Qin Jianzhong felt sorry for his wife and child, but he understood right from wrong and knew they were in the wrong.
He lowered his head slightly, ashamed to face Cheng You.
"Cheng You, I know this matter was our fault, but what happened back then, we did wrong, but we were also victims. If you're willing to give us a chance, please come to our home and sit down, and we'll tell you everything in detail."
Cheng You's eyes were red as she wiped away her tears forcefully.
"Let's go!"
Qin Jianzhong helped Wang Fang walk forward. Their home was nearby, which was why they hadn't gone to Doctor Liang's to see a doctor just to be close by.
They rented a flat with a small courtyard in the alley. It had only two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a shower, but no toilet.
People in the alley used public restrooms.
The room was tidy and clean, which, to a certain extent, reflected the kind of people the couple were.
Qin Jianzhong brought her a glass of water and placed it on the table.
The sleeping child was unaware of the heavy atmosphere between the adults.
Wang Fang calmly began to recount the past.
Qi Chengyan's comrade was named Wang Gang. Wang Fang was a child bride bought by Wang Gang's family. She was sold to the Wang family by her parents when she was very young.
When Wang Fang was sixteen, her family held a wedding ceremony for them, and she was considered married.
However, what they didn't know was that Wang Gang was a eunuch. His private part was extremely small, making even penetration difficult, let alone conception.
For four full years, Wang Fang couldn't get pregnant. The villagers' gossip was rampant, calling her a hen that couldn't lay eggs.
She had been raised by the Wang family and had a gentle disposition. Her in-laws took their anger out on her, treating her like a servant, and she had no complaints.
Later, Wang Gang, fearing she would reveal the truth, decided to bring her to Yancheng.
Wang Fang was overjoyed, thinking she could finally escape her suffering. She packed her bags and left with Wang Gang.
Who would have thought that this departure was the beginning of a nightmare?
Wang Gang's rank was not yet high enough for dependents to accompany him in the army, so he had to rent a place for her to live outside.
He would visit often, not for intimacy with his wife, but for release.
Wang Fang placed the child on the bed, unbuttoned her clothes, rolled up her sleeves and pant legs, filled with grief.
"He couldn't have children himself, and he always felt that I couldn't resist temptation. If I spoke to another man, he would beat me. At first, he would apologize to me and kneel down, but the next time it would only get worse."
After two years, the scars on her body had faded considerably, but they were still visible.
Scars from cigarette burns, hot metal pieces, needle pricks, knife cuts...
Wang Gang was rarely picky; he used whatever was at hand to inflict pain on her until he felt satisfied.
Those years were like hell for Wang Fang.
She tried to seek help, telling her in-laws that she wanted a divorce.
But they used their kindness in raising her to guilt-trip her, telling her not to ruin Wang Gang, and that he would never be able to marry another woman after her.
She met Qin Jianzhong when she was twenty-three years old.
The only mistake was being beaten so badly by Wang Gang that she was hospitalized. Wang Gang then went on a mission and left her unattended.
Qin Jianzhong couldn't bear to see it and came to take care of her.
Wang Fang was grateful to him and prepared a table full of good food and wine to entertain him. Both of them got drunk.
In a moment of passion, they made a mistake.
It wasn't until over a month later that the news of Wang Gang's death came.
"I didn't feel the slightest bit of sadness; all I felt was relief. I thought I was saved," she said with a numb expression.
Everyone comforted her, praising her husband's greatness.
Greatness? Wang Fang only felt he was a beast.
Cheng You's heart was so heavy that she couldn't speak, as if a thousand-pound stone was pressing on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Wang Fang wiped away her tears and continued, "I never intended to harm Captain Qi. He is a good person. During the time Wang Gang beat me, he discovered something was wrong and reminded me that there was a disciplinary inspection department in the army. If I needed any help, I could find him or the disciplinary inspection department."
Cheng You's voice was hoarse as she asked, "Then why later..."
Qin Jianzhong interjected, "It was for me! I fell into someone else's trap, had a conflict with someone at the transport team, and injured the person. The other party demanded compensation, and if I couldn't pay, I would go to jail. My wife couldn't bear it and tried everything she could to help. In the end, she approached someone alone."
"Who?"
"You should know him, it was Zhou Qi!"
Qin Jianzhong looked at her intently. "Zhou Qi somehow found out about me and Fangzi's affair, and he set a trap for us, forcing Fangzi to falsely accuse Captain Qi. But this child wasn't Captain Qi's to begin with, so we couldn't stand our ground. Then Zhou Qi threatened her to have the child aborted."
Zhou Qi wasn't trying to convict Qi Chengyan, but to pull him down from his pedestal, to keep him wallowing in mud for the rest of his life, making it impossible for him to defend himself.
Wang Fang cried hysterically, "It was that one time, Captain Qi came to see me and brought me things. He noticed I had injuries and told me I could seek help from the disciplinary inspection department."
It was precisely this one time that became the final blow to Qi Chengyan.
It almost confirmed his crime of defiling a comrade's widow, subjecting him to all sorts of condemnation.
After hearing this, Cheng You didn't know who was truly at fault in the entire incident.
Wang Fang and Qin Jianzhong were at fault, but they were also the biggest victims besides Qi Chengyan.
"I know I was wrong. I have nightmares day and night, and I lost my child. This is my retribution!"
Cheng You gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes.
She stood up, "If I want the military to reinvestigate this matter and clear Qi Chengyan's name, are you willing to testify?"
Wang Fang immediately nodded, "You are the savior of my child. As long as you say it, I will do whatever you ask."
Qin Jianzhong said, "The person I had a conflict with at the transport team was Yu Liang. I found out later that he is Zhou Qi's cousin and is also in cahoots with him!"
There should be records at the transport team, so it wouldn't be difficult to find out.
Cheng You sneered. She wouldn't let any of them get away with it.
"This time you help me, and all past grievances will be settled. Brother Qin, Sister-in-law, I'm counting on you."
Wang Fang shook her head, "This is something I owe Captain Qi."
If it weren't for her, Qi Chengyan wouldn't have suffered such undeserved disaster.
After leaving Qin Jianzhong's home, Cheng You felt lost.
She walked aimlessly, desperately wanting to see Qi Chengyan.
But she couldn't enter the military compound.
She suddenly realized how difficult it was to achieve anything in the vast Yancheng without relying on others, and on her own without any foundation.
After wandering around, she returned to the agricultural research institute.
"I agree to cooperate with the military. I need to find a time to talk to them in person. My first condition is that I need to enter the military to see my husband now."
Zhao Jisheng was taken aback. Seeing Qi Chengyan didn't need to be put forward as a condition, did it?
"Professor, please help me."
Zhao Jisheng nodded, "Did something happen?"
"No, I just want to see him."