After coming out of her space, Xiao Mandong’s arm no longer hurt, and most of the swelling had gone down. Since she couldn’t cook with one hand, she ate an apple to stave off her hunger.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Doctor Xiao? This is Gao Huizhi. How is your hand? You should still go to the hospital and have it checked out.”
Xiao Mandong had been lying on the large bed in her space and was nearly asleep when she suddenly heard someone knocking outside.
She got up, left the space, and went to open the door.
Gao Huizhi was standing outside, holding a bowl of brown sugar water.
“I heard everyone calling you Doctor Xiao. I’m truly sorry about what happened today. You suffered such a serious injury because of me. Let me take you to the hospital, just in case it leaves you with a lasting problem.”
She knew perfectly well that without Doctor Xiao, she herself would have been in grave danger today. Xiao Mandong had even been injured while saving her, and Gao Huizhi felt terribly guilty. She had just borrowed some money from Zhou Yan, which was why she had come to knock on the door. She wanted to take Xiao Mandong to the hospital.
“It didn’t injure the bone. I have medicine at home, and my hand is already fine.” Xiao Mandong smiled as she accepted the brown sugar water and invited her inside to sit.
Gao Huizhi sat down on a chair and looked at Xiao Mandong’s arm, still somewhat uneasy.
“Doctor Xiao, starting tomorrow, I’ll come over to cook for you and feed your dog. Your hand definitely needs to rest for a while. As for your medical expenses and the money you lose from missing work, once I find a job again, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
Doctor Xiao hadn’t merely helped her—she had saved her life. Gao Huizhi could never bring herself to become an ungrateful person.
Xiao Mandong did not refuse. The two chatted for a while longer, and after Gao Huizhi left, Xiao Mandong took Diandian back into her space.
The next morning, she left the house early. The world outside was blanketed in ice and snow. With one hand unusable, she had no way to ride her bicycle and could only walk. It took her nearly an hour to reach the entrance of the military compound. The weather was bitterly cold, and she had hurried the entire way, leaving her drenched in sweat beneath her padded coat.
The sentry stopped her and saluted.
“Comrade, who are you here to see?”
“Hello. I’m here to see the Political Commissar. My name is Xiao Mandong. Could you please notify him?”
After she gave her name and explained the reason for her visit, she registered at the gate. The sentry made a phone call, and before long, a young guard came running out to lead her inside.
Following the guard, Xiao Mandong arrived at the Political Commissar’s office. The Political Commissar was reading some documents. When he saw her, he stood up with a broad smile.
“Doctor Xiao? What brings you here? What happened to your hand?”
“It’s nothing. I suffered a minor injury.” After sitting down, Xiao Mandong explained the reason for her visit, and the Political Commissar’s brow furrowed.
The reason they had been so willing to let Liu Mengyao leave was that they were worried Huang Yuanqing still had accomplices who had not been captured. Liu Mengyao was essentially being used as bait, and they had people secretly watching her the entire time. How could something like this have happened?
“Doctor Xiao, you can rest assured. I’ll investigate immediately and guarantee that nothing like this will happen again. You have rendered a great service to the army, and the army has a duty to ensure your safety.”
With the Political Commissar’s promise, Xiao Mandong finally felt at ease. Every time she thought about the enemy agents now, her scalp began to prickle.
After seeing Xiao Mandong off, the Political Commissar immediately ordered someone to investigate who had been following her and why the person assigned to keep watch had failed to report the situation in time.
“Doctor Xiao, wait a moment.”
Xiao Mandong had just reached the exit of the military compound when someone called out to her. She turned around and saw a young soldier running toward her. He looked familiar, and when he came closer, she remembered that he was the man who had been eating with the Political Commissar at the state-run restaurant that day.
“Hello, Doctor Xiao. My name is Zhang Yuanchao.”
Zhang Yuanchao introduced himself. He had noticed Doctor Xiao arriving earlier and assumed she had come to see Shen Linzhou. But then he had seen her walk straight out of the Political Commissar’s office and head directly for the exit.
“Comrade Zhang, is something wrong?” Xiao Mandong asked.
“Linzhou is back. Didn’t you know? He was punished, and he hasn’t been in a good mood these past two days. I thought you had come to see him. After all, he’s helped you quite a bit…”
This woman had been so close to Shen Linzhou, but now that Linzhou had gotten himself into trouble, she was acting cold and indifferent. To make matters worse, she had gone out to eat and laugh with another man. The more Zhang Yuanchao thought about it, the angrier he became, and his tone grew increasingly unpleasant.
Xiao Mandong did not respond. She simply looked at Zhang Yuanchao, waiting to hear what else he had to say.
The man had spoken in that same sarcastic, insinuating manner at the state-run restaurant that day. Did she even know him? What right did he have to meddle in her affairs?
Zhang Yuanchao began to feel uneasy under her stare, but the words had already left his mouth and could not be taken back. He stiffened his neck and added, “You know how Linzhou feels about you, don’t you? He even cut ties with his family because of you. Yet while you keep him hanging, you’re laughing and chatting with other men. Don’t you think that’s going too far?”
“That’s enough.” Xiao Mandong cut him off. “He cut ties with his family because his parents were horrible people. What does that have to do with me? Did I ask him to sever ties with them?”
“He was punished because there was a problem with his work. Is that supposed to be my fault too? As his friend, I’m willing to encourage and support him—that’s between us. I’m having a meal and laughing with my friends. What does that have to do with you?”
“Even if I owe Shen Linzhou a debt of gratitude, I’ll repay it myself. I don’t owe you anything, so what right do you have to point fingers at me?”
“Are you trying to morally blackmail me? I admit that he has helped me, but I saved his life too. Did Shen Linzhou send you here? As his friend, don’t you have even the most basic sense of boundaries?”
“You…” Zhang Yuanchao’s face flushed bright red. He had always been clumsy with words, and now he truly had no idea how to respond.
Xiao Mandong gave him a long, meaningful look before turning and walking away.
Zhang Yuanchao stood where he was, his fists clenched, his face shifting from red to pale and back again. He had never expected this woman to speak so bluntly. She really did have all the airs of a capitalist young lady.
Then he suddenly remembered what Shen Linzhou had told him: Don’t meddle in my affairs.
Had he really made a mistake? Could he have only made things worse?
After leaving the military compound, Xiao Mandong was still mulling over Zhang Yuanchao’s words.
As soon as she entered the family compound, she saw a crowd gathered outside Qi Yuqing’s home.
“Yuqing, please, save my child! The child did nothing wrong—it’s all my fault. I’m not a person, I’m an animal! My child is all alone in the capital, and I truly have no money left. Please, help me. Lend me some money!”
Wang Dani was kneeling on the ground, repeatedly banging her forehead against it with loud thuds. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was smeared with tears, snot, and grime.
She had truly been left with no choice but to come and beg Qi Yuqing for help. After taking her child to the capital, the hospital had diagnosed the child with leukemia. She had asked around and everyone had told her that the disease was essentially incurable. If the child received hospital treatment, at least they might live a little longer.
She had spent all the money she had saved over the years, and had borrowed from every relative she could. There was little money to be found in the countryside to begin with, and after news of Zhang Chenghui’s affairs had spread through the village, everyone had begun avoiding her like the plague.
