The 60s Island: The Daily Life of a Capitalist Young Lady with the Army - Chapter 13: Get a Divorce Immediately

Chapter 13: Get a Divorce Immediately

“Peiye, you rascal!” Zhang Weihe, the commander of the second regiment and Long Peiye’s direct superior, slammed the table and shot to his feet. “When did you get married?! How come there wasn’t even a whisper about it?!”

The commander of the first regiment chimed in urgently, “Yes, Peiye, what’s going on? Who is she? Where’s she from? How could you… just get married like that?”

The officers buzzed with questions, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.

Long Peiye remained unflustered, standing ramrod straight.

“Reporting, sirs,” he said calmly. “Her… background might not be ideal.”

The atmosphere in the office grew even more tense at his words.

Political Commissar Zhao’s brow furrowed deeply.

“But,” Long Peiye continued, shifting his tone, “she saved my life when I was a child. We met again as adults, and I… fell for her at first sight. Later, I learned she was the little girl who’d saved me with a bamboo pole all those years ago. So… we decided to marry.”

Commissar Zhao’s knitted brow didn’t relax in the slightest. “Not ideal? Explain. What exactly is her background?”

Long Peiye lowered his gaze, his voice softening. “Her grandfather was a Capitalist in Shanghai before liberation.”

“However,” he quickly added, “from what I understand, during the war, her grandfather repeatedly donated family assets and supplies to support the front lines. By rights, he should be considered a patriotic businessman, a national Capitalist.”

“But in this current movement, for some reason, her grandfather’s family was singled out as an example and criticized, so the entire family was sent down to a farm.”

“Her mother passed away from illness a few years ago, and her father has since remarried.”

“So when her grandfather’s troubles arose, her… father immediately published a statement in the newspaper severing all ties with her grandfather’s family.”

The office fell into a heavy silence, broken only by labored breathing.

The officers exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions varied.

“That father…” The first regiment commander shook his head, a look of disdain on his face.

Commissar Zhao sighed. “Ah, in times like these, it’s no surprise he’d make such a choice to protect himself. After all, everyone fears being implicated.”

Zhang Weihe’s frown deepened as he looked at Long Peiye, his eyes full of concern.

“Peiye, even if she’s cut ties with her grandfather’s family, the blood relation remains. It’s right there, plain as day.”

Zhang’s voice grew graver. “A background issue like this—at its mildest, it’s a matter of personal conduct that the organization can criticize and educate you about. But if someone were to use it as leverage against you in the future, it could strangle any chance of advancement. You’d be stuck!”

His worry mounted, his tone becoming more anguished. “You’ve… you’ve blocked off more than half your path to promotion with your own hands! Reckless! So reckless!”

Yet Long Peiye merely responded with a carefree smile.

“Commander Zhang,” he said steadily, meeting everyone’s gaze with frankness. “I think being a battalion commander is just fine.”

In the office, several senior officers exchanged glances, momentarily stunned.

Long Peiye continued, “No matter what position we hold, we serve the nation and the people.”

“Isn’t that what we soldiers strive for?”

“It’s not necessary to climb to the highest ranks to realize our life’s value, don’t you agree?”

His words left the officers, who had just been sighing in regret and distress for him, completely dumbfounded.

They looked at each other, their expressions shifting dramatically.

Political Commissar Zhao Zhenbang opened his mouth as if to say something but swallowed his words.

Regiment Commander Zhang Weihe of the Second Regiment was so furious he glared, pointing at Long Peiye but unable to speak for a long moment.

It was the commander of the First Regiment who reacted quickly. He chuckled and scolded jokingly, “You, Long Peiye!”

“You’re subtly lecturing us old-timers, aren’t you!”

“Saying we have narrow perspectives, only fixated on official titles, and our ideological awareness isn’t as high as yours, a battalion commander!”

Hearing this, Long Peiye quickly waved his hand, wearing an appropriately embarrassed expression.

“No, no! Sir, please don’t misunderstand!” he hurriedly explained. “How could I dare mean that?”

“I was just… speaking from the heart, casually saying it. Please don’t pin such a big accusation on me!”

He inwardly groaned, thinking these old foxes were sharper than the next.

Regiment Commander Zhang Weihe of the Second Regiment genuinely valued Long Peiye, a soldier he had personally promoted.

Unable to bear watching Long Peiye ruin his future, he frowned deeply and made one last effort.

“Peiye,” he said gravely, a trace of reluctance in his tone, “You two… just got the marriage certificate, just married, right? The rice is already cooked… but it might not be completely irreversible.”

He tentatively asked, “Do you think it’s possible… to get a divorce now, immediately?”

“While the matter hasn’t spread widely, and not many know about it, to minimize the impact?”

Long Peiye listened and shook his head firmly without the slightest hesitation.

“Impossible,” he replied resolutely, leaving no room for negotiation. “I’ve already brought her from Shanghai to the island.”

“What?!” Zhang Weihe’s eyes widened. “You moved way too fast, kid!”

He was almost amused by this stubborn soldier’s foolishness.

Long Peiye’s expression turned serious, his gaze deepening.

“Regiment Commander Zhang, Political Commissar, all sirs,” he said solemnly, “Even if I hadn’t brought her here, this marriage would not end in divorce.”

He took a deep breath, as if steeling his resolve.

“Xu Xiangsi’s family situation… might be more complicated than I imagined.”

“Her father remarried shortly after her mother passed away and brought a stepdaughter into the family.”

“Before, out of respect for her maternal grandfather’s reputation and connections in Shanghai, her father and stepmother treated her decently on the surface, at least not daring to go too far, showing some ‘restraint’ toward her.”

“But ever since her maternal grandfather’s family was labeled as a typical case and the entire family was sent down to the farm, her father and stepmother’s attitude toward her took a sharp turn for the worse—one could say they became completely different people.”

“What kind of life she must have endured in that household is easy to imagine.”

“If I were to marry her and then immediately divorce her, sending her back alone to Shanghai at a time like this…”

Long Peiye’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his tone carrying a trace of subconscious trepidation and resolve.

“I simply cannot imagine how a young woman with no one to rely on would face such a den of wolves and tigers, or what kind of unbearable treatment she might suffer in the days to come.”

The office once again fell into a deathly silence.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.