Winter, 1975.
Shen Qingqing sat alone on a green train for three days and arrived in the Northwest.
She was covered in wind and snow and taken to the guesthouse.
"Captain Jiang hasn't applied for family housing yet. Comrade Shen, you can stay here first. When Captain Jiang finishes his mission, I'll have him come see you."
Shen Qingqing knew well that Jiang Zhixun never intended for her to join him in the military.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the Northwest without a word, and he wouldn't have stayed away for three years.
The distance between the Northwest and Beijing is over two thousand kilometers.
If she didn't come, perhaps many people wouldn't even know that Jiang Zhixun was married.
The hand holding the suitcase was frozen stiff, and even the heart that had once raced with warmth was now calm.
Shen Qingqing smiled and thanked the person.
Then she said, "When Jiang Zhixun returns, please let me know."
If he knew it was her, Jiang Zhixun might not show up.
She didn't have much time to waste on Jiang Zhixun.
Three years had been enough.
The guard didn't know about the issues between Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun, thinking she wanted to see her lover sooner.
That sun-weathered face smiled with a big toothy grin, looking quite honest.
"Don't worry, Comrade Shen, as soon as Captain Jiang comes back, I'll call the front desk at the guesthouse and make sure you know right away."
Seeing his expression, Shen Qingqing knew the guard misunderstood.
But she didn't explain.
She just smiled and said, "Thank you."
She was beautiful, with a cold demeanor, but when she smiled, a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek.
The coldness dissipated.
There was an increase in gentle and intellectual charm.
The guard thought to himself, Captain Jiang's wife is really beautiful.
Why would Captain Jiang keep her hidden?
If the female comrade hadn't come to the military district, they wouldn't have known Captain Jiang was married.
Stopping his chaotic thoughts, he saluted Shen Qingqing and turned to leave.
Shen Qingqing carried her suitcase into the room, and as soon as the door closed, the heavy suitcase slipped from her hands.
It landed with a dull thud.
The train was a mix of characters, and Shen Qingqing boarded alone in Beijing.
Halfway through, she encountered a hooligan.
Taking advantage of the late night when everyone was asleep, he followed her into the restroom.
Though the conductor arrived in time, she injured her shoulder during the tussle.
Walking through the icy snow earlier, the pulled muscle hurt more.
Shen Qingqing no longer had the strength to carry her suitcase.
She simply squatted on the spot, taking out clothes and shoes to change into from her suitcase.
The room had no private bathroom and no hot water.
Just as she was thinking of going downstairs to get a pot of hot water, there was a knock on the door.
"Comrade Shen, are you in there? It's Xiao Li from the front desk."
Shen Qingqing responded, "Yes."
Unsure why the other person was looking for her, she quickly stood up and walked out.
When she opened the door, a round face beaming with a smile came into view, "I've brought you a pot of hot water."
The female comrade gestured with the kettle.
Shen Qingqing smiled, "I was just about to go downstairs to get hot water, and you brought it to me. I'll boldly accept it this time, but I'll get it myself next time."
"It's no trouble at all. Comrade Shen, you don't have to be polite with me."
Xiao Li looked at Shen Qingqing with curiosity.
Jiang Zhixun was quite a prominent figure in the military district, exceptionally skilled in flying fighter jets.
Moreover, he was tall and handsome, the object of admiration for many female comrades.
Unexpectedly, he was already married.
There hadn't been the slightest rumor about it before.
This Comrade Shen had exquisite features, fair skin, and a small face, just the size of a palm.
Her eyes were very beautiful, with slightly upturned ends, adorned with a small mole of tears.
Her long hair was black and straight, held by a headband, flowing smoothly behind her.
No matter how you looked at her, she was stunningly beautiful.
No wonder Captain Jiang never got close to female comrades or accepted their confessions.
So, he already had such a beautiful lover at home.
Shen Qingqing noticed the other person looking at her and let them look openly.
The expression on her face was no different from before.
The corners of her mouth curved in just the right arc.
She seemed easy to get along with, yet gave off an illusion of being hard to approach.
The female comrade snapped out of it, her face reddening slightly.
She introduced the location of the canteen to Shen Qingqing, telling her she could bring a lunchbox to the canteen during meal times.
Finally, she said, "Comrade Shen, if you need any help, just come downstairs to find me. We'll take good care of you until Captain Jiang returns."
Shen Qingqing nodded, "Thank you."
"It's nothing."
Shen Qingqing didn't go to the canteen for a meal; she soaked her feet, changed into clean clothes, and went to sleep.
She hadn't closed her eyes for three days and was very tired.
She almost fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
"Comrade Shen, looking at the test results, it seems your condition is a forgetfulness syndrome caused by psychological issues."
Shen Qingqing sat in the doctor's office.
There were no relatives or friends around her, nor her husband.
She only felt a chill throughout her body.
She didn't pay much attention to what the doctor said afterward.
All she could think about was her illness and what she should do in the future?
Until the doctor in a white coat asked again, she was pulled back to reality.
"Where is your family? I have instructions to give them."
It felt like her throat was stuffed with a ball of cotton, making her uncomfortable.
Her tone was harsh, "I have no family."
Shen Qingqing's parents were university professors, but they had both died in a car accident when she was fifteen.
Father Jiang and Professor Shen had been good friends, and after the incident, Shen Qingqing was taken to the Jiang Family home.
The first year Jiang Zhixun went to the Northwest, the elders of the Jiang Family felt guilty toward Shen Qingqing.
The second year, Madam Jiang asked Shen Qingqing to resign from her job and go to the Northwest to develop feelings with Jiang Zhixun.
In the third year, Madam Jiang took a step back, asking Shen Qingqing to take a long vacation, visit the Northwest, and return to Beijing pregnant.
Shen Qingqing disagreed with all of it.
Since then, Madam Jiang's attitude toward her became colder. Even living under the same roof, they could go days without speaking a word.
Shen Qingqing had a translation job at a publishing house, which was flexible with time, requiring only that she submit her work on time.
Because of the awkward relationship with her mother-in-law, she simply used work as an excuse to live alone in a rented place outside.
She only occasionally went back to the compound to have tea and play chess with Grandpa Jiang, staying for a couple of days.
The reason she realized something was wrong with her body is that she forgot two important things in a row.
One was Jiang Zhixun's birthday, for which she didn't call the Northwest.
Two was missing a meeting she agreed to with the editor-in-chief.
Since starting work, she had never made a mistake.
Compared to forgetting to send birthday wishes to Jiang Zhixun, the latter was clearly more serious.
Shen Qingqing thought that taking a rest for a while might help her condition improve, but the fact was her memory was deteriorating.
If she didn't deliberately remember many things, she'd forget them as soon as she turned around.
All of this was too abnormal, which is why she went to the hospital.
She didn't expect this outcome.
"Doctor, can it be cured?"
The doctor looked at the test results, "Your condition is not severe at the moment and can be treated conservatively, but if it worsens, psychological intervention will be necessary."
Shen Qingqing didn't know what the consequences of further deterioration might be.
She sat in the hospital corridor for half an hour.
And made just one decision.
She wanted to divorce Jiang Zhixun!