Chapter 36: Military Family Certificate

Calculating the time, two days of lost contact would be exactly the day after Zhong Xiao sent her telegram. So, after receiving her telegram, the fighting broke out over there? And now, they're still out of contact?

Zhong Xiao's brow furrowed as she quickened her pace and headed to Qin Dezheng's house. By coincidence, Qin Dezheng was just about to leave to look for her. Seeing Zhong Xiao, he hurriedly said, "Xiaoxiao, I just received a telegram from Taizhou Island. The situation in the Western Sea is dire. Commander Song has taken the navy and the armored unit where Shen'er is stationed over there. Now, they've lost contact with the base, the logistics center, and the command center. Even the sentinels sent out have disappeared. I fear..."

He feared the worst.

On the battlefield, nothing is more dreaded than losing contact. Without timely rescue, and no clear picture of the battle, the consequences could be disastrous.

Zhong Xiao's face turned grave. Qin Dezheng said, "Xiaoxiao, for now, don't head over there yet. I..."

Before he could finish, someone knocked at the door, accompanied by a woman's robust voice, "Doctor Qin! Someone's here to see you! It's urgent! Hurry and open the door!"

Qin Dezheng, off duty at home today, thought it must be a medical emergency. But when he opened the door, he found a young man, travel-worn and covered in dust, still clad in military uniform.

The young man saluted Qin Dezheng, about to report, when he caught sight of Zhong Xiao coming up behind. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before; his face flushed bright red. Stammering, he finally spoke, "Elder Qin! I am Sun Yangzhong, deputy platoon leader of the 1st Platoon, 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion, Armored Regiment, XX Army, Taizhou Military District! By order of Deputy Chief of Staff Song, I've come to report!"

Sun Yangzhong lowered his hand and continued, "Elder Qin, the situation in Taizhou is extremely tense right now. The telegraph lines have been cut. The Deputy Chief of Staff sent me specifically to inform you to settle Miss Zhong's affairs and ask that she not go to Taizhou for the time being!"

Before Qin Dezheng could reply, Zhong Xiao stepped forward and asked, "Why?"

Sun Yangzhong glanced at her. Qin Dezheng said, "This is Miss Zhong. Go ahead and speak."

Suddenly realizing, Sun Yangzhong explained, "The Deputy Chief of Staff is concerned for your safety. Taizhou is in constant turmoil at the moment, and is hard-pressed to look after even its own supplies and needs. If you go, it may be difficult to accommodate you."

Zhong Xiao understood the Song family's intentions. They knew she had grown up in luxury, and with Taizhou in crisis, every resource had to be sent to the front. The local headquarters must be stretched thin, and they feared she would be neglected or feel wronged if she went.

But Zhong Xiao said, "I'm not afraid of hardship. Our families are about to be joined by marriage, and as the saying goes, 'Where the husband goes, the wife follows.' I must go to Song Tingshen. No matter what awaits, I must make the journey."

Her words were not without calculation. Having been reborn, Zhong Xiao knew how severe the later purges in Yuecheng would be. It wasn't just the Zhong family; any family with even a hint of a certain background, or any trace of past involvement, was swept up in the reckoning—leaving no one unscathed.

She had already noticed the looks in the eyes of the Red Committee members after they entered the Zhong residence. A strong premonition told her: the Zhong family was no longer a place to stay, and Yuecheng was no longer a city she could remain in. Whatever the state of Taizhou, she had to go.

Seeing her resolve, Sun Yangzhong said, "I did come under orders from the Deputy Chief of Staff to ensure Miss Zhong's safety. I also brought items entrusted to me by the Deputy Chief of Staff for you."

He reached into his standard-issue military satchel and produced a large red cloth and several official documents, handing them to Zhong Xiao.

Zhong Xiao and Qin Dezheng examined them. Among the items was proof of the engagement between the Song and Zhong families, a certificate bearing the official seal for military personnel and their families, and a fountain pen whose value was evident at a glance.

Sun Yangzhong explained, "The engagement papers and military family certificate were prepared in advance by the Deputy Chief of Staff. Knowing Miss Zhong might face difficulties in Yuecheng, he asked me to deliver these to you."

"And this fountain pen," he continued, "was awarded to the Deputy Chief of Staff by the highest authority in recognition of his military service—a commemorative Ho Chi Minh diplomatic fountain pen. There are only two in the entire country."

"The Deputy Chief of Staff said, as long as you have this pen in your possession, no one in Yuecheng will dare make trouble for you!"

Zhong Xiao, of course, knew the significance of this pen. It was a personal gift from the highest level; not even the Red Committee of Yuecheng would dare cross her.

Even if someone from above were sent to personally oversee the purge, as soon as they saw the pen in her hand and her military family credentials, no one would dare touch her.

Indeed, the Song family had been meticulous, sending proof of engagement and her military family certificate to show they had no intention of breaking off the marriage—just that the current situation was too pressing to attend to her. To prevent her from being targeted for not having a marriage certificate, they had even entrusted her with such a precious pen.

No wonder they had sent a deputy platoon leader to deliver it personally. If something so valuable were lost in the post, it would be a catastrophe.

Now, Zhong Xiao was torn. With these items, she could stay safely in Yuecheng without a care in the world, living in comfort, without risking the arduous journey to Taizhou Island.

But...

She pressed her lips together, caught in her dilemma. Qin Dezheng, too, was frowning deeply, lost in thought—but his concerns were different.

He couldn't help but wonder: was all this really arranged by Deputy Chief of Staff Song? The old Song, whom Qin Dezheng knew well, was a reserved, honest man—not one for elaborate schemes or thoughtful gestures. To put it kindly, he was practical; to put it bluntly, just a blockhead. Beyond leading troops and taking care of himself, he knew little else. How could he possibly have thought of every detail so thoroughly in this matter?

For someone to be so considerate, preparing for every contingency and thinking of Zhong Xiao in every respect—

It surely couldn't have been Old Song.

It was far more likely to be his son, Song Tingshen, behind it all!