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

A heavy snow fell overnight, and when Wang Chun opened the door in the morning, the world outside was covered in a blanket of white. He took two days off from the barbershop and braved the still-falling snowflakes to walk to Fang Chu's house, where he stayed to chat with Zhi Xia and keep her company.

The two boys from the Zhilin family—Zhixu and Zhiyu—seemed to have found a new paradise, staying at their aunt's house every day and refusing to leave. Inside, a warm stove burned, and outside the window, it was a world of ice and snow, but inside, it was warm and cozy, filled with the laughter of children.

Chao Huaihua looked at the group of young people with a satisfied smile on her face.

She took out the pumpkin seeds Fang Chu had bought, sizzled them in a hot pan until they smelled delicious, and then served them in a winnowing basket. Instantly, the whole house was filled with the fragrant aroma of the New Year. The children immediately gathered around, their little hands grabbing handfuls of seeds and cracking them open with a "crunch."

Wang Chun has now basically completed his apprenticeship at the barbershop and can independently handle most male customers and simple female haircuts.

Seeing her diligence and willingness to learn, the experienced driver raised her salary to twenty-five yuan a month. This was a huge sum for Wang Chun; she no longer had to be so frugal, even spending money carefully on bus fares.

With some extra money in hand, the first thing she thought of was Zhixia and the baby in her belly. She went to the supply and marketing cooperative and used her own money to carefully select two feet of soft and breathable cotton cloth, which she excitedly brought to Zhixia.

"Xiaxia, look at this fabric, it's so soft! You're so skilled, when you have some free time, make a couple of little outfits for the kids to wear next to their skin, they'll definitely be comfortable!"

Zhixia touched the soft cotton fabric and looked at the genuine, slightly proud smile on Wang Chun's face, feeling happy too. She took Wang Chun's hand and said sincerely, "Xiaochun, you're amazing! You can even earn money to buy fabric for my 'son'!"

Wang Chun smiled sheepishly, grabbed a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds, and stuffed them into Zhi Xia's hand: "Try them, Auntie's roasted pumpkin seeds are so fragrant!"

The fire crackled in the stove, the aroma of melon seeds filled the air, her nephews frolicked at her feet, her best friend was beside her, and her mother busied herself in the kitchen. Zhixia sat in the warm house, listening to the wind and snow outside, and for the first time, she felt that this winter wasn't so unbearable after all.

The phone rang in the office. Fang Chu picked up the receiver, and his father, Fang Zheng, spoke in a calm yet authoritative voice.

"Are you coming home for the Lunar New Year?"

"Dad, we won't be going back this year." Fang Chu answered without much hesitation. "Xiaxia is in poor health, and I'm afraid the journey will be too bumpy. Taking the train for two days is too dangerous."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the conversation shifted to something more serious: "That thing about plotting against you back then, it's been so long, and there's still no progress?"

Fang Chu rubbed his temples, his voice filled with weariness and helplessness: "Dad, I really don't have time to investigate carefully. Xiaxia got pregnant as soon as we got married. You know, she had a miscarriage before, so her health is too weak. Now, every day from the moment I open my eyes, my mind is entirely on her, afraid that something might happen to her and the baby. I really can't spare a moment for her."

Fang Zheng snorted, his tone tinged with disappointment: "Isn't it all your own fault for not controlling yourself! You've caused so much trouble!"

These words struck a nerve with Fang Chu. He scratched his head in frustration and blurted out, "How was I supposed to know she... she got pregnant so easily!"

"Alright!" Fang Zheng interrupted his complaint, with the confidence of someone who had been through it all. "If they did it, there will definitely be clues. There's no rush. Wait until Xiaxia gives birth and the baby is stable, then you can investigate properly! My Fang family's son can't suffer this loss for nothing!"

"Okay, I understand," Fang Chu replied.

With the business concluded, the atmosphere eased somewhat. Fang Zheng casually asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Remembering Zhi Xia and Wang Chun's certainty, Fang Chu replied, "It should be a boy."

"Okay, I understand." Fang Zheng's tone didn't reveal much emotion, but his next sentence revealed his "ambition": "I'll come up with the name, so don't even think about it."

Fang Chu immediately objected: "Dad, that's my son!"

Fang Zheng's voice immediately rose eight octaves, carrying an unquestionable authority: "That's still my grandson!"

Fang Chu was momentarily speechless, but then a thought struck her. Remembering her mother-in-law's speculation about twins, she quickly asserted her rights: "If we have a second child, it should belong to me!"

Fang Zheng seemed to pause for a moment on the other end, then mumbled, "...Hmph, let's talk about it after the baby is born!"

After hanging up the phone, Fang Chu looked out the window, her mind filled with mixed feelings: the enemy lurking in the shadows, the anticipation of her unborn child, and a faint hope for the "second child" and the right to name it.

Fang Zheng hung up the phone, and his wife Zheng Qin came over, her face full of anticipation: "Old Fang, what did our son say? Is he coming home for the New Year?"

"He's not coming back." Fang Zheng walked to the sofa, sat down, and picked up his teacup. "Xiaxia is frail, and he's afraid the bumpy ride will cause her to miscarry again."

Hearing this, Zheng Qin was a little disappointed, but she also expressed her understanding: "That's true, Xiaxia's health isn't very good, she can't take any more stress." She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and asked, "Do you have any extra cloth coupons at home? If so, send them all to our son. We'll need a lot of cloth after the baby is born."

Fang Zheng blew on the foam in his teacup without even lifting his eyelids: "Which month didn't we send them coupons? Cloth coupons, cotton coupons, meat coupons... Most of our family's quota went to them." His tone was calm, but it pointed out a fact.

These words seemed to open Zheng Qin's floodgates. With a mix of complaint and disbelief, she said, "Who says it isn't true! What family raises a wife like him? Like he's raising a...money-devouring beast! It's only because our family is relatively well-off that we can withstand this kind of torment!"

Fang Zheng put down his teacup, glanced at his wife, and spoke in a calm tone, with the consideration of the head of the family: "After all, it was our son who wronged that girl first. Besides," he gazed into the void, as if he could already see the unborn child, "she's carrying our Fang family's grandson in her belly. Send more if you want, it's money spent on family after all."

"Grandson?" Zheng Qin's attention was instantly drawn to those two words, her eyes brightening. "Are you sure it's a grandson? Not a girl?"

"Yes," Fang Zheng nodded, his tone certain, "Your son said it himself on the phone, so it should be a boy."

Zheng Qin's face immediately broke into a genuine smile, her previous complaints vanishing instantly, as if all the mailed tickets had found their most fitting home: "My son said so? Then it must be my grandson! Good, good! We should send more for my grandson; it's never a waste!"

She was already starting to think about whether, next time, in addition to ration coupons, she should ask someone to buy some rarer baby supplies and send them over.