The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 74

Song Mingyue had never imagined that a simple family visit would end up in such utter chaos because of her pregnancy. If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t care, but she couldn’t bring herself to just ignore the feelings of Wang Yufen and her father. They loved her sincerely, but that love felt suffocating—not the kind of life she wanted.

Still, relying on that very affection, Song Mingyue remained resolute, and eventually, Wang Yufen had to compromise. She remembered the time her daughter had attempted to jump into the river over a man; back then, her only wish was for Mingyue to live. Knowing Mingyue had a strong, independent will, Wang Yufen didn’t dare push her too far. She finally relented, allowing her to go back and rest, with the caveat that if things got difficult, Wang Yufen would come to Mo City immediately.

“I understand,” Mingyue replied non-committally. “I’ll do my best.”

Wang Yufen had tried every appeal to emotion and logic, but she hadn’t fully gotten through to her. She really was stubborn.

Before they left, Wang Yufen took Chen Che aside for a frank talk. “Little Chen, Mingyue refuses to keep the baby. I hope you can persuade her. I truly want her to have it—once you have a child, life will settle down.”

Chen Che had been quiet these past few days. His joy at the arrival of the child was as great as anyone’s, but he refused to pressure Song Mingyue. He only wanted her to be happy and free. Seeing Wang Yufen’s anxiety, he comforted her, “Mom, Mingyue has her own thoughts. You don’t need to worry about her.”

Wang Yufen sighed. Where else could one find such a man? He was exceptional in every way, and it was clear he truly cared for Mingyue. “The girl is just too stubborn; we can’t get through to her,” she said, hesitating before adding, “Little Chen, perhaps don’t tell your parents for now. If elders know, they’ll only worry just like us.” She feared Chen Che’s parents wouldn’t be as permissive as they were and would never let the matter of the abortion slide.

“Mom, don’t worry. They won’t know. My life with Mingyue has nothing to do with them.” Hearing this, Wang Yufen finally felt a sense of relief. She held his hand. “You’re a good man. Parents are parents, after all. Do go back to see them when you have time. Mingyue is headstrong—you’ll have to be patient with her in the future.”

As they parted, Wang Yufen was filled with reluctance. “I hope to see all three of you next time,” she said, a final hint of her wish.

A family of three was impossible. Song Mingyue felt torn—part of her missed her home, but another part desperately wanted to escape. She felt like she was suffocating.

Because of the pregnancy, Chen Che and Zhang Jingjing carried everything—not just their two bags of merchandise, but all the extra gifts Wang Yufen had insisted they bring. Chen Che remained quiet throughout the journey, but he sat right beside Song Mingyue, shielding her with his arm the entire time. Mingyue didn’t look at him; she stared out the window, fighting back waves of nausea. She had already made up her mind: as soon as they reached Mo City, she would find a hospital to terminate the pregnancy.

Because of this, all her plans were disrupted. She had intended to find a storefront to open a business, but now that had to be put on hold. She felt guilty toward those she had planned to start the business with, which only reinforced her belief that the child could not be kept.

The train ride was long. Chen Che leaned in frequently to ask if she was comfortable or if she wanted to eat. Song Mingyue found his attentiveness annoying—he’d never been this doting before. She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you doing this for me, or for the baby in my stomach?”

She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. Chen Che had always been good to her and had been incredibly accommodating. But the hormonal shifts of pregnancy made it impossible for her to control her temper. Chen Che didn’t get angry. Seeing the train was crowded, he shifted slightly to give her space. “If you’re uncomfortable, sleep on my lap for a bit.”

“I don’t need to,” she said.

Chen Che reached down to hold her hand in the dark. Even though she was the one taking her anger out on him, he whispered consolingly, “Don’t be angry. It’s because of you—I’m just worried you’re uncomfortable.” Song Mingyue leaned over and hugged him, saying nothing, just wanting to soak up his strength.

The journey went smoothly, but upon returning to the military compound, they realized how much had happened in their absence.

First, the news of Zhao Xing losing her “iron rice bowl” (stable government job) had come out. Her parents were devastated—they couldn’t understand why their obedient, well-behaved daughter would throw away a steady job and pretend to go to work every day. They blamed it all on Song Mingyue, accusing her of bewitching Zhao Xing into acting out. Zhao Xing had resisted, but after being confined to the house for a while, her parents forcibly sent her to her aunt’s home in a neighboring city to “correct her wayward thinking.”

