The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 79

Jiang Manman had originally intended to put Song Mingyue in her place, to show her exactly how vast the gap was between her and Chen Che. Instead, she ended up getting lectured by Song Mingyue, accomplishing nothing but fueling her own fury.

As she walked along the roadside with a cold expression, she happened to overhear two women chatting. Hearing the mention of “Captain Chen,” she slowed down to listen and followed them. As it turned out, one of the women had been at the hospital that day and had seen Chen Che and Song Mingyue getting the referral paperwork for an abortion.

“Captain Chen and his wife seem like a match made in heaven,” the woman remarked, confused. “They finally have a child, but who would have thought they’d want to get rid of it?”

The other woman, who was close with Zhao Xing’s family, had already heard the gossip from Zhao Xing’s mother. “That wife of Captain Chen has too many tricks up her sleeve, always preaching high-and-mighty principles. Not only does she have Captain Chen wrapped around her finger, but look at Zhao Xing—what a great, stable job she had! She had to go and quit just to do business with that woman. You tell me, does she have any real substance?”

“Still, a man shouldn’t just pamper his wife without any boundaries. To not have a single opinion on a matter like a child? It’s fortunate Captain Chen’s mother-in-law isn’t here; otherwise, she wouldn’t let her run wild like this.”

As they were deep in their heated discussion, they noticed someone following them. They exchanged a look, nodded, and quickened their pace.

Once they left, Jiang Manman fell into a complex, deep thought. She couldn’t believe Song Mingyue actually didn’t want the baby. If it were true, that was perfect—she wouldn’t even need to lift a finger to solve her problem. But something felt off. Jiang Manman wasn’t entirely satisfied; her motto was to seize every opportunity. And now, the opportunity had arrived.

The moment Song Mingyue went through with the termination, Jiang Manman would immediately tell Chen Che’s aunt, Zhou Fang. She had heard more than once from her stepmother that the Chen family line was thin, and Chen Che’s grandmother and mother were very invested in his marriage, eager for him to have a child. If they found out Song Mingyue didn’t even want the baby, they would certainly be furious.

After the incident with Jiang Manman, Song Mingyue and Chen Che found themselves finally talking. In a bad mood, her words were sharp. She asked him, “You didn’t realize she was doing that on purpose, did you?”

“I realized it.”

“I don’t want to see her in this house ever again. You tell her for me: I have a short temper, so don’t provoke me, and certainly don’t come to my home to provoke me.”

Song Mingyue warned him angrily, only to see him smiling faintly. That made her even angrier. “What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing.” Chen Che just thought her looking so fierce was adorable. He couldn’t help but go over and hug her, his voice softening. “I got it. Don’t be angry anymore.”

Song Mingyue was in the heat of the moment and tried to break free, but he was much taller than her; unable to escape, she gave in and hugged him back. Chen Che kissed the top of her head. “Yueyue, let’s not argue anymore, okay?”

Song Mingyue said haughtily, “Who was arguing? You’re just too petty.”

“Mm. I’m petty. I’m sorry.”

Only then did Song Mingyue close her eyes and hold him tightly, feeling his sturdy, warm embrace. Their small conflict ended there, which somehow diluted the heaviness surrounding the topic of the pregnancy.

Over the next two days, Song Mingyue spent her time busy with Zhang Jingjing, scouting locations for their shop. Finding a suitable storefront in that era wasn’t easy. Mingyue had looked at one place, but the price was too high. As more small shops began appearing in the city, the trend was growing, and with the market demand, prices were rising. Since that one wouldn’t work, Mingyue visited several other spots. Since this was their first shop, she had to be careful with the location; she planned to eventually open a second, a third, and build a national chain.

If the downtown shops were too expensive, they would look for places a bit further out. Song Mingyue only had two requirements: first, high foot traffic and many residents nearby; second, well-planned streets. In that era, one good decision from the leadership could mean infinite possibilities for the common person.

One day, while selecting the site with Zhang Jingjing, Jingjing stared at Mingyue’s stomach. “How does it feel a bit bigger? Are you still having symptoms?”

“It’s only been a month or two, how could it be bigger?” Mingyue said calmly as they walked. “I’m scheduled to go get it taken care of tomorrow morning.”

Jingjing caught up and asked, “How is it so soon? Mingyue, are you sure? It’ll be too late to regret it later.”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

Zhang Jingjing didn’t say anything more. She knew that when Song Mingyue set her mind on something, she would see it through to the end. On one hand, she felt a sense of pity; on the other, she deeply admired Song Mingyue’s courage—very few women, once married and pregnant, would have the nerve to terminate a pregnancy on their own. She was more convinced than ever that by working with Song Mingyue, her life would only get better.

