Chapter Forty-Three: Settling It Once and for All

Wang Xiuzhi’s words were grave indeed.

But when Shen Guodong thought it over carefully, referencing Zhou Meiniang’s state of mind earlier that day, he realized it was entirely possible. Especially the way she’d looked at him—it was almost as if she were bidding him to take care in the days ahead.

His heart immediately leapt into his throat.

He frowned, hoping he was simply worrying too much.

He searched the entire First Hospital, but couldn’t find Zhou Meiniang. The hospital was not large, with only so many wards. There was an elderly patient with the surname Zhou, but whether she had any relation to Zhou Meiniang was beyond Shen Guodong’s knowledge.

What he could confirm was that Zhou Meiniang was not in the hospital.

Unexpectedly, as he reached the hospital’s entrance, Shen Guodong saw Wang Weihua, reeking of alcohol. He sat off to the side, counting out a handful of cash.

The sight of this wretched man filled Shen Guodong with anger. There was no way Wang Weihua could have come by money honestly, so the only possibility was that he’d just crossed paths with Zhou Meiniang here.

Back then, though Shen Guodong had been no saint, this man was even more contemptible than himself.

Wang Weihua had once forced Zhou Meiniang to sell herself.

She’d only put an end to it by threatening to take her own life.

No man could endure such a thing—being made to personally place the cuckold’s cap upon his own head. Who could bear that humiliation?

“You animal! Where is Sister Zhou? Has she been here?” Shen Guodong, beside himself with rage, strode over in a few quick steps, his voice thick with fury.

“Who the hell are you?” Wang Weihua was in a foul mood himself; he’d only managed to squeeze a paltry dozen or so yuan out of Zhou Meiniang. How could that possibly suffice?

Now, recognizing Shen Guodong, he sobered up a little.

“Oh, it’s Brother Shen. What business do you have with my wife? Tell me the truth, have you had your eye on her for a while? How much will you pay me? Name a fair price, and I’ll give her to you.

After all, we’re only married in name. All these years, I haven’t so much as touched a hair on her head. She’s got a fiery temper, so don’t be fooled by her seductive exterior.

I can guarantee you, she’s still a virgin.”

Wang Weihua, shameless as ever, slung an arm around Shen Guodong’s shoulder and grinned slyly.

With money, everything was negotiable.

Even a wife could be bartered away.

“Bastard!”

Unable to restrain his fury any longer, Shen Guodong slammed his fist into Wang Weihua’s face. To treat one’s wife as a commodity—Wang Weihua was surely the first man in history to reach such depths.

He had never encountered such brazen shamelessness.

That anger surged straight to the crown of Shen Guodong’s head. He wanted nothing more than to tear the man apart.

Drunk as he was, Wang Weihua could hardly withstand such a blow. He tumbled into the roadside grass, where he promptly began to snore in a drunken stupor.

Shen Guodong was frantic with worry. He could now be certain Zhou Meiniang had indeed been here, and that Wang Weihua had robbed her of her last few yuan.

She hadn’t even gone into the hospital.

Could Wang Xiuzhi have been right after all?

Had Zhou Meiniang truly gone to end her own life?

Shen Guodong could not stand idly by and let such a thing happen; it was absolutely unacceptable to him.

Yet at this moment, there was little he could do.

However, Zhou Meiniang was a striking beauty; had she been born in ancient times, she would doubtless have been another femme fatale. So Shen Guodong stopped to ask the hospital’s gatekeeper and a few passersby. It quickly became clear that the only place Zhou Meiniang could have gone was Mount Zijin.

At this, Shen Guodong’s heart eased a little.

From all indications, she hadn’t left long ago.

With his pace, he could just about catch up.

He strode swiftly toward Mount Zijin.

…

Atop Mount Zijin—

As the saying goes, only when one’s belly is full does desire arise.

This era’s scenic spots were far from fully developed, mostly due to lack of funding.

Few had enough to eat, let alone spare thought for leisure travel. Even a place as renowned as Feng City’s Mount Zijin was now desolate.

A winding ancient path led to the summit.

There, seated at the peak, was a woman whose voluptuous figure and sensuality would set any man’s blood racing.

Her face was gently oval, full yet without the slightest sense of plumpness. Even in the plainest clothes, she exuded an inner and outer radiance.

The charm she radiated could not be concealed, no matter how hard she tried.

In the loneliness of the mountains,

If anyone had seen such a beauty here, their first thought would likely be of a seductive ghost from legend.

This was Zhou Meiniang.

“What meaning does such a life hold?”

Once, Zhou Meiniang had been a girl with dreams. She wanted to attend university, but missed out by a single point. In those days, university places were scarce and precious.

A single point short meant failure, with no chance to settle for a lesser school.

Before the education reforms, universities were few and applicants had to choose their schools before sitting the entrance exam. If you didn’t get in, you simply went to work.

Zhou Meiniang, missing the cutoff by one point, lost her chance at Huaqing University—the best in the nation.

Afterward, she married Wang Weihua, never imagining he was a broken man. Once he realized his own shortcomings, Wang Weihua’s personality changed entirely—from a sunny youth, he descended into drinking, gambling, and debauchery, numbing himself day and night with alcohol.

Zhou Meiniang had thought it a passing phase, but she had been too optimistic. No matter how much she tolerated or consoled him, Wang Weihua was beyond saving.

Recent events had pushed her to the brink.

Just that day, she’d gone to visit her father in the hospital.

She’d begged Wang Weihua to visit her ailing parent, but he refused, beat her instead, and stole the last of her money.

This left her in utter despair.

What meaning was there left in life?

Yet suddenly, Shen Guodong’s figure flashed through her mind. He not only bore a striking resemblance to her late younger brother, but was also once a man given over to vice. Yet, having found his way back, he now seemed to radiate a dazzling light—something that drew her irresistibly.

She wasn’t sure when it had begun—perhaps from the moment he started to change and show his abilities. That was when she’d begun to develop feelings for that big-hearted young man.

But in the end, he was another woman’s husband. How could she ever be so lucky?