Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Child, child!
Wu Dan forgot how he got to the playground. He finished training in a daze and returned to the dormitory, unable to sleep all night.
There were only half-day classes the next day, and Qingmei did not return to the dormitory after finishing her class in the morning.
She had to go to the hospital for a follow-up check today, and after class, she went straight to the school gate.
Wu Dan chased after her and watched Qingmei get on a military vehicle at the gate.
He could have relaxed and dismissed Ning Wenting's words yesterday as a rumor. He knew that beautiful women were always subject to rumors of romantic affairs. Although the rumors about Qingmei weren't particularly romantic.
However, the moment the door of the Hongqi car opened, he actually saw a middle-aged woman holding a baby in her arms.
Wu Dan returned to the dormitory in a daze. He did not attend the training in the afternoon and just lay in bed for the whole afternoon.
Just one month into the university term, rumors were already swirling around the class.
Gradually, someone leaked the news to the teachers, and when the counselor tried to control the situation, it got out of control.
"Professor Shen, your lecture on international political thought and Soviet history has been so well received. Our students are hoping you can add another class so that those who weren't able to sign up before can also benefit from the Neva River's influence."
The teacher in the same office, Ms. Ou, who was in charge of the teaching management department, earnestly persuaded Professor Shen to work harder and give more lectures to students.
However, Professor Shen is such an elegant and graceful person that it is really difficult to discuss things with him.
She lowered her head as she corrected students' homework. Her voice was gentle and soft, "I'd love to teach more courses, but unfortunately, not only do I have to teach at the college, I also have to travel to other provincial Party schools twice a week. At the end of the month, I have to hold an ideological exchange meeting with advanced individuals and model workers in the province. Furthermore, Dean Guo wants me to publish more of my reflections on studying and living in the Soviet Union in the school magazine... These are all my current responsibilities, and I'm really busy."
The college had finally gotten an outstanding professor who had returned from the Soviet Union, and everyone in the college was very polite to Professor Shen.
I heard that the Soviet Communist Academy, as the top of the four famous universities in the Soviet Union, began to say that they would not release Professor Shen no matter what, and even hoped that Professor Shen would join their nationality.
There were also rumors that Professor Shen had no shortage of suitors there. If it weren't for the overwhelming homesickness, most people would have been persuaded to stay in the Soviet Union and not return.
Professor Shen is indeed amazing.
Others went to the Soviet Union to learn how to gild themselves, but she was helping others gild themselves there. Needless to say, her importance was significant.
Teacher Ou lamented that although they were about the same age, their achievements were vastly different.
She was deeply impressed and said, "It's a pity that you can only stay in China for half a year. If it were longer, you wouldn't be so exhausted."
"Yes, but I also have teaching tasks there." Professor Shen smiled and continued to work.
A moment later, there was a knock on the office door.
Professor Shen was given special treatment, sharing an office with Professor Ou. Many people came to see Professor Ou, as she was the head of academic affairs.
"Teacher Wang, what's the matter?" Teacher Ou put down his pen, stood up and asked Teacher Wang to sit down.
Teacher Wang looked unhappy. He pulled a letter from his pocket and said, "Here's a letter of complaint. It says one of the first-year students has serious conduct issues. I hope the college leadership will deal with it seriously."
"Is it a problem with work style?" Teacher Shen looked up. She knew that the country was very strict in cracking down on such things, and she was curious about what the other party had done wrong.
The report letter has been opened by the teacher in charge of the report box. This matter involves students' personal information, so I have to take it to ask Teacher Ou.
"'A chaotic private life, an illegitimate child?'" Teacher Ou said in surprise halfway through, "I remember this girl named Qingmei. She was incredibly stunning, almost unforgettable."
Professor Shen was speechless. This couldn't be described as a whistleblower issue anymore. It would be big news in any country.
"This is a very serious reputation for the students. Teacher Ou, please investigate thoroughly."
After Mr. Wang handed the letter of complaint to Mr. Ou, he walked to the door, stopped, and said, "Alas, as the saying goes, beautiful women are the root of trouble."
Professor Shen frowned and said, "Teacher Wang, we can't just make a conclusion based on a single letter of complaint, right? If it's a one-sided statement, your words would be extremely hurtful to a female college student who has just entered campus."
Teacher Wang knew that Professor Shen was of high status and was particularly valued by the college leaders.
