Huang Meili stumbled frantically to the door and raised her hand to knock, but a woman’s voice drifted out from inside.
“Our son is coming home on Sunday. I’ll steam a few meat buns for him to take to school. He’s right in the middle of a growth spurt—can’t let him miss out on proper nutrition!”
Huang Meili’s hand froze mid-air, her heart suddenly leaping into her throat.
What was Wang Jinzhi doing here? If she found the underwear Huang Meili had left behind in Zhou Dana’s bed, that would be a disaster!
She held her breath and listened more carefully, and only then realized the woman inside wasn’t Wang Jinzhi at all—it was Women’s Director Shi Yanhua.
Their son?
The more she heard, the more confused Huang Meili became. That boy Zhou Dana had adopted from elsewhere years ago—could he actually be Shi Yanhua’s biological child?
That was utterly absurd! Huang Meili’s eyes went wide as saucers, as if she’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Shi Yanhua’s husband had passed away over a decade ago, and she’d never remarried. So it turned out she’d been carrying on with Zhou Dana all along!
Zhou Dana, that rotten bastard—sweet-talking her day and night, saying she was the only one in his heart, while secretly hiding something like this.
Huang Meili’s teeth itched with hatred, but she didn’t dare charge in and make a scene.
Wasn’t Shi Yanhua the same? She’d watched Huang Meili slip into Zhou Dana’s bed with her own eyes and hadn’t dared to barge in. She only came in after Huang Meili left.
At the end of the day, neither of them could afford to be exposed. Both were terrified the other would find out.
Neither woman had any idea that their respective affairs with Zhou Dana were already known to the other.
Shi Yanhua had come this time for one purpose—to sleep with Zhou Dana. Huang Meili’s underwear was still stuffed in his bedcovers. What if Shi Yanhua dug it out?
Huang Meili crouched outside the door, her mind in a panic. But then she thought—so what even if it was found?
Zhou Dana certainly wouldn’t tell the truth. Shi Yanhua could grow ten more heads and still never guess those briefs belonged to her.
And even if Zhou Dana did tell Shi Yanhua the truth, Huang Meili wasn’t scared.
She held onto a huge secret of theirs—a secret big enough to keep her comfortable and worry-free for the rest of her days.
Listening to the sounds from inside, Huang Meili’s face gradually spread into a calculating smile. She turned and slipped quietly back home.
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Liu Cuilan led a group of people straight toward Green Mountain Commune.
Wang Xiaohong didn’t want to walk with them, so she left earliest.
By the time Liu Cuilan’s group reached the commune gate, Wang Xiaohong was already waiting there.
The old gatekeeper saw it was Liu Cuilan again, and this time she had a whole crowd with her. He scrunched up his brow and snapped impatiently, “What is it now?”
“I’m the sister of that officer from last time! My brother asked Secretary Wang to help me get justice. I’ve brought witnesses today. I need to see Secretary Wang!” Liu Cuilan stepped forward, her tone urgent.
The gatekeeper glanced up at the clock on the wall and said lazily, “It’s not even office hours yet!”
The cold bit to the bone. The group huddled by the gate, stamping their feet, their noses and ears red as carrots.
Finally, when work hours rolled around, the old gatekeeper went languidly to announce them. But Secretary Wang had no time to see them and directly handed the matter over to the police station.
Liu Cuilan didn’t trust the police, but Secretary Wang had to go to the county town for a meeting, so the police station it was.
As soon as they heard they were going to the police station, Baldy Zhang and the Wang Haihu brothers immediately had second thoughts.
They’d both done time in lockup before. If they went to testify now, they were afraid the police wouldn’t believe them and would slap a “false accusation” charge on them instead. That would be a terrible deal.
Liu Cuilan thought they had a point and let them head home, taking Huang Meili and Wang Xiaohong to the police station by themselves.
Just as they reached the police station gate, Wang Xiaohong spotted a stylish woman.
The woman wore a bright red down jacket, a dark blue knitted cap on her head, black boss pants on her legs, and tall brown leather boots on her feet.
She looked incredibly fashionable—completely out of place against the drab, gray surroundings.
Wang Xiaohong recognized her at a glance. That trendy woman was none other than Zuo Jinhui.
Zuo Jinhui spotted her too, surprise flashing across her face. “Wang Xiaohong? What are you doing here?”
Wang Xiaohong forced a faint smile and mumbled, “Just have some business.”
Liu Cuilan gave Zuo Jinhui a once-over, then turned to look at Wang Xiaohong, curious. “You two know each other?”
