The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 36

In this era, the social atmosphere dictated that military personnel always came first. The bond between the army and the people was deep-rooted; everyone genuinely wanted to do something for the soldiers.

After learning why Song Mingyue and Shen Sheng had come, the manager of the guesthouse personally came out to greet them. He prepared their best rooms and offered comfort. “Every afternoon, people from the West Village come to buy supplies. If you want to go there, I’ll speak to them when they arrive.”

“We want to go. Thank you,” Mingyue said.

The manager waved it off. “What we’re doing is nothing compared to your husband and his men. We are all so small compared to them.”

Midday, the guesthouse served them several dishes. They had worried Mingyue wouldn’t have an appetite, so they prepared the meal with extra care. But she simply picked up a bowl of rice and ate quickly without even looking at the side dishes. She needed the carbohydrates for energy; she had to be strong for the road ahead.

During a brief rest in her room, Mingyue found she couldn’t close her eyes. The closer she got, the more precarious her hope felt. It had been five days since the accident.

She thought back to her bold promise to Commander Zhao—that she could accept any result. Now, actually standing here, she was terrified. Could I really accept any result? Her life had just truly begun; she had just started to like someone. To have it end before she even said the words “I like you” was a regret more painful than losing him after a lifetime together.

Would Chen Che die without ever knowing I cared?

“Sister-in-law, are you awake? The villagers are here,” Shen Sheng called.

They rode in an ox cart. The vehicle was split in two: one half for them, the other for vital supplies. The villagers themselves had little to eat and relied on these deliveries to survive.

The driver was a sturdy man in his thirties, honest but silent. He didn’t speak Mandarin, so he just drove through the difficult terrain. At times, they had to jump out to help push the cart through ditches.

The mudslides had contaminated the village’s water supply, forcing them to travel dozens of miles to the county seat just for a drink. After four or five hours of travel, they arrived at a courtyard filled with people waiting for food.

After a confusing exchange in the local dialect, the village chief turned to Mingyue in broken Mandarin. “You are looking for someone?”

“Yes,” Mingyue’s voice trembled. “My husband. His name is Chen Che. Have you seen him?”

The chief shook his head and asked the locals. No one knew the name.

“He’s very tall, lean, and a soldier,” Mingyue gestured frantically. “He came to the mountains to collect data.”

At the word “soldier,” a young man stepped forward. “There are soldiers helping in my grandma’s village. But we just call him ‘Brother Wang’.”

“Brother Wang?!” Shen Sheng asked excitedly. “Does he have a buzz cut and a mole near his eye?”

The youth shook his head. Everything was too chaotic for people to notice specific features.

Mingyue felt a flicker of hope. “Can you take us there? Or tell us the way?”

“The road is blocked,” the chief replied. “It’s a half-day trek. It’s late; rest here for the night. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have some men accompany you.”

That night was agonizing. Mingyue lay on a bed in the chief’s house, listening to the snoring of his wife and daughter. Moonbeams filtered through the mud-framed window.

In her previous life, she would never have imagined sleeping in such a place. Now, she only felt a deep sorrow for the poverty of the region. Why did disaster always strike the most vulnerable?

“Sister, aren’t you sleeping?” the chief’s youngest daughter whispered.

“I have things on my mind, little one. You sleep.”

“My papa says if you don’t sleep at night, a monster will come for you. Aren’t you scared?”

Mingyue looked at the child. “Are you?”

The girl covered Mingyue’s eyes with her small hands. “I am. Monsters eat people. Sister, close your eyes.”

Surprisingly, Mingyue did, and she finally drifted off.

By the time the roosters crowed, the village chief’s wife was already boiling a thin porridge of rice and corn silk. After a quick meal, Mingyue and Shen Sheng set out with the young man and two others.

As they approached the disaster’s epicenter, the devastation became visceral. Houses were reduced to heaps of mud. The village smelled of pungent rot and damp earth.

They reached the village chief of the second village, who gave the same answer: he didn’t know the names Chen Che or Wang Bing.

“But Brother A-Deng said there are soldiers here?” Mingyue asked, her heart turning to ash.

“Yes. One is named Wang. We call them ‘Living Lei Fengs.’ They’re at the dam on the west side, trying to stop it from collapsing. I’ll send someone to fetch them.”

“I’ll go to them!” Mingyue couldn’t wait another second.

She was a mess—her clothes were filthy, her hair disheveled, her shoes worn through. Her hands and legs were marked with bloody scratches from the brush, but she didn’t stop.

Around noon, they reached a turbulent branch of the Yellow River. A man called out a name, and a figure emerged from the other side of the work site.

When the man saw Mingyue, he froze, thinking he was hallucinating. It wasn’t until Shen Sheng shoved him that he reacted.

It was Wang Bing.

“Wang Bing! Why didn’t you send word?” Shen Sheng yelled. “Do you know how worried she was?”

Wang Bing collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest. “Shen Sheng, don’t hit me. I haven’t had a full meal in days. One punch and I’m a dead man.”

Wang Bing had lost a staggering amount of weight. His face was so gaunt the mole by his eye was barely visible.

Mingyue wiped her tears and forced her voice to stay steady. “Where is he?”

“The Commander is at the far end. Wait here, I’ll get him.”

Mingyue wanted to follow, but her legs were like jelly. She watched as a figure in the distance, carrying heavy sandbags, dropped everything when Wang Bing spoke to him.

Chen Che walked toward her. At first, he tried to tell himself it was just Shen Sheng who had come. But as the familiar silhouette came into focus, his feet felt like lead. He would never forget this moment for the rest of his life.

Song Mingyue saw him, and the feeling of surviving a catastrophe washed over her. The tears she had held back for days finally burst forth.

Chen Che reached her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. Mingyue buried her face in his chest and wailed. The exhaustion, the bitterness of the journey, the terror of the last few days—she let it all out.

In the 1980s, people didn’t express love so openly, especially not in a rural village where marriages were still mostly arranged. But Mingyue, through her sobs and a runny nose, looked up at him and shouted:

“Chen Che, I was so scared on the way here! I was so afraid I’d never get to tell you that I like you!”

“I know you like me too. I know what you’re worried about. But you can’t push me away. No matter what happens, I will stand by your side. If we don’t want children, we won’t have children. I will never be a burden to you!