Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

Fang Chu emerged from the doctor's office, his face etched with a lingering seriousness. Zhi Xia immediately rose from the bench, strode to him, looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion, doubt, and a hint of anger at being deceived; her voice trembled slightly.

"Was it...was it all a lie to me before? That child wasn't actually miscarried? This...is the same one as the previous one, right?" This seemed to be the only reasonable explanation she could think of.

Looking at her pale face and frightened eyes, Fang Chu felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if pierced by needles. He didn't answer the confusing question directly, but instead walked to her, knelt down with his back to her, and spoke in a low voice with undeniable authority:

"Don't ask anymore. Come on, I'll carry you back."

His evasive stance, in Zhixia's eyes, seemed more like a tacit agreement. A surge of immense fear gripped her instantly; she stood rooted to the spot, her voice trembling with tears, and asked the most terrifying question:

"Is it... that I'm one with him now? If he can't live... then I can't live either?" The word "deadly" that the doctor had said earlier swirled in her mind like a curse.

"Don't overthink it!" Fang Chu whirled around, interrupting her, his gaze fixed intently on her, his tone more serious and committed than ever before. "Nothing's wrong! You and he will both be fine! I will never let anything happen to you!"

"I don't want to die..." Zhi Xia's tears finally fell. All her strength and composure crumbled in the face of life and death. Like a lost child, she helplessly grabbed the hem of his military uniform. "Fang Chu, you said you would let me go to university and find me a good job... I'm only nineteen years old. I haven't lived enough yet. I really don't want to die..."

This primal, desperate will to survive, accompanied by a sob, pounded into Fang Chu's heart.

He remained crouched, turned around, and firmly grasped her icy hand, promising her, word by word:

"You won't die. Listen, Zhixia, you won't die. I'll find the best doctors in the country and use the best medicine. You and your child will both live well. I swear."

After his repeated reassurances, Zhixia calmed down a little. Looking at his broad back, she hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Won't carrying me... crush him?"

"No," Fang Chu's voice softened, "He's still very, very young, we can't crush him."

Zhi Xia then carefully climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Fang Chu stood up steadily and lifted her up.

Feeling his firm and powerful steps, Zhixia gently pressed her face against his back and mumbled again, "Don't drop me."

"No." Fang Chu's voice came from his chest, steady and reliable, "Never in this lifetime."

Fang Chu carried his sweetest yet heaviest "burden" in the world, step by step, toward the "home" that he had to make sure was absolutely safe.

Fang Chu carried Zhi Xia on his back as they walked back to their family compound. He could clearly feel the scrutinizing and pointing gazes directed at them along the way.

Zhi Xia buried her face deeply in his broad back, refusing to look or listen.

At that moment, no amount of gossip or concerns about face or reputation could compare to the fear brought on by the doctor's words, "It's life-threatening." She was truly afraid of dying.

Just as they entered the residential compound, they bumped into Xu Guihua, who was chatting with someone. Xu Guihua immediately spotted Zhixia being carried on Fang Chu's back, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly went to greet her, her tone filled with concern and surprise:

"Political Commissar Fang, what... what happened? Why did you carry Zhixia back? What's wrong?"

Fang Chu stopped, took a deep breath, and without hiding anything, announced the news in a calm tone tinged with a barely perceptible heaviness:

"Sister-in-law Guihua, Xiaxia is pregnant. Her health isn't good, and the doctor advised her to rest well."

"What?! Pregnant... pregnant?!" Xu Guihua's voice rose an octave in shock, her eyes widened instantly, and her face was filled with disbelief.

She had heard rumors about Zhixia "falling into the pond" when she first arrived, and the subsequent vague talk of a miscarriage! This... how long has it been? At most, only three months?!

A surge of anger rushed to Xu Guihua's head. She looked at Fang Chu, her eyes filled with disappointment and resentment, forgetting all about his status as political commissar; her hand trembled as she pointed at him.

"How could you do this?! You're a political commissar! How could you do such a thing?! Zhixia suffered so much before, her health was ruined, and she had just recovered a little, and you...you're making her...Aren't you trying to kill her?!"

She genuinely felt sorry for Zhixia. Such a beautiful young woman, she hadn't had a peaceful day since marrying into the family, and now she was being pushed to the brink of death so quickly. In her eyes, Fang Chu's behavior was utterly irresponsible, only caring about his own pleasure!

Xu Guihua was furious. She glared at Fang Chu and wanted to say something more, but seeing Zhi Xia on Fang Chu's back, her face buried in her hands and looking exceptionally vulnerable, she swallowed back her harsher words, sighed heavily, and turned away. But her anger and dissatisfaction were clearly not going to dissipate so easily.

Fang Chu bore this silent condemnation without explanation. He simply lifted Zhi Xia higher on his back and walked with more steady steps towards his own courtyard. He knew that the moral scrutiny from the outside world was only the beginning.

As night fell, Zhilin and Zhang Meili hurried to Fang Chu's courtyard. Both of them wore heavy expressions; they had heard the news of Zhixia's pregnancy and were both shocked and worried, determined to come and find out for themselves.

In the courtyard, Fang Chu was tidying up by the light of the lamp, preparing ingredients for the soup he would make for Zhi Xia tomorrow. When he saw his brother and sister-in-law come in, he straightened up, already understanding their purpose.

Zhi Lin strode up to him, her eyes sharp as knives, her voice forced out through clenched teeth, filled with barely suppressed rage: "Xia Xia... is she really pregnant?"

Fang Chu did not look away, meeting his gaze, and replied in a deep voice, "Yes. It's been two months."

"Fang Chu! You son of a bitch! You're a beast!" Zhi Lin instantly flew into a rage, veins bulging on his forehead, and swung his fist at Fang Chu! Just thinking about the risks his sister's frail body might face made him want to tear the man in front of him to pieces!

"Zhilin! Stop hitting him!" Zhang Meili reacted quickly, grabbing her husband's waist tightly from behind and pulling him back with all her might. "If you hurt him now, who will take care of Xiaxia?! Can she be left alone right now?!"