Chapter 51
The matter of Bai Xue and Regiment Commander Xu’s divorce quickly spread throughout the entire military compound. Most people’s thoughts were “as expected, they’re getting a divorce.”
There was nothing to be done. This was the reality in China. Without children, it was very difficult for a family to stay together, especially since Regiment Commander Xu was the only son and his family was well-off. Even if he himself didn’t care, his family would keep pressuring him to get a divorce.
And as he got older and the people around him had sons and daughters, he would surely have his own thoughts.
In fact, Bai Xue was also aware of this, which was why she was so anxious and desperately wanted to prove how much Xu Kaisheng loved her, so much that he didn’t care about not having children.
“Bai Xue… she might be serious this time,” Yang Xiaorou sighed softly.
She and Bai Xue had known each other for many years and had watched her transform from a proud and elegant young lady to a hysterical shrew. Every time she saw her, she felt a tightness in her chest.
“Maybe the two of them are just not suitable. Look, their bodies are both very healthy, yet they haven’t been pregnant for five years together. Maybe they can have children if they switch partners,” Ye Qingzhi said. Of course, she couldn’t say it was a genetic problem. They wouldn’t understand even if she did.
“That’s a real possibility,” Li Jinfeng said, slapping her thigh excitedly. “There was a couple in our village who had been married for several years without children. But after they separated and remarried, they soon had children.”
“Is there such a saying?” Yang Xiaorou’s eyes lit up. She knew how to comfort Bai Xue now.
Bai Xue’s current state was very bad. Yang Xiaorou was afraid she would do something foolish.
“I haven’t had much contact with Bai Xue, but I can see that their relationship is good. They probably won’t get a divorce so easily, right?” Gu Yao had seen them from a distance once. The two of them were walking side by side, talking and laughing, their eyes full of love for each other.
“Their relationship is indeed good. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it this far. It’s just that…” Yang Xiaorou shook her head. It wasn’t that Bai Xue and Xu Kaisheng’s relationship had a problem, but that Bai Xue couldn’t hold on any longer.
Although they were not the ones involved, just thinking about the pressure from all sides was suffocating.
In fact, Li Jinfeng could empathize. Although she could have children, she had given birth to four daughters in a row. Every time her in-laws sighed about lacking a grandson, and the villagers pointed fingers, she couldn’t even walk with her head held high.
“Let’s not talk about this. What about Su Mengwan? Where did she go?” Li Jinfeng asked curiously.
“She left yesterday,” Yang Xiaorou said, pouting at the mention of Su Mengwan. “She’s just a troublemaker. Wherever she goes, she can turn other people’s homes upside down.”
Bai Xue had told her before that she would try one last time at the end of the year. If she still couldn’t get pregnant, she would consider whether to continue with Xu Kaisheng next year. But after Su Mengwan’s visit, Bai Xue now wanted to divorce Xu Kaisheng. From her appearance, she was very determined this time.
“She really left? Then was she really two-timing?” Li Jinfeng did not believe a word of Su Mengwan’s explanation.
“Aren’t you asking the obvious? Anyone with eyes can see that Su Mengwan wanted to two-time, it’s just that Company Commander Zhou’s boat capsized,” Yang Xiaorou said with schadenfreude.
They were all thousand-year-old foxes. Su Mengwan’s little tricks could only deceive a three-year-old child like Yangyang. Even He Jingyan could see through her.
The reason everyone did not expose her was to give Regiment Commander Xu face. Obviously, she herself was also aware of this, so after apologizing to Company Commander Zhou yesterday, she had packed her things and run away in disgrace.
“By the way, Qingzhi, Sister Lan said that Su Mengwan’s partner looks quite good, and he resembles your Anmin a little,” Li Jinfeng said, not mentioning that Zhao Lan suspected the man was a relative of Ye Qingzhi’s ex-husband’s family.
“Really? Now that you mention it, I’d like to see him. But he should have already left with Su Mengwan,” Ye Qingzhi said with a look of regret.
