Visit?!
Xia Xiaolan left Beijing early in the morning and traveled to Hebei Province. After getting off at Shijiazhuang, she transferred to another vehicle, her heart fluttering with excitement to see Zhou Cheng. When the academy said visits weren’t allowed, and they couldn’t even call Zhou Cheng to the gate to meet her, Xia Xiaolan became quite worried.
“Comrade, I’ve come from so far away. Couldn’t I just meet him at the gate and exchange a few words?”
Beautiful women like Xia Xiaolan were a rare sight at the academy, where even female mosquitoes were scarce. When Xia Xiaolan made her plea, she was particularly touching, and anyone with a slightly weaker resolve might have been moved by her request.
But the academy guard remained steadfast, unmoved by her beauty, and shook his head at Xia Xiaolan:
“I’m sorry, but these are the disciplinary regulations!”
There was no room for negotiation when it came to discipline.
If they said no visits, then no visits were allowed. Only matters of life and death might move the academy’s leadership to make an exception.
When Xia Xiaolan’s gentle pleading proved futile, she didn’t dare try bribing the academy guard with cigarettes as she had done with Old Zhao, the security guard at County No. 1 Middle School. Such tactics wouldn’t work here, and Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to cause trouble for Zhou Cheng.
So there was no way to see him?
Xia Xiaolan circled the academy entrance, hoping to catch other students who might have news about Zhou Cheng.
After waiting for over an hour, she finally saw someone, but just as she opened her mouth, the guard politely asked her to leave… Having such a beautiful young woman pacing back and forth at the gate was too much of a test for the students’ willpower.
With no other options, Xia Xiaolan temporarily returned to the city.
She found a phone and called the Zhou family.
Guan Hui’e was even more surprised than her:
“You went to the Land Forces Academy? Child, why didn’t you say something? What do you mean visits aren’t allowed? That’s not right – hasn’t it been a month?”
Far from being angry about Xia Xiaolan’s unannounced trip to the academy, Guan Hui’e was pleased. The young couple’s relationship was progressing – Xia Xiaolan had finally grown fond of Zhou Cheng, rushing to visit him at the first opportunity after a month apart.
Visiting Zhou Cheng’s workplace less often was what Zhou Guobin had told Guan Hui’e.
It wasn’t normal for parents to constantly visit their son, and even if they could, it would seem too clingy. The unit leaders might think they hadn’t weaned him yet!
But these restrictions didn’t apply to Xia Xiaolan.
Zhou Cheng and his peers needed to resolve their marriage matters. Being a family member was already difficult enough – if they couldn’t leave and their partners couldn’t visit, how could the women persevere?
In this situation, which met the visitation policy requirements, how could they not let her see him?
Guan Hui’e felt something wasn’t right: “Wait a moment, let me ask your Uncle Zhou.”
Xia Xiaolan waited by the phone for over ten minutes before Guan Hui’e called back.
“Your Uncle Zhou says there’s a special situation with Zhou Cheng. You should return to Beijing first – it’s not convenient to discuss over the phone.”
So there was something unusual.
Xia Xiaolan’s heart tightened with worry.
Without delay, Xia Xiaolan immediately bought a ticket back to Beijing, paying extra to get it from a scalper. She arrived in Beijing after 10 PM. Guan Hui’e had said she would send a car, and sure enough, there was one waiting outside the platform.
The window rolled down, revealing Zhou Guobin himself in the car.
“Uncle Zhou, have you been waiting long?”
Xia Xiaolan knew how busy Zhou Guobin was. She had expected just a driver, not Zhou Guobin himself.
“Not long. Get in first – we’ll talk when we get home. It’s late, you should stay at our place tonight.”
At this hour, returning to the dormitory was too late, and staying at Shichahai would worry Liu Fen and Grandmother Yu. While Xia Xiaolan was considering where to spend the night, Zhou Guobin suggested she stay at the Zhou residence.
After brief consideration, Xia Xiaolan didn’t hesitate too much. Zhou Cheng wasn’t home anyway, and they weren’t asking her to share a room with him. One night would be fine.
“I hope I’m not imposing on you and Aunt Guan.”
“Not at all.”
Sometimes assertiveness and straightforwardness went hand in hand. Zhou Guobin wouldn’t have felt comfortable with someone more hesitant.
Being Zhou Cheng’s partner meant getting along with the whole family, and poor relationships would be troublesome. Xia Xiaolan’s straightforward personality made it easy for Zhou Guobin to communicate with her. What he could discuss with Zhou Cheng, he could discuss with her too, because Xia Xiaolan could handle responsibility! Zhou Guobin had seen fragile women before, like Kang Wei’s mother Xie Yun. When Kang Wei’s father died at the front, it drained all of Xie Yun’s spirit. She lived in a daze for twenty years, couldn’t maintain the household, couldn’t manage her son… No, no, Zhou Guobin wasn’t cursing his son to die, but who didn’t face hardships in life?
When facing hardships, a wife who could handle matters calmly was a hundred times better than one who just cried!
Zhou Guobin saw that calm capability in Xia Xiaolan. Judging the big picture from small details, this might have been what he appreciated most about her.
Still, as he always said, there was no perfect personality that could satisfy all of the Zhou family’s requirements.
Unaware of Zhou Guobin’s thoughts, Xia Xiaolan noticed his good mood and guessed that nothing serious had happened to Zhou Cheng, allowing her heart to relax slightly. When they arrived at the Zhou residence, Guan Hui’e was still awake.
“Have you had dinner? I’ll have Sister Zeng make you some noodles. No matter how big the issue, it can’t be more important than eating!”
Their son’s situation had caused Xia Xiaolan to travel between Beijing and Hebei all day – someone else’s daughter wasn’t picked up from the street, so Guan Hui’e naturally wanted to take care of her. Xia Xiaolan indeed hadn’t had dinner; she’d barely managed to catch the last train, eating only a grilled bun at the platform. Now her stomach was growling. Sister Zeng brought her a bowl of beef noodles, and to prevent her from feeling awkward eating alone, Guan Hui’e and Zhou Guobin joined her for a late meal.
After eating, the three sat on the living room sofa, and Zhou Guobin finally explained Zhou Cheng’s situation.
“Zhou Cheng isn’t in Hebei Province. This batch of students was sent south for a mission. Zhou Cheng’s situation is somewhat special. In your relationship with Zhou Cheng, do you know Pan Baohua? He and Zhou Cheng were very close at the front lines.”
Pan Baohua?
“Do you mean Third Brother Pan? I don’t know his full name, but I’ve met him twice.”
Zhou Guobin’s brows furrowed:
“Even you’ve met him – they must have been in frequent contact. Then perhaps the suspicion against Zhou Cheng isn’t groundless. Zhou Cheng is currently under isolated investigation, suspected of exchanging intelligence with Pan Baohua… How serious it is depends on the investigation results.”
Third Brother Pan did have a bandit-like air about him.
Xia Xiaolan had met him twice, both times when he came to help her with problems.
Xia Xiaolan wasn’t the type to forget favors, and even though Third Brother Pan had now “implicated” Zhou Cheng, she didn’t blame him. Zhou Cheng wasn’t someone who rigidly followed every rule, but he wasn’t without judgment either. If he was willing to associate with Third Brother Pan, then Pan couldn’t be truly villainous.
“I’ve met Third Brother Pan, and I trust Zhou Cheng’s judgment. Let’s wait for the investigation results!”