The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

The staff member, of course, didn’t believe Gu’er’s words.

"Comrade, the woman’s side doesn’t want any of the family’s property. It can all go to the man. As for the children, the eldest is over twenty and in poor health, so we’ll care for him. The daughter is fifteen this year, and she has also voluntarily chosen to stay with her mother. We’ll handle her marriage and everything; we don’t need any money from the man. This was all discussed at home. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him."

Gu’er continued.

The staff member looked at Zheng Daniu.

"Yes, yes, they don’t want anything. The children go to her, the things in the house go to me. I agree to the divorce."

Zheng Daniu nodded cooperatively. He could feel Dingzi’s hand on him, and he knew that if he said a single wrong word, Dingzi could make his life a living hell.

"Alright, since you both consent, I’ll issue your divorce certificate."

The staff member nodded. He knew that what Gu’er said might not be the whole truth, but some of it definitely was. The man must have done something wrong; otherwise, the woman’s family wouldn’t have shown up at his door like this. If it was true, as the woman claimed, that the man had another wife at home, then he deserved the beating. Besides, the woman wasn’t asking for any of the man’s property and the children had been divided, so there was nothing more to discuss.

Once they were out the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Lin Shuying looked at the divorce certificate in her hand, and tears immediately started to fall. ’Twenty-something years,’ she thought, ’and this is what I have to show for it.’

"Auntie, don’t be sad. You still have Brother Zhongshan and Xinghua."

Gu’er understood how she felt and tried to comfort her.

Lin Shuying nodded, her eyes red. ’If my niece and the others hadn’t come with so many people, being so forceful, I’m afraid I would have never been able to get this divorce.’

"Thank you, thank you all."

Lin Shuying bowed to the crowd.

Everyone was filled with emotion. At first, Squad Leader Shang and the others had thought their presence wouldn’t be of much use. But once they got there, they realized that if they hadn’t been there as a show of force, even with how tough Dingzi and his men were, they wouldn’t have come out on top. Zheng Fuzi and his cronies would have definitely incited everyone to fight. Lin Shuying was truly a pitiful woman; they hadn’t made a mistake in helping her.

"Thank you all. It’s lunchtime, and you didn’t get a chance to eat. Let’s all go grab a bite together."

Sun Jiaming spoke up.

"No need. We appreciate the kind thought, but army regulations forbid drinking alcohol."

Squad Leader Shang shook his head, declining.

"We won’t drink. Just have a hot meal. We can’t let you all rush around with us all day for nothing. Otherwise, we’d feel bad."

Gu’er also extended the invitation.

"That’s right, Squad Leader Shang. No drinking, just come eat with us."

Uncle Qi chimed in with his own invitation. When you ask someone for a favor, you owe them one, but you still have to treat them to a meal.

"Alright, then. I was just hoping to speak with brothers Dingzi and Li Zhi anyway."

Squad Leader Shang nodded.

Gu’er and the others got back in the vehicles. This time, they didn’t bring Zheng Daniu, but they did bring Zheng Changsheng.

Zheng Daniu watched the vehicles speed away in a cloud of dust and cursed under his breath. Then, his shoulders slumped. Lin Shuying would never belong to him again. Zhongshan wouldn’t be coming back, and he wouldn’t see Xinghua anymore either. To be honest, a part of him actually felt a little bitter.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he started the long walk back to the village. What became of him, no one knew, and no one pitied him.

Gu’er’s group went to a relatively large restaurant. They booked the main hall and had everyone sit down. Gu’er and the others ordered, telling them to bring out their best dishes without restraint. They weren’t afraid of spending money. Of course, they didn’t order any alcohol, as they had already made it clear that the soldiers couldn’t drink.

When the food arrived, Squad Leader Shang and his men were stunned. These were all dishes they normally never got to eat. While they didn’t lack for food in the army, what did they eat? It couldn’t even compare to what was on the table before them. ’This spread must cost at least a hundred yuan, right?’

’It seems these people aren’t short on cash,’ he thought. ’And since they’re not, there’s no way I can get Dingzi into our unit. No one knows better than me how strict and harsh the discipline in the army is.’

But since they were here, the food had been served, and the money had been spent, they might as well eat. So, Squad Leader Shang led the way, telling everyone to eat their fill and enjoy the feast.

Uncle Qi and Li Zhi had a few drinks. Uncle Qi was very pleased. The dishes today were high-class, and he felt that Li Zhi and his group really knew how to treat people. He also thought to himself, ’It seems my old comrade is doing well for himself in the Northeast. Otherwise, Li Zhi and the others couldn’t possibly treat everyone so generously. The cost of today’s meal is probably more than my entire year’s salary. But they don’t seem to care about the cost at all.’

"When I have the time, I must come visit you all. I’ll get together with Brother Li, just the two of us old-timers. Gu’er, bring your father along then, too. I have to meet Brother Lin. He must be a remarkable man."

Uncle Qi said to Li Zhi and Gu’er.

"Of course! My dad and Uncle Li would be thrilled. You have to keep your word, Uncle Qi."

Gu’er nodded, showing her welcome.

"Not just Uncle Qi! Squad Leader Shang, brothers, whenever you come to the Northeast, just give me a call and I’ll drive over to pick you up. You have to let me know! If you don’t, you’re not treating me like a brother. When you get there, I’ll take you all out and guarantee you’ll eat well, drink well, and have a great time."

Li Zhi declared with his characteristic bravado, sounding incredibly generous.

His words won him the favor of the soldiers. They all responded enthusiastically. More friends mean more paths in life, and everyone wants to have more friends.

While the men were enthusiastically chatting, Gu’er sat with Lin Shuying, eating. Having missed lunch, she was hungry too. But she noticed Lin Shuying had no appetite, so she put some food on her aunt’s plate.

Zheng Changsheng kept his eyes on Lin Shuying. ’After this parting, I’m afraid we’ll never have a chance to meet again. If I had been bolder back then, I wonder if I could have won her over. Maybe I couldn’t have given her a good life, but I could have protected her. I wouldn’t have hit her or cursed at her. I wouldn’t have let her suffer.’

’It’s useless to think about all this now.’ Zheng Changsheng tilted his head back, downed a gulp of alcohol, and then set his cup down.

’Lin Shuying’s family seems to be doing well. They shouldn’t treat her poorly in terms of her living situation. As long as she’s okay, I can rest easy.’

Gu’er also noticed the way Zheng Changsheng was looking at Lin Shuying. ’This man seems to really like Auntie,’ she thought. ’But she just went through something like this and is still heartbroken. She’s probably not in any state to think about romance right now. Even if she were, she probably wouldn’t choose Zheng Changsheng. After all, they’re from the same village. Seeing him would just remind her of Zheng Daniu and her past life, which would be torture for her. So it’s probably hopeless for Auntie and this Zheng Changsheng.’

"Auntie, what kind of person is Village Chief Zheng?"

Gu’er asked in a low voice. She was, after all, a little bit of a gossip. Besides, if this Zheng Changsheng really was a good person, she could help him out. After all, he had stood up to Zheng Daniu today, and Zheng Fuzi’s gang would definitely hold a grudge against him now. Zheng Changsheng’s life in the village was probably going to get difficult.

Lin Shuying froze. She had been lost in her own world and hadn’t been paying attention to anything else. Hearing Gu’er’s question, she instinctively glanced up at Zheng Changsheng, who happened to be looking right at her. Lin Shuying hastily averted her gaze.

——————

Thank you, Lemon Lemon, for the monthly ticket. Thank you all for your support.