The person who arrived was none other than Director Cao from the Political Department.
The situation was urgent, and Director Cao had no time to beat around the bush. Before even stepping inside, he got straight to the point with a question for Huo Tingzhou.
"I’ll ask you one thing—are you absolutely certain you want to go through with this marriage?"
"Even if it means facing disciplinary action?"
He had asked the same question over the phone earlier, but this time, his tone had noticeably changed.
Huo Tingzhou didn’t fully understand the reason behind it, but he still gave his answer without hesitation.
"Director Cao, no matter how many times you ask me, my answer remains the same."
He was going to marry her.
Hearing this, Director Cao sighed. Truthfully, he had already anticipated this outcome before coming.
Having said all he needed to, he handed over their marriage application to Huo Tingzhou.
"It’s 8:50 now. I’m giving you two hours—hurry to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get your marriage certificate."
Huo Tingzhou and Jiang Si exchanged glances. "Right now?"
"Yes."
Director Cao didn’t elaborate further. After all, there would be a confrontation later, and showing favoritism to either side wouldn’t be appropriate.
He simply added, "Be at the Political Department office by 11:00 sharp."
With that, Director Cao turned and left.
Though he hadn’t said much, Jiang Si had a vague inkling of what was going on.
"Director Cao has always been like this—don’t worry about it."
Huo Tingzhou gave her a reassuring look. "Even if something happens, the worst-case scenario is just a few years without promotion."
Jiang Si smiled and nodded. "I know. I’m not worried."
They had already discussed this openly before, so Director Cao’s words wouldn’t make them back down now.
Still, they had to be prepared.
Jiang Si went back inside and retrieved the green canvas bag with the words "Serve the People" printed on it, which the Ministry of State Security had sent her some time ago.
She also pinned two specially made badges to her chest.
It was a common practice of the era—wearing such emblems when taking photos or attending formal occasions.
Once ready, the two gathered their marriage documents and headed straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Thanks to Director Cao’s prior arrangements, the staff handled their case as a special exception.
From filling out the paperwork to receiving their marriage certificate—emblazoned with a large red seal—the entire process took less than ten minutes.
Staring at the freshly issued certificate, Jiang Si felt a wave of disbelief.
Before she could even examine it closely, Huo Tingzhou carefully tucked it into a document folder.
By the time they arrived at the military housing complex, it was already past 10:40.
As soon as they stepped out of the car, they ran into several military wives returning from grocery shopping with baskets in hand.
Unlike previous days, when they would at least exchange polite nods and greetings, today these women avoided Jiang Si as if she were the plague, skirting around her without even lifting their heads.
Jiang Si wasn’t particularly bothered. They had never been close to begin with, so there was no reason to feel upset.
Huo Tingzhou, however, radiated a chilling aura.
Knowing he was worried about her, Jiang Si was about to speak when he suddenly tightened his grip on her hand.
"Let’s go. We should head to the Political Department first."
This was the first time since returning to the housing complex that Huo Tingzhou had held her hand in public.
Though surprised, Jiang Si nodded. "Alright."
Once the couple was out of earshot, the group of military wives stopped in their tracks and immediately began chattering.
"I always thought Captain Huo’s wife just came from a well-off family. Who knew her background was so complicated?"
"Good thing we never got too close to her. If our husbands’ careers were affected because of her, it’d be a huge loss."
"Exactly! Honestly, Captain Huo must be out of his mind. With his status, he could’ve married anyone—why pick someone with that kind of family history?"
"Sister Xiuying, you don’t understand men. Who doesn’t like a pretty face?"
"With her looks and that sweet, delicate way of talking—even I can’t help but stare, let alone the men!"
"That’s true. But then again, shouldn’t a capitalist-class young lady like her be sent for re-education? Could the rumors be wrong?"
The moment this was said, someone immediately waved it off. "No way! The military district received multiple anonymous reports this morning."
"Now the whole Fourth Division knows. The details are too specific—it has to be true!"
"And I heard that someone tampered with Captain Huo’s medical records at the military hospital the other day. Apparently, it’s connected to this."
What?
The women exchanged bewildered glances.
How could two completely unrelated incidents be linked?
Not only did the military wives find this hard to believe, but even the Division Commander, Division Political Commissar, and Division Chief of Staff—who had been called in for the meeting—were left speechless after reading Su Wanwan’s testimony.
Finally, the Division Commander broke the silence. "If what this young comrade says is true, then this matter is far more serious than we thought."
In truth, the Fourth Division’s leadership had been aware of Jiang Si’s capitalist family background.
However, being from a capitalist household didn’t automatically classify her as one of the "Five Black Categories."
Even the higher-ups had emphasized the need to "unite all forces that can be united."
So, their stance on the marriage had been one of tacit approval.
The problem was, Su Wanwan’s accusations went far beyond just that.
Compared to the charge of treason, Jiang Si’s family background was practically insignificant!
The Division Chief of Staff, considering the broader implications, said, "These are just Su Wanwan’s claims. She hasn’t provided any evidence yet. Let’s hear Jiang Si’s side of the story first."
Director Cao nodded in agreement. "I believe Comrade Jiang Si’s political loyalty is beyond doubt. Otherwise, the Ministry of State Security wouldn’t have sent her money."
The Ministry of State Security?
This caught the leaders completely off guard.
They had been preoccupied with the military drills lately and hadn’t paid much attention to the happenings in the housing complex.
"Director Cao, explain—what’s going on?"
Without holding back, Director Cao recounted how the Ministry of State Security had recently sent Jiang Si a payment and a package.
He didn’t know what was inside the package, but everyone knew about the 1,000-yuan payment.
In those days, rewards for catching spies or providing intelligence usually came in the form of enamel mugs, pens, or notebooks—at most, a cash bonus of 50 to 100 yuan.
A reward of 1,000 yuan was unheard of!
The Division Political Commissar summed it up. "It seems Comrade Jiang Si must have done them a tremendous favor. We should contact the Ministry of State Security for clarification."
"Comrade Jiang Si is, after all, a military family member of our Fourth Division. If she truly makes a significant contribution and we fail to acknowledge it, wouldn’t that dishearten all the other military families?"
The officers present were all sharp-minded. As soon as the Division Political Commissar voiced this, everyone grasped his underlying message.
Coincidentally, they shared the same sentiment.
Think about it—how many years had the Fourth Division endured setbacks before finally nurturing such an exceptionally talented individual?
As the elite core of the Fourth Division, Huo Tingzhou had achieved countless merits over the years and even trained over a hundred of China’s third-generation pilots.
If he were to be politically labeled because of this incident, the loss would be unimaginable!
Moreover, even if—as Comrade Su Wanwan claimed—the Jiang family’s ideological stance was questionable, hadn’t Comrade Jiang Si chosen to distance herself by coming to Qiongzhou Island? Didn’t that very decision prove her integrity?
As these thoughts swirled among the officers, the Division Commander’s aide knocked and entered.
"Reporting to all senior officers, Regimental Commander Huo and Comrade Jiang have arrived."
"Understood. Let them in."
