Generally, officers reach the rank of regiment commander by their fifties. Someone like Huo Jingyuan, who became a regiment commander at just thirty years old, is as rare as one in a handful across the entire country.
Hearing this, Wen Ci’s gaze fell on the wife of the regiment commander. She was wearing loose clothing, and it was immediately obvious that she was pregnant.
The wife of the Fifth Regiment Commander appeared to be in her forties, making her a high-risk pregnancy case. Moreover, her mental state seemed poor, prompting Wen Ci to speak up:
“Sister-in-law, you should go get a check-up.”
The Northwest Hospital is divided into three departments: surgery, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. The obstetrics and gynecology department is the hospital’s top priority, safeguarding the children of military families.
“What’s wrong?”
Wen Ci shook her head. “Nothing serious, but you look quite pale.”
The wife of the Fifth Regiment Commander, Wang Gui, straightened her belly and smiled, saying, “Looking pale is normal. I’m carrying twins, and at my age, it’s inevitable that it’s more taxing.”
She was a local from Haishi and had undergone a check-up at the hospital before coming here.
“I see.”
Wen Ci lowered her eyelids, instantly losing any desire to have twins herself. Wang Gui looked about four or five months pregnant, but with twins, the belly size would correspond to only two or three months.
“It’s normal for women carrying twins to look pale. I’ve given birth to eight children, and one of those pregnancies was twins. I looked even worse than Wang Gui back then. There’s no need to waste money going to the hospital.”
Wen Ci’s eyes widened.
Eight children.
Over a decade ago, the country hadn’t yet implemented the family planning policy, and it was common for households to have at least four or five children. However, having too many children could cause irreversible damage to a woman’s body.
Wang Gui smiled and said, “My husband isn’t as capable as Sister Lan’s. We’ve been married for over a decade and only just had children. I’d love to be as blessed with many children as Sister Lan.”
As she spoke, the group’s attention turned to Wen Ci, who stood out as the youngest among them. They asked curiously, “When are you planning to have children?”
Wen Ci lowered her gaze.
She did want to have children early, taking advantage of her youth to recover more easily.
“Having children is something that happens when the time is right.”
As soon as Wen Ci finished speaking, a small loudspeaker on the stage sounded, and the leader spoke with a beaming smile: “Welcome, all military family members, to the Northwest. You’ve had a long journey.”
After his words, he bowed deeply to all the family members present. For the soldiers of the Northwest Military District, the arrival of their families truly made it feel like home.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is to address any difficulties you may be facing at home. Please feel free to speak openly, and we’ll do our best to resolve them all at once.”
Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
Although the Northwest is remote, the benefits for family members are substantial. Not only is there travel allowance, but a monthly family subsidy is also provided.
Each family member accompanying a soldier can receive an extra ten yuan.
Most of these women were from rural areas, usually helping their parents with farm work back home and relying on their husbands’ monthly salaries to get by.
“Rest assured, superiors, we don’t have any difficulties.”
The leader continued, “We’re considering establishing a Women’s Association for the Northwest Military District. Do any of you have opinions or suggestions? Feel free to speak your minds.”
Zhang Lan asked bluntly, “What’s a Women’s Association?”
“Uh…” The leader paused, then gave a very official explanation: “The Women’s Association would unite everyone, take on promotional and developmental roles, and safeguard the rights and interests of all women.”
“Does it require someone who’s educated?” someone asked.
“Not necessarily. As long as someone can rally everyone together, that’s enough.”
Leave a Reply