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

"Last April, a packet of aphrodisiac powder for pigs went missing from the pig farm," Zhilin's voice was as cold as ice. "She stole it."

"Really?!" Zhang Meili gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Her eyes widened in the darkness. "Why...why would she steal that thing? Does she even know how to use it?"

As soon as she asked the question, Zhang Meili was stunned.

Zhi Lin let out a barely audible, cold laugh in the darkness, answering the obvious question for her:

"If you don't know... how Fang Chu fell for it in the first place?"

Zhang Meili was speechless, a chill creeping up her spine.

She recalled the suffering Zhixia had endured, the near-life-or-death conflict between Fang Chu and Zhilin, and the perilous situation when Zhixia later miscarried… If the culprit behind all of this was really that girl who looked… She tried hard to recall Shen Xing's appearance; she seemed to be a rather quiet, even somewhat timid girl… Then her thoughts were too deep, too terrifying!

"My God..." Zhang Meili murmured, her sleepiness long gone, leaving only lingering fear and unbelievable shock in her heart.

"What exactly is your impression of Shen Xing?" Zhi Lin pressed, trying to capture more details.

Zhang Meili tried hard to recall: "She was... a girl who seemed honest and quiet, a little shy around people, and not very bold. Oh, right, she hadn't been here long. It seems... it seems that not long after Zhixia arrived, she stopped showing up and I heard that she went back to her hometown."

"You went back?" Zhi Lin keenly seized this opportunity and pressed, "Why did you go back? Did you say why?"

"I didn't have the mind to ask about other people's business back then!" Zhang Meili sighed, her tone filled with the exhaustion and anxiety she felt at the time. "Xiaxia had just gone through that incident and was lying in bed, acting like she was dying. You and I were worried sick about her all day long. We were so busy taking care of her and keeping the news from her that we didn't have time to care about why Shen Shan's sister left."

Zhi Lin nodded understandingly; in that chaotic time of war, there was indeed no time to spare. He pondered for a moment, then made a decision: "Okay, I understand. Tomorrow, I'll go directly to Shen Shan and ask."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Zhang Meili immediately grabbed his arm, her tone filled with worry and a reminder, "Don't be so direct! There's no evidence in this matter. If you go up and question him, what if Shen Shan protects his sister and turns against you? It'll only make things worse if you alert him!"

Zhilin patted her hand, reassuring her, his eyes calm and composed in the night.

"I know. I know what I'm doing and won't ask about the medicine directly. I'll just inquire about his sister's situation first, ask why she suddenly went back, and sound him out."

Seeing that he understood, Zhang Meili breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the worry between her brows did not disappear.

She knew that once such underhanded schemes were involved, things would never be simple. Since the other party dared to do it, they must have something to rely on or made preparations for it.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, before dawn, the air was still filled with the faint smell of gunpowder from the previous night's firecrackers.

The residential compound was already bustling with activity. Children, dressed in brand-new cotton-padded coats, went from house to house in small groups, like a flock of happy little sparrows, knocking on doors to offer New Year's greetings. Their clear, cheerful voices rose and fell: "Happy New Year, uncles and aunties! We wish you a Happy New Year!"

Fang Chu and Zhi Xia were still fast asleep.

Chao Huaihua had already gotten up, dressed neatly, and prepared a large bag of hard fruit candies that she had bought before the New Year. She stood smiling at the door, dealing with the group of enthusiastic little visitors.

"Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Here, two pieces of candy each, sweeten your mouths!" She deftly handed out candy to each child, watching them run off happily, a kind smile spreading across her face. Luckily, she had come prepared; there was plenty of candy!

At this moment, Wang Chun, wrapped in a thick floral cotton-padded coat, with his hands tucked in his pockets, came over, stepping on the red firecracker debris scattered all over the ground.

Seeing that only Chao Huaihua was at the door, she asked, "Auntie, Xiaxia hasn't gotten up yet?"

Chao Huaihua gestured towards the house with her lips and lowered her voice, "No, they're still asleep."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chun's eyes lit up, and he deliberately raised his voice, laced with a hint of teasing: "Oh! Political Commissar Fang isn't up yet? He's not pregnant, how dare he stay in bed on the first day of the Lunar New Year!"

These words were clearly heard inside the room.

Chao Huaihua was taken aback by Wang Chun's bold teasing and didn't know how to respond for a moment, so she could only smile helplessly.

Inside the room, Fang Chu was actually half-awake from the noise outside, but he was reluctant to get up because he was still attached to the warm and soft body in his arms.

Hearing Wang Chun's words clearly directed at him, he frowned slightly and reluctantly released his arm from Zhi Xia.

He carefully pulled his arm, which was numb from being under the pillow, and sat up very slowly. He glanced back at Zhixia, who was still fast asleep, tucked her in, and then tiptoed out of bed, putting on his clothes and being careful not to wake her.

Fang Chu gently closed the bedroom door, making sure not to wake Zhi Xia, before turning around and beckoning to Wang Chun with an unusually serious expression: "Come here for a moment, I have something to ask you."

Seeing his expression, Wang Chun also stopped joking and followed him to a corner of the yard: "What's wrong? Why are you so serious?"

Fang Chu lowered her voice and asked directly, "Do you know someone named Shen Xing?"

"Shen Xing?!" Upon hearing this name, Wang Chun's face instantly filled with shock. She stared wide-eyed at Fang Chu, her tone incredulous, "You...you don't remember?"

Fang Chu was taken aback by her reaction. He frowned, trying hard to search his memory, but it was still a blank. Confused, he asked, "Remember what? Should I know her?"

Seeing his genuinely bewildered expression, Wang Chun finally believed that he truly didn't remember.

She tucked her hands into her sleeves, her tone tinged with a sigh and a hint of reminder: "It seems you really don't remember! It was last spring, around March or April, that Shen Xing made you a pair of cloth shoes by hand, but you refused them. Quite a few people saw it! You have absolutely no recollection of it?"

"Give me shoes? For me?" Fang Chu frowned even more. He tried to recall the details, but still couldn't find any clues about the matter.

He has too many things to deal with every day, so he probably doesn't even pay attention to these kinds of advances from women he's not interested in, and might even reject them outright and forget about them afterwards.

"I know absolutely nothing about this." Fang Chu shook his head. He was more concerned about another question now: "Is Shen Xing still in the family compound?"

"She went back a long time ago!" Wang Chun said decisively. "It seems like it was only a few days after Xiaxia arrived that she suddenly packed her things and went back to her hometown."

The timing matches up again!

Fang Chu's heart sank suddenly.