Because of this, Zhao Xing’s parents had dragged Song Mingyue’s name through the mud, leading many in the compound to look at her with suspicion again. This included Old Yu. While Zhao Xing’s parents could control their daughter, Old Yu could only watch helplessly as his wife, Zhang Jingjing, spent all her time with Song Mingyue.

His friends sympathized: “Old Yu, you really need to rein in your wife. Look at the Zhao girl—she threw away her steady job! Don’t let your wife’s ideology get skewed too.”

Old Yu couldn’t bring himself to say that his wife’s ideology was already skewed, perhaps even worse than Zhao Xing’s—after all, it was Zhang Jingjing who had gone to Shanghai with Mingyue, not Zhao Xing. He had spent his days complaining, but seeing what happened to Zhao Xing gave him a sudden surge of courage: he had to stop Zhang Jingjing from becoming the next Zhao Xing, even if it meant her giving up her stable job.

When the three arrived home, Zhang Jingjing helped them drop off their bags and prepared to return to her own house. Mingyue stopped her. “Jingjing, your things.” Wang Yufen had prepared two sets of gifts—one for Mingyue and one for Zhang Jingjing.

Zhang Jingjing took them shyly. “Then I won’t be polite.”

“Take them. It’s the old woman’s heart.”

Zhang Jingjing still seemed worried. “If anything happens, call me. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

“Thank you, Jingjing.”

Zhang Jingjing walked away with a smile. It was only a few steps from Mingyue’s house to her own, but it felt like a grueling journey. It was as if she had been living in a dream, and now, the dream was about to wake up. Her life with Old Yu had been bearable, but after going to Shanghai and Pingcheng with Song Mingyue, she realized that such a tedious, mundane existence was not her ideal. And Old Yu was not her ideal husband.

Seeing how Chen Che treated Song Mingyue, she saw what it meant for a man to truly cherish a woman. By comparison, she realized her life with Old Yu wasn’t love. At this hour, Old Yu should have been home. Zhang Jingjing stood at her door, took a deep breath, wiped the smile from her face, and pushed the door open.

She was met with Old Yu’s cold glare. After days of resentment, even the easy-going man had turned icy. “You finally know how to come back? I thought you’d forgotten you had a home.”

No one could handle such biting sarcasm the moment they walked through the door. “What is that supposed to mean?” Zhang Jingjing asked, her displeasure evident.

“You’ve heard about Zhao Xing, haven’t you?”

They had only just returned and didn’t know the full story, but Zhang Jingjing could guess. The only news that could spread through the entire compound was her own resignation from the Cultural Troupe.

“What you’re doing is creating a disaster. Zhao Xing has already been sent away by her parents. Jingjing, are you still going to run around with that woman?”

“Yu Xiangting! What did you say? Who are you calling a disaster?”

In that era, the term was a serious accusation—it wasn’t just about jail; it could even lead to a firing squad. Seeing Zhang Jingjing genuinely furious, Old Yu’s courage evaporated. He didn’t want this; he still wanted a quiet life with her.

“Speak!” Zhang Jingjing demanded. “If you have grievances, spit them out!”

“Jingjing, don’t push me. I’ve done everything I could for you. Go out and ask—which wife goes out alone for so long without sending a single letter? You’re my wife, but have you ever thought about this family?”

They had discussed this topic more than once. “Your definition of ‘thinking about the family’ is just you going to work while I stay home to wash, cook, and wait for you every day, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t that how it should be? What more could a woman want?”

“Enough!” Zhang Jingjing didn’t want to argue anymore. Wasn’t the point of finding a husband to find someone who cherished and understood you? She had seen how Chen Che treated Mingyue that very day, and coming home to this angry, accusing face made the contrast unbearable.

She had a hard temper, too. “If that’s the kind of woman you want, then let’s divorce. You go find someone else—I can’t do it.”

It was the same thing again. She was threatening him with divorce. Old Yu was sick of the excuse, so he countered, “Stop bringing up divorce every time we argue! Do you think I don’t dare? Fine, let’s divorce!”

The words were spoken in the heat of anger, and he immediately regretted them, but he didn’t want to keep being manipulated by her threats. Zhang Jingjing couldn’t even stand to look at his face. She couldn’t remember what she had ever liked about him. Was his “kindness” even really kindness?

She still had some money on her. She didn’t bother with words. “This house is yours, I won’t stay here. I’ll leave my things for now, but I’ll move them out tomorrow when we go to finalize the divorce.”

Old Yu’s heart sank; he realized she was finally serious.