Chapter 83

Chapter 83

News that Meng Li wanted a divorce spread through the compound in no time.

The news came from the Family Committee. That day, Meng Li went to the committee again, sobbing that He Jianjun hit her and abused her, and asked the organization to step in and help her get a divorce. After listening, the committee clerk looked through her file and shook his head: "Comrade Meng Li, you and Comrade He Jianjun are in a military marriage—a divorce requires mutual consent. If he won't sign, the organization can't force a divorce. Unless you can provide evidence of major fault, such as bigamy or deliberate harm resulting in disability, ordinary couple's quarrels don't meet that standard. Besides, you've been married for three years now—a little friction between husband and wife is normal. This isn't grounds for divorce, is it?"

Meng Li was stunned: "He even had his cousin come over... Isn't that enough?"

The clerk asked, "Evidence of what? Do you have proof? Do you have witnesses?"

Meng Li opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. Liu Yuwen had already been arrested, and He's mother had been taken away too. The only people present that night were herself and He Jianjun. What proof could she offer?

The clerk tried to persuade her for a while longer. First he said that the two of them had become husband and wife by swearing an oath before Chairman Mao's portrait, which was a very serious matter—how could a little friction justify a divorce? Then he said that marriage was all about adjusting to each other, that every couple has their disagreements, and that things would gradually get better—there was still a long life ahead.

The clerks took turns urging Meng Li to go home and think it over. Meng Li still insisted on divorce, so the clerks responded with even more high-sounding language, subjecting her to a thorough session of "ideological education."

Meng Li's ears were practically numb from all the lecturing before she realized that divorce in this era was extremely difficult. The moment you brought up divorce, you'd be subjected to ideological education by the street office, the Family Committee, and every other department. Worse still, hers was a military marriage—there was no way out!

When she came out of the committee office, Meng Li's face was ashen, and her steps were unsteady. She stood at the entrance of the Family Committee for a long time in a daze, then slowly walked home.

Along the way, Meng Li ran into a few of the older wives from the compound. When they saw her, they turned their heads away, pretending not to see her. Two young women comrades passed by without slowing their pace, but deliberately raised their voices: "Did you hear? That He family's daughter-in-law—she abandoned her own parents to climb the social ladder, and now that the He family has fallen, she's rushing to divorce. Isn't that just speculation and profiteering—"

The other chimed in: "Exactly. Speculation and profiteering is a serious crime. We should stay far away from people like her. Getting involved with them brings bad luck."

Meng Li's steps faltered for a moment, her nails digging into her palms, but she didn't look back. She knew turning around wouldn't help—those two were speaking the truth, or at least what everyone in the compound believed to be the truth. She had chosen He Jianjun for his prospects and the He family's connections; she wanted a divorce now because the He family had fallen. She couldn't explain, and no one wanted to listen anyway.

After that, Meng Li rarely went out. She stayed cooped up at home every day, keeping the curtains tightly drawn. Whenever she heard voices in the compound, she'd crouch under the window, afraid to move. She went through her savings passbook countless times, but no matter how she added it up, the numbers never worked out. The money she'd secretly saved, the gold and jade she'd thought would protect her—all gone. Sometimes she'd sit on the edge of the bed in a daze, staying there for an entire afternoon.

And He Jianjun? He went to work as usual, ate at the cafeteria as usual, his face showing no emotion. Three days after his mother was taken away, the unit held a full assembly. When someone brought up the matter, He Jianjun stood up and said in a steady voice: "If my mother truly has problems, I support the organization in handling them according to the law. As a soldier, I will never cover for my relatives."

He Jianjun spoke with an open expression and a firm tone, and some people in the audience even applauded. But after the meeting, a few old comrades gathered for a smoke, and one of them shook his head: "His own mother gets arrested and he can still say something like that? That man's heart must be made of stone. Look at Comrade Ji Haiguo—worried sick over his daughter's situation. Now that's what you call human warmth."

"He Jianjun can't compare to Old Ji. Old Ji hasn't done a single immoral thing in his entire life," said another.

Another exhaled a puff of smoke: "He Jianjun is just putting on a show for you all. His uncle's treason is an open-and-shut case, and his mother won't get off either. If he doesn't distance himself quickly, does he still want to keep his career? But..." He flicked the ash from his cigarette. "A man who can use his own mother as a stepping stone—who would want to work with him after this?"

