Chapter 42 Qiao Xingyue Saves People
Xie Zhongming stood under the paulownia tree outside the courtyard, his back ramrod straight, even his breathing was carefully controlled.
Despite his resolute and handsome appearance, seemingly calm and composed, Huang Guilan had watched her fourth son grow up from childhood and knew how nervous he was behind his feigned composure.
Seeing the way he was clenching his fists over his trouser seams, Huang Guilan deliberately kept him in suspense, "What's wrong, Zhongming? Are you really concerned about Xingyue's opinion of you?"
Huang Guilan teased her son, saying jokingly, "Then tell Mom first, do you like Xingyue? Be honest. If you tell me the truth, I'll tell you what Xingyue thinks of you."
Xie Zhongming, his forehead taut, feigned calmness and said, "I was just asking casually, just pretend I didn't ask."
After saying that, he pretended to be uninterested and walked towards his own yard.
Huang Guilan never expected that her son could be so hypocritical.
Seeing Xie Zhongming walk to the double wooden doors painted red in front of the courtyard and about to push them open, Huang Guilan stopped teasing him. She put away her playful smile and said seriously:
"Xingyue said you're a young leader, excellent in everything, and handsome too..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhongming's tense forehead and back gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth turned up almost imperceptibly.
Huang Guilan took in that almost imperceptible smile—he still dared to say it was just a casual question, when he clearly cared a lot about Xingyue's opinion of him.
However, Huang Guilan's smile vanished, replaced by a worried expression. "Zhongming, don't be too happy yet. Although Xingyue speaks of you that way, I sounded out her, and she has absolutely no intention of dating or getting married again."
"Anyway, nothing can be rushed." Huang Guilan patted Xie Zhongming on the shoulder and comforted him, "Let's talk about it after your divorce report is approved."
...
The Chen family compound, within the military compound.
Chen Jiahui rarely goes home. For the past five years, in order to forget Xie Zhongming, she has been hiding in Kuncheng and rarely returns to Jincheng even during the Spring Festival. Naturally, she feels guilty towards her parents.
That evening, Chen Jiahui personally cooked three dishes and a soup in the kitchen. There was boiled pork slices, which was her father Chen Shenghua's favorite, Mapo tofu, which was her mother Wang Shufen's favorite, as well as a dish of sweet potato leaves stir-fried with dried chili peppers, a bowl of vegetable and tofu soup, and a spicy dipping sauce for tofu. Her family were all native Jincheng people and loved spicy food.
After finishing cooking, Chen Jiahui opened the window, letting in the pungent, spicy aroma.
The family sat around the square table, enjoying their dinner in a warm and harmonious atmosphere with the fan blowing.
Chen Shenghua and Xie Jiang were comrades-in-arms for many years. Xie Jiang was the deputy division commander of the Sixth Division, while Chen Shenghua was the division commander. In addition to being the best superior-subordinate comrades-in-arms, they were also good brothers in private for decades.
Twenty-six years ago, Huang Guilan and Wang Shufen gave birth to Xie Zhongming and Chen Jiahui one day apart. At that time, the two families joked about arranging a marriage between the children, so that Jiahui and Zhongming would become in-laws when they grew up.
Both families were very open-minded. After Chen Jiahui and Xie Zhongming came of age, they did not force them to date, but hoped that they would date freely.
Before Xie Zhongming encountered the incident with Pang Ya in Kuncheng, someone had arranged a marriage between him and Jia Hui, but he refused, saying that he wanted to wait until he was promoted to regimental commander before considering personal matters.
At that time, Chen Jiahui only said one thing: Okay, then I'll wait until you're promoted to regimental commander. Before that, I won't date anyone.
Chen Jiahui wasn't the type to pester someone relentlessly. She added, "After you're promoted to regimental commander, I won't force you to date me. If you still don't like me by then, I'll just marry someone else."
Unexpectedly, the story of Fatty Girl suddenly came out, and no one knew that Xie Zhongming would be forced to marry Fatty Girl.
Chen Shenghua thought he would never be related to the Xie family by marriage, but he never expected that Zhongming would divorce Pangya.
As soon as he sat down at the table, Chen Shenghua opened a bottle of Tuopai liquor and poured himself a drink.
