Chapter 10: I Haven't Done Anything to Wrong Her

Jiang Zhixun heard everything said over the phone clearly.

The request to transfer back to Beijing was his mother's idea alone.

After three years in the Northwest, he felt quite good about it.

From now on, he would return home to visit every year.

As for Shen Qingqing, the choice was in her hands.

She could choose to divorce him at any time, and he would never stand in her way.

On the other end of the line, his mother continued to ramble on, her words subtly reminding Shen Qingqing to support his career.

Don't cause trouble, don't bring him any headaches...

She even brought up the past, mentioning the friendship between the Jiang and Shen families, and how the family had taken care of Shen Qingqing after she joined the Jiang household.

Finally, she told Shen Qingqing that since this marriage had started on an unsatisfactory note, she would certainly have to put in some effort if she wanted a good outcome.

She told her not to be so stubborn; the current difficulties were only temporary, and everything would be fine once they returned to Beijing.

Shen Qingqing had almost no opportunity to speak.

Seeing her standing there looking lost, the receiver nearly slipping from her hand, Jiang Zhixun realized she looked as if she had suffered a massive blow, or perhaps her body was still so weak she lacked the strength even to stand.

Without further hesitation, he reached out his long arm and took the receiver.

"Let her do whatever she wants to do. Don't indoctrinate her with these things."

Mother Jiang had spoken until her throat was dry, only for her son to show no appreciation even though Shen Qingqing hadn't said a single word.

"I'm only doing this for your own good! If the people in the Northwest found out about what happened when you two got married, wouldn't you be laughed to death?"

Jiang Zhixun's tone was indifferent. "We didn't steal or rob anyone. What is there to laugh about?"

Mother Jiang was momentarily choked up.

"Anyway, you two should get along well and have a child as soon as possible. Once there's a child, acting out like you used to won't be acceptable anymore."

Jiang Zhixun glanced at Shen Qingqing.

Whether it was an illusion, he thought he saw a flash of tears.

Without saying more, he hung up the phone directly.

"Go back to the guesthouse and rest for two days first."

Shen Qingqing looked up at him. There was no grievance, no pretense of distance; she showed no emotion at all.

Meeting her hollow gaze, Jiang Zhixun's heart suddenly tightened.

His thin lips pressed together, and the words to take her back to Beijing inexplicably failed to come out.

It was at this moment that Jiang Zhixun suddenly understood a little why Shen Qingqing had chosen to move out of the compound to live alone on the outside.

While he wasn't home, all that pressure had been borne by her alone.

The more he thought about it, the more his brow furrowed.

An irrepressible sense of irritation began to rise.

Shen Qingqing asked expressionlessly, "When will you apply to return to Beijing, and how long do I have to cooperate with you?"

Jiang Zhixun knew she had taken his mother's words to heart.

His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched and then relaxed; he didn't explicitly state his plans.

Nor did he mention taking Shen Qingqing to the train station again.

The man's expression was flat, returning to the cold and distant manner he had when they first met.

"I'll return to Beijing with you during the New Year. I'll handle the elders."

"Fine. Then we'll wait until the New Year."

It was only a month; she could wait!

Having said that, Shen Qingqing left the hospital first.

Jiang Zhixun followed behind. The distance between them was too great; though they were called husband and wife, they were more like strangers.

Upon arriving at the guesthouse, Jiang Zhixun placed the medicine in a conspicuous spot.

He went to fetch a pot of hot water and heated up the steamed buns from the lunch box, placing them in a visible place as well.

Because of their relationship, being in the same room always felt uncomfortable.

Without waiting for Shen Qingqing to say anything, Jiang Zhixun left his things and walked out.

The door closed with a soft sound.

Then, his footsteps grew distant, and soon they could no longer be heard.

Shen Qingqing sat alone by the bed, staring blankly at the rising steam in the cup.

After an unknown amount of time, she took a small notebook out of her coat pocket.

She recorded Mother Jiang's demands in it.

Finally, she wrote two words.

Divorce!

When Jiang Zhixun left the guesthouse, he didn't return to the dormitory immediately.

Instead, he made a phone call to investigate what had happened to Shen Qingqing on the train.