The remark passed through several people and eventually reached He Jianjun's ears. When he came home that night, his face was dark as a storm cloud, but when he walked in and saw Meng Li sitting in the living room, he smiled instead—a smile that made Meng Li's blood run cold.

"You want a divorce?" He Jianjun stood at the door taking off his coat, his voice sinister. "In your dreams. If I can't have a good life, you won't either. Military marriage—without my signature, you're not going anywhere. You can stay here and rot, and we'll see who outlasts who."

Meng Li sat on the sofa without moving. She wasn't crying anymore, nor was she making a scene. She looked at He Jianjun's face and suddenly felt he was a completely different person from the man she had first met. Back then, He Jianjun wore a crisp military uniform, spoke gently and politely, and was full of confidence in the future. When had he become like this? Or had he always been this way, and she had just been too blind to see it?

Meng Li went to beg Ji Haiguo again. If Ji Haiguo wouldn't help, she truly couldn't get a divorce. But Ji Haiguo gave her the same answer: he couldn't help her.

Meng Li walked out of the Ji family's courtyard at noon. From the yard came the sound of Niannian and Shengsheng playing and laughing, and dappled tree shadows scattered patches of gold across the ground. She stood at the gate, took a deep breath, and suddenly shouted at the top of her voice: "Everyone, come and judge for yourselves! Ji Haiguo! He Qiuxia! Come out!"

Meng Li's voice was shrill and loud, clearly audible from several buildings away. Doors of the neighboring houses opened one by one—some people poked their heads out, others walked out with their rice bowls to watch the commotion. Meng Li stood at the Ji family's gate, fists clenched at her sides, craning her neck and continuing to shout: "I'm your biological daughter! How can you not care about me! Ji Yunshu, that adopted daughter of yours, you treat like a treasure, but me, your real daughter, you push out the door and leave to fend for myself! Your favoritism has gone too far!"

The courtyard fell silent in an instant. Niannian's laughter stopped, and the people around stared at her with wide eyes.

A moment later, He Qiuxia pulled open the door and stepped out, her expression shifting from shock to fury. Before she could speak, Meng Li was already pointing at her face: "He Qiuxia, don't act all pitiful here! You and your husband Ji Haiguo are the same—all talk of righteousness, but your hearts are full of bias! What have you ever given me in all the years I've been back? All your best things went to that capitalist miss!"

Seven or eight people had already gathered at the Ji family's gate—elderly women, young wives holding children, and a few young cadres who had just gotten off work and were heading home for lunch. Everyone exchanged glances. No one stepped forward, but no one left.

Ji Haiguo walked out of the house, stood in the doorway, and said in a low voice: "Lizi, go home."

"Go home where?!" Meng Li's voice grew even louder. "Back to the place where he hits me and curses me? You won't help me get a divorce, and now you're pushing me out the door! What kind of parents are you! You're just ashamed of me! You're afraid I'll drag you down with me!"

An old woman couldn't stand it anymore and tugged at Meng Li's sleeve: "Girl, these are your own parents—you can't say things like that to them..."

"My own parents?!" Meng Li shook off the old woman's hand. "My own parents only acknowledge that adopted daughter, not me! Do you know what Ji Haiguo did? He abused his power for his own gain! If it weren't for Ji Haiguo suppressing it from above, that capitalist Meng family would have been dragged out for public humiliation long ago! He uses his public power to protect capitalists—does he even deserve to be a cadre?! Ji Haiguo did all of it for that capitalist girl!"

If the Meng family hadn't had someone protecting them, the whole family would have been sent to the Northwest for re-education just like Meng Chongwen. Why hadn't the rest of the Meng family been sent away? Someone must have been protecting them! The more Meng Li thought about it, the more certain she was that the only person in a high enough position was Ji Haiguo. Ji Haiguo claimed to her that he couldn't abuse his power, but in reality, he had paved the way for Ji Yunshu. How could she not feel jealous?

The moment those words left her mouth, the faces of everyone around them changed. Several people took a step back, and the whispering grew louder. The accusation of abusing power for personal gain was no trivial matter in this era. Meng Li shouting it in the street was like stabbing Ji Haiguo in the back.

