Chapter 210 The Reasons for Not Moving Away from the Island
The tall, thin man retorted, "She's a bad element! We're..."
The short man standing nearby, having heard of Zhou Jiuzhen's reputation as "Iron Fist Zhou," quickly nudged his arm, signaling him to shut up.
"Bad element?" Zhou Jiuzhen laughed, his voice as cold as ice. "I, Zhou Jiuzhen, broke three ribs on the battlefield and held my position without retreating a single step. My wife has been with the army for over a year, helping the villagers on the island to farm and establish cooperatives. If she's a bad element, then what are we soldiers?"
He took a step forward, and the teenagers took a step back.
"You have no right to run wild in the military!"
The red armband-wearing staff members blushed, and no one dared to speak.
Zhou Jiuzhen stopped looking at them and tightly grasped Ling Huanwu's cold fingers. "Let's go home."
He spoke softly, then picked Lin Wei up and carried her home.
Ling Huanwu nestled in his arms, biting her lip as tears soaked his military shirt.
She could feel his arms trembling slightly as he held her, not from fear, but from anger and pain.
In her previous life, when she suffered these things, Zhou Shuyao hid in a corner and dared not step forward.
She endured that humiliation for a whole day until evening, when he secretly came to rescue her.
At the time, she thought Zhou Shuyao was a decent person, and because of this small favor, he devoted himself to her for half his life.
But it turns out that the people who truly care about you wouldn't want you to suffer even a second longer.
Under the silent gaze of those around him, Zhou Jiuzhen passed by the aunties who were watching without even raising his head. He simply wrapped her tighter with his coat, as if protecting a rare treasure.
The group of people wearing red armbands exchanged glances, but no one dared to step forward to stop them.
Watching Zhou Jiuzhen carry Ling Huanwu away, Song Yaoyao gritted her teeth in anger, clutching the lipstick she had picked up so tightly that she almost dug the corner of it into her flesh.
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In the military office.
Zhao Tingguo was furious when he recalled how Zhou Jiuzhen ignored his earnest advice and turned to leave. He slammed his teacup heavily on the table, spilling tea everywhere.
"What did that guy mean just now? Did he think I deliberately demoted him for my Jingxiang's sake, and that's why he gave me that attitude?"
"Old Hao, do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Political Commissar Hao dared not respond, but simply lowered his head with a strange expression.
Zhao Tingguo felt a chill run down his spine, and his face darkened further. "You also think that I demoted him to get revenge on him?"
You should know that he made a special detour to come here because he originally wanted to swallow his pride and apologize to this young comrade Zhou Jiuzhen.
Without investigating the reasons, they claimed that Zhou Jiuzhen had framed their son.
Now that the evidence is conclusive, he has completely lost face.
In the past, he always handled matters separately from public and private affairs. This time, he made a mistake and trusted his son for a moment, but unexpectedly lost the trust of everyone.
Political Commissar Hao sighed and poured a cup of tea into his teacup. "Commander, Jiuzhen has suffered a lot. His adoptive father died when he was very young, and his adoptive mother died recently. He is a bit stubborn, so please be more understanding!"
At this, Zhao Tingguo was so angry he almost exploded. "So, Lao Hao, you really think so too. Don't you know what kind of person I am...?"
Suddenly, Zhao Tingguo's mind went blank for a moment, and his old habit, just like his wife's, kicked in again. His quick temper turned into a sharp one, and he immediately asked curiously, "Was Battalion Commander Zhou adopted? Do you know where he was lost?"
Over the years, in order to find Er Gou, they would go to the homes of any families who had adopted children to confirm their identities.
Just as he asked the question, he suddenly remembered that Comrade Ling had indeed said that Zhou Jiuzhen was not his mother's biological son.
Political Commissar Hao rubbed his temples, remembering that Wang Guihua had mentioned where she had found Zhou Jiuzhen, and suddenly slapped his thigh, "Right, right, Jiuzhen's mother once said that she was from Yuncheng, that..."
"Yuncheng?"
Zhao Tingguo strained his ears, his expression instantly turning serious.
Just as Political Commissar Hao was struggling to recall the details and couldn't quite put his finger on it, Zhao Tingguo's bodyguard entered, his face grave. "Commander, those kids are going around arresting and criticizing people. Do you want to go take a look?"
Zhao Tingguo's face darkened, and he stood up abruptly, turning around and hurriedly walking outside.
"Yes, Jiuzhen was found at the hospital. I heard that Jiuzhen was carrying a little girl from People's Park to the hospital..."
Political Commissar Hao finally remembered and blurted out the words.
Looking up, there was no sign of Commander Zhao anywhere.
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In the family compound.
Ling Huanwu quickly tidied herself up, changed into ordinary clothes, and headed to the cooperative.
Zhou Jiuzhen rolled up her sleeve and gently stroked the red marks on her wrist, his eyes filled with heartache. "You're in this state, and you still want to go to the cooperative?"
"I heard there's a lot of commotion in the city right now, and many capitalists have fled. I didn't expect them to follow us to the island. It's safer for you to stay at home for the next couple of days."
Ling Huanwu looked at his lowered eyes, the events that had just happened still vivid in her mind.
What was destined to happen in the previous life, even in a different way, still happened in the end.
The thought of him actually getting hurt in the storm surge made Ling Huanwu feel a wave of panic.
She sat back down in her chair and took Zhou Jiuzhen's hand to talk in detail.
"Jiuzhen, do you really think we're safe staying on the island? What if another storm surge comes? Perhaps we should advise our fellow villagers to move away from the island. What do you think?"
Ling Huanwu looked at Zhou Jiuzhen expectantly.
She thought that perhaps if the two of them worked hard, they could change the tragedy caused by the villagers' refusal to relocate in their previous life.
Zhou Jiuzhen stared at Ling Huanwu's bright eyes for a long time, his lips trembling, a question weighing on his mind.
"Huanwu, are you hiding something from me?"
What Zhou Shuyao said in Hong Kong was ambiguous, as if he and Ling Huanwu had a close relationship.
He always felt as if a fog surrounded him, making it impossible for him to see or understand.
He felt a sense of unease, as if he might accidentally lose the woman in front of him.
Zhou Jiuzhen put aside his chaotic thoughts, took a deep breath, and answered Ling Huanwu's question very seriously.
"Before I came here, I had heard about the local customs and traditions..."
He pulled Ling Huanwu to sit on a bench nearby and began to tell her about some things about this island that outsiders didn't know.
Ling Huanwu then learned that the mother of Su Haidi, the comrade who sacrificed himself to save Zhou Jiuzhen, and who was also Su Haiting's mother, was actually a villager from Wantan Island.
Su Haidi's last wish was to be buried on this island with her mother, who had married far away and longed for her hometown.
Therefore, Zhou Jiuzhen brought his comrade's ashes to this island, hoping to fulfill his comrade's wish to build the island together.
Previously, Zhou Jiuzhen and Su Haidi had been very close, and Su Haidi had told Zhou Jiuzhen a legend passed down from their ancestor on the island.
Ling Huanwu was listening intently, eager to know what legend could make the entire Wantan Island population risk their lives rather than move.
But Zhou Jiuzhen only spoke halfway before his gaze drifted towards the direction of the coastal cemetery.
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