He smiled awkwardly and said, "That's not my characterization. You've been in this office all year round. You don't know that the students already regard her as the most beautiful girl on campus and the most talented woman on campus at Beiyan. There are also many male students pursuing her, showing their affection openly and competing with her in secret."
Professor Shen feels that this impression is one-sided.
She recalled that on the day of registration for the small class, there seemed to be a female classmate who was dressed neatly and elegantly, and she was dazzling in the crowd, like a dazzling star.
If she was her childhood sweetheart, she was not seen having any close contact with the male classmates at that time. She even stayed with the female classmates all the way and deliberately kept a friendly distance from the male classmates.
Her temperament and smile made Professor Shen very fond of her.
When Teacher Ou saw Professor Shen's unusual words of defense for Qingmei, he also felt that there was something fishy about this matter.
"People have the right to pursue beautiful things. We cannot classify her as evil just because of her attractiveness."
Teacher Ou stood up, walked to the door, and said to Teacher Wang, "As teachers, we must avoid blindly following others' opinions and getting involved in student conflicts. I will carefully review this report and investigate it. I hope Teacher Wang will also talk to the other teachers and ask them not to amplify this matter behind their backs."
"...Okay." Seeing that they all said this, Teacher Wang had no choice but to swallow his rebuttal and left.
After he left, Teacher Ou smiled and asked Teacher Shen, "It seems you have a good impression of Qingmei."
Teacher Shen said, "I am just like you. I can see with my own eyes."
She believed from the bottom of her heart that a girl with such a bright and contagious smile could not do such a dirty thing.
*
November 11th.
More than a month into school, Qingmei still didn't realize she had become a negative figure.
Last night, Zhao Wuhe and her grandmother both caught a cold, feeling dizzy and feverish. This could easily infect Gu Zhaozhao, so Qingmei took care of him all night.
Early in the morning, the autumn wind was bleak and the temperature dropped sharply.
Zhao Wuhe got up sick and asked Qingmei, "Why don't you take Zhaozhao to school? I'll call his father and ask him to send someone over."
It's not impossible to bring children to school. Qingmei heard that two or three parents in the second grade brought their children to class. Some were two or three years old, and some were eleven or twelve.
She reached out and teased Gu Zhaozhao's chubby face. This little fat boy, who was almost four months old, still maintained the rhythm of eating and sleeping, and even when he woke up, he didn't cry or make a fuss. She was not worried at all that Gu Zhaozhao would affect the order of the class.
She thought that she should let Zhou Meixiang and Tian Tian know that she was a married woman, and bring a child over for them to play with!
Qingmei carried two cloth bags, one on each side. The left one contained Gu Zhaozhao's diapers and clothes, and the right one contained her textbooks.
She was wearing a light blue autumn jacket and had her hair tied into a high, single braid. She carried her son through the North Alley of the compound, strolling to school.
After entering the school, Qingmei found that many people passing by were looking at Gu Zhaozhao.
At first Qingmei thought that her child was the one who was being sought after, but later she felt something was wrong.
A couple of days ago, Zhou Meixiang and Tian Tian asked her out for dinner, saying they had something to ask her. Qingmei, worried about getting home to feed Gu Zhaozhao, didn't go. They were both hesitant to talk, but now Qingmei finally felt something was wrong.
She walked to the bottom of the Jiaozi Building, which is the Faculty Building. There was a shortcut from here to the Confucius Building. Halfway there, she heard a strange and nice female comrade calling her name.
"Qingmei?" Professor Shen, holding the lesson plan, looked at Gu Zhaozhao in surprise. "Is this your...brother?"
Qingmei recognized the famous Professor Shen and said with a sweet smile, "Good morning, Professor Shen. This is my son Gu Zhaozhao. Look, he's smiling at you."
Gu Zhaozhao rarely interacts with outsiders. No one knows what happened today. The sun came out from the west, and she stretched out her little fleshy hands to grab Professor Shen.
When Professor Shen approached and saw the fat boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a feeling of closeness and joy suddenly ignited in her heart. She couldn't help but reach out and hold the child's hand.
Qingmei was just tired of holding Gu Zhaozhao, so she naturally put him in Professor Shen's arms and took the opportunity to rest.
"......" Professor Shen never expected the child's mother to be so generous. He quickly hugged Gu Zhaozhao tightly and looked down at him.
