Chapter 44 Xingyue asked: Commander Xie, is your wife fat?
The flame on the newspaper was quickly extinguished by Qiao Xingyue's footsteps, and the last spark was completely put out under her cloth shoes.
Smoke mixed with paper ash rose into the air.
She squatted on the ground and waited for the ashes to dissipate before picking up the charred newspaper, wiping the sweat from her brow, and unfolding it to read.
The newspaper had several large characters printed vertically on it—Missing Person Notice.
However, most of the missing person notice had been burned: "I, Xie Zhongming, am a regimental commander in a unit of the Sixth Military Region of Jincheng. I am issuing this notice to find my wife, who has gone missing..."
The date of their disappearance was burned, as were the various descriptions of Commander Xie's wife's appearance. Only a single photo of Commander Xie and his wife remained. The description stated that it was their wedding photo, but only Commander Xie, wearing a white shirt, was visible in the picture; the woman's photo was completely destroyed.
At this moment, Qiao Xingyue gripped the half-burnt newspaper tightly with her knuckles.
The newspaper was still warm, and where the wedding photo of Commander Xie was printed, only a curled-up black mark remained. She suddenly held her breath—the image of the photo before it burned was still vaguely imprinted in her mind; she was indeed a plump comrade. When the fire was lit, she didn't have time to take a closer look at what she looked like before she was burned to this state.
My heart skipped a beat.
I almost dropped the newspaper in my hand.
Could it be that Commander Xie's missing wife is her?
Commander Xie is the man she slept with when she transmigrated back then.
Why did the photo burn on one side, while the other side burned off? We can't see what Commander Xie's wife looks like at all.
Isn't that infuriating!
Is this burning photo just a coincidence that it looks like Fatty, or is it actually Fatty?
Qiao Xingyue wished she could turn back time a few minutes so she could see clearly what the wedding photo on the missing person notice actually looked like. Right now, her heart was pounding so hard!
Thinking back on those details from more than five years ago, I really can't remember them. I only vaguely remember that my whole body was burning up and I just wanted to find a man to have sex with to release my pent-up emotions. I happened to touch a solid, hot wall of flesh and ended up rolling around with that man in a daze.
For several days afterward, I was in a daze and couldn't even remember how I took the wedding photos with the man. The side effects of the veterinary drug were too severe, and my memory of those days was completely blank.
When her memory came back clear, the man had already left Chadian Village. Fat Girl's mother picked up a broom and hit her 200-pound body hard. Seeing that she had transmigrated into a fat woman and had such a vicious mother, Zeng Xiuzhu would call her a pig if she drank a sip of sweet potato soup. She was on the verge of a breakdown.
Qiao Xingyue clutched the burnt newspaper, squatted in front of the stove, and forgot that she still had to cook.
She had only one thought in her mind—she needed to find out if Commander Xie was the man she had slept with back then.
She believed that the man was indeed dead, just as Zeng Xiuzhu had said.
But if he is really still alive, and is indeed Commander Xie, then why hasn't he visited Chadian Village even once in the past five years since he married her? Why has he just left her there unattended?
Does he know she's pregnant with his child?
Do you know that when she gave birth to An'an and Ningning in the dilapidated thatched hut, she was on the verge of death, with no midwife or anyone to take care of her. She herself broke a piece of tile and cut An'an and Ningning's umbilical cord.
She had just given birth and had nothing to eat. An'an and Ningning also had no breast milk. The three of them, mother and daughter, were constantly on the verge of life and death due to infection, fever, and illness.
"Xingyue, what's wrong? Why are you squatting here in a daze?"
The person who interrupted Qiao Xingyue's series of thoughts was Huang Guilan, who came in and helped her up from the ground.
Qiao Xingyue gripped the newspaper tightly and looked at Huang Guilan, "Aunt Lan..."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he hesitated.
She was about to ask Huang Guilan if Commander Xie's wife was named Pangya, but in the end she didn't ask.
Let's not disturb Aunt Lan for now; let her investigate first.
Aunt Lan is a very good person. She is beautiful, kind-hearted, and has sound values. If she were to become a mother-in-law, she would be a rare find.
But if Commander Xie really was the man who married her back then, just based on the fact that he hasn't visited her in Chadian Village for the past few years, and hasn't allowed her to come to the army to live with him, and has completely ignored her, he is a complete scoundrel.
Was he disgusted by her then-unable to shake off her chubby image, weighing over 200 pounds and looking as ugly as a pig?
Otherwise, why would they have ignored her for the past five years?
For some reason, before Qiao Xingyue could even figure out what was going on, a deep anger welled up in her chest.
I can't catch my breath; it feels like my throat is blocked by a wad of waterlogged cotton.
Seeing that Xingyue's brows were furrowed as if she had something on her mind, Huang Guilan asked with concern, "Xingyue, what's wrong? Is there something bothering you that you can tell Aunt Lan?"
