Chapter 22 Fatty was pregnant and gave birth to his child.
"We'll talk about Fatty when I get back."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Zhongming had already shaken off Jiang Beiyang's hand, run out of the regimental headquarters' bungalow, and stepped onto the sun-hardened dirt road in his rubber shoes.
Even when the heel hit a pebble, it didn't stop.
The shadows of the paulownia trees in the camp rushed past him, and even the wind carried his heavy, anxious breathing. The dense cornfield with newly sprouted ears was a mile or two away from the regimental headquarters, and he ran faster and faster.
...
On the edge of the field, Xie Jiang sat on the ground covered with pea shoots, quickly eating the lunch that Qiao Xingyue had brought him.
The twice-cooked pork was so delicious that everyone gathered around. Besides Xie Jiang, some other retired cadres from the compound were also there to collect peas and broad beans. One of them was Lao Jiang—the father of Yang Jiangbei Song from Jiangbei, who was also Xie Jiang's comrade-in-arms for many years.
He and Xie Jiang didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork from Xie Jiang's plate and said, "Old Jiang, the dishes your housekeeper cooks smell so good every time I come back to the compound. They make my mouth water."
After tasting it today, Lao Jiang's eyes lit up. "This cooking is just as good as a state-run restaurant! And this hot and sour shredded potato, I'll have a taste too."
"Don't you have shredded potatoes in your bowl?"
"The shredded potatoes in my bowl don't taste as good as the ones in yours."
"..."
"Old Xie, I need to discuss something with you. My nephew bumped into your nanny at the service center, and he wants me to ask you to play matchmaker for him. Does your nanny have any plans to date or remarry?"
Xie Jiang stopped eating, his previously gentle expression instantly furrowing, his lips tightening, and he said with utmost seriousness:
"Old Jiang, you can't keep calling Xingyue 'nanny' like that. If Guilan hears it, she'll definitely be unhappy. Also, don't mention introducing Xingyue to anyone; Guilan will definitely not agree."
"Why? My nephew is quite well-off."
"Don't ask that."
Xie Jiang watched as Qiao Xingyue sat on a haystack in the distance, engrossed in her books. Upon learning that she was going to take the college entrance examination this year, he looked at her with a hint of admiration.
Such an ambitious and capable woman would be more than a match for his divorced son, Xie Jiang thought. He was even a little worried that Xingyue might not be interested in his son.
Xie Jiang ate his rice in a few big mouthfuls, put the lunchbox into a mesh bag, walked over and handed it to Qiao Xingyue, "Xingyue, the sun is strong in the fields, you should go back quickly."
"Okay, Uncle Xie, it's sunny, drink more water this afternoon. You've been having some heatiness lately, so I've made you some herbal tea for you."
"Okay." Xingyue was as considerate as a daughter; none of his five sons were as thoughtful as her.
...
In that cornfield where few pedestrians passed by, Jiang Yongqiang hid, squatting in the corn grove, listening to the sounds outside.
Whenever Qiao Xingyue's bicycle passed by, he would pounce on her, drag her into the cornfield, and sleep with her. He was sure she would obediently submit and agree to marry him, and then he could bring home a beautiful wife.
Four years ago, he met Qiao Xingyue by chance in a dilapidated temple in Kunming. At that time, she had two children and was not as slim and eye-catching as she is now, but her plump, voluptuous and sexy figure still aroused his desire. However, his good intentions were ruined at that time.
Qiao Xingyue was lucky; she was rescued.
Qiao Xingyue wasn't having such good luck today. He had been squatting in the cornfield for half an hour, and not a single person had passed by. He rubbed his hands together and gave an evil smile.
"Ding-ding! Ring-a-ling!"
Qiao Xingyue rode her old-fashioned bicycle over the potholes on the dirt road, the spokes of the front wheel hitting small stones with a crisp sound.