After pouring just a few drops, Wang Shufen snatched the bottle away, saying, "You have high blood pressure, and the doctor doesn't allow you to drink alcohol. Why are you still drinking?"
"Jia Hui is back today, I'm so happy!" Chen Shenghua snatched the wine bottle away again, but only poured a small half-glass, which was only the size of an egg.
After pouring the wine, Chen Shenghua said, "Jiahui, Dad knows that you haven't dated anyone all these years, and you haven't been interested in any of the most outstanding men, because you still have Zhongming in your heart. Dad doesn't mind that Zhongming has been married before. After he gets divorced this time, Dad will find someone to arrange a marriage between you two, okay?"
My daughter's happiness is more important than anything else.
"Dad." Chen Jiahui held her rice bowl, head down, eating the rice listlessly.
She hid the pain in her eyes very well, saying, "I came back this time to complete a mission, not because of Commander Xie."
Moreover, she heard that Commander Xie had someone in his heart, and she heard it from Xie Zhongming himself.
However, Xie's divorce proceedings were not yet complete, and she would not spread such news casually, not even to her own parents, as it would affect Xie's personal reputation.
If others knew that Commander Xie was already in love with another female comrade even before his divorce was finalized, they would consider him to have a problem with his thinking.
Chen Jiahui stopped eating her rice and looked at her parents with a firm gaze. "Dad, Mom, I had already let go of Commander Xie when he married Fatty. Don't worry about my personal life. I will marry when I meet the right person, but please stop trying to match me up with Commander Xie. We're not a good match."
Chen Shenghua said firmly, "Jiahui, Zhongming really wants a divorce this time."
Chen Jiahui learned that the female comrade whom Commander Xie liked was surnamed Qiao.
The female comrades who could be chosen by Commander Xie must be outstanding in every way.
Now that he has someone else in his heart, she can no longer get closer. She said firmly, "Dad, I have really let go of Commander Xie. Let's eat."
But what parent doesn't understand their daughter? Jia Hui clearly can't let go of Xie Zhongming.
After dinner, Chen Jiahui was about to wash the dishes when Chen Shenghua and Wang Shufen chased her out of the kitchen and whispered to each other.
"Zhongming is getting a divorce soon, why isn't Jia Hui happy?"
"Old Chen, once Zhongming's divorce papers are approved, do you want to talk to Old Xie and Guilan again?"
"Let's wait until next month. If we still don't hear from Fatty, then we can be sure she really did fall into the river and drown. We can then approve his divorce papers."
...
The next morning, Qiao Xingyue went to the service store to buy groceries early in the morning. A group of people were gathered in the sunlit alley.
The June sun was scorching.
Even in the early morning, the sun was scorching hot, and the sound of cicadas filled the courtyard with waves of heat. People gathered together, chatting away.
"What are we going to do? His face has turned pale. Could Commander Chen have died?"
"Why hasn't the doctor from the clinic arrived yet? I'm so worried! Someone might die in a moment. Should we move Commander Chen to a shady spot?"
"Don't move recklessly, lest something else goes wrong!"
The murmurs and exclamations mingled with the cicadas' chirping, creating a tangled mess that made one's heart clench. Several older women had tears in their eyes, one of whom was none other than Jiang Beiyang's mother—Zhang Hongmei, with her loud voice.
"Everyone, don't crowd too closely, spread out a bit so Commander Chen can get some fresh air. Quickly, give me that fan, I'll use it to shield Commander Zhang from the sun."
"Make way, everyone make way!"
Qiao Xingyue pushed through the crowd, her clear and crisp voice causing everyone to slowly make way. She squeezed in and saw a commander in his fifties or sixties, dressed in military uniform, lying on the ground.
She quickly knelt on the ground, placed her hand on the commander's wrist, and felt a chill. She then took a closer look at the old commander's eyes.
It was probably an acute myocardial infarction and arrhythmia caused by high blood pressure.
The heartbeat has stopped.
She quickly dispersed the crowd, saying, "Everyone, make way so that fresh air can flow in. Don't crowd together like this."
As she shouted, she unbuttoned Chen Shenghua's tightly fastened top button. The leader was no longer breathing; the buttons couldn't be fastened so neatly anymore.