The more she looked at the child, the more she felt that the child's eyebrows and eyes were beautiful and familiar, overlapping with the baby girl deep in her memory.
She couldn't help but look at Qingmei. There was a light sweat on Qingmei's temples. She fanned herself with her hands and looked back at her with a smile: "His name is Gu Dazhao, nicknamed Zhaozhao. He's almost four months old."
"The bright moon illuminates the vast sky. Mm, bright and clear, with an infinite future. What a wonderful name."
Professor Shen pulled himself back to his thoughts, looked at Gu Zhaozhao with loving eyes and said, "She's really heavy. Little Zhaozhao must weigh about 20 kilograms, right?"
Qingmei took Gu Zhaozhao for a physical examination a few days ago and didn't hide anything for the fat boy: "He weighs 23 kilograms."
Professor Shen smiled again when he heard this: "This child and I have a good eye for each other. The more I look at him, the more I like him. Children of this age look similar, but your son is so outstanding. Judging from his eyebrows and eyes, he should look like you."
Mothers really like others to praise their children. Qingmei was no exception. She suppressed her joy and said, "I just hope that he grows up healthy and well."
Professor Shen smiled and said, "That's a coincidence! I had the same thought when I gave birth to my daughter. As long as she has no missing limbs and is healthy throughout her life, I will be content."
After she said that, her heart ached.
Her daughter was also four months old when she died. If she could hold her again, it would definitely be a heavy burden.
Professor Shen was sad and sent Gu Zhaozhao back to Qingmei.
Qingmei hugged Gu Zhaozhao and saw her son giggling with joy. She couldn't help but raise her arm and kiss his cheek.
Professor Shen saw that she had no intention of hiding the fact that she had an "illegitimate child," and in response to the rumors about the widow, he lowered his voice and said, "Why did you bring the child to school? Is the child's father busy?"
Qingmei had no idea that Professor Shen was trying to trick her. She was still thinking about asking Professor Shen when the class would start again and asking her to prepare in advance.
She answered truthfully, "His father is a soldier in our 014th Unit. We only see him once or twice a week."
soldier?
It’s good to be a soldier.
Professor Shen couldn't help but hold her chest. She knew that Qingmei was definitely not the girl with bad conduct as rumored!
She asked again: "What about mother-in-law?"
Qingmei said, "My mom is sick, and my grandma is also infected. We need to hire someone to disinfect the house, so I had no choice but to bring my child to school. My mom is worried that I won't be able to take care of the child, but she's really worrying too much."
The word "my mother" made Professor Shen's heart tremble.
Although she didn't know why, she was still happy about the spoiled tone that could not be hidden in Qingmei's words.
Only those who have a good relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will continue to call her "Mom" behind her back. If the relationship is not so good, they will just call her "my mother-in-law".
Professor Shen was happy for Qingmei as she was a military wife and had a good relationship with her mother-in-law.
She walked forward, took out a Soviet-made Viet Minh fountain pen from her pocket, and placed it in Gu Zhaozhao's little hand: "This will be a gift for the child."
Professor Shen is too particular.
Qingmei had no way to repay him, so she could only raise Gu Zhaozhao's chubby little hand and wave to Professor Shen: "Thank you, Professor Shen!"
After finishing his words, Professor Shen looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time for class.
She simply accompanied Qingmei all the way to Confucius Building.
Qingmei walked separately from Professor Shen on the second floor and entered the classroom.
There are forty-two students in her class.
Everyone was noisy before the class, but after she came in, everyone fell silent.
Qingmei held Gu Zhaozhao and sat in the back seat by the window. Zhou Meixiang and Tian Tian ran over quickly. Zhou Meixiang whispered, "Why did you bring the child to school?"
Tian Tian calmly stood in front of Qingmei and Gu Zhaozhao, blocking other people's view.
Qingmei frowned and said, "If others can take it, why can't I?"
Zhou Meixiang was worried about Qingmei. She blurted out, "That person's child has a household registration, do you have one?"
Household registration?
Could it be that the strange atmosphere in the class was caused by Gu Zhaozhao?
Qingmei understood instantly. She shook Gu Zhaozhao, who was yawning and about to fall asleep, on her lap and said, "Why not? Don't listen to nonsense. Our Gu Zhaozhao has a name and surname."
