Upon hearing those words from his wife, the room fell silent, momentarily halting the sounds of grief and mockery. Previously, they had indulged themselves in gossip about the complicated feelings between Captain Lin, Deputy Captain Zhang, and that nurse.
Finally, one of the onlookers tentatively asked, “Captain, do you really have a wife?”
None of them had ever heard the captain mention her before. Even with the recent rumors that he was married, everyone thought it was just defamatory gossip spread by that nurse to avoid blame.
Lin Shiheng seemed oblivious to the suddenly tense atmosphere around him, still smiling with his handsome face.
“You all have been a bit restless lately. About the situation with Deputy Captain Zhang, don’t think too much about it. I have a wife; I made that clear when I first met Miao Xing, so it’s impossible for me to accept her advances. It’s a good thing that Deputy Captain Zhang is with her; I should wish them well.”
“But, but we’ve never heard you mention it before, Captain. If you’re upset, just tell us. Even if we can’t help much, we will definitely stand by your side!”
“Yeah, Captain! This is their wrongdoing; you don’t need to cover for them.”
In that room, no one had any fondness for Zhang Yanming. They could let it go in the past, but now that such an incident had occurred, with the victim Lin being indifferent, Zhang still wore a mocking expression every time he saw him. This made those close to Lin feel uncomfortable.
Strutting around, thinking he could show the captain a hard face—wait until later, and he’ll regret it.
Looking at the crowd filled with righteous indignation, Lin Shiheng lightly applied medicated alcohol to the man lying down, his tone carrying a hint of guilt: “I was wrong in the past. My wife has been with me for three years, treating me so well without expecting anything in return. I rarely paid attention to her and never brought her here to meet everyone. This time she nearly lost me during my coma, and suddenly I miss her so much.”
As he spoke, he lifted his head with a look of melancholy: “I realized when I was on the brink of death that I only stayed a few days when I returned last time before leaving. Once I finish my current tasks, I plan to take leave to visit my wife and mother.”
The room fell silent again, but this time it was not due to salacious gossip, but a somber reflection on their own families.
Even if they received salaries and wore military uniforms that commanded respect, they carried the burdens of danger, just like Captain Lin—the leader of the regiment, more skilled than all of them combined, yet even he nearly lost his life.
In the silence, a choked voice began to speak: “Actually, I’m the same. When I left home, I was so happy. I heard that a soldier stepped on a landmine and was blown to pieces, right? I secretly cried in my bed, thinking about home so much.”
“What would happen to my parents if I died? And my sister? Without me, who would support her when she marries? Just thinking about them missing me after I’m gone makes me feel awful…”
He was a new soldier, his face still youthful, and as he spoke, tears began to fall. No one mocked him—many shared his pain.
“I complain that my wife is too rustic; she speaks dialect that no one understands, I’m afraid that if I mention it, you’ll laugh at her. So, every time, I kept quiet about her. But now, I think about it; even if she speaks dialect, she treats me so well. Last time I went home, my cotton-padded jacket tore on the train, and I only realized the night before leaving. She spent the whole night mending that jacket and stuffed it with cotton. When I left the next day, her eyes were all red.”
“If I die, my wife would definitely be the saddest one. Yet, I have no conscience in complaining about her. I truly owe her an apology…”
Just as tears were about to spill from his eyes, Lin Shiheng smacked him on the head.
“What’s the use of crying here? Your wife can’t see it! Just knowing she cares for you is enough. Next time you get leave, go to town and buy some fabric to take back to her. Treat her better, and write her more letters, otherwise she will definitely worry about you.”
He stared blankly: “But my wife can’t read.”
“My wife can’t read either.” Lin Shiheng replied confidently, “Who is born knowing how to read? When you go back, teach her. If she can’t learn, just create a secret code, draw pictures in your letters. Think about it—only you two understand the code, while others just see drawings. To you, it means your wife misses you, how lovely would that be?”
Once Lin Shiheng said this, a hint of yearning appeared on the faces of a small group among them.
“Captain, how did you come up with such a great idea? That’s amazing! I will tell my wife this next time I go home!”
They lingered for a while before heading out, but their topic had shifted from Zhang’s unscrupulous pursuit of love to how to cherish their caring relatives.
However, just because they stopped discussing, didn’t mean they lacked a sense of judgment.
From the very beginning, Captain Lin had informed that nurse named Miao Xing that he was married, yet who didn’t know that for the past several months rumors had circulated about a particular nurse having affections for the captain?
Zhang Yanming was eagerly trying to court the young woman of his dreams, completely unaware that as he walked through the barracks, the gazes he received were either of ridicule or pity.
But due to his generally poor social standing, no one bothered to warn him.
***
In an ordinary small village, Li Chunhua opened the door only to find her daughter-in-law feeding chickens. Thinking about how for three years since she got married, she hadn’t laid a single egg, coupled with memories of the dowry when she married and her daughter-in-law’s family frequently begging for favors, Li felt a surge of anger.
Fuming inside, she naturally didn’t speak pleasantly: “Are you feeding chickens or rabbits? Such a small amount, you want the chickens at home to be just like you and not lay eggs?”
He Xuezhuhad long been accustomed to her mother-in-law’s inexplicable vitriol, so she listened in silence, knowing that whatever she said now would be wrong.