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

The reason why Zhixia was able to accept Fang Chu so quickly and even actively respond to his intimacy was entirely due to those repeated calls of "Qingqing baby" that made her feel like she was on cloud nine.

Deep inside her, there always lived a little girl who longed to be loved endlessly and cherished like a treasure.

She likes to be called "baby" affectionately, and she likes the feeling of being carefully held in someone's hands.

When she was little, Zuo Qi would occasionally call her "Xia Bao" secretly when no one was around, which would make her secretly happy all day. She felt that she was special in Zuo Qi's heart, like a little princess being cared for.

Now, this person is Fang Chu.

Although their union began with a sordid scheme and coercion, it was shrouded in disgrace.

But undeniably, from the moment she stepped into this home, Fang Chu had always treated her like a princess.

At first, he was silent and clumsy, only able to express his love through endless material offerings and careful care, never uttering words of love.

She could enjoy his meticulous care without any qualms, because it required no emotional response from her.

However, when Fang Chu was stimulated by Zuo Qi's letter and "got it," those burning gazes, lingering kisses, and especially the sweet words like "Qingqing baby" that directly hit the softest spot in her heart, came flooding in, and the psychological defenses she had built up completely collapsed.

Perhaps... she hasn't truly and deeply "loved" Fang Chu yet.

However, Fang Chu is really good in every way.

He was handsome, capable, and came from a prominent family. More importantly, he was willing and able to provide the emotional value she craved most—the feeling of being pampered and cherished. With him, she felt safe and happy.

Therefore, she was willing to go with the flow and turn this marriage, which started out as a mistake, into a real husband-wife relationship.

She was also willing to help him satisfy his physical needs when he was tormented by desire.

This is both an obligation and acceptance as a wife, and perhaps also a tacit "repayment" from her after enjoying so much "princess treatment," tinged with a bit of confusion and tentativeness.

Her heart may not be fully open yet, but she has already chosen to stay in this haven that can build her "princess dream".

After a tender and restrained moment of intimacy, Fang Chuxin contentedly pulled Zhixia back into his arms, rubbing his chin affectionately against the top of her head, his arms wrapped around her rounded waist, as if embracing the whole world.

Pregnancy naturally causes body heat, and coupled with the fact that she had just exercised, Zhixia felt as if her back was pressed against his chest, like she was leaning against a furnace, with a layer of fine sweat seeping out all over her body, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

She shifted her body, her tone impatient: "Fang Chu, let go... I'm hot."

Fang Chu didn't loosen his grip; instead, he tightened his arms around her, whispering in her ear with a languid and possessive tone: "Qingqing, be good, don't move, let me hold you a little longer..."

"I'm not feeling well! And I'm hot!" Zhixia snapped, forcefully trying to pry his arm off. "You're squeezing me so tight I can't breathe!"

Seeing that she seemed genuinely uncomfortable, Fang Chu loosened his grip slightly, but still didn't let go completely. He gently suggested, "How about... we change positions? How are you comfortable? If you're comfortable, I'll hold you again, okay?"

His insistence on hugging her made Zhixia both annoyed and amused. Her fluctuating emotions during pregnancy made her even more direct. She turned to face Fang Chu, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at him: "No more hugging! Do you hear me?! If you do that again, you can sleep by yourself from now on! Don't come to my bed!"

These words struck a nerve with Fang Chu, and he immediately retorted, sounding somewhat aggrieved: "You're my wife! Why can't I hug you?!"

"Look at my big belly!" Zhixia pointed to her protruding stomach, her eyes slightly red, whether from the heat or from grievance. "You're still making me angry! I'm not going to be friends with you anymore! Get out of here!"

Upon seeing her reddened eyes and say things like "I'm not going to be with you anymore," Fang Chu's previous righteous indignation vanished instantly, and she immediately backed down.

"Okay, okay, I won't hug you anymore! Qingqing, don't be angry, please don't be angry!" He quickly let go of her, even moving back a little to give her more space, his tone full of pleading, "I was wrong, please don't send me away..."

Seeing that he had finally behaved, Zhixia angrily lay back down, turned her back to him, pulled the blanket over herself, closed her eyes, and ignored him.

Fang Chu, like a large dog that had been scolded by its owner, carefully lay down on the other side of the bed, looking longingly at Zhi Xia's back. He wanted to reach out and pat her but didn't dare. In the end, he could only lie down properly, even breathing softly, for fear of upsetting the "princess" again.

As night deepened, only the soft breathing of the two remained in the room. The small battle of "hugging or not hugging" came to a temporary end with Commissar Fang's complete defeat and silent appeasement.

On the other side, in a damp and cold old house in the countryside far away in the south.

By the dim light of the kerosene lamp, Shen Xing's fingertips were red from the cold, yet she still tightly gripped the old high school textbook in her hand, which was already worn and tattered from repeated readings.

The window paper rattled loudly in the cold wind, but she seemed oblivious, her entire attention focused on the obscure formulas and texts.

For the past six months, she has been studying like a madwoman.

Because she knew—no, she remembered—that this year, in the winter of 1977, the college entrance examination, which had been interrupted for ten years, would be restarted. It was the fairest opportunity to change her fate, one she had missed in her previous life and could never truly possess no matter what she tried.

In her past life, she schemed and plotted, using dishonorable means to marry Fang Chu. Fang Chu (perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps to get rid of her) did indeed secure her a place at a worker-peasant-soldier university. She went there overjoyed, believing that she would leap over the dragon gate from that moment on.

But who knows?

The following year, the college entrance examination was reinstated.

Her "college student" status, which she obtained through connections, suddenly became incredibly awkward and even somewhat ridiculous.

She barely managed to graduate despite her best efforts, but her diploma paled in comparison to those of truly gifted students. Her marriage to Fang Chu also quickly came to an end amidst the daily estrangement and his indifference.

After the divorce, she was left alone in the vast city of Kyoto.

Lacking genuine talent and connections, and burdened by a shameful past and an embarrassing educational background, she lived a difficult and humble life.

Later, Fang Chu's revenge came one after another (perhaps after finally finding out the truth). She could no longer stay in that city and could only slink back to her hometown.