The people around were still huddled together. Zhang Hongmei hurriedly shouted, "Comrade Qiao knows medicine. You all need to listen to her and spread out so that fresh air can flow in."
Among the onlookers was Granny Zhou, the old woman who had falsely accused An'an of stealing two cents from her family last time. She snorted, "What doctor? Isn't she just the nanny of Commander Xie's family? Don't listen to her, or Commander Chen might not die, but this nanny will kill him."
Among the onlookers was Jiang Chunyan, who had just been kicked out of the Xie family by Huang Guilan the day before.
Jiang Chunyan still held a grudge. If it weren't for Qiao Xingyue's sabotage behind her back, Huang Guilan wouldn't have turned against her.
Jiang Chunyan, not wanting to miss out on trouble, chimed in, "That's right, she's just a nanny, does she really think she's a doctor? Qiao Xingyue, don't try to be a hero, if Commander Chen dies at your hands, you'll be going to jail."
Two weeks ago, Qiao Xingyue sent her nephew Jiang Yongqiang to the detention center, and they still don't know how he will be sentenced. Jiang Chunyan wishes Qiao Xingyue were dead.
Faced with doubts and slander, Qiao Xingyue offered no explanation.
Human life is at stake!
She knelt on the ground and performed CPR on the pale-faced, cyanotic-lipped commander. After pressing on his chest for about thirty seconds, she pinched his nose, leaned down, and breathed into his mouth.
The bystanders didn't know this was called artificial respiration, and they all cried out to heaven and earth—my god, how could this woman be so shameless!
Jiang Chunyan and Granny Zhou were the leaders among them.
Grandma Zhou: "Qiao Xingyue, have you no shame? Even at a time like this, you're still kissing Commander Chen on the lips."
Jiang Chunyan: "Qiao Xingyue, what kind of vixen are you? After seducing the men of the Xie family, are you now trying to seduce Commander Chen?"
Qiao Xingyue ignored the noise. She had just finished giving the commander artificial respiration and was now rhythmically pressing on his chest again.
"What are you all shouting about? Although Comrade Xiao Qiao is just a nanny for Commander Xie's family, she really knows medicine. Commander Xie's mother has been paralyzed in bed for almost half a year, and it was Comrade Xiao Qiao who cured her with acupuncture."
The one who stood up for Qiao Xingyue was Jiang Beiyang's mother—Zhang Hongmei. Her loud voice silenced the murmurs around her.
"Grandma Xie's legs have indeed recovered. I saw her leaning on her cane and sunbathing in the yard yesterday."
"Could this woman really be saving someone?"
Grandma Zhou: "But how can you save someone by kissing them on the lips?"
Jiang Chunyan: "That's right. Even if he's a doctor, what kind of talk is it for him to be kissing the old chief?"
Zhang Hongmei pointed at Granny Zhou and Jiang Chunyan, "Outrageous! Didn't you see that Commander Chen was almost out of breath? She was trying to save his life. You not only didn't help, but you also made sarcastic remarks. How can you live with yourselves?"
Just then, Chen Jiahui squeezed in and saw her father, Chen Shenghua, lying on the ground. A young and unfamiliar woman was performing CPR on him, while others chimed in with their own opinions.
She quickly dispersed the crowd, saying, "Please step back a bit to allow for air circulation, and don't block the area."
"Jia Hui, you've come at the right time." Jiang Chunyan grabbed Chen Jia Hui's hand and slandered, "That little slut Qiao Xingyue kissed your father's lips while he was unconscious. She just wanted to seduce him."
Such slander almost made Chen Jiahui laugh in anger. She brushed Jiang Chunyan's hand away and said, "What do you know? This is called artificial respiration. If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."
Chen Jiahui can't tell what kind of person Jiang Chunyan is?
In the past, this old woman had been taking advantage of the Xie family by claiming that Uncle Deng had saved Commander Xie's life. Now that she's back in Jincheng, she's probably here to bleed the Xie family dry again.
Chen Jiahui wasn't someone who acted indiscriminately. She knew that the woman who was giving her father CPR was racing against time to save his life, and judging from her appearance, she was a doctor with a lot of experience in saving lives.
