A Mismatched Marriage to a Commander in the 1980s

The day my daughter suddenly came down with meningitis, I begged my husband, Lu Liao, to get the special medicine she needed to save her life.

Instead, he scolded me and hung up.

"Are you using the child as an excuse to make trouble again? Stop bothering us!"

"Fu Lu, if you keep getting jealous, we're getting divorced!"

As our daughter lay dying and called for her father, Lu Liao was celebrating the birthday of his childhood sweetheart Ning Haiying's son at the state-run restaurant.

I sent him telegram after telegram, but none ever reached him. All I could do was watch my daughter stop breathing in my arms.

When I returned to the military district with her ashes, I saw Ning Haiying kiss Lu Liao on the cheek.

"Thank you for giving Xiaojun such an unforgettable birthday, Brother Lu Liao. But what about Fu Lu... Is her child all right?"

Lu Liao, who had always been careful to keep his distance and avoid causing trouble, didn't push her away. Instead, he put an arm around her waist.

"What's going to happen? It was just a little cold, and she wanted me to use my connections. What a bourgeois attitude! Xiaoyue's been led astray by her. Seeing how spoiled that child is now, I regret ever letting her be born!"

Something inside me collapsed. My eyes reddened, and at last I gave up hope.

If the two of them were meant for each other, then I would leave.