“Mm,” Wang Xiaohong replied.
Did they know each other? They’d only met a few times, really. And Wang Xiaohong knew this woman was close to Zhou Zhijun.
Beside them, Huang Meili stared at Zuo Jinhui’s outfit, eyes nearly popping out of her head, brimming with envy. She kept thinking to herself—how did this woman get so stylish?
Zuo Jinhui had come back yesterday to visit her uncle (Wu Mingwei’s father). This morning, she was planning to catch the bus back to the county seat for work and had stopped by the police station to inform Wu Mingwei.
She’d also wanted to ask him to pass a letter to Zhou Zhijun. But as luck would have it, Wu Mingwei had taken his people out on a case.
Just when she ran into Wang Xiaohong, she thought she might as well ask her to deliver the letter.
Before she could even open her mouth, Liu Cuilan butted in, “You know Zhou Zhijun?”
Zuo Jinhui glanced at Liu Cuilan and didn’t answer.
She walked over to Wang Xiaohong, pulled a letter out of her bag, and handed it over. “Xiaohong, give this letter to Uncle Zhijun. Make sure you hand it to him personally!”
Wang Xiaohong was stunned.
Zhou Zhijun wasn’t even home. How could she deliver it? And even if he were home, she wouldn’t want to exchange a single word with him.
“He’s not home!”
The words had barely left her mouth when Liu Cuilan butted in loudly, “So you really do know Zhou Zhijun! Well, you haven’t heard the news yet—Zhou Zhijun has committed the crime of indecency. He’ll be arrested sooner or later!”
Zuo Jinhui’s brows knitted together, her eyes opening wide as if she’d just heard the most absurd joke. “What nonsense are you spouting? Brother Zhijun is an honorable and upright man—there’s no way he’d do something like that! Don’t go spreading rumors. Spreading rumors is against the law! Watch out, or you’ll end up behind bars!” Anger crept into Zuo Jinhui’s tone.
Liu Cuilan curled her lip, refusing to back down. “I ain’t making this up. Every word I said is true! He got a woman pregnant, and now that bitch and bastard have run off somewhere! But a monk can run but not the temple—sooner or later they’ll be caught! That’s why we’re here today: to report them both to the police for indecency.”
Hearing how specific and confident Liu Cuilan sounded, Zuo Jinhui no longer thought she was bluffing. She turned to Wang Xiaohong, her voice anxious, “Xiaohong, is what she said true?”
Wang Xiaohong didn’t want to go into detail. She just nodded lightly.
“You’re also here to testify?” Zuo Jinhui pressed.
Wang Xiaohong stayed silent. At this, Zuo Jinhui grew anxious and grabbed her arm. “Brother Zhijun is nothing like that. Tell me exactly what happened!”
Wang Xiaohong pursed her lips and said nothing, but Liu Cuilan pushed in again, saying, “He’s an old bachelor who couldn’t keep it in his pants! He seduced my daughter-in-law, Li Chun Tao, got her pregnant, and then took off with her!”
“Don’t believe me? Go ask around Wang Family Village. The whole village knows about it!”
She turned to look at Huang Meili. “Meili, right?”
Huang Meili was puzzling over something at that moment. How in the world did Zhou Zhijun, a rough uneducated farmer, know a woman as fashionable as this one? And why would this woman defend him so fiercely?
She was lost in thought and never even heard Liu Cuilan calling her name.
Zuo Jinhui hadn’t believed Liu Cuilan’s words at first, but when Wang Xiaohong also nodded, her heart instantly became a mess, and the envelope in her hand was crumpled from her grip.
She stuffed the letter carelessly into her bag, looked at Liu Cuilan, and tried to suppress her panic as she asked, “Do you know where they went?”
“Dongshan, Liu Family Gully!” Liu Cuilan raised her chin smugly. “That’s where they’re secretly keeping the bastard child!”
Zuo Jinhui said nothing more and turned to walk toward the roadside.
Liu Cuilan called out behind her, “Are you a relative of Zhou Zhijun’s?”
Zuo Jinhui ignored her, walking away in her high heels with a sharp clack-clack-clack.
Last time Li Chun Tao had been hospitalized in the county town, Zhou Zhijun had stayed by her side the whole time, saying she was his sister... could it be... could it really be that kind of relationship?
The more Zuo Jinhui thought about it, the more panicked she became, and her pace quickened. She had to get to Dongshan right away and see with her own eyes what was really going on!
