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

When Fang Chu returned to the military office, the soldiers' slogans for morning exercises echoed from the parade ground. They were neat, uniform, and full of power, but they did nothing to dispel the gloom in his heart.

He leaned against the table, remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and reached for the military telephone. He needed to let his family know about this as soon as possible, especially his father. He needed their support, or at least they needed to be mentally prepared.

The call connected, and her mother's familiar, slightly languid voice came through the receiver: "Hello, who is this?"

"Mom, it's me, Fang Chu."

"Xiao Chu?" Fang's mother's voice immediately lit up with laughter. "Why are you calling at this hour? Are you doing well in the army? I tell you, your Aunt Zhang was asking about you yesterday..."

"Mom," Fang Chu interrupted his mother, his voice low but unusually clear, "I want to get married."

The other end of the phone fell silent instantly, even breathing seemed to stop. A few seconds later, Fang's mother's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and vehement opposition: "Marriage?! With whom? How long have you been there? I don't agree! What good girl could possibly be worthy of you in that poor, remote mountain village? Besides, Yunyun is still waiting for you to come back! What are you going to do with her?"

Yunyun is the daughter of my mother's old comrade-in-arms. They come from similar backgrounds, and my mother has always intended to match them up.

Fang Chu closed his eyes briefly, knowing his mother would react this way. He gripped the receiver tightly, his knuckles turning white, his tone carrying an undeniable resolve: "Mom, I can't refuse this marriage."

"What do you mean by 'it can't be done without getting married'?! What exactly is going on?" Fang's mother's voice was filled with urgency and a hint of bad premonition.

Fang Chu's Adam's apple bobbed, he found it hard to speak, but in the end he gritted his teeth and said it in the most straightforward and cruel way: "I slept with that girl, and she's pregnant with my child."

"What?!" Fang's mother gasped, then, as if she had found a reason, her tone immediately turned sharp, "Did that woman seduce you? Xiao Chu, let me tell you, women in this kind of place will do anything to climb the social ladder! Don't fall for it!"

"She didn't seduce me!" Fang Chu suddenly raised his voice, filled with suppressed anger and humiliation. "It was me... who forced myself on her." He used this word, and his heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle.

"You... how could you..." Fang's mother's voice trembled, filled with confusion and shock. She clearly could not believe that her son, whom she had raised with her own hands and who was always calm and composed, would do such a thing.

Fang Chu took a deep breath and played his last trump card, his tone heavy: "Mom, if I don't marry her, her brother is the regimental commander here. If she makes a big deal out of this, and the evidence is conclusive, I'll have to go to a military court, and who knows... I might get executed."

"Execution?!" These two words struck like a thunderbolt, completely shattering Fang's mother's defenses. Her voice trembled, "Impossible! Xiao Chu, you're not that kind of person! What happened? Did someone frame you?"

"It's no use saying all this now." Fang Chu's voice carried a hint of weariness. "What's done is done, and I have to take responsibility. Where's my dad?"

"Your dad... he hasn't come back yet." Fang's mother's voice was still filled with panic and shock.

"Okay, I'll call Dad's workplace then." Fang Chu didn't say anything more. "Mom, I'll hang up now."

Before his mother could say anything more, Fang Chu hung up the phone. A busy tone came from the receiver. He held the receiver, stood there for a long time, and then slowly put it down.

There was a few seconds of silence on the phone receiver, a silence with static that pressed down heavily, putting Fang Chu under far more pressure than her mother's screams and objections.

Fang Chu's fingers tightened around the receiver, his knuckles turning white. He took a breath, compressing the chaos, humiliation, and helplessness of a month ago into the most concise yet cruel statement: "Dad, a month ago I went to officiate the wedding of my subordinate, Company Commander Qu, and someone drugged me with an aphrodisiac. When the drug took effect, I couldn't control myself and forcibly... violated a girl. She got pregnant, and today she accidentally miscarried. The whole team knows."

He didn't use any euphemisms; the words "forced" and "insulted" felt like red-hot irons, burning his throat.

There was a suffocating silence on the other end of the phone. Unlike his mother, Fang Zheng didn't immediately question or berate him; this silence itself was the most severe judgment.

A few seconds later, Fang Zheng's voice rang out again, each word like a chilling frost: "Who is the woman?"

"Yes... it's Zhi Xia, the younger sister of our regimental commander, Zhi Lin. She just came to the unit to visit her family," Fang Chu answered truthfully.

"Zhi Lin..." Fang Zheng seemed to be searching for the name in his memory, his tone unchanged, "What do you plan to do?"

This is not a question, but a request for him to report his solution.

"I've already submitted the marriage application," Fang Chu replied immediately. This was the only path he could take, and the only one he had to take. "Today, I talked to Commander Zhi. I also told Mom."

"What was your mother's reaction?" Fang Zheng's voice was devoid of emotion.

"She disagrees, thinking it might be the woman's problem," Fang Chu said in a hoarse voice.

"Foolish!" Fang Zheng muttered under his breath, it was unclear whether he was referring to his mother or the whole affair. He paused, his tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation, "This marriage must take place. Immediately, right now."

Fang Chu felt a sense of relief, knowing that at least his father had approved. But then, Fang Zheng's words made his heart leap again:

"But Fang Chu, listen to me carefully." Fang Zheng's voice suddenly became extremely stern. "First, immediately use all available connections to find out who drugged you! My son, Fang Zheng's son, cannot suffer in silence, nor can he be used as a pawn! Once found out, deal with him according to the most severe disciplinary measures. If necessary, I will handle the matter myself!"

"Yes, Dad, I'm already investigating."

"Secondly," Fang Zheng's tone became even more serious, "after you get married, treat that girl well. You owe her a lifetime for this! Don't think about feeling wronged or not; this is your own fault! If I find out you dare to treat her badly, or have any other intentions, I'll be the first to not forgive you!"

"I understand, Dad," Fang Chu replied softly, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart.

"Third," Fang Zheng's voice softened slightly, but still carried an undeniable authority, "the impact of this matter must be kept to a minimum. I will monitor the marriage application and get it approved as soon as possible. As for your mother and Yunyun, I will handle that. Your current task is to keep Zhilin calm, appease that girl named Zhixia, get the marriage done, and clean up the mess! Don't cause any more trouble!"

"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Fang Chu straightened his back instinctively and answered into the microphone.

"Okay." Fang Zheng responded, then hung up the phone without saying anything more.