Chapter 22

Song Wanyue brought Yang Liu at just the right moment.

Jiang Ze, hiding in the field, flashed a success signal, then slipped away.
He’d come back later, when the crowd gathered, to watch the spectacle.

Song Wanyue faintly heard moaning and quickly pulled Yang Liu into hiding.

Just then, Li Yu came by with his nephews and nieces. When he discovered who the pair were, he sent his eldest nephew to fetch the brigade leader, saying a married woman was caught having an affair at the old landlord’s house.

Not long after, Zhang Youlin and several brigade cadres stormed over, full of fury.

Behind them trailed a group of villagers eager to watch the drama.

Yang Liu was already in tears, devastated. She never thought Chen Jiefang would go this far for Zhou Shanshan.

All for love—becoming the “other man.”

Yang Liu sobbed, “Wanyue, I never thought Chen Jiefang could be such a lowlife. I thought him giving Zhou Shanshan the study materials was just an excuse to get closer. I never imagined he was really out to commit adultery.”

“See clearly now what kind of man he is? You won’t still pine for him, will you?” Song Wanyue asked. She did have a task, but her worry for Yang Liu was genuine too.

This girl was as unlucky in love as the original “her” had been.

After Zhou Shanshan and Chen Jiefang had their hazy tryst, she sobered up a little.

Chen Jiefang still thought he was dreaming and wanted more, when he was interrupted.

Gu Dahai charged up, face livid with rage.

No one dared stop him.

“Zhou Shanshan, you bitch! You said it was for reviewing, preparing for the exam—turns out you came here to fool around with another man? Am I not enough for you?”

Gu Dahai’s fist slammed into Chen Jiefang’s face.

“Dog bastard! Daring to touch my wife—do you think I’m dead? What’s so good about Zhou Shanshan that you’d stoop to this? You want to play the rogue? I’ll have you both paraded through the streets!”

Two punches later, Chen Jiefang came to his senses, the drug nearly worn off.

His heart sank. He vaguely remembered studying math with Zhou Shanshan—how had it turned into this? Was someone plotting against him?

Dodging Gu Dahai’s fists, he stammered, “Wait, Gu Dahai, I was just studying with Shanshan, really! Look, the notes are right there on the ground. We must’ve been set up! You agreed she could study with me—why would I act so stupid?”

Gu Dahai sneered, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Your mouth is yours; of course you’ll say whatever you want. But I won’t forgive either of you. Zhou Shanshan, aren’t you going to explain yourself?”

He had already magnanimously allowed them to review together—yet in return, he was betrayed? Did they take him for a fool?

Zhou Shanshan’s face was deathly pale. “I really was just studying with Chen Jiefang, but then… it’s like we were knocked out. When I woke up, it was already like this. Believe me, Dahai, I wanted to get into university, take you and our son back to the city.”

Could it have been Song Wanyue’s scheme?
Besides her, only Gu Dahai’s ex-fiancée had shown such open hostility.

Smack! Smack!

Gu Dahai slapped her twice. “Always the same excuse! Don’t think I don’t see through it—you two hid behind the pretense of studying to cheat me, didn’t you? You almost ended up with Chen Jiefang before. I was the one who pursued you.

“You promised that if you were with me, I’d find a way to get you a city permit. Now that my father’s no longer brigade leader, you want to switch husbands, is that it? Was fooling me into divorce always part of your plan?”

Everything she said now reeked of calculation.

All to get divorced and grab money—marrying into the Song family just to get into the city. But how would others see him? Just a soft rice–eating “phoenix man.”

“Zhou Shanshan,” Gu Dahai roared, “after all I’ve done for you, you repay me by rolling around with Chen Jiefang? Do you not even care about our son, Dongdong? You want to humiliate him too? You fickle whore—I should parade you through the streets!”

No—parading her would ruin Dongdong. When he grew up and learned about such a mother, he’d never hold his head up.

Chen Jiefang panicked. “Gu Dahai, look, how about this—you divorce Shanshan. I’ll make it up to you. Just don’t have us paraded, please?”

Gu Dahai named his price. “Fifty yuan bride price. Call it child support for Dongdong. He stays with me. Zhou Shanshan, we’re finished.”

Brigade leader Li Youlin stepped in to cut through the chaos. “Ahem. Chen, Zhou—you both claim you were knocked out. Any proof? Alone together at night by the river—hard not to think otherwise.

“I’m the brigade leader—I need the facts. Did anyone see them come here? Who discovered them first?”

The crowd exchanged looks.

Then Li Yu stepped forward.

“Brigade leader, it was me. After dinner, I brought my nephews and nieces for a walk, and we stumbled on this pair of wild ducks. It was only a little after eight. My brother and sister-in-law were tired from work, so I took the kids out.

“When I saw this, I sent Dabao to call for help. I was the first to see them. Didn’t dare watch much—took the kids away. Not fit for children. I’m still young, not interested in that sort of thing.

“But when we saw them, they were already at it.”

The other educated youths showed up late.

Only then did Song Wanyue bring Yang Liu out.

Wang Dabing looked awkward—it was the same kind of scandal again, only with different leads.

Yang Tao raised his voice. “After dinner, Chen took his study notes and went out. Of course it was to find Zhou. We don’t know more than that.”

Sigh—Chen Jiefang was still ruined by Zhou Shanshan. Blind fool. Any other female educated youth was better. Zhou was just a little delicate-looking, nothing more.

Zhang Jianjun thought a moment. “Youlin, since no one saw otherwise, we’ll treat it as adultery. Let the three of them settle it privately. Don’t report it—it’d damage the village’s reputation. Zhou Shanshan, no next time.”

Zhang Youlin agreed. “Fine, that’s settled. Well then? Zhou Shanshan, who will you choose? And Gu Dahai, are you really letting go?”

Honestly, he doubted it. With Zhang Shufen paralyzed, if Gu Dahai divorced, who would willingly marry in? Any new wife would be stuck caring for an invalid mother-in-law from day one.

Gu Dahai’s face was still twisted in rage. “I want a divorce. Dongdong stays with me. Chen Jiefang, you give me fifty yuan as compensation. Zhou Shanshan, you leave with him.”

At least with money, he could remarry. Zhou Shanshan was too calculating—if she could plot his marriage, one day she’d scheme against his children too.

Zhou Shanshan’s face was chalk white. “Dahai, everything I’ve done was for our future. You’d really give me up like this?”

It felt wrong—everything was supposed to be under her control.

Song Wanyue had expected this scene, but hadn’t realized Zhou Shanshan had any genuine feelings for Gu Dahai.

Even a snake could have a heart.

But clearly, Zhou Shanshan never saw the original her as a friend—just a stepping stone.

Gu Dahai gave a heavy nod. “Yes. We’ll divorce. I can’t give you what you want. Chen Jiefang is more educated than I am—go take your exams together. We’re done. From now on, don’t meddle in my marriage. And stay out of Dongdong’s future too.”

If their marriage was only schemes and deceit, he’d rather find someone new.

Chen Jiefang tried to win Zhou Shanshan back. “Shanshan, say no more. After what happened, Dahai will always have doubts. He’s letting us be together—don’t you want that? You don’t want to be paraded, right? Comrade Gu Dahai, can’t it be less? I don’t have much. Would thirty yuan do?”