Chapter 61: The Difficulty of Divorcing a Military Marriage

Lin Zhiguo’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice rising with agitation: “Yu Wanqin and I married out of free love—we have an emotional foundation and a child together!”

“I admit I haven’t done well before. I was too busy with work and didn’t care enough for her and our child. I admit my mistakes, and I can change, but divorce is absolutely out of the question! Wouldn’t that make me a Chen Shimei? The organization can’t force me to become a Chen Shimei!”

With these words, he painted himself as a repentant victim, sacrificing his family for the nation, a man of deep loyalty and affection.

Political Commissar Chen was at a loss.

With things put this way, there was nothing he could do.

Military marriages were hard to dissolve, especially since Lin Zhiguo hadn’t committed any principled errors.

The first discussion ended without results.

Political Commissar Chen reluctantly relayed the message to Yu Wanqin. Liu Lan fumed indignantly: “He’s always been tangled up with that sister-in-law of his, acting all affectionate before—there’s definitely something going on. How is that not a principled problem?”

“But there’s no evidence,” Political Commissar Chen sighed, adjusting his glasses. “Besides, Shen Wei is a martyr’s widow and his sister-in-law. They both insist he’s just looking after his brother’s wife. What can we do?”

Yu Wanqin also knew this was a tough situation. She nodded, thanked them both, and said she would think of another way.

Liu Lan patted her hand reassuringly: “There’s always a way to get divorced. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you!”

Yu Wanqin was touched: “Thank you, Sister Lan!”

She returned home, weighed down with worries.

She feared Lin Zhiguo might act desperately if cornered.

Sure enough, the next day, she saw Lin Zhiguo at the hospital entrance.

She had been working late due to a surgery, and he waited until dark.

As soon as he spotted Yu Wanqin, he approached her.

“Wanqin, off work? Are you tired? Let me walk you home?”

The scene was witnessed by many doctors and nurses leaving work.

Everyone knew him.

Especially some of the younger nurses, unaware of the full story, looked at Lin Zhiguo with suspicion.

Lin Zhiguo used to come pick up Nurse Shen Wei from work every day, and everyone had assumed they were a couple.

Now here he was, showering Yu Wanqin with attention.

Whispers broke out among the crowd.

“What’s going on? Isn’t Deputy Battalion Commander Lin with Shen Wei…?”

“Yeah, he used to come for Shen Wei every day. Why is he looking for Doctor Yu now?”

Someone from the same family compound, who knew the inside story, quickly offered a hushed explanation.

“Ah! You don’t know? Doctor Yu is Deputy Battalion Commander Lin’s original wife! Nurse Shen is his sister-in-law! Before, he was all tangled up with his sister-in-law, leaving his original wife and daughter to suffer in the countryside while he brought his sister-in-law to Accompany the Army. Now that his original wife has made something of herself, he’s clinging to her again!”

“So that’s how it is! How shameless!”

Though quiet, these murmurs drifted intermittently into the ears of the two.

Yu Wanqin’s expression was scornful.

Lin Zhiguo’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly raised his voice to explain: “Don’t misunderstand, everyone! Comrade Shen Wei is my sister-in-law. I just saw how hard it was for her to raise a child alone. My older brother entrusted her care to me on his deathbed, so I helped out a bit more. My heart has always belonged only to Wanqin!”

His words sounded lofty and self-righteous, elevating his own image.

Yu Wanqin, who had been watching coldly all along, curled her lips into a mocking sneer, not even bothering to respond.

Just then, Tongtong, who had come to pick up her mother from work, saw Scumbag Dad pestering her mom.

Her little face puffed up with anger.

Tongtong came running over with pattering footsteps, lifted her little face, and asked curiously in an innocent, milky voice that could be heard by everyone: “Daddy, you said you only care about Mommy and Tongtong in your heart. Then why, back in the countryside, when Mommy and I were almost starving to death, you didn’t care about us, but you bought new clothes and gifts for Jiaojiao sister and Huzi brother and even took them out to eat?”

“And also, when Mommy and I first arrived, you didn’t care about us, but you went to take care of them late at night and even moved out to live with them. Why is that? Tongtong really doesn’t understand.”

A child’s words carry no harm, yet they were like a sharp knife, instantly piercing through all of Lin Zhiguo’s lies and pretenses.

The scene fell into dead silence.

Everyone’s gazes turned meaningful, filled with disdain and mockery as they looked at Lin Zhiguo.

Lin Zhiguo’s face flushed a purplish-red, veins bulging on his forehead, wishing he could cover his daughter’s mouth.

He stammered an explanation: “Tongtong, don’t talk nonsense. Daddy was just busy with work before and couldn’t take care of you. And going to your eldest aunt’s house was because your sister was sick. I went to help take care of her!”

This feeble explanation seemed utterly ridiculous.

Tongtong pouted her little mouth: “Daddy, I’m just young, but I’m not stupid.”

After saying that, she couldn’t be bothered to look at Scumbag Dad’s ugly expression. She ran up, took her mother’s hand, and said with a smile: “Mommy, let’s go home!”

“The canteen has pork knuckles today! If we’re late, we won’t get any!”

Yu Wanqin smiled and rubbed her little head: “Alright.”

The figures of the mother and daughter gradually faded into the distance.

Lin Zhiguo spat in anger and turned away fiercely.

Over the next few days, Lin Zhiguo tried several times to cause trouble for Yu Wanqin, and even Tongtong would give him the cold shoulder every time she saw him.

Moreover, everyone in the family compound knew about Yu Wanqin’s intention to divorce, and the news spread like wildfire.

This made Lin Zhiguo even more anxious and restless.

He spent his days harassing Yu Wanqin and Tongtong, deliberately choosing crowded places.

He even knelt down to apologize. As this act repeated, rumors inevitably began to spread.

Some even said that Yu Wanqin had used Lin Zhiguo to secure her job and then kicked him to the curb.

The harm wasn’t great, but it was disgusting, an attempt to pressure Yu Wanqin with public opinion.

After all, she still had to work at the Military District Hospital and couldn’t afford to ignore the impact from all sides.

Yu Wanqin was overwhelmed by the harassment, never having imagined that Lin Zhiguo could be such a scoundrel.

She reported the matter to the Women’s Federation and the political commissar again.

The Organization also repeatedly criticized and educated Lin Zhiguo, but while he would apologize sincerely to their faces, he would turn around and continue his harassment in different ways, like a sticky, unwelcome pest.

When Gu Yanbin found out, he was even more furious.

He had the political department talk to Lin Zhiguo.

But Lin Zhiguo had already reached a point of desperation. He deeply felt that if he didn’t win Yu Wanqin back, not only would he fail to get a promotion, but he might even struggle to keep his current position.

He stubbornly insisted that he refused to divorce for the sake of the child and the family’s integrity.

And so, the matter of the divorce seemed to have reached a deadlock.

In the blink of an eye, the height of summer passed, and the heat gradually faded.

The children’s summer vacation also came to an end.

Tongtong was playing at Political Commissar Chen’s house, watching An’an brother wailing as he stuffed the last two summer homework books into his backpack.

An’an pouted so high it could have hung an oil bottle: “I don’t want to go to school, why do we have to go to school… Help! I don’t want to go to school!”

Chen Kangkang checked his stationery while rolling his eyes. “You definitely didn’t finish your summer homework!”

Struck right in the heart, Chen An’an nearly bristled. He glanced around, then covered his second brother’s mouth in panic. “Don’t let our eldest brother know!”

Otherwise, his little life would be over!