When Chen Jiahui looked at Qiao Xingyue, her eyes were filled not only with gratitude but also with admiration. She hadn't expected that at such a young age, Qiao Xingyue's rescue skills were so adept and skillful. She was calm and composed, and in no time, her father's face regained its color.
Chen Jiahui knelt on the ground, tears welling in her eyes, and asked excitedly, "Dad, are you alright?"
"Jiahui, don't cry, it's okay. Dad just felt a little dizzy." Chen Shenghua didn't know that it was Qiao Xingyue, the nanny from the Xie family, who had saved him. He only saw his daughter crying in front of him.
A short while later, the clinic's stretcher arrived and carried Chen Shenghua, who had just regained consciousness, away.
Chen Jiahui was anxious about her father's safety, so she hurriedly thanked Qiao Xingyue and went to the clinic, forgetting to even ask Qiao Xingyue's name.
the next day.
Chen Jiahui made a special trip to the Yang family in Jiangbei and called out Zhang Hongmei, the mother of the Yang family in Jiangbei.
Zhang Hongmei stood in front of her yard, wanting Chen Jiahui to come in and sit for a while, but Chen Jiahui was in a hurry to thank her benefactor, so she didn't go in.
“Aunt Mei, I won’t go inside. Do you know the woman who saved my dad yesterday? I’d like to come and express my gratitude.”
At this moment, Chen Jiahui was carrying a bundle of brown sugar, a net bag of eggs, and a net bag of bananas and apples, which she was preparing to take to express her gratitude to her benefactor.
"You mean Comrade Qiao? She lives at your Aunt Lan's house and works as a nanny there."
What's her last name?
"His surname is Qiao, and his name is Qiao Xingyue. Comrade Qiao not only has a nice-sounding name, but he is also quite good-looking."
Comrade Qiao?
Could it be that she is the female comrade that Commander Xie likes, as Jiang Beisong and Jiang Beiyang mentioned?
No wonder she felt that Comrade Qiao was different from others when she saw her skillful rescue technique when she saved her father yesterday. It turns out that she was a female comrade who was favored by Commander Xie. No wonder she exudes a shining aura.
Indeed, how could a female comrade who could be favored by Commander Xie not be outstanding or exceptional?
At this moment, Chen Jiahui felt a pang of sourness and bitterness in her heart, but also a sense of relief that she had accepted her defeat wholeheartedly.
"Jiahui, what's wrong?"
"It's alright. How come such an outstanding woman is working as a nanny at Aunt Lan's house? I thought she was some rich girl."
The Xie family lived right next door to the Jiang family.
After saying goodbye to Zhang Hongmei, Chen Jiahui went to the gate of the Xie family's courtyard with mixed feelings.
Just as she was about to knock on the door, someone walked up behind her; it was Deng Yingying, who was on her way to the Xie family's house.
Deng Yingying and Chen Jiahui have never gotten along. Both of them liked Xie Zhongming, so Chen Jiahui naturally became Deng Yingying's rival in love.
However, at this moment, Deng Yingying no longer regarded Chen Jiahui as an enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. She smiled and said, "Jiahui, long time no see! Did you also hear that Brother Zhongming is getting a divorce, so you specially rushed back from Kunming? Jiahui, unfortunately, you came back at the wrong time. There is a vixen by Brother Zhongming's side, who has almost bewitched him. This time you have no chance."
Deng Yingying added, "Oh, right, she's the one who tried to save your dad yesterday, showing off her skills. Did her intervention worsen your dad's condition? How is your dad? Has he woken up?"
It would be best if he never woke up and died.
In this way, Chen Jiahui will hate Qiao Xingyue, and then Chen Jiahui can drive Qiao Xingyue out of the military compound, which will save a lot of trouble.
Chen Jia Hui was fully aware of Deng Yingying's provocations. Her voice was soft, but every word was forceful: "Deng Yingying, you keep calling people vixens. Don't you have any manners? Besides, if it weren't for Comrade Qiao, my dad might not have woken up. I'm grateful to her. Stop trying to sow discord. Don't assume everyone is as jealous as you."
If Commander Xie truly liked Comrade Qiao, she would silently offer her blessings and wouldn't fall for Deng Yingying's tricks.
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