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

And what about herself?

What did she do wrong? She just arrived at the residential compound and accidentally ran into him on the street!

But she had to bear all the bitter consequences—severe physical pain, threats to her reputation, the humiliation of hiding in her room and not daring to see anyone, and even when she cried, her sister-in-law would cover her mouth so that no one could hear her!

Finally, her brother asked her to "stop here," and she had to swallow all her bitterness and pretend not to know the person who ruined her.

Why should I?!

A surge of intense hatred and resentment clung to her like vines, almost suffocating her. She gripped the sheets beneath her so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the force.

I can't just let this go.

I cannot let myself be bullied for nothing.

I want revenge!

A clear and sharp thought, like lightning in the dark night, cleaved through all her confusion and submissiveness.

Her brother's warning still echoed in her ears, and she was well aware of the pros and cons of reality. However, the desire to tear apart this seemingly "calm" surface and make Fang Chu pay a heavy price was like a surging undercurrent, raging wildly in her heart.

That night, Zhixia's eyes were no longer filled with simple pain and confusion, but instead held a cold and hardened hatred.

A seemingly weak woman, when driven to the brink and fueled by the flames of revenge, can unleash energy far beyond anyone's imagination.

More than half a month later, the evening sunlight shimmered the pond's surface with shimmering gold. Zhixia squatted on the bluestone slab, vigorously scrubbing the military uniform in the basin. The ripples reflected her downcast eyes. Her body had recovered, but the heaviness lingered in her heart like a wet cotton wadding.

Are you feeling better?

A clear voice rang out from beside her. Zhixia looked up and saw a round-faced girl, also carrying a washbasin, looking at her with concern.

"Much better," Zhi Xia replied with a slight smile.

"I am Wang Chun, the younger sister of Wang Jianguo from the Third Regiment." The girl squatted down on the stone next to her as if they were old friends, splashing a few drops of water.

"Hello." Zhi Xia's hands didn't stop.

"You're really unlucky," Wang Chun leaned closer and lowered his voice, "You fell into the pond on your very first day here. There are a lot of people around here, so you'd better be careful."

"I'm not familiar with the area," Zhi Xia said casually, wringing out the washed clothes, water droplets splashing back into the pond.

Looking at Zhixia's profile, Wang Chun felt a sense of kinship and empathy. She had inquired and learned that Zhixia, like her, had graduated from high school and had come to stay with her brother, who was a regimental commander, to avoid being sent to the countryside.

In this compound full of military dependents, these "outsider girls" are in a delicate situation—they rely on their brothers but also have to work hard to find their own place.

Wang Chun felt that Zhi Xia's silent resilience was very similar to her own. She desperately needed a friend she could confide in.

"If you need anything in the future, just come to my house," Wang Chun said eagerly. "I live in the easternmost room in the third row. We're about the same age, and we're both here to visit you, so we can keep each other company."

Zhixia finally stopped what she was doing and looked at Wang Chun seriously. His bright eyes were filled with pure kindness, which stirred a ripple in her frozen heart.

"Okay," she replied softly, putting the wrung-out clothes into the basin. "Then... shall we do the laundry together again tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Wang Chun smiled, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons.

Two girls carried laundry basins one after the other along the path home, their shadows stretched long by the sunlight. For Zhixia, this afternoon not only washed away the stains on her clothes, but also seemed to wash away some of the gloom of the past few days.

Since making Wang Chun, a friend of similar age, Zhi Xia has finally shown some genuine smiles and has become more talkative. She is no longer the lost and dejected person she used to be, who had completely shut herself off.

Zhang Meili witnessed all of this, and the heavy weight that had been hanging over her heart finally eased slightly. That afternoon, while sewing shoe soles, she casually remarked to Zhixia, who was reading a book:

"Xiaxia, I'm relieved to see that you and Wang Chun get along so well. Spending more time with people your own age will naturally broaden your horizons."

Zhi Xia looked up and gave her sister-in-law a faint, but no longer forced, smile: "Yes, Xiao Chun is lively, and it's quite fun being with her."

Zhang Meili put down her work, carefully took out a handkerchief bag from a small drawer in the kang cabinet, opened it layer by layer, took out the neatly folded ten-yuan bills inside, and handed it to Zhixia.

"Here, go out with your friend tomorrow, check out the supply and marketing cooperative or the street, and buy yourself a new dress you like. A young lady should dress up nicely; it makes her happy."

Ten yuan was no small sum these days; it was enough to buy a very decent outfit. Zhi Xia looked at the money, her heart warming, knowing that her sister-in-law was trying to make her happy in various ways. She didn't refuse, took the money, and softly replied, "Okay."

She thought for a moment, then looked at Zhang Meili with a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Then... I'll go ask Xiaochun if she wants to go with us tomorrow? She'll definitely be happy to."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meili's face immediately lit up with a relieved smile, and she nodded repeatedly: "Go! Go ask quickly! It would be best to have someone with you, so you can give each other advice. Go on your way!"

Zhixia put down her book, walked briskly out the door, and headed towards Wang Chun's house. Seeing that she finally had some of the liveliness a young girl should have, Zhang Meili breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that a ray of sunshine had finally shone into this dull home. In her eyes, being able to get a genuine smile from her sister-in-law for ten yuan was better than anything else.

With the ten yuan her sister-in-law had given her and a long-lost sense of ease in her pocket, Zhixia walked briskly to find Wang Chun. The summer breeze on her face seemed to carry a hint of sweetness. She pondered where to go shopping tomorrow, a faint smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

At one corner, she bumped into someone.

Looking up, the smile froze on his face—it was Fang Chu.

Fang Chu clearly hadn't expected to meet her here. His gaze fell on Zhi Xia's face, which still held a smile, and he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

This was the first time he had seen her face so "formally" in broad daylight.

She was very tall, standing out among the women. She wore a faded floral shirt, yet it couldn't hide her youthful exuberance. Her face was round, with a touch of childishness and soft baby fat, and her skin appeared very white in the sunlight. At this moment, due to shock and the emotions she quickly suppressed, her eyes widened like a startled deer, but were quickly covered by a layer of cold indifference.

It's beautiful. This thought jumped uncontrollably into Fang Chu's mind.