"Nothing's bothering me, Aunt Lan. I'll start the fire and cook now. We'll have tomato and egg noodles tonight."
Qiao Xingyue started a fire, scrubbed the pot with a brush, heated the oil, and cracked the eggs, her mind filled with what had just happened.
Seeing this, Huang Guilan felt a little worried—could it be that Xingyue had encountered some difficulties?
"Xingyue, if you ever encounter any difficulties, you must tell Aunt Lan."
"Aunt Lan, it's really nothing, you just need to help me start a fire."
That evening, Xie Jiang, Huang Guilan, Qiao Xingyue, An'an, Ningning, and Chen Suying, an elderly woman who could walk with a cane, sat around the square table in the Xie family home, eating tomato and egg noodles cooked by Qiao Xingyue.
There was also a bowl of cold cowpea salad in the middle.
The cowpeas were planted by Qiao Xingyue in the spring. After picking them, she soaked them in a pickling jar for a few days, then took them out, cut them into sections, and mixed them with two spoonfuls of chili oil and MSG. Served with tomato and egg noodles, it was especially appetizing.
Even Huang Guilan, who doesn't eat spicy food, praised the cold cowpea salad and complimented Xingyue on how well she grows vegetables.
However, Qiao Xingyue seemed preoccupied, and she didn't respond when Huang Guilan spoke to her several times.
Xie Zhongming returned an hour late. By the time he entered the main room, it was already completely dark in the courtyard. Qiao Xingyue, who was taking notes at the square table, got up and hurried to the kitchen. "Comrade Xie, please sit and wait a few minutes. I'll make you some noodles."
"You continue reading, I can go by myself."
"It's alright, it'll only take a few minutes."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the kitchen, where Qiao Xingyue sat on a small stool in front of the stove, lighting a fire.
Xie Zhongming ladled two ladles of water into the pot, preparing to boil water for noodles. "Comrade Qiao, if you have any questions about those high school books, you can ask me."
Xie Zhongming, standing in front of the stove, is over 1.8 meters tall.
A 15-watt light bulb in the kitchen hung above his head, and when the light fell on his shoulder line, it perfectly outlined his tall and straight profile.
Is it him?
Did he and she sleep together that winter five and a half years ago?
Is he her husband?
Qiao Xingyue held her breath, stopped shoving firewood into the fire with the tongs, and asked crisply, "Comrade Xie, why haven't you let your wife come to the military compound to live with you after you got married?"
At this moment, Xie Zhongming was scooping a spoonful of MSG into the bowl and preparing to scoop two more spoonfuls of chili oil.
He stopped scooping chili oil and looked at Qiao Xingyue, who was sitting in front of the stove with a stiff expression.
The fire in the stove shone brightly on her porcelain-white face.
At first glance, Comrade Qiao's large almond-shaped eyes were filled with an anger that he couldn't understand.
He didn't answer, nor did he know how to respond.
Qiao Xingyue stuffed the firewood in her hand into the stove and asked, "Comrade Xie, do you really dislike your wife?"
Xie Zhongming continued scooping chili oil, but his movements were slow and deliberate, as if he were hiding something. "It's not that, it's just that my wife and I don't have much of a relationship."
"Comrade Xie, is your wife a little chubby?" Qiao Xingyue put down the fire tongs in her hand.
After standing up from the stove, she was a head shorter than Xie Zhongming, who was holding an enamel bowl on the stove. In front of his tall and imposing figure, she suddenly looked rather petite.
After standing up, she said, "I saw a missing person advertisement in the Youth Daily today, and your photo was on it. But it caught fire when I lit the fire, so I didn't see it clearly."
Xie Zhongming answered honestly, "My wife is a little chubby."
He added, "Comrade Qiao, my wife has been missing for many years and is very likely dead. If there is still no news of her next month, the organization will approve my divorce application. At that time, I will regain my single status."
Then he can openly and legitimately like the women he likes and take care of the people he wants to take care of.
He didn't say the rest, but he was eager to show Qiao Xingyue that he was single.
"Comrade Qiao, my wife and I have never had any feelings for each other. We were forced to be together."
"Then..." Qiao Xingyue was about to ask another question.
"Xingyue, come out here for a moment, Commander Chen and your Aunt Wang are here."
Outside the kitchen, Huang Guilan's words interrupted Qiao Xingyue.
When Qiao Xingyue went outside, she saw Commander Chen leading two female comrades into the Xie family's main room. One of the women was Chen Jiahui, whom Qiao Xingyue recognized. The other woman looked about 70% like Chen Jiahui, but was older, around fifty years old, and was probably Chen Jiahui's mother.
The whole family had smiles on their faces, which was very endearing.
Huang Guilan introduced, "Xingyue, this is Commander Chen's wife, you call her Aunt Wang. And this is Commander Chen's daughter, you've met her before."
