The next morning, Zhou Chengguang's bodyguard, Xiao Liu, came to pick up Zhao Xiuying.
Seeing how happy Zhao Xiuying was, Xu Keke realized that Yuanbao was right last night. Zhou Chengguang had become a high-ranking official, and Zhao Xiuying would indeed be even happier than if he were with them.
Unfortunately, Feng Lichun in her previous life was unaware of this and continued to care for Zhao Xiuying. Even when she herself was starving, she never dared to let her former mother-in-law go hungry. Despite her poor health, she forced herself to go out and earn money to support Zhou Chengguang's mother. Before she died, all she received from Zhao Xiuying was a single sentence: "If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have abandoned me."
Before leaving, Xiao Liu glanced at Xu Keke with some difficulty, "Sister-in-law, our battalion commander said that this is the military family guesthouse, and other families are coming to stay. You can stay until tomorrow at most, and then the rooms will have to be vacated."
In his previous life, he didn't kick them out so soon, and of course, Zhou Chengguang didn't mention divorce so directly either. He waited several days until Feng Lichun and her two children had been bullied enough before telling them to go back. At that time, he didn't mention divorce either.
But Feng Lichun had a vague feeling that something was wrong, so she suggested that she stay in the city. This caused a complete falling out between her and Zhou Chengguang. In a fit of anger, Feng Lichun agreed to divorce him. She took Zhou Chengguang's elderly mother and their two children to the city without asking for a penny.
"Tell your battalion commander to give that money from yesterday to Company Commander Wu, and we'll leave the day after tomorrow. Otherwise..."
Xu Keke snorted coldly, "I don't believe anyone dares to kick us out. If that doesn't work, I'll just take the kids and live right here at the entrance of the military base. Let's see who loses face then."
Xiao Liu was taken aback when he saw Xu Keke make such a request.
Xu Keke's only target was Zhou Chengguang; she only threatened the others. Why should anyone else support Zhou Chengguang's wife and children? Even if Zhou Chengguang was willing, Xu Keke would not agree.
Xiao Liu was acting under orders, and as Xu Keke had instructed, he took Zhao Xiuying to the political commissar's house.
He came out of the political commissar's house and ran into Wu Jingming downstairs. They were from the same hometown, though not from the same village, but from the same county.
The two of them then headed to the camp together.
Xiao Liu told Wu Jingming what he was there for, and then thought of the political commissar's sister-in-law who had been sitting in the room earlier. He couldn't help but curl his lip, a look of disdain on his face.
"What's that like? It's not good for people to see." Wu Jingming knew that he was young and couldn't hide things, so he whispered a reminder to him.
"The way our battalion commander and political commissar handled this matter..." Xiao Liu sighed, somewhat aggrieved, "It wasn't very ethical."
He didn't have as long a military service as the veterans, and he hadn't been with Zhou Chengguang for very long either; he'd only been here for less than a year. Yesterday, he took Da Cui and Yuan Bao to the canteen to get food. Yuan Bao smiled and told him that it was good to have food. Back home, when they had no grain, he'd even gnawed on tree bark. Now that he could eat naan bread, he was quite content. He just wished there was something to drink for his mother, because she was sick and hadn't even had a sip of hot water all morning.
Xiao Liu felt terrible after hearing this. He was also a child who grew up in the countryside, and he knew how hard life had been at home. He couldn't understand how the battalion commander could treat his sister-in-law like this, especially since liberation had finally come and everyone should be living a better life.
Xiao Liu looked around and said, "You don't know, just now, Battalion Commander Zhou's sister-in-law asked me to pass on a message to the battalion commander, saying that if the battalion commander returns the money to you, she will move out of the guesthouse the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, she will take her two children and live at the gate of the military base and refuse to leave."
"Damn it," Wu Jingming threw the cigarette in his hand on the ground, "What kind of mess is this?"
Wu Jingming kicked Xiao Liu, "Alright, it's time to assemble, hurry up and go. You're only saying this to me, don't tell anyone else, understand?"
Xiao Liu gave a muffled "hmm".
The two returned to camp. Zhou Chengguang listened to what Xiao Liu said and didn't mince words. Actually, even without Xu Keke specifically mentioning it, he had been planning to give the money to Wu Jingming in a few days. After all, he was a brother who had risked his life with him. How could he really let him pay?
"Go ask Lao Wu how much it costs."
"Six...sixty-three!" This allowance is issued according to rank; he had heard Wu Jingming mention it on the way here.
Xiao Liu hesitated not because of the amount of money, but because they had just started receiving their allowances. Although the battalion commander's allowance was over a million, when he had just taken the commander's mother to the political commissar's house, the commander had made him give the political commissar's wife fifty. Yesterday, the commander had also bought wine and repaid the company commander Liao for the cigarettes he had bought for him last time. All things considered, there shouldn't be much left.
Zhou Chengguang turned all his pockets inside out. He slapped all the money he had taken out onto the table and asked Xiao Liu to count it for him. Xiao Liu counted it and looked at him helplessly, saying, "Thirty-two."
"Damn it," Zhou Chengguang said, pulling his hat down and slamming it on the table.
"What's wrong with you? We've been waiting for you for ages!" Liu Wenda rushed in from outside. Seeing him still standing there, he looked at Xiao Liu with confusion. "What's wrong? What do you need the money for?"
Xiao Liu reported the situation to the political commissar again.
“I thought it was something serious. As long as you pay me, you can leave. Well…” Liu Wenda said, taking out 100,000 yuan from his pocket and handing it to Xiao Liu.
"It's almost done. I see the car hasn't left yet. Go find your sister-in-law now."
Thinking that he had just given Chen Yurong money and now wanted it back, Zhou Chengguang felt it was a bit embarrassing. "That's not right. I just gave Yurong money..."
Only then did Liu Wenda realize that Zhou Chengguang had given all of his newly received allowance to his sister-in-law. He had been wondering why Zhou Chengguang didn't have any money.
Liu Wenda smiled and said to Zhou Chengguang, "Alright, consider this a loan from you. Tell your sister-in-law not to touch the money that Battalion Commander Zhou gave to her sister. Go quickly, lest she leave again."
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