Ji Haiguo's face went white. He stood by the door, both hands gripping the doorframe, barely able to stay upright, his lips pressed into a thin line, unable to say a word. He Qiuxia shook with rage, pointing at Meng Li: "You—you—"

But Meng Li seemed to have thrown all caution to the wind, getting more worked up with each word: "I already cut ties with the Meng family long ago! I'm the one with the spotless class background! Why won't you believe me? Why does she get praised for going to the island to avoid trouble? I've suffered so much and you act like I deserve it! I want a divorce and you won't help me, I get beaten and you won't help me—what kind of parents are you—"

"Are you finished?"

Ji Yunshu's voice came from the doorway. No one knew when she had come to stand behind He Qiuxia, wearing a light blue floral blouse, her hair in a braid hanging over her shoulder. Her expression was calm, her eyes showing neither anger nor panic—she just looked quietly at the hysterical woman outside the gate.

Meng Li was stung by that calm gaze. Her voice faltered for a moment, then rose another notch: "What are you doing out here? It's not your place to teach me a lesson! You're a capitalist's daughter—if the Ji family hadn't taken you in, you'd have been—"

"You've said so much," Ji Yunshu interrupted her, her voice not loud, but every word landing clearly in the ears of everyone outside the yard, "but which single word of it is true?"

Meng Li opened her mouth.

"You say Dad abused his power—where's your proof? You say the Meng family was protected by Dad from being sent down—where's your proof? You stand in the street and say these things out of thin air. Do you know what consequences you're bringing on others?" Ji Yunshu took a step forward, her eyes fixed directly on Meng Li's face. "You're angry that Dad won't help you divorce, so you vent your anger on the reputation he's built his whole life? What good will destroying his name do you? Have you forgotten that your surname is Ji?"

Meng Li's lips trembled: "Shut up... what do you know about anything..."

"What do I know?" Ji Yunshu took another step forward, leaving only two steps between them. "I know what it means to repay kindness with enmity. I know what it means to eat the rice and then curse the pot. The clothes Mom made for you—you don't remember those? The job Dad pulled strings to find for you—you don't remember that? The twenty-plus years the Meng family raised you—you don't remember that either? Now you stand in the street and deny all of it. You think you're pure red? You think you're in the right?"

Meng Li's eyes were bloodshot, both hands twisting the hem of her clothes, her nails digging into her palms until they left bloody marks. She gritted her teeth and glared at Ji Yunshu, then suddenly let out a shriek: "Who are you to lecture me! You're a capitalist's daughter! You don't deserve to!"

With that, she raised her hand and swung it toward Ji Yunshu's face. The slap came so suddenly that the onlookers had no time to react—but when Meng Li's hand was halfway through its arc, it was caught firmly by the wrist.

Pei Yufeng had somehow stepped out from the yard, standing half a step behind and to the side of Ji Yunshu. The force with which he gripped Meng Li's wrist wasn't heavy, but his hand was as solid as an iron clamp. Meng Li struggled twice and couldn't budge it. His voice was neither loud nor low, but it landed in the quiet alley like a stone: "Comrade Meng Li, please calm down."

"My name isn't Meng Li! My surname is Ji—I'm Ji Yunli!" Meng Li tried desperately to pull her hand back, but Pei Yufeng's grip wouldn't let her move. She looked up at Pei Yufeng, her eyes full of tears, a mix of anger, anxiety, and hatred: "Let go of me! What right do you have to stop me! Who do you think you are—"

"My wife has already made things very clear." Pei Yufeng's expression was as steady as his voice. "If you keep making a scene here and disrupting order in the military family compound, when the Family Committee shows up, it won't do you any good."

"Now you remember your surname is 'Ji'?" Ji Yunshu looked at her coldly. "Where was that when you were making a scene in the compound, telling Mom and Dad not to meddle in your affairs?"

Meng Li's hand hung frozen in midair, her wrist still in Pei Yufeng's grip. She looked around—none of the watching neighbors said a word in her defense. Even a few of the older wives who had previously sympathized with her now looked away. She suddenly realized that in this entire compound, no one was on her side. She had shouted, made a scene, cried—and all she got in return was indifference and avoidance.

Meng Li's mouth hung open, a few choked sobs escaping her throat. Finally, she yanked her hand back, stumbled two steps backward. She stood outside the gate, looking at the people at the Ji family's door—He Qiuxia standing at the threshold with red-rimmed eyes, Ji Haiguo leaning against the doorframe in silence, Ji Yunshu standing in front of them both, Pei Yufeng at Ji Yunshu's side. The four of them stood in a row, as if sealing her off in another world.

