After leaving the village chief's house, Xu Xinghe did not return to the village cadre's office, but instead turned a corner and headed towards Feng Qiushi's house.
Comrade Feng, are you there?
The knocking was neither too loud nor too soft.
Feng Qiushi was dozing off against the headboard when he heard Xu Xinghe's voice. He sat up abruptly, his heart pounding.
Why is she here again?
I checked twice yesterday, and you're doing it again today? Do you still doubt her?
Feng Qiushi didn't dare to delay. He quickly told the stand-in in the small house to go to the main house, tidied his wrinkled clothes, and made sure there were no flaws on his face before taking a deep breath and pulling open the door bolt.
"Comrade Xu, what brings you here?" She forced a gentle smile.
"I came to see you." Xu Xinghe smiled and her eyes crinkled. "I saw you had a quarrel with Teacher Shen yesterday and you were in a bad mood. I thought that since we are both women, if he bullies you, I can speak up for you. I can't let you suffer in Heilongjiang Province."
They meant well, so Feng Qiushi didn't dare to shoo them away. He could only step aside to make room for them. "How could I? He's just a quiet person. He didn't mean to argue with me. Comrade Xu, please come in. It's cold outside."
Xu Xinghe stepped into the house, her gaze subtly sweeping over the room. "I noticed that Teacher Shen doesn't seem to go out much on weekdays?"
“Yes, his health has never been very good.” Feng Qiushi quickly took over, handing him a cup of steaming tea. “We came from Suzhou and Yangzhou. The climate here is much colder than back home. He’s not used to the change in environment and is always afraid of getting sick from the wind if he goes out, so he tries to stay indoors as much as possible.”
Xu Xinghe took the teacup. "Then we need to be careful. It's cold here in winter. If you catch a cold, it'll be inconvenient to see a doctor."
As she spoke, she glanced casually toward the cellar.
Feng Qiushi followed her gaze and felt even more flustered, but he could only force himself to nod. "That's right, so I try my best not to let him go out. If he needs anything, I buy it from the supply and marketing cooperative myself."
She poured herself a glass, her fingers constantly rubbing the inside of the glass.
But the warmth above did not comfort her at all; instead, it made her even more anxious.
I wonder how Xu Mingli is doing up in the mountain?
Has the wound been treated? Is it infected?
I think I'll finish the cornbread I got yesterday today.
It's so cold up in the mountains, where does he stay at night?
Can my body handle it?
These thoughts kept popping up, making it impossible for Feng Qiushi to calm down.
Xu Xinghe had been observing her. "Comrade Feng, is something on your mind? You seem very troubled. If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you. At the very least, I can be a good listener. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"It's nothing, it's still about that argument." Feng Qiushi gripped her cup tightly. "You know, once a woman gets married, it's for life. We've only been married for two years, and he's treating me like this. I'm a bit lost and don't know what to do in the future."
In fact, she and Xu Mingli never got a marriage certificate.
Because Xu Mingli's marriage must be left to Xu Xinghe.
When Xu Xinghe left Shanghai, he specifically published a notice in the newspaper to sever their relationship.
Legally, Xu Mingli is no longer considered an adopted son of the Xu family.
Therefore, to successfully acquire the Xu family's assets, one must have another identity.
And the son-in-law is undoubtedly the best.
As long as they have a marriage certificate and are married, even if Xu Xinghe dies, he can still inherit the assets.
"So that's how it is. The country has said that women hold up half the sky. You are no less capable than him; it's just that you have different roles. He earns money to support the family, and you are responsible for housework. You also put in your own hard work."
Feng Qiu nodded absentmindedly.
After chatting for a while, Xu Xinghe finally left.
Feng Qiushi immediately closed the door, went to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
The distant mountain shadows were hazy and gray, just like the heavy stone weighing on her heart, filled with oppression.
No, she had to go up the mountain to check on Xu Mingli and find out his current situation.
Even just bringing some hot food and medicine would be fine.
Otherwise, he'd be in trouble sooner or later if he stayed alone on the mountain.
Thinking about this, she became even more restless.
She waited until it got dark outside, then quickly found a cloth bag, stuffed some things inside, and put on a cotton-padded coat.
It must be cold up in the mountains. His wound hasn't healed yet; I hope it doesn't get frostbite.
After packing her things, she quietly walked to the door, pressed her ear against the door panel and listened for a moment. When she was sure there was no noise, she slowly pulled open the door latch.
But as soon as she opened the door a crack, her heart stopped beating.
Under a tree not far away, there were two soldiers wearing military overcoats standing!
Moreover, they were facing their own front door!
They're from the military!
They're watching this place!
Feng Qiushi was so frightened that his legs went weak. He quickly closed the door and fastened the bolt again.
Her back was pressed tightly against the door, and she was panting heavily. In just a short while, she was already sweating profusely.
If she had opened the door directly, she probably would have been discovered!
Feng Qiushi returned to the house, slumped onto the kang (a heated brick bed), clutched the cloth bag in his hand, and couldn't help but shed tears.
Xu Mingli was still suffering from cold and hunger on the mountain, but she couldn't even leave the house!
She simply lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) fully clothed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Every time I close my eyes, I see Xu Mingli injured.
The soldiers at the gate, Xu Xinghe who might already be suspicious, and the so-called experts...
She felt like she was being driven crazy by this invisible pressure!
She was afraid that Xu Mingli would be discovered, and she was also afraid that she herself would be discovered.
In the darkness.
Feng Qiushi kept his eyes open, slowly waiting for dawn.
the next day.
Xu Xinghe is here again.
They used the same excuse, saying they wanted to enlighten Feng Qiushi, but in reality they were just trying to get information out of him.
Feng Qiushi hadn't slept well for several days, and now she felt very tired, both mentally and physically. But she could only force herself to keep smiling and welcoming everyone.
"Comrade Xu, thank you so much for coming to comfort me. I'm all better now, really." The person Feng Qiu was most afraid to see now was Xu Xinghe!
"Besides, Shen An is still at home. It's not good for him to hear me talking about these things with you. They say you shouldn't wash your dirty linen in public, so I'd better not say anything more."
Xu Xinghe nodded, "Okay, then if anything else happens, just come find me."
Finally, they've sent the person away!
Feng Qiushi couldn't take it anymore and quickly went back to her room to lie down. If she didn't go to sleep, she would die suddenly!
The third day.
The villagers had just finished lunch when the roar of cars came from the village entrance.
Hearing the commotion, they all came out to see what was going on.
A green jeep slowly drove into Hongqi Village.
The village chief, with a pipe dangling from his lips, asked, "Have the experts from the capital arrived?"
"Probably, I've heard that these experts specialize in investigating cases involving dead people!"
"This is the first time I've ever met someone from the capital. Come and see what they look like."
The jeep finally came to a stop.
The car door opened, and a man wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit stepped out. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses. He carried a black toolbox in his hand, and his eyes were sharp but not fierce.
It was none other than forensic expert Dr. Chen!
Political Commissar Wang's car was right behind. He jogged up to him, warmly shook hands with Expert Chen, and said, "Expert Chen, you must be tired from your journey. We've been waiting for you!"
"Commissar Wang, you're too kind. It's my duty." Expert Chen nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding villagers before quickly returning to his own. "Where's the body? Let's go take a look."
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