Upon learning that she had been followed into the restroom by a hooligan and that there had been a struggle, the coldness emanating from Jiang Zhixun became uncontrollable.

"Comrade Shen reacted quickly and was very calm. She assisted the conductor in catching the hooligan and got off the train midway to take the person to the police station."

On the way back to the dormitory, Jiang Zhixun thought: no wonder she had been crying so much during this meeting.

She was very different from the smiling, gentle woman she used to be.

It turned out she really had suffered grievances.

The more he thought, the angrier he became.

If he hadn't discovered the injury on Shen Qingqing's arm, would she have kept hiding it and never told him about the trouble she encountered?

She was even running a fever, yet she hadn't mentioned it once when they met at the canteen.

The more he thought, the angrier Jiang Zhixun grew, and he returned to the guesthouse.

However, he calmed down as he walked up the stairs.

What could he say to Shen Qingqing?

Criticize her a few times?

But she was the victim; she had been so wronged that she would surely cry if he criticized her.

After standing at the stairwell for a few minutes, Jiang Zhixun turned to the front desk.

"My... wife is feeling unwell. Please help me keep an eye on her situation."

He glanced at his watch. "Knock on her door every two hours. If her fever doesn't go down, take her to the hospital first."

...

Shen Qingqing hadn't been there long, but the fact that she was Jiang Zhixun's wife had already spread throughout the compound.

Several comrades had witnessed the events that happened not long ago.

At first, they thought the couple's relationship was bad.

Later, they saw Jiang Zhixun rushing to the hospital, busy and anxious, terrified that the female comrade might go hungry, even going specifically to the canteen to buy her food.

His nervousness didn't seem like an act.

They thought the couple had already reconciled, so they didn't expect Jiang Zhixun to leave her at the guesthouse and return to the dormitory himself.

They immediately felt a sense of "disappointment in his lack of progress."

"Old Jiang, your wife came all this way from Beijing. Why don't you spend more time with her?"

"She's in an unfamiliar place, staying in a guesthouse alone. Comrade Shen might be scared."

"I heard Comrade Shen is sick. Someone ran into you both at the hospital. How is she? If you aren't by her side, won't something go wrong?"

Jiang Zhixun sat at his desk, picked up a book, and refused to answer these questions.

Someone weakly reminded him, "Old Jiang, you're holding your book upside down..."

Jiang Zhixun's mind was somewhat chaotic; he truly hadn't expected Shen Qingqing to appear here.

As if out of spite, he put the book down and sat there in silence, an aura of coldness radiating from him.

"Old Jiang, did you two have a fight?"

Before Jiang Zhixun could respond, someone jumped in, "Comrade Shen seems to have a good temper; they probably didn't fight. It's more likely that Old Jiang hasn't given Comrade Shen a good face since they met, and Comrade Shen probably didn't want to look at his cold expression and kicked him back."

Being teased, Jiang Zhixun did not explain.

He was very agitated right now, unsure if leaving Shen Qingqing there was right or wrong.

If she recovered from her illness and brought up the matter of having a child again...

Just thinking about it gave Jiang Zhixun a headache.

If he changed his mind now and sent her back to Beijing, would Shen Qingqing make a scene with him?

Seeing Jiang Zhixun's serious and distressed expression, as if he had encountered a monumental problem, his comrades began offering advice.

"Comrade Shen is sick; she surely wants someone by her side. If you go take care of her now, you'll earn major points. Once she recovers, she'll naturally forgive you."

Jiang Zhixun snorted. "I haven't done anything to wrong her. Why should I ask for forgiveness?"

A comrade's expression became complicated. "How long has it been since you went home? If Comrade Shen hadn't come here herself, we wouldn't even know you were married. That fact alone is very hurtful. Don't you think you've been unfair to her?"

"In the canteen, when Comrade Lin spoke to Comrade Shen like that, you didn't even try to stop him. Your wife must have felt incredibly wronged."

Jiang Zhixun did not want to talk much to others about the matters involving Shen Qingqing.

And Lin Fengmian had nothing to do with him.

If she did something wrong, the Lin family would naturally educate her.

He silently counted the time in his heart.

Just one month.

Once he sent Shen Qingqing back to Beijing, it would be fine.

(End of Chapter)