“Regimental Commander Shen, long time no see.” Xiao Mandong spoke first, a smile on her face, open and composed.
Shen Linzhou’s voice tightened. “This is Mrs. Du… my comrade’s wife.” He sounded as though he were explaining himself. His heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it might leap out of his chest. He and Mrs. Du had nothing going on, obviously, but he had no idea why seeing Xiao Mandong made him inexplicably nervous.
Mrs. Du, one hand supporting her lower back, nodded at Xiao Mandong.
“So you’re that Doctor Xiao? You really are beautiful.”
She had heard her husband mention that Regimental Commander Shen had turned down the division commander’s daughter and fallen for a doctor. Now that she had seen the woman herself, all she could say was that she understood why Linzhou had taken a liking to her. She truly was a beauty.
“Hello, Mrs. Du. Are you here for a checkup? Go inside quickly—it’s awfully cold out here.” Seeing that Mrs. Du looked unwell, Xiao Mandong hurriedly stepped aside to let them pass.
But just as she finished speaking, Mrs. Du suddenly clutched her stomach. Her face went white, and a thin sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.
She bit her lip and tried not to cry out, unconsciously grabbing hold of Shen Linzhou’s sleeve.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?” Shen Linzhou quickly reached out to support her.
“It’s nothing… My stomach just…” Mrs. Du did not finish before another wave of pain struck. Her hand, gripping Shen Linzhou’s sleeve, began to tremble.
Xiao Mandong could tell that Mrs. Du was truly in severe pain. She hurried over and supported her from the other side. Together, they helped Mrs. Du—who had just left the hospital—back inside.
As soon as they entered the examination room, the doctor looked puzzled. “Didn’t you just leave? Why are you back already?”
But after taking one look at the pregnant woman’s condition, the doctor immediately had her helped onto the examination bed and examined her again.
“I told you there were signs of labor and that you needed to be admitted, but you wouldn’t listen. Hurry and complete the admission procedures.”
“And you—your wife is about to give birth, yet you don’t know a thing. Don’t you know her due date? Didn’t you bring a baby blanket or anything else she might need? Go complete the admission procedures, then go home and get her things.”
“He’s not…” Mrs. Du was just about to explain when another contraction seized her.
“I’ll handle the admission,” Shen Linzhou said quickly, taking the forms from the doctor. He could not let anything happen to Mrs. Du. He had promised Du Changshun that he would take good care of her.
Shen Linzhou went out to complete the admission procedures while the doctor settled Mrs. Du in the observation room. She lay on the delivery bed and took hold of Xiao Mandong’s hand.
“Doctor Xiao, could I trouble you with something?”
“Tell me what it is first.” Xiao Mandong did not agree right away. She needed to know what the favor was.
Mrs. Du drew in sharp breaths from the pain, speaking in broken fragments. “There are still… two little girls at the military guesthouse. If I’m admitted, they… won’t have anything to eat for dinner tonight.” Her eyes reddened as she continued. “Could I trouble you to make them a meal? Just for tonight. In a little while, Linzhou can call my in-laws, and someone will be here tomorrow…”
At that moment, Shen Linzhou walked in and interrupted her. “Sister-in-law, there’s no need to trouble Doctor Xiao. It’s getting late. Doctor Xiao should go home and rest.”
He had noticed that Xiao Mandong did not look well herself.
“When I go get the things, I’ll make something for the children too. If necessary, I’ll bring both of them here.”
He did not want to trouble her. This was his responsibility, and he could not burden another family with it.
“I’m sorry, Doctor Xiao. I spoke without thinking.” Mrs. Du quickly explained herself to Xiao Mandong. She had been so worried about the children that she had blurted it out without considering whether it was appropriate. Xiao Mandong owed her nothing—what right did she have to ask her for help?
At that moment, the nurse spoke up.
“One family member must stay with the patient. You can’t both leave at the same time. If anything happens, a family member will need to sign the consent forms.”
Shen Linzhou stood beside them, his expression growing troubled. He did not want to inconvenience Xiao Mandong, but Mrs. Du could not be left alone. The two children needed to be taken care of, and he still had to go get the supplies for the delivery.
“You stay here,” Xiao Mandong said, seeing his dilemma. “I’ll go check on the children and bring the things over while I’m at it.”
Although she was not feeling well herself, she decided to treat it as repaying Shen Linzhou for a favor. She understood the sense of responsibility ingrained in a soldier’s bones.
Shen Linzhou parted his lips, wanting to refuse, but the words reached the tip of his tongue and then died there. His heart felt unbearably heavy. He was grateful for her understanding, yet hated himself for bringing her trouble.
Mrs. Du took a key from the cloth bag she carried and handed it to Xiao Mandong.
“Room 306… The things for the delivery are under the wardrobe, in the blue cloth bundle all the way in the corner. Thank you, Doctor Xiao.”
Xiao Mandong accepted the key without saying much more and turned to leave the ward.
She first found an empty place and entered her magical space. She quickly fried an egg and packed it into a lunch box together with the steamed buns she had bought earlier at the state-run restaurant.
Then she took the bicycle from the space, climbed on, and headed straight for the military guesthouse. The road was icy, and she still had a fever, so she rode slowly. As she turned a corner, the wheels slipped, and both she and the bicycle went tumbling into the snow.
She got back to her feet and brushed the snow off her clothes. After lifting the bicycle upright, she noticed that the palm of her hand had been scraped raw. It burned sharply.
She was just about to leave when a whistle came from behind her.
She turned around. A man was walking toward her, dressed in a worn cotton-padded jacket with his cap pulled low over his face.
“You’re Xiao Mandong, Doctor Xiao, aren’t you? Where are you going all alone so late at night? Your big brother has been waiting for you for days. What luck, running into you here.”
Xiao Mandong’s heart lurched. She was certain that this was the same man who had followed her the other day.
The man revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth, his smile lecherous and sinister.
Xiao Mandong abandoned the bicycle and stepped backward. Keeping her hands behind her, she took a handful of drug powder from the space with her left hand and a scalpel with her right.
She slowly retreated. At that moment, she wanted to kill the man, but they were still on a main road. She intended to lure him somewhere deserted. That way, even if she killed him, she could hide inside the space and avoid being seen.
As she backed away, Chi the Third closed in.
“I originally planned to kill you outright.” His gaze traveled up and down her body, and his expression changed. “But looking at that pretty little face of yours… Wouldn’t it be a waste to kill you right away? Why don’t you let your big brother have some fun first?”
He took another step forward. “What, are you shy? Are you trying to lead your big brother into the alley?”
“You… don’t come any closer…” Xiao Mandong’s voice trembled.
Chi the Third assumed she was shaking with fear, and his grin widened. A little woman like her could be killed as easily as crushing an ant.
“Don’t scream so loudly. Save your strength. You’ll be screaming plenty later—and you’ll make your big brother feel good…”
Suddenly, Xiao Mandong tripped over a stone behind her and fell backward.
