A sinister glint appeared in Li Xingzhou's eyes, like a venomous snake.
At first, he was only interested in Xu Xinghe and had a desire to conquer her, but now, those feelings have changed.
He had to have her, he had to get her by any means necessary!
He shouldn't be in this pathetic state, and he shouldn't be trampled underfoot by a woman.
What's the simplest way to deal with a woman?
He is the one who makes her his own.
Wasn't Xu Xinghe desperately wanting to marry Jiang Linchuan? Even that young upstart Lian Xiao was eyeing her covetously.
Then he was determined to destroy her dream and break her wings!
A woman whose body is not clean, a woman caught in public having an affair before marriage, no matter how good her reputation is, no matter how many things she has done that benefit the country and the people, will eventually be drowned in spittle.
This is the way of the world—when a bad person does a good deed, they are praised for reforming their ways.
A good person can be condemned by everyone and never be able to recover if they make a single mistake.
If he could get Xu Xinghe's body, why would he need to go to such lengths to cheat her out of money?
She had no other way out but to marry him.
At that time, all the profits from those prescriptions would naturally fall into his pocket.
Li Xingzhou lowered his eyelashes, concealing the ruthlessness in his eyes.
He didn't want to go so far; he still cherished his reputation.
But now, he's nothing but a maggot in the mud, and it's hard for him to hold his head up again in this province.
Since that's the case, might as well be ruthless!
Once he succeeds, he will take Xu Xinghe away from Heilongjiang Province and back to Shanghai.
All the shameful past will be buried deep within this black soil.
Time is the best healer. Years or decades will pass, and who will remember that there was once a doctor named Li Xingzhou and a girl named Xu Xinghe here?
He leaned against the wall, coughed twice, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Wang Zhizhi couldn't help but shiver, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
This was the first time she had ever felt that the man she shared a bed with was so terrifying.
The sinister look in his eyes was like that of a venomous snake, as if he were about to pounce at any moment.
The two changed their clothes, helped each other out the door, and boarded the bus to town.
The people in the car caught sight of them, and their expressions immediately changed. They moved aside as if they had seen something dirty, and whispers began to circulate.
Those gazes were fixed on me, making me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles.
Li Xingzhou simply closed his eyes, looking as if he didn't want to see it and be bothered by it.
Wang Zhizhi turned to look out the window, her heart feeling heavy and stifled, as if it were stuffed with a damp wad of cotton, but she could only hold it in and dare not utter a sound.
She really couldn't understand how she had let her life turn out like this.
What was not a long journey felt endless in the torment.
It felt like an eternity before the car finally drove into town.
Li Xingzhou went straight to the post office to send a telegram. After sending it, he didn't return to the military headquarters, but instead found a simple guesthouse to stay in and wait for a reply.
The telegram arrived early the next morning.
Li Xingzhou unfolded the thin sheet of paper, and when he saw the words on it, his knuckles clenched tightly.
The Lian family has actually made a move!
He was caught making a mistake, and with Elder Lian speaking out personally, it seems he is destined to be unable to stay in the Heilongjiang Provincial Military Headquarters.
Wang Zhizhi leaned closer, her voice low, her scarf almost completely covering her face, looking like she'd done something wrong, "How was it?"
Although she was somewhat unwilling, she didn't want to stay any longer.
Life here is like hell.
Even if she couldn't get the Xu family's money, she didn't want to suffer like this anymore.
"Go back." Li Xingzhou stuffed the paper into his pocket, his voice devoid of emotion.
As the two stepped out of the post office, a cold wind rushed in, penetrating their thin cotton clothes and making their bones ache.
Wang Zhizhi shuddered. "Are we still going to stay in Heilongjiang Province?"
"No, I'll go back to Shanghai after New Year's Day. But before that, I have something to do. Only if I accomplish it will this trip have been worthwhile."
Otherwise, he would truly be utterly defeated.
"Okay," Wang Zhizhi replied softly, not daring to ask what it was about.
The two helped each other into the car and finally returned to the Heilongjiang Provincial Military Headquarters before dark.
The room was still as cold as an icebox, and even the air felt chilly.
Li Xingzhou lay back on the bed, his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
Wang Zhizhi sat to the side watching him, and in a daze, she thought of Jiang Linchuan.
Is Li Xingzhou really that good?
Now it seems like he's not much of a threat; he can't even beat Xu Xinghe...
No, she quickly shook her head again.
In his past life, he was a renowned medical expert, possessing fame, wealth, and status—he simply hadn't reached that point yet.
She had to accompany him through his low points and wait for him to return to his peak before marrying him in a grand and glorious way to secure her own position.
Thinking of this, a faint hope rekindled in Wang Zhizhi's heart.
She lay down next to Li Xingzhou, fully clothed, carefully avoiding his injured arm, and closed her eyes.
All the hardships we are going through now are only temporary, and things will get better!
So what if Xu Xinghe has money?
What kind of future can a common soldier like Jiang Linchuan have?
As long as I can live a better life than her in the future, that's a win!
——
December 31st.
The last day of 1967.
A festive atmosphere permeated the entire military headquarters.
The soldiers rarely get a day off, so instead of doing drills or training, they mostly stay at home, enjoying the warmth of their wives and children.
This year has been fraught with disasters, and the military has put in a lot of effort. The villagers from nearby villages remember this kindness and spontaneously brought New Year's gifts to express their gratitude.
The baskets were overflowing with frozen pears and pickled vegetables, and someone was carrying a basket of freshly laid eggs, trying to stuff them into the soldiers' hands.
Xu Xinghe, this 'lucky star,' naturally became the center of attention.
Faced with various foods offered to her, she smiled and declined them one by one, but in the end, unable to refuse their hospitality, she only kept two white rabbits.
I don't want to keep a pet, I just think that having a living creature in the house might liven up the quiet days.
She stood in the crowd, holding a rabbit, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Her little face was flushed red from the cold wind, like a ripe apple, and her bright black eyes were simply adorable.
The military wives surrounded her, chatting amongst themselves.
"Xinghe, this is your first New Year here. Don't worry, I guarantee you'll taste the most authentic Northeastern dumplings!"
"I don't know about dumplings from other places, but our Northeastern-style sauerkraut and pork dumplings are so delicious they'll make your tongue tingle with umami!"
"When you marry Commander Jiang, he'll make you a dollop of rice every year. Our Commander Jiang may look like a roughneck, but he's incredibly skillful!"
Xu Xinghe obediently agreed, her ears already bright red, and quickly pulled her fluffy hat down further.
The rabbit in her arms was well-behaved, only occasionally twitching its long ears, making her palm tickle.
Just then, a figure hurriedly flashed past from the side, heading towards the cafeteria in a flustered manner.
It's Wang Zhizhi.
Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat.
Although Li Xingzhou and Wang Zhizhi are going to leave after New Year's Day, given their personalities, they probably won't behave themselves in the last few days and might cause some trouble.
Otherwise, just find someone to beat them up until they can't get out of bed, to avoid causing any more trouble.
But then I thought it was inappropriate. What if they used this as an excuse to stay in Heilongjiang Province and refuse to leave? Wouldn't that be even more troublesome?
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