Jiang Yongqiang, standing in the cornfield, parted the lush green leaves and saw Qiao Xingyue! She was riding her old bicycle, and her slender figure made his heart itch. As Qiao Xingyue rode forward, he pounced on her, knocking her and the bicycle to the ground in the cornfield.
Hiss... Before Qiao Xingyue could react, her hair was grabbed and she was dragged deeper into the cornfield. Dust got into her collar, and the sharp corn leaves cut into her skin. She was in so much pain that she couldn't open her eyes.
The afternoon wind carried the dampness of corn leaves. In a panic and pain, she grabbed her hair that had been pulled and steadied herself—had she encountered a lecher?
Don't panic!
Stay calm!
She's no longer the chubby girl who just transmigrated, weak and powerless.
"Qiao Xingyue, someone saved you four years ago. Let's see who can save you today?"
That voice sounds familiar... "Jiang Yongqiang?"
"Hehe, since you're going to marry me anyway, why don't we do what couples do today?" Jiang Yongqiang stopped grabbing her arm and pulling her hair.
Seeing that the dirt road outside the cornfield was already dozens of meters away, I decided to do my business here.
The cornfield rustled in the wind. Jiang Yongqiang grabbed her hair, squatted down, and moved closer to her. His face, covered in coarse pores and his bulbous nose, drew ever closer. A fierce glint appeared in his eyes. "Qiao Xingyue, behave yourself. Don't scream. No one will come to save you if you scream. Otherwise, you'll be the one who suffers."
Rough hands loosened Qiao Xingyue's hair and were about to pull off her clothes when her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly. The next moment, "Ah! Qiao Xingyue, what did you stick in my hair? Ouch..."
That really hurt!
Qiao Xingyue, who was lying on the ground, nimbly rolled over and sat up. The silver needle in her hand fell quickly and pierced the veins on the back of the man's hand. After the man felt the pain, his arm began to go numb and he suddenly lost strength.
"You lecherous scoundrel."
As they were talking, Qiao Xingyue got up and kicked Jiang Yongqiang in the crotch.
"I'll teach you to be lustful, I'll teach you to pull my hair."
She kicked his crotch, again and again.
He then squatted down, grabbed Jiang Yongqiang's short hair, and slapped him repeatedly across the face.
"Slap, slap, slap slap!" The sound of the wind rustling through the corn leaves drowned out the slapping sound.
Jiang Yongqiang was only concerned about the pain in his groin. "Qiao Xingyue, where did you get your strength from, you bitch?"
"Do you think I'm still the chubby little girl from four years ago, malnourished after childbirth, with both qi and blood deficiency, who didn't even have the strength to hold acupuncture needles when you held me down?"
Four years ago, she had just given birth to An An and Ning Ning. She didn't even have a day of postpartum confinement. She was busy making a living and suffered from severe anemia. In just two months, she lost more than 80 pounds, dropping directly from more than 220 pounds to 140 pounds.
Just because she didn't have the strength then doesn't mean she doesn't have the strength now.
"Jiang Yongqiang, you scum of society, if I don't send you to jail, who knows how many more girls you'll ruin in the future. Today I'm going to send you to see the police officers no matter what."
She kicked Jiang Yongqiang again, and he rolled over, face down, his face and forehead covered in mud and grass clippings. He tried to crawl out of the cornfield, but his hands were held tightly behind his back by Qiao Xingyue.
The braid hanging down in front of Qiao Xingyue's chest was tied with a rope, which she quickly and neatly untied.
They then used a rope to tie Jiang Yongqiang's hands behind his back, wrapped it around several times, and tied several tight knots.
"Get up and come with me to the police station."
With her hair down, Qiao Xingyue kicked Jiang Yongqiang. The man was tall and strong, and it took her a lot of strength to pull him up. "Let's go!"
The man raised his leg, but before he could kick Qiao Xingyue, she stuck another silver needle into him. "Either you obediently come with me to see the police, or I have a hundred ways to make you suffer excruciating pain. Do you want to try them?"