Ye Qingzhi thought back carefully. Anmin did look five-tenths like Wei Jiancheng. She hadn’t expected Zhao Lan’s eyes to be so sharp, to have noticed the problem with just one look. Fortunately, Anjie looked more like her, and only two-tenths like Wei Jiancheng.
It was almost noon, and the few of them left one after another. Ye Qingzhi did not stop them. The canteen was slaughtering a pig today and would be making a pig-slaughtering dish.
“Ma, we’re going to get food,” Ye Anjie said, carrying a lunchbox and playfully pushing He Jingyan.
“Don’t push your big brother. Be careful not to fall. Go on, take another big bowl and bring back a vegetable dish,” she said, so that she wouldn’t have to start a fire and cook.
“Mama, I want to go too,” Yangyang said, shaking Ye Qingzhi’s arm.
“It’s so cold outside. Why are you going?” Ye Qingzhi did not agree.
One, it was indeed too cold. Another reason was that he was too young and could easily fall. He might even have to be carried back by his three older brothers.
Unable to bear Yangyang’s disappointed little expression, Ye Qingzhi smiled and pinched his small cheek. “Your brothers are all going to get food. Only Mama is left at home. Mama will be scared. Yangyang is the most amazing. Can you stay and protect me?”
“Okay, Yangyang will protect Mama,” Yangyang said, patting his chest.
After about half an hour, the three children came back, braving the cold wind. Besides the pig-slaughtering dish, there were also stir-fried potato slices and a large bag of steamed buns.
“Are there many people?” Ye Qingzhi had them sit by the stove to warm themselves. “You warm yourselves here. I’ll go and heat up the steamed buns and the food.”
The canteen was actually not far from the family compound, but it was cold now. The hot steamed buns had already turned cold by the time they were brought back, and the pig-slaughtering dish was already frozen with a layer of white grease on the surface.
Two full lunchboxes of pig-slaughtering dish. If it were Li Jinfeng, she would definitely save it to eat slowly. Gu Yao would add potatoes and radishes so that everyone could eat. Ye Qingzhi and Yang Xiaorou were the type to live in the moment, and they would finish it all in one meal.
After all, it was a rare occasion to eat meat. It was better to eat to their heart’s content.
“Are we having a pig-slaughtering dish for lunch?”
Hearing He Qiming’s voice, Ye Qingzhi turned to look at him and nodded with a smile. “Yes. Tell the children to wash their hands and eat.”
“Oh, we’re having meat!” Yangyang’s cheerful voice came from outside.
Ye Qingzhi chuckled lightly. This little guy loved to follow Anjie around. He was becoming more and more of a little treasure.
Her four children were all very sensible, including Yangyang. They would never fight over good food. Instead, they would give each other food.
“In a couple of days, it will be the Tibetan’s big festival. I’ll take you to the town to play then. They also have a bonfire party at night. It’s very lively,” He Qiming said, giving Ye Qingzhi a piece of meat.
“Alright. By the way, it’s been a month since we sent the letter to Auntie Ye, right?” Ye Qingzhi gave He Qiming a piece of pork lung. He loved this the most.
It took about a week to ten days for a letter to reach their hometown, and about the same time for Auntie Ye to send one back. A month was enough for a round trip.
Why hadn’t she received a letter from Auntie Ye this time? Could something have happened back home?
“Don’t worry. What could happen back home?” He Qiming felt that Ye Qingzhi was worrying for nothing.
Ye Qingzhi’s eyelid twitched. It was true. She always felt that something had happened back home, but just as He Qiming had said, it should not be anything major.
If she couldn’t think of it, then she wouldn’t. If something major had really happened, Auntie Ye would definitely have sent a telegram.
Two days later, Bai Xue and Regiment Commander Xu were very calm. The onlookers were a little disappointed, thinking that they had just had a fight and had now made up.
But Yang Xiaorou secretly told Ye Qingzhi that Regiment Commander Xu had already filed for divorce.
“Really? Did Regiment Commander Xu agree just like that?” Ye Qingzhi had thought that Regiment Commander Xu would at least hold on until after the New Year before agreeing to a divorce.
