NOVPUB
Chapter 226: Chapter 219 Delivering Food
"Hello, hello, is this the military zone? I am looking for Li Hongjun, the regiment commander, what, the deputy battalion commander, oh boy, whoever will do." Uncle Shen wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Me? I am the captain from Gaijiatun of the Wuxing Brigade in Changsui County, ah, right... Huh? I am Li Hongjun’s uncle, just tell him that and he’ll understand."
Uncle Shen wiped his mouth, "Comrade, I have urgent matters to discuss with him, could you please deliver a message? I’ll wait right here for him... What? He’s not at the base? Then, then when can he return? You don’t know? Okay, okay, I will wait right here, not going anywhere."
Uncle Shen put down the phone, his soul seemingly lost, muttering to himself, "What do I do now? What do I do?"
On the other end of the phone, they said Li Hongjun had gone to a competition and was not currently in the military district; when he would return was unknown, and even his contact information was classified. What was Uncle Shen to do?
On the other end of the phone, the young soldier hung up and sat down to ponder for a moment. Judging from that uncle’s tone over the phone, there must be trouble at the regiment commander’s home. After thinking it through, he got up and ran to the political commissar’s office.
But the commissar wasn’t in the military district either; he was away at a meeting and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning. The young soldier had no choice but to call back the other party to suggest they wait there tomorrow morning.
Uncle Shen felt a chill in his heart; his niece was heavily pregnant and had been detained overnight. What if something happened? But he was so anxious now that there was nothing he could do. He looked outside at the sky and decided not to go home, choosing instead to wait right there.
At the same time, Wang Dashuan also arrived at the county armed forces department, only to be stopped right at the entrance.
"What’s your business here? Do you know where you are? Charging in like that, are you looking to get killed?" A gatekeeper stopped Wang Dashuan with a firm hand.
"Old man, this is the armed forces department, right? I’m looking for Captain Xing." Wang Dashuan didn’t know Captain Xing’s full name; he just knew the surname was Xing.
The gatekeeper eyed him up and down; he didn’t look like a relative of Captain Xing, "What’s your relationship with Captain Xing, and what do you want with him?"
Wang Dashuan stammered, unable to articulate his relationship with Captain Xing. In truth, he had no relationship with Captain Xing, but saying he didn’t even recognize him, having met him only once the previous year, didn’t seem to help.
Seeing him like that, the gatekeeper didn’t even let him explain and started pushing him away.
"Hurry up and get out, do you think you can just come in here as you please? Be careful, or you might get shot."
"Old man, old man, I really have urgent business with Captain Xing," Wang Dashuan pleaded while being pushed backward.
"You don’t even know Captain Xing, whatever urgent business you have, you won’t be able to find him. Young man, be practical in life, don’t aspire for the impossible," the gatekeeper disbelieved.
Just as Wang Dashuan was at a loss for how to explain himself, he suddenly noticed a large dog lying beside the gatekeeper. His eyes lit up and he pointed at the dog, exclaiming, "I recognize that dog, its name is Langya, isn’t it?"
At the revolutionary committee, Shen Yunfang sat in a chair resting with her eyes closed, not knowing how long she had been there. No one had come by, and she felt the temperature in the room slowly dropping. She rubbed her cheeks, realizing that these people intended to leave her hanging all night. Being locked up overnight in this dark room with nothing inside, not even a man could bear it, let alone she was a pregnant woman. Under normal circumstances, after being locked up all night, by the next morning, one would have admitted to anything just to avoid another night’s confinement, even if there were no crimes committed.
However, she was not ordinary, and this tactic simply wouldn’t work on her.
The room was void of a bed; what an oversight, but this was an issue she could still find a solution for. Shen Yunfang took out another chair from space, placed it opposite the other, took a wooden board from space and laid it across the two chairs, and spread a blanket on top to make a makeshift bed.
Shen Yunfang lay on it, gazing at the dark ceiling above, not daring to sleep for fear that anyone coming in might see the things beneath her and she would be unable to explain.
For a Shen Yunfang, just lying there all night without sleep was torture enough. When the clock hands pointed straight down and a glimmer of light shone through the crack beneath the door, there was finally some movement outside.
Shen Yunfang quickly sat up and with a wave of her hand, swept the stool and bedding into the space.
She had taken just a few steps towards the door when she heard a voice from outside.
"Hurry up, just a quick look." Wang Biao said impatiently.
"Yes, yes, I’ll just take a quick look and leave after bringing some food."
Shen Yunfang recognized the voice as Brother Dashuan’s wife.
There was the sound of a lock opening, and then the door opened.
After spending a night in darkness, the sudden glimpse of sunlight made it impossible to keep her eyes open.
Brother Dashuan’s wife, standing at the door, saw a woman with disheveled hair, squinting her eyes slightly, with a pale ring of dark circles around them, her belly swollen with pregnancy. She couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, sobbing. "Yunfang has suffered so much tonight, those damn people will not have a good end."
"Alright, hurry up now, time is running out." Wang Biao chided.
"Yes, yes, right away." Dashuan’s wife, unable to cry anymore, hurriedly wiped her face, stepped forward, and took Shen Yunfang’s hand. "Sister, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? I’ve brought you some food."
Shen Yunfang squeezed Sister-in-law’s hand tightly in return, "I’m fine, really. You don’t have to worry about me."
Upon hearing this, Dashuan’s wife’s tears, which had momentarily stopped, began flowing again. "Sobbing, how can there be anything good in this place?"
"Time’s up, time’s up, hurry up and leave." Wang Biao, seeing that they were starting to chat, began to rush them.
"Yes, yes, right away." Dashuan’s wife dared not delay any longer, handed over the basket she had been carrying on her arm to Shen Yunfang, "This is the breakfast I made for you this morning. It’s probably cold by now, but eat it anyway. And these eggs—I kept them warm against me all the way here, so they’re still warm. Eat them quickly. You’re not just by yourself now. No matter what, let things go, life goes on, you know?"
Dashuan’s wife was worried Yunfang might be too disillusioned because of her seemingly small stature.
After all, a young wife was taken and locked up in a tiny, dark room for raising too many chickens, arousing jealousy and bringing trouble upon herself; those who didn’t know the facts might think she did something wrong. Even after she returned home, there would always be those, unaware of the truth or fond of gossip, pointing fingers at her.
In the past few years, some young wives who had been caught and criticized couldn’t bear it, and many ended up taking their own lives.
Shen Yunfang took the basket, holding the two warm eggs, and sincerely thanked Brother Dashuan’s wife, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, I’m not someone who gets upset over little things. Moreover, I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m waiting to see what happens to the people who falsely accused me."
"As long as you can think that way, that’s good. As long as you can think that way. Your Brother Dashuan has gone to see Commander Xing to save you, and your uncle has also called Li Hongjun for you. So don’t worry. Before long, you’ll certainly be let out." Dashuan’s wife didn’t mention that both men had left last night and hadn’t returned all night. It could be said that both families hadn’t slept, their minds filled with concern. She had come to bring food for Yunfang in the morning and also hoped to check on her own husband and find out why he hadn’t come home all night.
"Time’s up, come out now, or you’ll be locked up too." Wang Biao called out again from outside.
Seeing that there was no way to delay any longer, Dashuan’s wife quickly said, "Yunfang, rest assured, I will come to bring you food again at noon. Let me know if you’re lacking anything, and I’ll bring it all over in the afternoon."
As she spoke, Wang Biao began pulling her outside. Before she could finish speaking, the door clanged shut again and locked.
