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

Zhi Lin narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Fang Chu, her voice turning cold: "Fang Chu, tell me the truth, what methods did you use on Xia Xia?"

Fang Chu met his scrutinizing gaze without flinching, a sly smile even playing on her lips as she frankly admitted, "Methods? Hmm, I used them. I learned them from Zuo Qi."

"Zuoqi?!" Zhilin almost laughed in exasperation. "What could you possibly learn from that one letter?! Did he possibly teach you how to make his childhood sweetheart happy in the letter?"

Fang Chu took two steps forward, getting closer to Zhi Lin. Although he was younger than Zhi Lin, he exuded an aura of absolute confidence in the field of intelligence analysis.

He lowered his voice and said, word by word, "Brother, when it comes to leading troops into battle, I admire you. But when it comes to reconnaissance, analysis, capturing details, and psychological warfare... you're no match for me."

He paused, his tone carrying a calm and controllable quality that came from thoroughly analyzing his opponent: "There's so much to learn from a single letter. From the intimacy of the address, to the level of concern in the tone, to the resentment and lingering obsession revealed between the lines... it's enough for me to judge the depth of their relationship, and enough for me to devise the most effective strategy to 'replace' him."

Looking at his brother-in-law, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation and whose deep thoughts made him feel somewhat unfamiliar with him, Zhi Lin was speechless for a moment.

Only now did he truly realize that Fang Chu's ability to reach this position at such a young age was not solely due to his family background.

The cunning and tactics hidden beneath his calm exterior, once used to "protect" his marriage, would be incredibly effective and undeniable.

Fang Chu and Zhi Lin, carrying two bottles of baijiu, braved the chill of New Year's Eve to arrive at the home of Xing Zhaojue, the chief officer of the military pig farm.

Old Xing is a veteran in the army and an expert at raising pigs. His children have all settled down in their hometown, and his wife has gone there to help take care of their grandson. He lives alone in this bungalow near the pig farm.

Upon reaching the gate, Zhilin raised his hand and knocked on the courtyard gate, calling out, "Uncle Xing! Are you asleep?"

It was dark inside, and I had to call out several times before I heard any rustling sounds.

After a while, Old Xing, wearing a worn-out military overcoat and slippers, came out and opened the door. In the dim light coming from inside, he was somewhat surprised to see the two of them.

"Political Commissar Fang? Regiment Commander Zhi? What are you two doing here at this hour? Aren't you at home keeping vigil with your wives for New Year's Eve?"

Zhilin picked up the wine in his hand and smiled: "I know you're all alone, and I was worried you'd be bored, so I came over to chat with you and have a couple of drinks."

Old Xing ushered them into the house, which was simply furnished and had the cool, aloof feel typical of a man living alone.

He poured hot water for the two of them, his gaze sweeping over Fang Chu and Zhi Lin before getting straight to the point: "Alright, stop beating around the bush. You're not home for New Year's Eve, but instead coming to this old man's place, there must be something you need. Just say it!"

Zhi Lin and Fang Chu exchanged a glance, knowing that beating around the bush was useless in front of someone as sensible as Lao Xing.

Zhi Lin leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and got to the point: "Uncle Xing, we're here to ask about something. Around April last year, did you... lose any veterinary medicine?"

Old Xing paused, a strange look flashing across his face. He looked up abruptly at Zhilin, his voice filled with surprise and doubt: "What? You...you ate it?!"

His reaction was practically an admission!

Fang Chu's heart sank. She immediately pressed for an answer, her voice carrying an undeniable pressure: "What kind of medicine was lost? What was it specifically for?"

Old Xing felt a little uneasy under Fang Chu's sharp gaze. He subconsciously avoided her eyes, rubbed his hands together, and said with a hint of annoyance and confusion, "It's nothing serious... I just lost a packet of 'estrus-inducing and ovulation-promoting powder,' which is used for breeding sows. I thought it was just a packet of medicine, not worth much money. Maybe someone just took it. Reporting it would mean writing a self-criticism, which would be too much trouble... so I didn't make a fuss."

"I didn't make a sound..." Fang Chu repeated these three words, his eyes instantly turning as cold as ice. It was precisely because of this "not making a sound" that his and Zhi Xia's life trajectories were completely changed, leaving him with no clues after nearly a year of arduous investigation!

Fang Chu stood up angrily, kicked the chair away, and roared, "Because you didn't speak up, a life was lost."

Fang Chu's words, "A life has been lost," were like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, stirring up a storm in Lao Xing's heart.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, and his voice quivered: "Wh...what happened? Something...something terrible has happened? No, it can't be? That...that thing, it can kill a person if they eat it?! How come I haven't heard of anyone...gone from our base?"

He didn't think of anything else, only that it was a fatal accident caused by accidental ingestion.

Fang Chu looked at his terrified expression and knew he had misunderstood, but the pain of losing his child pierced his heart again.

He closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his surging emotions, his voice hoarse and cold: "That's not how it is. Uncle Xing, think carefully, who would have stolen that medicine back then?"

Old Xing was intimidated by the coldness in his eyes and knew that this matter was definitely not trivial.

He frowned, trying hard to remember, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. After a long while, he said uncertainly in a low voice, "I... I'm just guessing, it might not be accurate... It's that, Shen Xing, the younger sister of Shen Shan, the battalion commander of the Second Battalion of the First Regiment."

"Shen Xing?" Zhi Lin frowned. He seemed to have some impression of the name, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Yes, it was her." Old Xing nodded firmly and continued to recall, "Just a few days before I threw away the drug, she came to the pig farm to find me, and stammered as she asked me if I had... you know, that kind of aphrodisiac."

This information instantly put Fang Chu and Zhi Lin on edge! They exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and chill in each other's eyes.

Old Xing, oblivious to their stares, continued, "She said the weather was getting warmer and she wanted to hatch more chicks, but her rooster wasn't good enough to breed, so she wanted to ask me for some of that medicine to mix into the chicken feed. I thought the girl's idea was rather strange, so I didn't give it to her. I even advised her that the medicine was for pigs and was very strong, and that it might not work for chickens. I suggested she borrow a strong rooster from someone else."

He paused, a look of regret and lingering fear on his face: "Later... a couple of days later, one packet of medicine I had on the warehouse shelf was missing. I didn't think much of it at the time, just assumed someone had taken it, and I didn't dare say anything... Now that I think about it, the timing... is just too coincidental..."

Shen Shan's younger sister, Shen Xing.

Actively inquire about aphrodisiacs.

After being refused, the medicine was thrown away.

At this moment, all the clues seemed to be connected clearly by an invisible thread, pointing directly to this woman named Shen Xing!

Fang Chu clenched his fist silently at his side, his knuckles turning white from the force. A storm was brewing in his eyes; the hidden hand that had almost destroyed his and Zhi Xia's lives had finally... surfaced.