Tian Tian walked around to the seat next to Qingmei and sat down. Since Qingmei was not going to eat, she could only briefly tell Qingmei about the rumor in such a weird atmosphere.
This was exactly what Qingmei had expected. She laughed and said, "How idle! This is all nonsense."
Tian Tian said, "Could the man you're close to be his father?"
Qingmei said, "Who else could it be?"
Zhou Meixiang breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to be happy for Qingmei when she heard Tian Tian say, "But someone said you were sitting in a Hongqi car holding a child."
Qingmei said in confusion: "Yes, that's his father's army car."
Tian Tian had also seen the back of a man riding a bicycle without much dressing up. She really couldn't imagine that he could have a Hongqi car. He must be a very important leader.
Qingmei patted Gu Zhaozhao gently and explained to them, "His father and I are a military marriage, so we don't see each other much every week. The car is here to pick me up to join the army. Hey, next time I ask him to come over in his military uniform, all the rumors will stop."
Qingmei is very optimistic anyway, and a man of integrity is not afraid of his shadow's crookedness.
After half a day of classes, Qingmei figured the person Gu Qingzhou was looking for should have arrived at the courtyard. So she didn't go back to the dormitory at noon, intending to send Gu Zhaozhao home.
She had just come down from upstairs when she saw Wu Dan standing under the streetlight, looking at her dimly. His eyes were dark and swollen, and she couldn't tell how many days he hadn't slept.
Qingmei was about to carry Gu Zhaozhao past him, but Wu Dan suddenly stopped her and said, "Wait a minute."
Qingmei turned around and said, "What's the matter? I'm a bit pressed for time. If it's not important, let's talk about it in the afternoon."
Wu Dan looked at the rumored little fat boy. He was indeed good-looking, but he just couldn't like him.
Seeing him circling around for a few times, hesitant to speak, his face as if constipated, Qingmei couldn't help but say, "If you have something to say, please say it quickly. If not, I'll leave."
Wu Dan hurriedly stopped Qingmei. He looked around and saw no one around, so he confidently asked, "Where did this child come from?"
Qingmei said unhappily, "He's from wherever you are from."
Wu Dan wanted to reach out and tease Gu Zhaozhao, but Qingmei dodged him.
Wu Dan sighed and said in a heavy tone, "I've thought about it for many days, but in the end I just can't let you go. If you want a child, then have it. I'm willing to be the child's cheap father. As long as you're happy, I'll tell everyone else that the child is mine. I'll steal my household registration and we'll get the marriage certificate as soon as possible so the child can be registered as an unregistered resident."
Qingmei felt that she had become much more loving after becoming a mother, otherwise she would have definitely slapped her in the face.
Her face darkened as she said, "Wu Dan! I'm telling you one last time, there's absolutely no possibility for us to be together. I have my lover, and we have a very good relationship. If you want to be a savior, I won't stop you. I just hope you can stay as far away from me as possible!"
Seeing that Wu Dan had lowered himself so much, Qingmei refused him again and again.
He couldn't hold back his pride and said with a dark face, "Do you think others don't know about the shameful things you did? I truly love you and don't despise you. There are so many people who like you, but who stood up like me at the critical moment? Do you know how serious the consequences of this matter are? Someone reported you to the school leaders, saying that your behavior is problematic and they want you expelled!"
Qingmei held Gu Zhaozhao and took a few steps away from him, sneering, "It's not like I haven't experienced rumors before, and I've even experienced worse. Expecting me to give in with just a few nonsense words is sheer wishful thinking. Since you don't understand human language, I won't waste my words on you. Remember, the child's father is a great man, and I will never betray him. Put away your overflowing sympathy. Those who are easily misled by rumors are the ones who deserve sympathy for their empty minds!"
Qingmei didn't leave any room for negotiation and walked towards the school gate angrily while holding Gu Zhaozhao.
Wu Dan was heartbroken by her sarcasm and watched her leave the school.
The man riding the bicycle appeared again at the school gate. It could be seen that she was very happy and ran a few steps holding Gu Zhaozhao.
The man had a handsome face but his expression could not be seen. He took the child and left side by side with Qingmei.
Wu Dan suddenly felt that the child Qingmei was carrying was that man's.
But he was riding a bicycle, so who was driving the Red Flag car?
Comparing his height and physique with Gu Qingzhou, Wu Dan couldn't help but feel sad again.
Nowadays people call short men third-level disabled...