Yang Xiaorou sighed softly. “Actually, these past few years, Bai Xue has been tired, and Brother Xu has also been tired. But Brother Xu did not agree. But Bai Xue knelt down and begged him. He had no choice but to nod. I heard from our Old Shen that when Brother Xu was writing the divorce report, tears were welling up in his eyes. It was quite heartbreaking to watch.”
“Did you not comfort Bai Xue?” Ye Qingzhi knew that the two of them were on good terms.
“I did. I told her that some people are just not suitable to be together. For example, them. Both of them are very healthy, yet they haven’t been pregnant for five years together. Maybe they can have children if they switch partners,” Yang Xiaorou said, thinking of Bai Xue’s red and swollen eyes. She was wondering if there was a suitable match among her relatives and friends to introduce to her.
Ye Qingzhi’s lips twitched. Yang Xiaorou really knew how to comfort people, to be talking about children at a time like this.
“I think you should just let her be alone.”
“Let’s not talk about this. You should hurry up and pack up. We’re going to the town to play in a bit. It’s really very lively today. There’s also a bonfire party at night. Did Old He tell you?” Yang Xiaorou’s worried expression disappeared, and she quickly changed to a happy one.
She and Bai Xue were plastic friends. Their relationship was not particularly good. Of course, she would not be sad for Bai Xue.
“We’ve already packed,” she said. Ye Qingzhi and the children were all wearing fur clothes and leather boots. The two older ones also had small baskets on their backs, and Ye Qingzhi had a large one, in case there was anything good to buy.
When they arrived at the gathering place, Ye Qingzhi saw Li Jinfeng. “You’re pregnant, and you’re still going?”
“It’s fine. I’m not that delicate,” Li Jinfeng said, not taking it seriously at all.
Well, since she herself didn’t take it seriously, Ye Qingzhi couldn’t say anything more.
Today, it was a pickup truck. Ye Qingzhi and Yang Xiaorou were worried that the back would be too bumpy, so they had Li Jinfeng sit in the front passenger seat.
“Auntie Rou, how do they celebrate the festival? What’s a bonfire party?” Li Wenshu asked, her curious big eyes blinking.
Yang Xiaorou had been to this festival several times, so she knew more. After a detailed introduction, she gave a mysterious smile. “As for the bonfire party, I won’t reveal it in advance. You’ll know when you go and participate at night.”
When they arrived at the town, they felt that there were people everywhere. This time, without anyone having to say anything, Li Jinfeng herself decided not to get out of the car.
“I didn’t expect there to be so many people. What if someone bumps into my belly? I’ll just wait for you in the car. Wenshu, Wenhua, follow Jingyan and the others. Don’t run around!” Li Jinfeng instructed.
There were many stalls on both sides of the road, and many Tibetans were selling things. No one was managing them today.
Ye Qingzhi also saw someone selling beeswax. The price they were asking was more expensive than gold. She silently put it back. It was cheaper back home. She could buy a string next time she went back.
“Do you like it?” He Qiming asked, picking up a beeswax bracelet.
“No need. I’m just looking,” Ye Qingzhi said, leaning over to his ear. “It’s much cheaper back home. With this money, we might as well buy gold.”
He Qiming made sure that Ye Qingzhi really didn’t want it before he put it back.
“Will you go somewhere with me?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at the place where she had found the suspected black market last time. This time, with He Qiming here, she planned to go in with him to have a look.
“Where?” He Qiming asked, looking at Ye Qingzhi in confusion.
“Here, there,” Ye Qingzhi said, having He Qiming hold Yangyang. The three older children followed behind them. “You go and play with Haohao. We’ll meet where we got off the bus later.”
Before they left, Ye Qingzhi had given each of them a yuan. It was definitely enough to buy some snacks.
“Yangyang can come with us,” He Jingyan said. He felt that it was not easy for his parents to have a date.
“No, no, I want to be with Papa and Mama,” Yangyang said, hugging He Qiming’s neck tightly.
“It’s fine. Yangyang can be with us. You can just go and play,” Ye Qingzhi said, waving her hand.