friend, Sun Xiaomei, who married a brigade near Nongyang at the end of last year. Little did she know that the man she married was a domestic abuser who beat the female educated youth.

When Cheng Yuanyuan learned of this, she angrily took Sun Xiaomei back to the educated youth settlement and made her friend get a divorce.

Later, Sun Xiaomei's in-laws came looking for her. Sun Xiaomei's husband refused to divorce her, and in desperation, he hit Cheng Yuanyuan, who was trying to persuade them to divorce. Cheng Yuanyuan was hit so hard that she fell to the ground, hit her head, bled a lot, and fainted on the spot, which frightened everyone.

The crowd rushed her to the hospital, and they heard that her condition was quite serious; she hasn't returned from the hospital yet.

Gu Xi hurriedly asked which hospital it was, and upon learning that it was the People's Hospital of Huanshan County, she wanted to go and see her.

Since joining the army, although the two lived in different places, they would sometimes meet up to go to the town market to buy things or have a meal together. Over time, they became good friends. When they learned that Cheng Yuanyuan was in trouble, how could they not go to see her?

Gu Xi thanked the educated youth for informing her and began thinking about visiting Cheng Yuanyuan in the hospital.

It's too late to go today, I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

During dinner that evening, Gu Xi talked to her family about Cheng Yuanyuan's hospitalization and told them that she would go to the People's Hospital of Huanshan County to see her the next day.

Shen Mingzheng asked, "How are you getting there? Do you want someone to take you?"

He was worried that she wouldn't know the way, and besides, Huanshan County was quite far from the military base, so he wondered if she would get tired going that far.

"No need, I can just ride my bicycle there myself," Gu Xi said. "It's only a little over two hours away, not too far."

Xu Yuansheng asked, "Big sister, do you know the way?"

"I don't know, but I can ask someone." Gu Xi didn't think it was a big deal.

Although Shen Mingzheng was worried that she would get lost, he thought that she was in good health now and had been training for several months, so she was quite capable of fighting and there was nothing to worry about.

**

Gu Xi woke up early the next morning.

Xu Yuansheng had already prepared breakfast. Seeing that she was in high spirits, it was clear that getting up early hadn't made her too uncomfortable.

After breakfast, Gu Xi went back to her room, picked up a handbag hanging on the rack, put some money and tickets inside, and also put in a handkerchief and other daily necessities.

Xu Yuansheng handed her a military water bottle filled with water, along with some egg pancakes, so she could have something to eat if she got hungry on the way.

Gu Xi picked up the gifts she had prepared the night before for visiting Xu Yuansheng: a can of malted milk powder, two cans of fruit, and some candy. She put them in the bicycle basket and said to Xu Yuansheng, "Yuansheng, I'm leaving now."

"Big sister, be careful on the road," Xu Yuansheng said. "What time will you be back?"

"We'll see. First, let's see how Yuanyuan is doing. If we have time, we can wander around the county town. I haven't been to Huanshan County yet. I'll also go to the paper mill to see Sister Ye... I might be back a little late."

If you calculate it this way, it seems like it will take quite a bit of time, with four hours just for the round trip.

Xu Yuan was afraid that she would come back too late and it would get dark, so he told her to bring an extra flashlight.

"Okay, then I'll bring a flashlight too."

Gu Xi put another flashlight in her bag just in case, said goodbye to her sister, and started riding her bicycle, quickly gliding far away.

-

Gu Xi rode her bicycle all the way to town.

She was very familiar with the route from the army base to the town, but not with the route to Huanshan County.

Upon arriving in town, she first asked someone for directions and then took out her notebook to draw the route. Although the drawing was very rough, it was still legible.

Although we set off early in the morning, we didn't know the way and it was almost 11 o'clock when we arrived in Huanshan County.

Huanshan County is a small county town, much larger than a town.

Having lived in the military for so long, far from the city, Gu Xi felt like she was back in the city when she came to the county town.

Gu Xi first asked someone where the county's People's Hospital was, and while passing by a supply and marketing cooperative, she bought some fruit.

It took twenty minutes to finally arrive at the hospital.

