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

He turned back to his work, his voice much softer: "No need. This is nothing, I can manage."

He paused, lowered his voice, and explained cautiously, "The key is that we have too many good things at home now, with chicken, duck, fish, meat, bird's nest, and donkey-hide gelatin all the time. If we hire people to help us, and they're always watching over us, it's inevitable that some people will get envious. These days, the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows. If someone with ulterior motives reports us for living a life of extravagance, we'll be in big trouble."

Zhi Xia was taken aback at first, but then immediately understood the implications. She came from an ordinary family, but she had heard many stories of people getting into trouble for "flaunting their wealth".

She nodded, indicating her understanding: "That's true... I was trying to simplify things. Thank you for your help then."

The words "Thank you for your hard work" warmed Fang Chu's heart once again. He walked up to Zhi Xia, looked at her face, which was slightly rounder due to her pregnancy, and his gaze fell on her lower abdomen, his eyes filled with a sense of responsibility.

"You're my wife, and now you're pregnant with my son. You're the one who's suffering." He spoke solemnly, with a simple sincerity. "What's a little tiring running around like this? As long as you and the baby are okay, I'm willing to do anything, no matter how tired I am."

These words, though lacking in flowery language, were more sincere than any sweet talk. Zhi Xia looked at his collar, slightly damp with sweat, and listened to his earnest plans. For the first time, she didn't utter a word of rebuttal. She simply turned around silently and went back into the house.

A subtle sense of security, similar to that of "home," quietly arose at noon.

That evening, Fang Chu watched Zhi Xia eat the dinner he had carefully prepared—a steamed fish served with glistening white rice and a small bowl of milky white fish soup on the side.

He noticed that Zhixia had a good appetite lately and was pleased to see it.

At that moment, Li Yunxiao strode in without knocking, sniffed twice, and his eyes immediately locked onto the food on the table. He blurted out, "Damn! Fang Chu, you've got some good food! Fish and fine rice! If I'd known your family was treating you to better meals, I wouldn't have been eating those cornbread buns in the cafeteria!"

Fang Chu immediately stood up and stood in front of the table like a mother hen protecting her chicks, her tone leaving no room for negotiation: "This is for Zhixia to nourish her body, there's no share for you."

Li Yunxiao then realized what he had said and awkwardly touched his nose: "Oh...right, I forgot, my sister-in-law is pregnant and needs nutrition. You're not pregnant." That was a rather irritating remark.

Fang Chu was too lazy to argue with him, so she simply pulled him out of the house and led him to the yard, lowering her voice to ask, "What are you doing here?"

Li Yunxiao then dropped his joking expression and said seriously, "What else could it be? I'm asking you something important! How's the investigation going with that bastard who plotted against you? Any leads?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Chu's face showed a hint of annoyance and helplessness. He rubbed his temples and said, "I haven't had time to investigate lately." He glanced back at the lit window, which was now his entire focus.

Li Yunxiao followed his gaze and immediately understood. He nudged him with his shoulder, his tone teasing, "I understand, I understand! Our Political Commissar Fang is a model husband these days, busy cooking and cleaning for his wife! He wouldn't have the mind to catch the mole!"

Fang Chu didn't deny it, but sighed and his tone became heavy: "Yes. You know Xiaxia's health condition. The previous miscarriage damaged her vital energy, and this child came at such an inopportune time... I have to be extra careful and can't afford to be careless at all." Right now, all he could think about was how to take good care of Zhixia and ensure the safety of both mother and child. Everything else had to take a backseat.

Seeing him so completely absorbed, Li Yunxiao felt both amused and moved. Shaking his head, he lowered his voice and "praised" in a manly way:

"But seriously, Lao Fang, you're really... amazing. That accuracy, every shot hits the mark! It's hard for other people to even get pregnant, but you hit the bullseye every single time..."

Fang Chu glared at him irritably, unable to respond to his words. He himself also felt that this matter was both strange and heavy.

In the courtyard, two men leaned against the wall, talking in hushed tones by the light coming from inside the house.

Li Yunxiao exhaled a smoke ring, then, as if suddenly remembering something, nudged Fang Chu with his elbow: "Hey, your mom... over there, does she know about Zhixia's pregnancy?"

Fang Chu watched the rising smoke and snorted, "Of course I know. Otherwise, do you think those bird's nests, donkey-hide gelatin, and the occasional fine grain coupons that arrive by chance?"

Li Yunxiao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Oh? From what I'm hearing... Auntie has accepted Zhixia as her daughter-in-law?"

Fang Chu twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a slightly mocking yet knowing smile: "Whether she acknowledges her daughter-in-law or not is hard to say. But she definitely acknowledges her grandson."

"Grandson?" Li Yunxiao caught the word. "Then it must be a son, right?"

"Xiaxia said so," Fang Chu said, her tone carrying a natural, almost gullible, belief. "She said she felt it was her son."

"Hey!" Li Yunxiao chuckled. "Maybe it really is a guy! There's an old saying, 'A woman's intuition can be uncanny sometimes!'"

Fang Chu paused for a moment, took a drag of his cigarette, and gazed at the dark night sky. His voice lowered, carrying a hint of longing: "Actually... I do want a daughter." He imagined a little girl like Zhi Xia, fair-skinned, delicate, and soft, following behind him and calling him "Daddy" in a sweet, childish voice, and his heart softened.

"Give me a break!" Li Yunxiao rudely interrupted his fantasy, scoffing, "You? Fang Chu, look at yourself, so tall and muscular, overflowing with masculinity! And look at the genes of that string of bald boys in your Fang family! You think you can have a daughter? You're just not cut out for it! Give up on that idea now!"

These words struck a nerve with Fang Chu, reminding him that his cousins ​​did indeed have a string of sons. He stubbed out his cigarette in annoyance and glared fiercely at Li Yunxiao:

"If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth! Get lost!"

Li Yunxiao chuckled, nimbly dodging the kick that was coming at him, and disappeared in a flash.

Fang Chu stood alone in the courtyard, thinking about Li Yunxiao's words and Zhi Xia's resolute expression, and felt a strange tightness in her chest. Did he really... not have the fate to hold his daughter?

After Li Yunxiao left, Fang Chu returned to the room, where a faint aroma of food still lingered. As he quickly cleared the dishes, he spoke casually, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of probing and expectation:

"Xiaxia, do you think... the baby in your belly... might actually be a girl?"

Zhixia was leaning against the headboard, holding a book about pregnancy. She didn't even look up when she heard this, but her tone was very certain, carrying her unique logic—a mixture of reality and a touch of fatalism:

"I think it's a son. How could a girl be so resilient? She's been through so much and still refuses to leave."