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

Zhi Xia was amused by this childish "revenge" plan and burst into laughter through her tears. Following her lead, she replied in a slightly defiant, unprecedentedly "willful" tone:

"Okay! I'll do as you say. From now on, I'll buy whatever's best and whatever's most expensive. And I'll only buy it for myself; I won't spend a single penny on him!"

"That's right!" Wang Chun nodded vigorously, a satisfied expression on his face that said, "He's teachable." "That's how we do it! Make him feel the pinch, let him know we're not easy to bully!"

The two girls looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter dispelled the previous gloom and temporarily masked the uncertainty of the future.

In this small courtyard, they supported each other in this seemingly naive way, making a promise of loyalty and companionship.

For Zhixia, Wang Chun's unreserved friendship was perhaps more precious than all the material support Fang Chu provided; it was her only source of confidence to bravely face the drama of tomorrow.

That afternoon, Zhilin and Zhang Meili came to the courtyard and took Zhixia back to the family compound. According to custom, she was to "get married" from her brother's house the next day.

That evening, the two women sat in the room where Zhixia had stayed before her wedding, bathed in the warm glow of orange light.

Zhang Meili took out a thick red envelope and stuffed it into Zhixia's hand, her tone somewhat comforting:

"Xiaxia, this is the betrothal gift from Fang Chu's side, 666 yuan. It's for good luck, like 'six sixes bring good fortune'." Then, she took out a small bundle of various coupons tied with rubber bands—cloth coupons, industrial coupons, grain coupons, all sorts of things. "He also sent these coupons, saying that you can buy whatever you need."

Zhi Xia looked at the heavy red envelope and the bundle of tickets that were extremely valuable back then. Without any hesitation or politeness, she simply nodded calmly and replied softly, "Yes, I understand." She then put the money and tickets away.

She remembered her "agreement" with Wang Chun and knew that it was both Fang Chu's "compensation" and the capital she needed for her future plans, so she took it without any psychological burden.

Seeing that she accepted the money, Zhang Meili breathed a sigh of relief, then took out another, slightly thinner red envelope, her tone even gentler:

"This eighty-eight yuan is your brother's... a dowry on behalf of our parents. It's not much, but it's a small token of our love from your parents and brother. Keep it with you for emergencies or to buy something you like."

Zhixia looked at the red envelope, then slowly shook her head and pushed it back. She raised her eyes to look at her sister-in-law, her gaze clear and firm, carrying a calmness and confidence completely different from a month ago:

"Sister-in-law, I don't want this money. Please thank my brother and our parents for their kindness. Don't worry, I... won't be short of money in the future."

Zhang Meili was stunned for a moment. Looking at her sister-in-law's calm yet unquestionable expression, she immediately understood what she meant—she had accepted Fang Chu's "support" and had a clear plan for the future. She was no longer the little girl who needed her family's help and whose future was uncertain.

Zhang Meili didn't insist, took the money back, and said considerately, "Okay, I'll keep it for you. This money is yours forever. If you ever need money in the future, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay, sure." Zhixia nodded, a faint, genuine smile on her face.

At that moment, both the aunt and sister-in-law understood that from the moment she accepted that hefty dowry, Zhixia had embarked on a path completely different from what her family had envisioned.

She is using an almost cold-blooded clarity to firmly grasp her future in her own hands.

The next day, as dawn broke.

Zhixia changed into a brand new red dress and shiny black leather shoes.

She wore no makeup, but thanks to Wang Chun's month-long meticulous care with nourishing soups and broths, coupled with the expensive tonics from Fang Chu, her complexion was astonishingly good. Her cheeks were healthy, fair with a rosy glow, her eyes were bright, and her lips were a natural rosy red. The exquisitely tailored red dress further accentuated her snow-white skin and slender figure, making her look like a flower that had absorbed plenty of sunshine and rain, delicate and radiant.

Looking at his sister's appearance, Zhilin felt both proud and resentful. After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "He really got off easy!" The thought that his sister was dressed up so stunningly for that bastard made him feel uncomfortable all over.

While helping Zhixia straighten her skirt, which didn't really need straightening, Zhang Meili glared at her husband with annoyance: "Hmph, isn't it all because she spent her own money to carefully cultivate her? You want to cultivate her too, but do you have that many tickets and that much money?"

Zhi Lin was momentarily speechless at his wife's words, but he stubbornly reiterated his stance: "It's fine! We'll be divorced in a few years anyway! The fact that it looks good now is just for our own enjoyment!"

"You!" Zhang Meili was at her wit's end. "Can't you hope for the best? What if, in a few years, they actually develop feelings for each other?"

"No!" Zhi Lin answered decisively, leaving no room for negotiation. In his heart, Fang Chu was the original sin, one that could never be washed away.

Just then, his two little nephews ran in. Zhixu was clutching a handful of wedding candies wrapped in red paper, while Zhiyu followed behind him, reaching out his little hand and calling out in a childish voice, "Brother, give me candy!"

Zhixu hid the candy behind his back, acting like a little adult: "No! That's mine!"

The two little ones immediately started making a ruckus, diluting the subtle sadness and resentment in the room.

Zhang Meili quickly stepped forward, picked up her younger son, and then pulled her older son, saying to Zhilin with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Alright, alright! Stop standing there! Hurry up and control your two precious sons! The wedding procession is almost here!"

The room instantly filled with a flurry of activity, the sounds of children playing and adults urging each other on, creating a vivid and heartwarming family scene. The girl in the fiery red dress standing before the mirror took a deep breath, preparing to walk towards this incredibly special "wedding" of her life.

Wang Chun took a day off from work to be Zhi Xia's bridesmaid. Standing to the side, watching Zhi Xia, who was dressed in a red dress and looked graceful and elegant, she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

It was truly worth all her hard work over the past month, getting up early and working late, trying all sorts of different methods to feed her!

From brown sugar and eggs to angelica stewed chicken, from crucian carp soup to longan and red date tea... she used almost every recipe for nourishing the body that she had heard about from her hometown.

Seeing Zhixia's fair and delicate face, her bright and sparkling eyes, and the healthy energy radiating from her body, Wang Chun felt that his hard work over the past month had been worthwhile!