Chapter 1: Deciding to Divorce

Winter, 1975.

Shen Qingqing traveled alone for three days on a green-skinned train to reach the Great Northwest.

Arriving covered in wind and snow, she was sent to the guest house.

"Captain Jiang hasn't applied for a house in the family compound for the time being. Comrade Shen, stay here for now. Once Captain Jiang finishes his mission, I'll have him come see you."

Shen Qingqing knew in her heart that Jiang Zhixun had never intended for her to follow him to the military.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the Great Northwest without a word, nor would he have stayed away from home for three years.

The Great Northwest was over two thousand kilometers away from Beijing.

If she hadn't come, perhaps many people wouldn't even know that Jiang Zhixun was married.

Her hands, holding the leather suitcase, were already frozen stiff, and even her burning, pulsing heart had drifted toward a state of calm.

Shen Qingqing smiled and thanked him.

Then she said, "When Jiang Zhixun returns, please let me know, comrade."

If he knew the visitor was her, Jiang Zhixun might not necessarily show his face.

She didn't have that much time to waste on him.

Three years was already enough.

The soldier didn't know anything about the matter between Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun; he assumed she wanted to see her lover as soon as possible.

With a face weathered by wind and sun, he smiled, revealing a set of bright white teeth, looking very honest and simple.

"Don't worry, Comrade Shen. As soon as Captain Jiang returns, I'll immediately call the guest house front desk. I guarantee you'll be the first to know."

Looking at his expression, Shen Qingqing knew he had misunderstood.

But she didn't explain.

She simply smiled and said, "Thank you."

She was beautiful; though her temperament was clearly cold and aloof, a shallow dimple would appear on her face when she smiled.

The coldness would dissipate.

Replaced by a gentle and intellectual aura.

The soldier thought to himself, *Captain Jiang's wife is truly beautiful.*

But why was Captain Jiang keeping her a secret?

If this female comrade hadn't come to the military district, they wouldn't have known that Captain Jiang was already married.

Stopping his messy thoughts, the soldier gave Shen Qingqing a salute and turned to leave.

Shen Qingqing carried her suitcase into the room. As soon as the door closed, the heavy suitcase slipped from her hands.

It hit the floor with a dull thud.

The trains were a mixed bag of people, and Shen Qingqing had boarded alone from Beijing.

Halfway through, she encountered a hooligan.

Taking advantage of the dead of night when everyone in the carriage was sleeping, he had followed her into the restroom.

Although the conductor arrived in time, she had injured her shoulder during the struggle.

Having just walked through the ice and snow, the strained area hurt even more.

Shen Qingqing didn't even have the strength to lift the suitcase.

She simply squatted on the spot and took out change of clothes, shoes, and socks from the suitcase.

The room had no private bathroom and no hot water.

Just as she was thinking of going downstairs to fetch a pot of hot water, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Comrade Shen, are you inside? It's Xiao Li from the front desk."

Shen Qingqing responded, "I'm here."

Not knowing why the other person was looking for her, she hurriedly stood up and walked toward the door.

When the door opened, a smiling, round face entered her vision. "I've come to bring you a pot of hot water."

The female comrade gestured with the thermos in her hand.

Shen Qingqing smiled. "I was just thinking of going downstairs to get some hot water, but you've brought it to me. I'll be thick-skinned enough to accept it this time, and I'll go get it myself next time."

"It's no trouble at all. Comrade Shen, there's no need to be polite with me."

Xiao Li sized Shen Qingqing up with curious eyes.

Jiang Zhixun was a prominent figure in the military district; he was exceptionally skilled at flying fighter jets.

Moreover, he was tall and handsome, the object of affection for many female comrades.

She hadn't expected that he was actually married.

There hadn't been a single rumor about it before.

This Comrade Shen had exquisite features, fair skin, and a small face, no larger than a palm.

Her eyes were beautiful, with the corners slightly upturned, adorned with a tiny beauty mark beneath the eye.

Her long hair was black and straight, held by a headband, flowing smoothly down her back.

No matter how one looked at her, she was stunningly beautiful.

No wonder Captain Jiang never approached female comrades or accepted their confessions.

It turned out he already had such a beautiful lover at home.

Shen Qingqing knew the other woman was looking at her, but she allowed it openly.

The expression on her face was no different from before.

The corners of her mouth curved at just the right angle.

She clearly looked easy to get along with, yet she gave off the illusion of being difficult to approach.

The female comrade snapped out of it, her face flushing slightly.

She introduced the location of the canteen to Shen Qingqing, explaining that when mealtime came, she could take a lunch box to the canteen to get food.

Finally, she said, "Comrade Shen, if you need any help, just come downstairs and look for me. Before Captain Jiang returns, we will take good care of you."

Shen Qingqing nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."

"It's a small matter."

Shen Qingqing didn't go to the canteen to eat. She soaked her feet, changed into clean clothes, and went to sleep.

She hadn't closed her eyes for three days; she was truly exhausted.

Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she drifted into sleep.

"Comrade Shen, looking at the test results, your condition should be amnesia caused by a psychological abnormality."

Shen Qingqing sat in the doctor's office.

There were no relatives or friends by her side, nor was her husband.

She only felt a chill running through her entire body.

She didn't quite process what the doctor said afterward.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of: *I am sick, what should I do in the future?*

It wasn't until the doctor in the white coat asked a question again that Shen Qingqing's consciousness was pulled back.

"Where are your family members? I have some precautions I need to instruct them on."

Shen Qingqing's throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, making it difficult to speak.

Her voice was strained. "I have no family members."

Shen Qingqing's parents were both university professors, but they had both passed away in a car accident when she was fifteen.

Father Jiang and Professor Shen had been good friends; after the accident, Shen Qingqing was taken in by the Jiang family.

In the first year after Jiang Zhixun went to the Great Northwest, the Jiang elders felt very guilty toward Shen Qingqing.

In the second year, Mother Jiang asked Shen Qingqing to quit her job to go to the Great Northwest to cultivate her relationship with Jiang Zhixun.

In the third year, Mother Jiang took a step back, suggesting Shen Qingqing take a long leave to visit the Northwest, and return to Beijing once she was pregnant.

Shen Qingqing had refused them all.

From then on, Mother Jiang's attitude toward her became increasingly cold; even while living under the same roof, they could go days without saying a single word to each other.

Shen Qingqing had a translation job at a publishing house; the hours were flexible, and she only needed to submit her manuscripts on time.

Because of the awkward relationship with her mother-in-law, she simply used her work as an excuse to rent a place and live alone.

She only occasionally returned to the compound to have tea and play chess with Grandpa Jiang, staying for a couple of days at a time.

The reason she discovered something was wrong with her body was that she had consecutively forgotten two important matters.

First, it was Jiang Zhixun's birthday, and she hadn't called the Northwest.

Second, she had an appointment for a meeting with her editor-in-chief, and she had missed it.

Since she started working, she had never made a mistake.

Compared to forgetting to send birthday wishes to Jiang Zhixun, the latter was clearly more serious.

Shen Qingqing thought that if she rested for a while, the situation might improve, but the reality was that her memory was getting worse and worse.

Many things, if she didn't make a conscious effort to remember them, would be forgotten the moment she turned around.

All of this was too abnormal, so she came to the hospital.

She hadn't expected this result.

"Doctor, can it be treated?"

The doctor looked at the test results. "Your current situation isn't serious. Conservative treatment is possible, but if the situation worsens, psychological intervention will be required."

Shen Qingqing didn't know what the result of the situation worsening would be.

She sat in the hospital corridor for half an hour.

She made only one decision.

She was going to divorce Jiang Zhixun!

(End of Chapter)