After parking the car, Gu Xi went straight to the inpatient department and saw Cheng Yuanyuan in the ward.

Cheng Yuanyuan was resting in bed, with Gan Dongliang sitting beside her. He looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were wrinkled, clearly indicating that he hadn't had a proper rest for several days.

Gan Dongliang was somewhat surprised to see Gu Xi here, and quickly got up to greet her.

"Comrade Gu, what brings you here?" Gan Dongliang asked in a low voice, then added, "Yuanyuan is sleeping right now. Wait a bit, she should be waking up soon."

Gu Xi handed him the gifts she had brought for his visit and explained softly, "I ran into some educated youth from the farm in town yesterday, and they told me Yuanyuan was in the hospital, so I came to see her today." Then she asked, "How is Yuanyuan? Is she alright?"

“She bumped her head and suffered a concussion. The doctor said it would be best to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.” Gan Dongliang frowned. “But she also sprained her leg, so she needs to rest well too.”

Gu Xi's expression was somewhat unpleasant as she asked, "Where is the person who injured Yuanyuan?"

"He was taken to the police station by the police."

Upon learning that the police had intervened, Gu Xi finally felt relieved.

The two stood by the door talking, their voices very low, but Cheng Yuanyuan, who was on the bed, still heard the noise and woke up.

Seeing that Gu Xi had actually come, she said with surprise, "Gu Xi, what brings you here? How did you know I was in the hospital?"

Gu Xi sat down on the chair in front of the bed and looked at her face. Her cute round face was very pale, indicating that the concussion was quite severe. She asked, "Yuanyuan, are you feeling unwell?"

"I feel really unwell. I've been feeling nauseous these past few days and haven't been sleeping well," Cheng Yuanyuan said with a distressed expression. "But it's alright, it'll be fine in a while."

Despite this, she remained a very optimistic girl and didn't take it to heart at all.

Speaking of her injury, Cheng Yuanyuan said angrily, "When Xiaomei married into the Wang family, they made all sorts of promises, saying they would treat Xiaomei well and like their own daughter. Who knew that less than a year into their marriage, Wang Fuqiang would dare to hit Xiaomei? The Wang family is shameless; they actually said that once they brought their daughter-in-law into the family, it was their business no matter how she was beaten. It's outrageous..."

Sun Xiaomei went to the countryside earlier than Cheng Yuanyuan, and had been there for five years.

Five years is a long time, and she didn't know when she could return to the city. Many educated youth chose to get married locally, and Sun Xiaomei was no exception. She felt that she didn't know when she would be able to return to the city in this lifetime, and she was also getting old. Her family members persuaded her to give up and get married locally.

During the five years that Sun Xiaomei was sent to the countryside, she was pursued by many men because she was a city girl, young and beautiful.

Before marriage, her fiancé, Wang Fuqiang, seemed quite good. He appeared honest and reliable, often helping her with chores, which made her life much easier. She felt that this man seemed quite dependable, and ultimately chose to marry him.

Little did they know that within a year of getting married, Wang Fuqiang's true nature was revealed. Whenever the couple had a minor argument, he would physically assault her, and this wasn't the first time he had done so.

Cheng Yuanyuan said, "I didn't suffer these injuries for nothing. This time, I'm definitely going to make Xiaomei divorce me and teach the Wang family a lesson!"

She said fiercely that she could never forgive a man who committed domestic violence.

Many women endure domestic violence, only to have their abusers become even more ruthless.

Gan Dongliang peeled a pear and said, "Don't worry, they will definitely get a divorce. We'll sue Wang Fuqiang to the Women's Federation. With the Women's Federation's intervention, it's impossible for them not to get a divorce! Also, we educated youth are not easy to bully. The Wang family will compensate you."

Cheng Yuanyuan was even happier when she heard this.

Although she suffered an undeserved misfortune this time, it was still worthwhile to help a woman who was a victim of domestic violence successfully get a divorce and escape her suffering.

Seeing her silly, grinning face, Gan Dongliang couldn't stand it. He wanted to scold her, but she didn't care at all and even felt that her injury was worth it.

However, this is also one of her strengths.