The needle pierced Jiang Yongqiang's leg, causing him to sweat profusely from the pain. What kind of acupuncture technique was this? The pain was so intense he felt like he was about to meet his ancestors.
The wind blew through his large pores, from which a disgusting amount of sweat oozed. His eyes, filled with a mixture of panic and malice, stared intently at Qiao Xingyue, yet he was utterly helpless against her.
"You stinking woman."
"I'll teach you to be foul-mouthed."
"Ouch...it hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
"Are you still going to swear or not?"
"Hiss, I'm not cursing anymore, I'm not cursing anymore, hiss..."
"Are you coming or not?"
"Go, go, go!"
...
A few minutes later, Jiang Beiyang's second brother, Jiang Beisong, saw a bicycle lying on its side in the cornfield, crushing a patch of newly formed corn ears. He also saw a long drag mark deep in the cornfield.
He panicked. Oh no, his worst fears had come true.
Following the crushed marks on the ground, Jiang Beisong ran in, but saw no one.
Less than two minutes later, Xie Zhongming arrived at the scene. Seeing the overturned bicycle and the crushed corn stalks, he panicked, "Oh no!"
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, his mind exploded, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand—a mixture of panic and pain. He stumbled towards the cornfield, not even noticing the fallen corn stalks he stepped on, and cried out urgently, "Comrade Qiao, are you in there?"
His voice trembled without him even realizing it.
"Comrade Qiao, Qiao Xingyue?"
His strong arms swept past the corn leaves blocking his way; the leaves were so sharp that they cut his arms and cheeks, but he didn't even notice.
“Zhongming”.
"Bei Song? Have you seen Qiao Xingyue?"
"Is that bicycle outside yours?"
"yes."
“Oh no, there’s no one here. I’ve been looking for ages. This cornfield is several acres wide. If Jiang Yongqiang wants to harm Comrade Qiao, he might kill someone. Keep looking, I’ll go get some people to help me search.”
Jiang Beisong went to call for help.
Xie Zhongming, who remained behind, saw the corn leaves swaying in the distance, and his heart jumped into his throat. He was afraid of seeing the scene that worried him, but he also wanted to find Qiao Xingyue immediately.
He hunched his back, his tall figure running past, his hands clenching involuntarily until his knuckles turned white, sweat trickling down his prominent Adam's apple. He swept aside the corn leaves, only to find nothing—Qiao Xingyue wasn't there at all.
An hour later, the entire cornfield had been thoroughly searched by soldiers harvesting peas and broad beans, but Qiao Xingyue and Jiang Yongqiang were still nowhere to be seen.
Xie Jiang felt a heavy weight in his chest and a sharp pain as he thought that Xingyue might have already been murdered. "I shouldn't have let Xingyue bring me food."
Just when everyone was at a loss, a jeep rolled over the dirt road.
The jeep stopped amidst the rising dust. The first to get out was Qiao Xingyue, who had brought the police officers to identify the crime scene. Seeing so many people gathered there, she was puzzled—what was going on?
Before she could figure out what was going on, someone suddenly pushed through the crowd, rushed to her, and grabbed her arm. "Qiao Xingyue, are you alright?"
The arm that gripped Qiao Xingyue's arm was tightening its grip, and the palm still carried the lingering panic.
He looked her up and down, his gaze sweeping over her disheveled hair studded with bits of grass. Her fair cheeks were cut in several places, and her face was covered in mud; she was filthy all over.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a few decibels hoarseer than usual, carrying a heartache he himself was unaware of, "How are you? You...you weren't bullied, were you?"
The wind in the cornfield rustled through the corn leaves, causing Xie Zhongming's emotions to surge.
When Jiang Beiyang arrived, he hesitated when he saw how much his good brother cared about Comrade Qiao. He had just received news from Kuncheng that Fatty had been pregnant with Zhongming's child five years ago and might have already given birth to his child.
Should we tell Zhongming this news?
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