Meng Li's lips trembled again and again, and finally the tears fell. She said nothing more, turned around, and staggered away. She walked quickly, as if afraid that staying one more second would shatter her completely. Her figure disappeared at the end of the road, and the wind blew through the old locust tree, rustling its leaves as if letting out a long sigh on behalf of everyone present.

The onlookers dispersed. Someone muttered "What a tragedy," and someone else sighed and shook their head.

He Qiuxia leaned against the doorframe, her shoulders trembling slightly. Ji Haiguo walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. Ji Yunshu turned around and said softly to He Qiuxia: "Mom, let's go inside. The wind is strong."

He Qiuxia nodded, wiped her face, and followed Ji Yunshu into the yard. Niannian sat on the doorstep hugging Huajuan the cat, looking up with her big eyes and asking in her baby voice: "Mommy, who was crying?"

Ji Yunshu crouched down and stroked Niannian's face: "Nothing important. Mommy will tell you when you're older."

Niannian tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said very seriously: "Then Niannian wants to grow up fast."

Ji Yunshu smiled, picked up Niannian, took Shengsheng's little hand, and turned to walk inside. Pei Yufeng brought up the rear, closing the courtyard gate and latching it. The sound of the door closing rippled softly through the quiet yard.

The compound returned to calm. No one knew where Meng Li had gone. The matter between He Jianjun and Meng Li was hard to resolve, but everyone was waiting to see their family's downfall.

A few days later, the official notice of Ji Haiguo's retirement came through.

It was the seventeenth day since Ji Yunshu had returned to the capital. That morning, the postman delivered an official letter. He Qiuxia opened and read it, her eyes reddening. She carried the letter into the living room and handed it to Ji Haiguo: "Ji, it's been approved."

Ji Haiguo took the letter and read it through. His expression didn't change much—just a soft "Mm," before he folded the letter and put it in his pocket.

Kids always pick up on how the adults are feeling. Nian Nian ran after Ji Haiguo across the courtyard, with Sheng Sheng trailing along behind. Ji Haiguo looked down at the two children circling around his legs, then suddenly bent over and scooped Nian Nian up, lifting her up and spinning her around. Nian Nian shrieked with joy, her laughter breaking the courtyard's quiet.

Ji Yunshu stood on the steps watching, her eyes stinging slightly. She knew Ji Haiguo couldn't bear to leave the army. He'd been in the army since he was a teenager—over forty years in uniform. Now, having to give it up all at once, he must feel empty inside. But he said nothing, just held his granddaughter and spun her around the yard until her braids flew in the air.

That evening, the family sat in the courtyard for dinner. He Qiuxia had made a table full of dishes and opened a bottle of aged liquor Ji Haiguo had been saving for years. After a few cups, his face flushed and he grew talkative, talking at length with Pei Yufeng about army matters. Pei Yufeng listened quietly, wine glass in hand, offering a word now and then, and the frown on Ji Haiguo's face gradually eased.

Ji Yunshu sat nearby holding Sheng Sheng, and said, "Dad, Mom, if you ever miss us, come by boat and stay on the island for a while. The sea air is good for your health. When you come, Nian Nian and Sheng Sheng will play with you every day."

He Qiuxia's chopsticks froze mid-air, her eyes reddening again. But she blinked hard to hold back the tears: "Alright, Mom remembers. Once you're gone, I'll talk it over with your dad and find a time to take him to see your island."

Nian Nian held up her bowl from her little stool: "Grandma, come too! Nian Nian will catch fish for Grandma!"

The whole courtyard burst into laughter. Sheng Sheng cracked a smile as well—quiet as ever, but those dark, bright eyes curved into two little crescent moons.

That night, Ji Yunshu and Pei Yufeng discussed their next steps. There wasn't much time left on their leave to visit family, and it was time to head to Su City to see Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze. They'd written ahead as planned: first the capital to see Grandma, then Su City to see Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze—meeting both sides of the family, so the long trip wouldn't be wasted.