The next day was the scheduled day for the procedure.

In that era, illegal abortions could be a criminal offense, but because they had a special referral letter signed by the hospital, things went much smoother inside. In truth, Song Mingyue was quite nervous. Medicine wasn’t as advanced, and such procedures weren’t as refined. Someone like her, who was afraid of even an injection, had to endure this torture. Song Mingyue swore to herself: having “brain rot” over love once was enough; it would never happen a second time.

But the issue had to be resolved. When Chen Che returned that evening, she initiated a conversation. “I’ll go to the hospital alone tomorrow morning. You’re busy at work, just go and do your job.”

Chen Che said, “I’ve already requested the day off. I’ll go with you.”

“I really don’t need you to. I want Jingjing to go with me, is that okay?”

She asked so sincerely that Chen Che froze for a second before blurting out, “Okay.” He couldn’t refuse any of Song Mingyue’s requests. She didn’t want Chen Che to come because she knew he was still reluctant, and there was no reason for him to face such a situation.

Early the next morning, Song Mingyue didn’t call Jingjing but went to the Mo City hospital alone. The doctor who had treated her earlier looked confused. “Isn’t your husband with you?”

“He’s busy with work. I can handle it alone.”

The doctor looked at her but didn’t say anything, handing her a slip. “The hospital regulations are strict now. Go get a checkup first to see if there are any issues with your body.”

This was standard procedure. Song Mingyue took the slip to pay and get blood tests done. Usually, if done in the morning, results would be ready by the afternoon. Most people were fine, but unfortunately for her, when the doctor looked at her report, she shook her head. “One of your indicators is too low. It might be dangerous to perform the procedure now. I’ll prescribe you some medicine. Take it for half a month, and we’ll see if the levels come up.”

The doctor added, “Also, go get another check on the fetus’s status. If there are no issues, my advice remains the same: go to a larger hospital. There might be a possibility of saving it.”

Song Mingyue barely registered the second half of the doctor’s words. Her mind was occupied by the fact that her levels were too low and she would have to wait. She truly didn’t want this child for even one more day. Their shop was at a critical juncture; she wanted to focus on managing the store, selling clothes, and building a brand. Even taking a step back, maybe she would want children later, but if she had one now, she’d be set back by years. Those years at the peak of the opportunity window were worth more than anything.

She had no choice but to take the medicine home. Standing at the entrance of the compound, she was anxious about how to tell Chen Che. She knew he was still struggling with it, and telling him now would just be giving him false hope. After a moment of thought, she went to Zhang Jingjing’s house and asked for a favor.

Chen Che returned home from work early. He had been restless all day, and as soon as he could, he rushed home to pack some things to take care of her at the hospital. To his surprise, when he arrived, Song Mingyue was already lying in bed, and Zhang Jingjing was pouring her water. Seeing Chen Che return, Zhang Jingjing stood up immediately. “Captain Chen, you’re back? Mingyue has already finished, the doctor said she just needs to rest at home for a few days.”

Chen Che nodded and gave a sincere, “Thank you.”

He went to the bedside and took Song Mingyue’s hand tightly. “I’m sorry.” If not for his impulsiveness, she wouldn’t have had to suffer. Chen Che decided he would go to the hospital in a couple of days to get a vasectomy. If she didn’t want kids, then so be it; that wasn’t a big deal. Holding her weak hand, he realized nothing was more important than Song Mingyue.

After Jingjing left, he busied himself caring for her. Early the next morning, Mingyue smelled fish soup. Chen Che saw her wake up and signaled that he would bring it in. He brought over a bowl of fresh black carp soup. “This is a wild fish. It’s my first time cooking, I’m inexperienced. Try it.”

Song Mingyue teased, “Cooked by the Captain himself?”

He sat there silently, watching her with hopeful eyes as she drank the soup. Song Mingyue smiled. “It’s actually pretty good.”

Only then did he feel relieved, taking the bowl from her. “I’ll ask Comrade Jingjing to help look after you until I get back at noon.”

“Okay.”

After he left, Mingyue got out of bed to move around a bit and secretly took two of the pills the doctor had prescribed. She would find any excuse to drag this out for fifteen days. By then, the child would be gone, and no one would be able to sway her decision.

But Song Mingyue had underestimated the situation. That afternoon, the house saw uninvited guests: Chen Che’s family—his mother, his grandmother, and his aunt. They had returned because of Jiang Manman’s phone call.

His grandmother had been at home when she got the call that Song Mingyue was pregnant; she had been overjoyed, as she had met Mingyue once and was quite satisfied with her. However, her happiness didn’t last two minutes before she heard that Song Mingyue didn’t want the child. That was unacceptable. Hearing this, they had traveled all night, train after train, to get there.