An Accidental Military Marriage

After cutting most of the rabbit-ear grass, Ge Yue’e shouldered her basket and headed home.

She hadn’t gone far when she ran into Jiang Qing, who had a canvas bag slung over her shoulder and looked like she was leaving the village.

Ge Yue’e remained perfectly composed, calling out to Jiang Qing with a laugh, "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Nowhere special."

As usual, Jiang Qing gave a cool, perfunctory reply and walked past.

It wasn’t just Ge Yue’e; Jiang Qing couldn’t be bothered to associate with anyone in Plum Valley.

Once Zhang Jia Ming was promoted to cadre, she would go join him at his post.

Even when Zhang Jia Ming eventually left the army and changed careers, they wouldn’t return to Plum Valley to be farmers.

She felt it was beneath her, and there was no need to associate with a bunch of village women.

Staring at Jiang Qing’s retreating back, Ge Yue’e cleared her throat and spat hard on the ground.

Pah!

’Who do you think you are, you little harlot who stole her stepsister’s arranged engagement?’

...

"She’s been married for so long but has never once worked in the fields. Instead, she spends all day running off to the Educated Youth point in the next village."

"You guys don’t know, do you? Yu Lan said her daughter-in-law heard a rumor that the college entrance exams are being reinstated this year. Her daughter-in-law wants to take them to get into university."

"Listen to her boast. If the exams were really coming back, wouldn’t the Educated Youth know first? How could she be the only one with news? I think her intentions are not what they seem. With her husband not around, she’s a young woman getting restless..."

Jin Yulan was heading out to work when she saw a few of her old friends gathered together, gossiping. Curious, she went over.

"What are you all talking about? It looks so lively!"

When they saw her coming, the group quickly made excuses and dispersed.

If Jin Yulan couldn’t tell that they were deliberately avoiding her, then she’d have lived for decades for nothing.

She grabbed Ge Yue’e, who was lagging behind the others. "Yue’e, we’ve known each other for so many years. Is there something you can’t tell me?"

Ge Yue’e gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "If I really tell you, you’ll just get upset."

"Go on. I’ll be more upset if you don’t tell me!"

"Fine, then I’ll talk. We were just talking about your daughter-in-law. Saying how she runs off to the Educated Youth point in the next village every day. There are quite a few unmarried young men there, handsome and educated. Jia Ming is away for long periods, and she’s young, so it’s natural for her to feel lonely. You’d better keep a close eye on her. Don’t let someone take advantage of the situation. She and Jia Ming haven’t consummated the marriage yet, have they?"

Jin Yulan was furious.

It wasn’t just that the villagers were spreading baseless gossip; she was even more furious at Jiang Qing’s restlessness, creating scandalous rumors by getting too close with the male Educated Youth and making her eldest son a laughingstock.

Her eldest son was her greatest source of pride, the very reason she could hold her head high in the village.

Anyone who harmed her eldest was as good as trying to take her life!

Watching Jin Yulan storm back home, a triumphant, cunning smile flashed across Ge Yue’e’s face.

After she realized Jiang Qing had caught her and Jiang Dashan in the act, she had been on pins and needles, terrified that word would get back to her husband.

Her husband was not a good-tempered man. If he found out she was seeing another man, he could beat her to death.

After thinking it over all night, she had come up with a plan.

She would completely ruin Jiang Qing’s reputation. That way, even if Jiang Qing tried to expose her affair with Jiang Dashan, no one would believe her.

’You can’t even wipe your own ass clean, so what right do you have to call someone else smelly?’

...

Just like any other day, Jiang Qing finished her chores, slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, and prepared to head to the Educated Youth point in the neighboring village.

Lately, whenever she had free time, she would seek out the Educated Youth to ask for help with her studies, and she had made significant progress.

At this rate, her hopes of getting into university were high.

She saw Jin Yulan return with a dark expression but didn’t pay it much mind.

"Mom, I’m heading out."

Jin Yulan raised a hand to block her. "Where are you going?"

"To the Educated Youth point in the next village. There are a few problems I don’t understand, so I’m going to ask..."

Before she could finish, a slap from Jin Yulan sent her reeling.

"Why do you run to the Educated Youth point every day? Who is it that’s over there?"

Jiang Qing clutched her face, completely bewildered. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I’m talking about! You shameless hussy, always throwing yourself at other men! Why are you so cheap?!"

Jin Yulan didn’t actually believe Jiang Qing would dare to cheat on her son; she was purely taking her anger out on her.

It was all too common for a mother-in-law to take her frustrations out on her daughter-in-law.

She herself had endured the same thing back in the day.

Jiang Qing was trembling with rage.

In her entire life, she had never been so humiliated.

"Mom, what nonsense are you spouting? I haven’t done anything! I’m going to ask for help with my studies!"

"Study, my ass! Who told you to study? If you can’t pass the exam, then don’t take it! You have no real skills, yet you put on the airs of a pampered city girl every day. You think you’re like Moli, who married a high-ranking leader and became an official’s wife? Grab a hoe and get to work with me!"

Jiang Qing gritted her teeth in hatred. She turned to pack her things and go back to her parents’ home.

But when she reached the door, she remembered—the Jiang family home was gone. Where could she go?

While she was frozen in a daze, a hard kick to her rear sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I said?"

As she spoke, she delivered several more slaps to Jiang Qing’s head.

Jiang Qing instinctively covered her head to shield herself as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

She never would have dreamed that after looking past the Zhang Family’s poverty, not caring about the lack of a bride price or a proper wedding, and marrying down from the city into the countryside, she would be so debased by her husband’s family.

Jin Yulan paid no mind to her self-pity. Having vented her anger, she shoved a sickle into Jiang Qing’s hand and forcibly dragged her out the door.

Once outside, Jiang Qing actually calmed down and followed Jin Yulan toward the fields.

Struggling and resisting would only make her a laughingstock to the villagers and wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem.

...

Qiao Wenjing returned to the female soldiers’ dormitory, holding a lunch box.

She saw her three roommates huddled together, whispering, but didn’t pay them much mind.

She found a clean military uniform to change into, put on her military cap, and checked her appearance in the mirror before picking up the lunch box again, ready to leave.

Her roommate Shi Lina called out to her, "Wenjing, are you off to bring ’warmth’ to Camp Commander Lu of the First Battalion again?"

Qiao Wenjing made no attempt to hide it. "My aunt had someone get some wild mushrooms. I made buns with them, and I’m taking a couple for him to try."

Shi Lina said, "You might as well give them to us, so you don’t waste good food."

"Exactly. Every time you bring him something, Camp Commander Lu never eats it. It just ends up in the hands of those old soldiers under him. They’re all getting fat from it," Zhao Ying chimed in.

Qiao Wenjing looked proud and aloof. "I’m offering a token of my appreciation. Whether he eats it or not is his business."

Another roommate, Xu Chunyan, couldn’t help but say, "The man is married. Aren’t you afraid of starting rumors by constantly fawning over him?"

"I bring him things to thank him for saving my life. I only feel a pure, revolutionary friendship for him, untainted by any other motives. I have a clear conscience and fear no slanderous rumors!"

She spoke with such force and conviction that it left Xu Chunyan in an awkward position.

It made it seem as if she were the one maliciously stirring up trouble, her mind filled with filthy thoughts.

Shi Lina smiled, trying to smooth things over. "Wenjing, don’t be angry. Chunyan meant well. By the way, we heard some things about Camp Commander Lu’s wife. Do you want to hear?"

Qiao Wenjing walked over to the three of them and sat down. "Tell me."