However, in the military, a man and a woman alone together can easily cause gossip and trouble.
Gradually, rumors began to circulate.
After much deliberation, Xu Changfeng made a decision. He had promised Xu Jiefang that he would take care of his wife. How could he take good care of her? Naturally, he would have to marry her to be able to take good care of her. Otherwise, given Wu Hongqin's current state of being sometimes lucid and sometimes confused, he wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting her to anyone else.
His family is pressuring him to get married again. If he continues to take care of Wu Hongqin like this after marriage, his future wife probably won't agree.
Therefore, he proposed to the military leaders that he wanted to marry Wu Hongqin, firstly to repay Xu Jiefang's kindness, and secondly to keep his promise.
He assured the military leaders that he would treat Wu Hongqin and her newborn child well.
The military leaders were also aware of Xu Changfeng's inner conflict.
On second thought, this is actually quite good. Xu Jiefang's widow and unborn child will be taken care of, and Xu Changfeng and Wu Hongqin's gossip will be meaningless.
Therefore, Xu Changfeng's marriage application was approved.
Xu Changfeng hurriedly sent a telegram home, saying that he had found a girlfriend in the army and was going to get married. He would bring his wife back to meet Aunt Xie when he came home for a visit after the wedding.
Aunt Xie was initially very happy, since her son had found a girlfriend while still in the army, and with the army leaders overseeing the process, she was sure she wouldn't be a bad match.
He was happily preparing a gift for his daughter-in-law at home.
When the time came for Xu Changfeng to return home after visiting relatives, he did not come back.
Aunt Xie was naturally anxious, wondering if something had happened. She sent a telegram to the army to inquire, but Xu Changfeng was vague, only saying that he was busy and would come back to visit when he had time.
Aunt Xie was relieved; at least the person was alright.
The more I thought about it, the more something felt off. They had agreed to come back to visit their family, which was usually around this time of year. Why did they change their minds after the wedding? Could it be that their daughter-in-law in the military didn't want to come back with them?
Aunt Xie had already spread the word that her son had found a wife in the army and was going to bring her back before the new year.
The year was over and there was still no sign of him, so naturally people started asking.
There are women who can't stand to see Aunt Xie doing well, and they're bound to say some unpleasant things.
If it were anything else, Aunt Xie would just think they were talking nonsense and that they were jealous of her.
After having doubts in his heart, hearing these words only confirmed his suspicions.
Aunt Xie felt both heartbroken and resentful. She was heartbroken that her son, whom she had raised with such hardship, had forgotten his mother now that he had a wife.
Naturally, he harbored resentment towards this daughter-in-law.
After the New Year, Xu Changfeng finally returned, but he came back alone.
Aunt Xie pressed Xu Changfeng, asking why her daughter-in-law hadn't come back with her, implying that she looked down on her as her mother-in-law and on people from the countryside.
Xu Changfeng was vague at first, but when pressed, he could no longer hide the truth and finally revealed Wu Hongqin's identity and current situation.
It turned out that Wu Hongqin had given birth to a baby girl. The child was still young, and the journey was too far, so she naturally couldn't come back with her.
Moreover, they had only been married for a short time before the child was born. If outsiders saw it, they might misunderstand, so they simply didn't bring it back.
Aunt Xie valued this son the most. She originally thought that she could find a good family's daughter in the army, get married, have children, and then she could die in peace.
But to everyone's surprise, her son wanted to marry a widow who was pregnant with her ex-husband's child.
In particular, this daughter-in-law was the widow of her son's savior's comrade-in-arms.
It's said to be to take care of the widow and children, but couldn't they have treated them like sisters? Why did they have to treat them like daughters-in-law?
Aunt Xie couldn't understand it, and even began to suspect that Xu Changfeng and Wu Hongqin might have had something going on before.
Xu Changfeng was misunderstood by his own mother and couldn't defend himself. He had a big argument with Aunt Xie because of this and then went straight back to the army.
Originally, Xu Changfeng wanted Aunt Xie to go to the army with him to help take care of Wu Hongqin and the children.
With the two arguing like this, how could Aunt Xie possibly go?
After Xu Changfeng returned to his unit, he didn't come back to visit his family for two years. Both mother and son were holding their breath and refused to back down.
It was Aunt Xie who finally missed her son. She lowered her head and sent a telegram to Xu Changfeng, asking him to come back and visit her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Seeing that Aunt Xie had softened, Xu Changfeng sent a telegram back, announcing the date he would return to visit his family.
Xu Changfeng naturally brought Wu Hongqin and Xu Jiefang's daughter with him when he returned this time.
However, outsiders didn't know this and thought she was Xu Changfeng and Wu Hongqin's daughter, so they all congratulated Aunt Xie.
Aunt Xie reluctantly accepted her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
However, he discovered that his daughter-in-law was extremely disgusted with her adopted granddaughter. When he asked Xu Changfeng, he learned that after Wu Hongqin gave birth to this daughter, she became more lucid and finally accepted Xu Jiefang's death.
But somehow she got stuck in a rut and felt that Xu Jiefang's death was all her daughter's fault. She thought that if her daughter hadn't come at the wrong time, Xu Jiefang might not have died.
This daughter is a jinx; she brought death to her own father.
My daughter is almost three years old, but she doesn't even have a formal name yet. We just call her "little girl" all the time.
He constantly beat and scolded her. It was a little better when Xu Changfeng was home, but when he wasn't, his daughter went hungry one day and ate the next. She was only alive because other military dependents in the army took pity on her and gave her a bite to eat or a bowl of soup. She practically grew up on the charity of many families.
Especially now that Wu Hongqin is pregnant, she dislikes this daughter even more.
Other family members and leaders in the army couldn't stand it anymore and talked to Xu Changfeng, telling him to resolve his family issues and properly settle Xu Jiefang's daughter, because he couldn't let down his fallen comrade.
Xu Changfeng brought Wu Hongqin and her child back this time with the intention of separating the mother and daughter, wanting to leave the daughter in the Tuanjie Brigade and let Aunt Xie take care of her.
It's better than keeping it by your side and having it ignored by your own mother, Wu Hongqin.
Aunt Xie hesitated at the time, saying that this girl was the only bloodline left by her son's savior, and it was only right to take care of her.
But Wu Hongqin is pregnant with her son's child, and she wants to take care of her daughter-in-law, help her during her postpartum period, and hold her grandson.
If we raise this girl, given my daughter-in-law's character, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold my eldest grandson.
That won't do!
Therefore, she only said that she would think about it.
Unable to hold back, he said a few cruel things to Wu Hongqin. He didn't know which of his words touched a nerve with Wu Hongqin, who was eavesdropping, and she started acting up again.
While Xu Changfeng was visiting relatives and friends and Aunt Xie was working in the fields, she took her daughter out with her and then returned alone.
When Xu Changfeng and Aunt Xie returned and didn't see the girl, they were dumbfounded.
When asked, Wu Hongqin said she had consulted someone who said this girl was born with a curse, not only causing the death of her own father but also bringing misfortune to the child in her womb.
She's carrying a boy this time, what if she's cursed?
So she took her daughter away and gave her away.
Xu Changfeng asked her who she had given it to, but she wouldn't say. When pressed, she clutched her stomach and cried out in pain.
Having no other choice, Xu Changfeng had to go out and search, only to discover that Wu Hongqin hadn't given the child away at all; she had simply abandoned him by the mountain roadside.
Luckily, the girl was alive; by the time Xu Changfeng found her, her face was already blue from the cold.
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