Chapter 378 A Rushing Question
Shen Qing looked at Su Wantang, "I wonder if Comrade Su can do it?"
Su Wantang remained silent.
She picked up the teapot on the table and poured herself a cup of tea.
The tea was poured very slowly, the water flowing in a thin stream, making almost no sound as it fell into the cup.
After filling the cup, she put down the teapot, picked up the cup, and took a sip.
"Whether it can be done or not, we'll have to ask Lu Jingyan," she said.
Zhao Fang laughed, "That's a very true statement."
“However,” Shen Qing said, “no matter how much Commander Lu dotes on you, he still has to do what needs to be done.”
"What should we do?" Su Wantang asked.
“Learn what you should learn, and understand what you should understand,” Shen Qing said. “We can’t just rely on Brigade Commander Lu’s favor to get by.”
Liu Guilan nodded, "That makes sense."
Su Wantang put down her teacup and looked at Shen Qing.
“Officer Shen is right,” she said. “But there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
"What?"
"You just said that during that exercise, you carried Lu Jingyan for five miles?"
Shen Qing nodded, "Yes."
"Is he injured?"
"I was grazed by a stray bullet, and I bled a lot from my head," Shen Qing said. "The situation was very critical at the time."
Su Wantang smiled. "Has he woken up?"
Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, "What?"
"Is he awake?" Su Wantang asked again. "Was he awake or unconscious when you carried him on your back?"
Shen Qing's expression changed. "Of course I'm awake."
“If he were awake,” Su Wantang said, “why didn’t he walk by himself?”
The living room fell silent.
Shen Qing tightened her grip on the teacup. "He's injured; he can't leave."
"It was a graze from a stray bullet, a head injury," Su Wantang said. "It's not a leg injury, so why can't I walk?"
Zhao Fang frowned. "Brigade Commander Lu's wife, what do you mean by that?"
"It doesn't mean anything," Su Wantang said. "I'm just curious."
Liu Guilan put down her teacup. "This isn't curiosity; this is questioning."
“I have no doubts,” Su Wantang said. “I just want to know what exactly happened back then.”
Shen Qing took a deep breath. "The situation was very complicated at the time, and it can't be explained in just a few words."
"Then let's take our time," Su Wantang said, leaning back in her chair. "I have plenty of time."
Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Sister Wang quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Oh dear, that's all in the past, why bring it up?"
“We also need to clarify what happened in the past,” Su Wantang said. “After all, this is a life-saving grace, and we need to find out how it was done.”
Zhao Fang's expression darkened. "Brigade Commander Lu's family, what kind of attitude is this?"
“I have no opinion,” Su Wantang said. “I just want to know the truth.”
Liu Guilan stood up. "You don't trust Staff Officer Shen?"
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe it,” Su Wantang said. “I just want to hear the details.”
Shen Qing held the teacup, her face a little pale.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, footsteps came from outside the door.
The door was pushed open, and Li Xiue walked in, her pregnant belly protruding and her face covered in sweat.
She glanced at the people in the room and walked straight to sit down next to Su Wantang.
"Sister-in-law, I'm here to keep you company."
Sister Wang was taken aback. "Why is Sister Li here?"
"I heard there was a tea party, so I came," Li Xiu'e said. "What, aren't you welcome?"
"Of course not," Sister Wang smiled. "Welcome, welcome."
Li Xiu'e ignored her and turned to look at Shen Qing.
"I listened at the door for a while, and Staff Officer Shen was having quite a lively discussion."
Shen Qing's expression changed. "What do you mean by that, Aunt Li?"
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Li Xiu’e said. “I just wanted to remind some people not to forget who pulled Brigade Commander Lu back from the brink of death.”
The room fell silent.
......
The tea party ended on a sour note.
When Mrs. Zhang returned home, it was already completely dark.
She placed the bottle of calming balm on the dressing table and hesitated for a long time.
When Commander Zhang came out of his study, he saw her staring blankly.
"What's wrong?"
“It’s nothing.” Madam Zhang picked up the balm. “It was given to me by Brigade Commander Lu’s wife. She said it can calm the nerves.”
Commander Zhang glanced at it but didn't say anything.
"How about we try it tonight?" Mrs. Zhang asked.
"Whatever," Commander Zhang said before going to take a shower.
Mrs. Zhang opened the bottle and scooped out some perfume to apply to the side of his pillow.
The faint scent of herbs wafted out, neither too strong nor too weak, and it smelled pleasant.
At 10 p.m., Commander Zhang lay down.
He closed his eyes, and those images began to flash back into his mind.
Gunfire, blood, and the screams of comrades.
It's like this every night.
He clenched his fists, forcing himself not to think about it.
Gradually, the scent of herbs filled my nostrils.
His breathing gradually slowed, and his fists loosened.
Ten minutes later, he fell asleep.
No nightmares.
I slept without any dreams.
The next morning at six o'clock, Commander Zhang woke up.
He opened his eyes and froze.
The sunlight streamed in through the window, and the room was very quiet.
He sat up and looked at his hands.
I didn't sweat.
No heart palpitations.
He turned to look at the small bottle beside his pillow.
Madam Zhang brought in water for washing his face from outside and saw him sitting on the bed in a daze.
"Old Zhang, what's wrong?"
Commander Zhang didn't say anything, but reached out and picked up the bottle of perfume.
"This thing... works."
Mrs. Zhang was taken aback. "Really?"
“Really,” Commander Zhang said. “I slept soundly until dawn last night.”
Mrs. Zhang's eyes immediately reddened.
Her husband hasn't had a good night's sleep in ten years.
I wake up several times every night, and sometimes I yell and scream.
She went to see a military doctor, took medicine, and underwent physical therapy, but nothing worked.
Surprisingly, this small bottle of perfume actually worked.
“Old Zhang…” she choked up.
"Don't cry," Commander Zhang said. "This is a good thing."
Mrs. Zhang wiped away her tears. "I have to go and thank them."
"Yes." Commander Zhang nodded. "Thank you very much."
At nine o'clock in the morning, Shen Qing arrived.
She was carrying a bag of fruit, her smile gentle.
"Sister Zhang, are you home?"
Madam Zhang opened the door, saw it was her, and smiled, "Advisor Shen, come in quickly."
Shen Qing entered the room and placed the fruit on the table.
"I've been thinking about yesterday's tea party all night," she said. "I feel there are some things I need to clarify with you."
Mrs. Zhang poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. "What did you say?"
“It’s that perfume balm,” Shen Qing said. “I’m worried that you might have problems after using it.”
Mrs. Zhang held her teacup but did not respond.
“This kind of stuff comes from an unknown source, and who knows what’s in it?” Shen Qing continued. “If there are any side effects, it will be too late to regret it.”
Madam Zhang put down her teacup. "Advisor Shen, I'll use this perfume."
Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, "Used it?"
"Yes," Mrs. Zhang said, "it was for my husband last night."
Shen Qing's expression changed. "Then... is there anything that's bothering you?"
"I don't feel uncomfortable at all," Mrs. Zhang said. "On the contrary, I had my first good night's sleep in ten years."
Shen Qing tightened her grip on the teacup.
“Sister Zhang, you can’t just look at this once or twice,” she said. “Some things may seem fine at the time, but problems will arise over time.”
Madam Zhang looked at her without saying a word.
Shen Qing continued to persuade, "If you're worried, I can help you find a military doctor to take a look and analyze what's in this balm."
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