Early the next morning, Ji Yunshu began packing. He Qiuxia helped fold clothes, chatting as she worked: "On the way to Su City, be careful on the boat and train, and don't let the children run around. Your brother's kid must be bigger now—probably old enough to play with Sheng Sheng and Nian Nian. It's good for the kids to have company. Your mother is meticulous; she'll have everything ready for you."

Ji Yunshu hummed in agreement, stuffing Nian Nian's little jacket and Sheng Sheng's cloth shoes into the bag. He Qiuxia also tucked in a fresh package of Beijing-style pastries: "These are all your favorites. Eat them on the train."

When Nian Nian and Sheng Sheng heard they'd be taking another boat and train ride, Nian Nian ran around the room in excitement. Sheng Sheng stayed quiet, but when Ji Yunshu put on his new shoes, he actually stuck out his foot by himself, patted the shoe's surface, and had a satisfied look on his face.

On the day of departure, Ji Haiguo and He Qiuxia saw them off at the train station. He Qiuxia hugged Nian Nian and kissed her over and over, then bent down to pat Sheng Sheng's head: "Sheng Sheng, be good. Follow Mom and Dad and don't run around on the way. When you get to Su City, listen to Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and Dad."

Sheng Sheng nodded, tilting his head to one side: "Why are there two grandmas and two grandpas?"

"Because Mommy has two mommies and two daddies, so Sheng Sheng has two grandmas and two grandpas," Ji Yunshu explained.

Sheng Sheng still didn't quite understand, clutching He Qiuxia's clothes for a bit before letting go. "Okay, okay. Grandma and Grandpa are good to Sheng Sheng!"

Ji Haiguo stood off to the side, hands in his pockets, watching the two children being carried onto the train by Pei Yufeng. He opened his mouth, but in the end all he said to Ji Yunshu was: "Call home when you get there. Travel safe."

Ji Yunshu nodded. After boarding the train, she waved to them through the window. He Qiuxia raised Nian Nian's little hand and waved back, while Nian Nian giggled in Pei Yufeng's arms. As the train slowly pulled away, Ji Yunshu saw Ji Haiguo raise his hand and turn away to wipe his eyes.

Ji Yunshu's eyes stung, and she turned her face away. Pei Yufeng's hand reached over from beside her and took hers—his palm dry and warm. She squeezed his fingers and let out a long breath.

Outside the window, the rapeseed flowers in the fields were in full bloom—great stretches of golden yellow, glowing warmly in the sunlight. Nian Nian pressed against the window, calling out excitedly, "Flowers! So many flowers!" Sheng Sheng sat on Pei Yufeng's lap and turned to look outside too, his quiet eyes reflecting the endless gold beyond the glass.

Ji Yunshu leaned against Pei Yufeng's shoulder, watching the bright profiles of the two children, and thought about how long it had been since she'd seen Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze. A smile curved at the corners of her mouth involuntarily: "Brother Pei, it's been so long since I've seen Mom and Dad. I miss them so much."

Pei Yufeng turned his head and looked at her tenderly, patting the back of her hand gently: "This time we're going back, we can bring them some good news."

Ji Yunshu lifted her head from his shoulder: "What good news?"

"About your brother and sister-in-law." A hint of a smile tugged at Pei Yufeng's lips. "I received a letter from them a couple of days ago. Your sister-in-law is doing very well in the village. After all this time, most people there have stopped giving them a hard time. She's excellent with numbers—the production team made her their work-point recorder. She earns more work points than anyone else every year, and everyone in the village respects her for it. Your brother has been working hard too. Their life is much better than when they first arrived. We don't know when they'll be able to come back yet, but at least there's a sign that things are steadily improving."

Ji Yunshu's eyes lit up instantly, her fingers tightening on Pei Yufeng's sleeve: "Really? That's wonderful... Mom and Dad will be overjoyed to hear it. There's so little news from my brother and sister-in-law, and I didn't dare bring it up—I was afraid it would make Mom and Dad upset without any good news to share. At least now they can rest a little easier. I wonder how Yuanyuan is doing. She's three now—old enough for kindergarten. I hope she can go."

From the recent letters of Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze, Yuanyuan had been giving them little trouble, but Ji Yunshu hadn't seen her in over two years. She wondered whether the girl now looked more like her sister-in-law or her brother...

The train clattered on toward Su City, spring in the air all the way.

Author's note:

Thank you for reading this chapter. Still making it up to you.