If the man still has a job, it would be much better than asking his parents for money.
Wu Dan walked back dejectedly, thinking about his mother coming to visit him in a few days and inviting his distant uncle to have dinner with him. Perhaps seeing that his uncle was a military commander and had social status, his childhood sweetheart would change her mind.
On the way back, Wu Dan was thinking about how to apologize to Qingmei.
His words were indeed harsh, and seemed to be taking advantage of women in unfavorable circumstances.
If Qingmei could accept his apology, he wanted to invite Qingmei to have dinner with his distant uncle and mother again, so that she could feel his attention and know his seriousness. Who knows, Qingmei might really accept his pursuit.
......
Professor Shen didn't return to the faculty dormitory after school. During her lunch break, she had a dream. She dreamed that her daughter was calling her "Mom." When she woke up, she burst into tears.
Her reluctance to return to China also means she is unwilling to face the past.
After much thought, she decided to visit her daughter's grave.
After work, she followed her memory and walked to the street not far from the commercial building. She followed the street to her former home, feeling a mixture of emotions.
Hao Fan was cooking dinner at home. The kitchen window was open, letting in smoke.
On the table, a plate of bok choy and a plate of shredded pork with green peppers were placed. He was making tomato and egg.
His "good" son-in-law was coming back in the evening for drinks and dinner, so he had no choice but to exchange half a pound of lean meat for fried tomatoes and eggs, and then he had to make sweet and sour pork ribs for him.
It doesn't matter if you don't do it. All the furniture in the living room was destroyed, and the only wooden table was smashed.
After a while, Zhong Anhua came back.
She recently went to a plastics factory to pick up scrap plastic. The contaminated waste burned so hard that the lines on her palms were almost gone. She earns eight yuan a month as a casual worker, and she needs to use that money to buy milk powder for her child.
After returning home, Zhong Anhua went to the bedroom to check on her daughter, who was wrapped in a mosquito net and had a low-grade fever.
She closed the door, thought for a moment, and locked it again. Thinking about meeting Jia soon, her scalp tingled and her whole body trembled.
Her husband found a job, working three days on and three days off, at a shipyard, removing marine life from the bottoms of ships. It was a part-time job anyway, so he couldn't earn much.
Her mother helped buy vegetables at the market, occasionally picking up some leaves. She earned ten yuan a month, but any money she earned was confiscated by Jia, leaving her with no savings at all.
Now her husband was in charge of all the money in the family, and everyone, young or old, had to ask him for money. When he was not at home, no one could buy oil, salt, sauce or vinegar.
Hearing the knock on the door, Zhong Anhua quickly opened the bedroom door and said to Hao Fan, "Tell him that the child and I have a cold and ask him not to come in."
Hao Fan is also afraid of his son-in-law, especially when he drinks too much. His son-in-law doesn't care whether he is the father-in-law or not. If the food and wine are not to his taste, he will slap him in the face.
Hao Fan pursed his lips and said, "He has to believe it too. If you lie to him, you're just asking for a beating."
"Just say that anyway." Zhong Anhua was scared after being beaten, so he quickly closed the door and hid in the house, holding his child and trembling.
Hao Fan opened the door and saw a well-dressed and elegant lady whom he did not recognize at first glance.
It was not until the other party spoke coldly that he realized that Fan Shuling had returned.
He took a few steps back in fear, swallowed hard and said, "Why are you back? Didn't you say you would never come back in this lifetime?"
Fan Shuling, also known as Professor Shen, sneered and said, “Do you think I want to find you? You tell me where my daughter is buried, and I will leave.”
Hao Fan was caught off guard and opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.
Fan Shuling narrowed her eyes, looked at the man she had hated for half her life and asked, "You can't be so cruel that you even forgot where your own daughter is buried, right?"
Hao Fan made way and Fan Shuling came to the living room.
Seeing that there wasn't even a decent sofa in the living room, he sneered and said, "It seems that you and her life is not easy either. Tell me, where is your daughter buried? If you don't tell me, I will still think that your daughter is still alive."
She had meant it as a cold joke, but when she saw Hao Fan's expression, her heart sank.
Hao Fan subconsciously clenched his fists, which was the little action he always did before telling a lie.
He hasn't changed at all over the years.
Fan Shuling stared at his mouth and heard him say, "How could the child still be alive if he died a long time ago?"
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