Jiang Si was well aware that asbestos roofing was carcinogenic—why else would she have written that anonymous letter and dropped it into the military district's suggestion box?
But after sending it, the letter had vanished without a trace, and she’d assumed the matter would simply fade away.
Unexpectedly, Huo Tingzhou had brought it up again today.
Had the military district actually believed her and was preparing to take action?
It must be so!
Otherwise, Huo Tingzhou wouldn’t have spoken in that tone or looked at her with such an expression.
Perhaps her hesitation lasted a beat too long, because Huo Tingzhou seemed to think she’d forgotten what asbestos roofing even was.
“When we built the courtyard at home, remember those gray-white sheets the logistics team brought over? That was asbestos roofing.”
“Later, you said you didn’t like it, so we switched to tarpaulin.”
Jiang Si let out an “oh,” playing along for now.
“Now that you mention it, I remember.”
She then gave him a puzzled look. “But does that stuff really cause cancer?”
“Yes.”
Huo Tingzhou nodded, his expression grave. “A few months ago, the military district received an anonymous letter. At first, the investigation team thought it was sabotage—an attempt to undermine morale.”
“But when they checked the military hospital’s records, they found respiratory and thoracic cases had surged several times over the past two years.”
Back then, medical visits required triplicate forms, which listed the patient’s unit and personal details.
So the team quickly compiled a list.
The statistics showed that 30% of the patients were aircrew or ground crew from the flight base.
The rest were mostly workers from the military farms.
And without exception, both locations had replaced their rooftops with asbestos sheets two years prior.
The investigation team rushed to inspect the sites.
Just as the anonymous letter had warned, the roofing showed widespread deterioration.
The reason was also laid out clearly in the letter: Qiongzhou Island’s summers were scorching and rainy.
High winds, torrential downpours, typhoons, and salt spray corrosion all accelerated the wear.
And once the sheets began to break down, asbestos fibers could enter the body through respiration.
At first glance, the team had dismissed the claims as exaggerated—how could something as small as a roofing sheet be so deadly?
But then they saw its structure under a microscope.
Hearing this, Jiang Si couldn’t help but ask, “Did the team report the truth?”
Huo Tingzhou: “Yes. Too many people were involved—there was no way to cover it up.”
Jiang Si fell silent. Three months had passed since she’d sent the letter.
Even with bureaucratic delays, this shouldn’t have taken so long.
Though she could guess the reason, she still asked, “If they’ve confirmed the danger, why hasn’t it been removed yet?”
Huo Tingzhou’s face tightened with frustration. “Lack of military funds is one issue. But more than that, a large-scale removal or public warning might trigger panic.”
Jiang Si said nothing.
It made sense—one move could unsettle everything. The higher-ups had to weigh the consequences.
Still, the cost of inaction was far too high.
Just as she sighed helplessly, Huo Tingzhou suddenly spoke up.
"But this afternoon, we received an urgent notice. The troops need to reinforce the training base and the factory buildings below, so we’ve been given a temporary three-day leave."
A temporary three-day leave?
Jiang Si was taken aback for a moment before quickly raising her eyes to look at him.
"Are you saying the higher-ups are about to take action?"
Huo Tingzhou nodded, confirming his wife’s guess.
"The call came from Division Commander Yao in the capital. It’s almost New Year’s, and there aren’t any major meetings in the capital right now."
"Him and Political Commissar Li going there at this time must be related to this matter."
After a pause, his eyes darkened. "They’ll probably dismantle it, but the reason won’t be made public."
Before this, he had been puzzled about why he’d been sent on two consecutive missions.
Only now did he realize that several individuals had shown abnormalities in their medical exams.
The higher-ups had no choice but to replace the team at the last minute.
If it weren’t for several pilots in their regiment developing health issues, the authorities might have kept even him in the dark.
Jiang Si wasn’t aware of all this, but she understood his inner turmoil.
"No matter how they handle it, it won’t be perfect. This is already the best outcome."
After a brief pause, she added, "Maybe this is just the beginning. There might be other remedial measures later?"
She said this only to comfort her husband and ease his distress.
Little did she know her words would prove prophetic.
Early the next morning, the loudspeakers in the residential compound blared to life.
Jiang Si was still half-asleep when it happened, and by the time she woke up, Huo Tingzhou had already told her about the organized health checkups for the families in the compound.
Additionally, the medical reimbursement rate for family members had been raised from 50% to 60%.
It might seem like just a 10% increase, but with so many people in the compound, the total sum over a year was substantial.
After marveling at the news for a moment, Jiang Si asked, "Do I have to go for the checkup?"
"I feel perfectly fine, and our house doesn’t have any asbestos tiles."
Huo Tingzhou frowned slightly. "It’s a mandatory rule for the entire compound. Everyone has to go."
He could indulge her in most things, but this was non-negotiable.
Third Uncle and Uncle Zhong chimed in as well, "Since it’s a rule, you should go. It’ll give us peace of mind."
Reluctantly, Jiang Si agreed.
"Oh, right, sweetheart, pass me the household register."
"What do you need it for?" Jiang Si was puzzled.
Huo Tingzhou placed a peeled egg in her bowl before answering, "The residency paperwork has come through. I’ll be taking Third Uncle and Uncle Zhong to the household registration office later to finalize the procedures."
These matters had always been handled by Huo Tingzhou, and Jiang Si wasn’t very familiar with them. Hearing him mention residency, she casually asked,
"Once the registration is done, will Third Uncle and Uncle Zhong’s grain ration transfers go through as well?"
Come to think of it, she had been in the compound for a while now but had never seen their family’s grain coupon book, coal coupon book, or non-staple food booklet.
The rice, flour, and oil they consumed at home were usually delivered by He Ping.
Most items at the service center didn’t require coupons either, making Jiang Si almost forget they were still under a planned economy.
Handing over the household register, she asked, "Where are our family’s coupon books kept?"
"Coupon books?"
Huo Tingzhou paused for a moment before replying, "The military unit doesn’t issue household ration books."
"No ration books? Then where do you buy grain?"
Seeing his wife’s surprised expression, Huo Tingzhou gave a brief explanation.
Jiang Si finally understood—her grain allocation had already been transferred from the local system to the military provisions management.
From then on, the logistics department would issue her corresponding military grain coupons each month based on her information.
However, to make things easier for military families, the unit would collectively purchase the grain at the beginning of every month.
Families could simply go to the logistics department to collect their share, sign for it, and take it home.
"That’s quite convenient," Jiang Si remarked.
Then, she pulled out a ten-yuan bill from her pocket.
"After we finish the paperwork, could you buy this month’s grain rations for Third Uncle and Uncle Zhong?"
