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

Zheng Yunzhu increasingly felt that Fang Chu was a terrible father, and her tone became much more serious as she said, "Look at you! You can't even count properly! Xiaxia, listen to me, come back to Kyoto with me! I'll take care of you, I guarantee it'll be better than here!"

Fang Chu was almost amused and exasperated by her wild idea: "Zheng Yunzhu, what's wrong with you? Don't you have to go to work?"

"After my performance tour before the New Year, I can basically rest for a long time, so I have plenty of free time!" Zheng Yunzhu had clearly planned this out in advance, speaking with great confidence. "Besides, even in Kyoto, I still have a godmother. Can't the two of us take care of Xiaxia?"

"No way!" Fang Chu refused decisively, her brows furrowed. "She's frail, and before... now she's pregnant with twins. She simply can't withstand the bumpy ride on the train! It's too dangerous!"

"Then let's wait until after the New Year, when spring arrives and it gets warmer!" Zheng Yunzhu didn't back down, her mind clearly outlining her plan. "I'll find a way to book her a soft sleeper train ticket so she can go there lying down and minimize the noise. Fang Chu, think about it, when it comes to childbirth, especially twins, it's definitely safer to go to a hospital in Beijing, where the medical facilities are more advanced! My aunt works in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the military general hospital; she's an expert in this field! I'll have my aunt deliver the babies herself; wouldn't that give you peace of mind compared to doing it in some small place?"

Her words were all reasonable, directly hitting Fang Chu's deepest concerns. He knew all too well that the medical conditions in Kyoto were better; he simply dared not risk sending Zhixia on such a long journey.

Now that Zheng Yunzhu had pointed it out, and hearing that there was a familiar expert he could rely on, his tense nerves involuntarily relaxed slightly. He subconsciously looked at Zhixia, wanting to know her thoughts.

Zheng Yunzhu also looked at Zhixia expectantly, knowing that the final decision still rested with Xiaxia.

Zhi Xia listened silently to their argument, her fingers unconsciously stroking her protruding belly.

She had an instinctive fear of childbirth, especially in the station where medical conditions were limited.

Zheng Yunzhu's words were like a lamp lit in her dark fear. She raised her head, looked at Fang Chu, her eyes clear and firm: "Fang Chu, I want to go."

She paused for a moment, then offered a more prudent solution: "After the New Year, we'll discuss it with our families. Can my mom go with me?"

Her use of the word "want" and her thorough consideration left Fang Chu speechless with objection. Looking at the longing for a safer environment in her eyes, he finally nodded: "...Okay."

"That's wonderful!" Zheng Yunzhu cheered immediately, snuggling up to Zhixia, taking her arm, and starting to dream again, "Xiaxia! You must give birth to a beautiful little girl! Ideally, she'd look exactly like you!"

Zhi Xia was amused by her and gently shook her head: "I think both of them are sons." Everyone around her said that she was having a son, which made her almost accept the fact.

"It hasn't been born yet, who can say for sure!" Zheng Yunzhu was full of hope.

Li Yunxiao, standing nearby, couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Fang Chu's family is just not destined to have daughters. Even if... just in case they do have a daughter, she'll probably look like Fang Chu."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yunzhu imagined a female version of Fang Chu—a girl with sharp features and a cold, stern expression—and immediately shuddered, blurting out, "What? If my daughter looks like Fang Chu? Then I'd better not have her! It's too terrifying!"

"Zheng, Yun, Zhu!" Fang Chu finally lost his temper, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and growled, "If you say another word, get out of here right now!"

The room was immediately filled with Li Yunxiao's unrestrained laughter and Zheng Yunzhu's indignant mutterings, instantly dispelling the slightly heavy atmosphere.

After leaving Fang Chu's house, Zheng Yunzhu and Li Yunxiao walked back side by side. Zheng Yunzhu was still immersed in the amazement she felt upon seeing Zhixia and her "dissatisfaction" with Fang Chu for "stealing her wife." She nudged Li Yunxiao with her elbow and asked curiously, "Hey, tell me, how did Fang Chu meet Xiaxia? I've never heard him mention it before."

Li Yunxiao's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm. His eyes darted around, and he began to fabricate a story with unwavering certainty: "How did they meet? Love at first sight, of course! Our young master Fang, after seeing so many women, finally met his destined nemesis! The moment he saw Xiaxia, he was completely smitten! His eyes were glued to her like they were glued to her body! Then he started relentlessly pursuing her, shamelessly showering her with money and gifts, practically offering his heart!"

His explanation was exaggerated in the first half, but the second half... in a way, it turned out to be a lucky coincidence, describing Fang Chu's later state of "compensation" and "pursuit".

Zheng Yunzhu was skeptical: "I believe in love at first sight, and Xiaxia is indeed hiring. But the two of them... haven't known each other for very long, have they? How come they got married so quickly? This doesn't seem like Fang Chu's style."

Without thinking, Li Yunxiao blurted out the truth: "We have to get married! It could lead to someone's death!"

"Someone died?" Zheng Yunzhu stopped abruptly, staring at Li Yunxiao in shock, her voice cracking, "What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

Li Yunxiao then realized he had let something slip and inwardly cursed, but since the words were already out, he could only grit his teeth and continue the fabrication, lowering his voice and giving a knowing look: "What else could it mean? It just means Fang Chu couldn't control himself! After all, he's a young man full of vigor..."

"Surely not?" Zheng Yunzhu exclaimed incredulously. "Fang Chu is such an upright person! How could he possibly..."

Seeing that he was about to lose his composure, Li Yunxiao quickly resorted to his "universal golden rule," summarizing in a worldly-wise tone: "Let me tell you, no man can resist the woman he loves! Unless... he doesn't love her at all!"

That sounded plausible, even though it contained a bit of twisted logic, and it instantly shut Zheng Yunzhu up.

She stood there, stunned, processing this "explosive" news, her heart filled with mixed emotions. It turned out that Fang Chu had married so quickly because he had met his true love and was pregnant.

She recalled Fang Chu's protective instincts towards Zhi Xia, as well as Zhi Xia's excessively beautiful appearance, and suddenly felt that what Li Yunxiao said must be true. After all, she had also fallen in love with Zhi Xia at first sight. Since ancient times, even heroes have found it hard to resist the charms of a beautiful woman. If she were a man, she might have also caused a death and married her because of the pregnancy.

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Li Yunxiao silently wiped away a bead of sweat in his heart: Fang Chu, Fang Chu, I've used all my skills in lying to help you cover up this lie. Although it's a bit crooked... it's still better than admitting you were drugged, right?