"Comrade Qiao, thank you so much for saving my husband, Old Chen." Wang Shufen stepped forward and grasped Qiao Xingyue's hand. "Tomorrow is my day off, and Aunt Wang would like to invite you to my house for a simple meal. You must do me the honor."
Chen Shenghua added from the side, "Old Xie, Guilan, you should come too, and join in the fun."
Chen Jiahui found An'an and Ningning in the main room.
She knelt down in front of An'an and Ningning, took the two children's soft little hands, and said with utmost tenderness, "An'an and Ningning, why don't you come to Auntie's house for dinner with Mommy?"
After Chen Shenghua left the Xie family yesterday, Chen Jiahui learned that Comrade Qiao had a pair of lovely twin daughters.
Knowing that she had lost her husband and raised her two daughters alone, it was actually quite a good match for her to marry Commander Xie, who was divorced and widowed.
Most importantly, Comrade Qiao was truly dazzling; no wonder Commander Xie fell for her.
Seeing how well-behaved and adorable An An and Ning Ning are, with their big almond-shaped eyes as bright and beautiful as their mother's, I'm sure that if Comrade Qiao and Commander Xie get together in the future, their children will be just as beautiful as An An and Ning Ning.
Chen Jia Hui felt a deep sorrow. From the age of fourteen or fifteen, she had longed to grow up and marry Commander Xie, hoping to give him a lovely daughter. The Xie family had always cherished daughters, but they had never had one. However, the opportunity to give Commander Xie a child would never come again.
She was completely convinced of her defeat in front of Comrade Qiao. While feeling bitter, she secretly resolved to let go of this relationship and offer her her blessings openly and honestly.
Perhaps it was a case of loving someone because of their family, but Commander Xie also adored Comrade Qiao and his two daughters, and Chen Jia Hui, seeing these two lovely children, also doted on them immensely.
"Look what your auntie brought you!"
As if by magic, she produced two strings of candied fruit and handed them to the two children.
At the repeated invitation of the Chen family, Qiao Xingyue agreed and went to the Chen family for dinner the next day.
The Chen family members then left with peace of mind.
On the way back, the moonlight shone on the paulownia trees in the courtyard.
The purple flowers on the tree had all withered, and the dried petals lay scattered on the ground, just like Chen Jia Hui's expression at that moment.
Chen Shenghua walked with a brisk pace, then turned around and saw that his daughter was falling behind. He stopped and asked, "Jiahui, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Comrade Qiao and the Xie family are coming to our house for dinner tomorrow. I'd like to speak with your Uncle Xie first, and wait until Xie Zhongming's divorce papers are fully approved..."
"Dad, please stop trying to match me up with Commander Xie. He has someone in his heart, and that person is Comrade Qiao. You can't force fate. Comrade Qiao is a good person, so please don't let him misunderstand that there's something between Commander Xie and me."
Chen Jiahui stopped, stepping on the withered paulownia flowers scattered on the ground. Although she was a little sad, she said sincerely, "Commander Xie and Comrade Qiao have had a hard time. If they fall in love with each other and can start a new family, it would be a happy thing for everyone."
She was the only one who was unhappy.
I've been waiting for Commander Xie for many years. He said he would only consider personal relationships after he was promoted to commander, but then suddenly Fatty appeared out of nowhere.
Finally, Commander Xie was about to divorce Fatty, and then he got together with Comrade Qiao.
That's fate; we have no choice but to accept it.
"Dad, when Comrade Qiao and the Xie family come to our house for dinner tomorrow, please don't mention anything else."
After saying this, Chen Jiahui walked past Commander Chen's imposing figure into the dark night, leaving Chen Shenghua and Wang Shufen standing there dumbfounded.
“Old Chen, what did your daughter say? Xie Zhongming likes Comrade Qiao? How could this happen so suddenly? What are we going to do about our daughter? For so many years, she hasn’t liked anyone else, and her heart is only for Xie Zhongming…” Wang Shufen was extremely worried.
Chen Shenghua let out a long sigh.
In that sigh, there was regret, heartache, and the uprightness of an old father: "Didn't you hear that our daughter genuinely wished Xie Zhongming and Comrade Qiao well? Our daughter is indeed excellent in every way, but it's not unfair that she lost to the equally excellent Comrade Qiao. What can we do? Just stay with our daughter and let her slowly get over it. Life has to go on. Trust Jia Hui, she's been strong and brave since she was little. It's just a breakup, our precious daughter will definitely get through it."
...
That night, the moon was bright and the clouds were sparse outside the window.
The cicadas and frogs were croaking incessantly outside, but An'an and Ningning had already gone to sleep.
Qiao Xingyue couldn't fall asleep no matter what. She planned to meet with Commander Xie alone tomorrow and find out if his wife's name was Pangya.
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