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

Looking at Zhixia's still pale face, she leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said the most realistic and urgent arrangement at hand: "Sister-in-law, I'll go to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning to get you some... birth control pills. Those pills are bad for your stomach, so you can't take them on an empty stomach."

The words "birth control pills" were like a needle, instantly piercing Zhixia's numbness as she was immersed in grief. She suddenly raised her head, a clear fear flashing in her eyes—the hatred from Fang Chu and the rejection from last night were far less than the despair she felt from the possibility of pregnancy.

She can no longer have any connection with that man, not even the slightest bit!

This thought gave her strength. She practically snatched the bowl of steamed egg custard, grabbed the spoon, and began stuffing large mouthfuls into her mouth, swallowing mechanically, tears mingling with the custard as she went down her throat. She ate so quickly, as if she were performing a vital mission to save herself.

Seeing his sister's condition, Zhilin turned away with heartache, took a deep breath, and solemnly instructed his wife, emphasizing each word: "Take more! You must take more! You absolutely... you absolutely cannot let her get pregnant!"

Zhang Meili nodded heavily, her face showing the same clear-headed and serious expression: "I know. Don't worry."

As night deepened, anger, heartache, and a pragmatic, painful sense of protection intertwined and flowed silently in this small home.

The next day, the sky was overcast, mirroring the mood of Zhixia's family. Zhixia forced herself to stay home and watch her two playful nephews, but her gaze frequently drifted unfocused to the window. Zhang Meili, on the other hand, didn't dare to delay for a moment. She rushed to the hospital early in the morning, clutching the packet of birth control pills wrapped tightly in brown paper as if it were a talisman to protect her from a greater tragedy, and hurried back home.

Just as she reached the vicinity of the row of bungalows where Fang Chu lived, a figure suddenly appeared from the side and warmly took her arm. It was Xu Guihua, the wife of Battalion Commander Zhang Aiguo.

"Meili, you're back?" Xu Guihua smiled, but her eyes swept over Zhang Meili's face like searchlights. She lowered her voice, "Hey, I heard that last night... your regimental commander, did he carry your sister-in-law out of Political Commissar Fang's house?"

Zhang Meili's heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on her back. She immediately put on a look of shock and anger, her voice rising involuntarily: "Nonsense! Who's spreading rumors! My sister-in-law didn't know the way and fell into the pond behind the house. Her clothes were soaked, and she sprained her ankle. Her brother finally found her and carried her back! How could you mistake that?"

Xu Guihua was taken aback by her rapid-fire rebuttal, then suddenly slapped her thigh as if in realization: "I knew it! It must be Aunt Zhang's loose tongue, spreading rumors without any restraint!"

"Spreading rumors?" Zhang Meili's heart sank, a sense of foreboding gripping her. She stared intently at Xu Guihua. "How did she spread rumors?"

Xu Guihua looked around, then leaned closer, her breath hot on Zhang Meili's ear, her voice a mixture of excitement and disdain as she shared a secret: "She said, your sister-in-law seems honest enough, but she's actually quite cunning. On her very first day here, she went to Political Commissar Fang's room... to seduce his leader!"

"Bullshit!" Zhang Meili trembled with rage, her voice taut with extreme fury. She had to exert all her strength to maintain a facade of calm as she fought desperately for her sister-in-law's reputation. "My sister-in-law, Zhixia, is beautiful, a proper high school student! And she has an older brother who's a regimental commander! What kind of good boyfriend can't she find? Why would she need to do something so shameless?! That Aunt Zhang is just jealous; she's throwing mud at our Xiaxia because she thinks she's so great. If she dares to talk nonsense again, I'll tear her mouth apart!"

She finished speaking in one breath, her chest heaving violently. Every rebuttal was resounding, not only for Xu Guihua's ears, but also for all the potential gossips.

Xu Guihua was intimidated by her imposing manner and quickly smiled apologetically, "Yes, yes, I also think it's impossible... Don't be angry, I just overheard it and came to ask you..."

Zhang Meili said no more, forcefully pulled her arm back, straightened her back, and walked home without looking back. She gripped the medicine bag in her hand even tighter; she knew the real battle had just begun—last night was a battle to defend her body and dignity, but from today onward, it would be a much longer and more arduous battle to defend her reputation. Rumors can sometimes hurt more than knives.

Zhi Xia stared at the warm water and the small white pill that her sister-in-law handed her. Almost without hesitation, she took it, tilted her head back, and swallowed it.

Only when the cool water slid down her throat, seemingly washing away her deepest fear, did her nerves, which had been taut to the point of breaking, finally relax slightly.

She leaned against the headboard and let out a long, silent sigh. At least, she had avoided the worst, most irreversible outcome. Her body was still tired and aching, but the heaviest weight in her heart had been lifted for the time being.

Meanwhile, in the division headquarters office, the air was so heavy it was almost dripping with moisture.

Fang Chu stared at the still-wet lab report in his hand, the cold, definitive data confirming the presence of drugs in his system. He slammed the report on the table, the veins on the back of his hand bulging from the force. A surge of fury, a feeling of being manipulated and played, instantly overwhelmed him, far surpassing the rage he felt when Zhi Lin punched him yesterday.

His eyes were so sinister they could drip water, his jaw clenched, and he forced out a low growl from his chest:

"Damn it... if I find out which bastard did this, I'll kill him myself!"

Commander Shen gripped the thin lab report, examining it repeatedly until his brows furrowed deeply. He looked up at Fang Chu, who stood before him at the table, a bruise still visible on his lip, and spoke in a heavy tone:

"This is... damn despicable!" he cursed, then his tone shifted, his finger slamming heavily on the lab report. "But the most crucial thing right now isn't finding out who did it. The most urgent thing is for you to take this to Zhilin immediately!"

Commander Shen leaned forward, his gaze sharp, his voice lowered, carrying a strong warning:

"That kid is someone I trained myself; I know him too well. He's fiercely protective of his own like the apple of his eye! He's convinced you bullied his sister, and he's furious—a ticking time bomb. You believe me, if you go out at night again, he might just find a dark and stormy place, put a sack over your head, and beat you to death! Who will you turn to for justice then?"