Chapter 24 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

Luo Manzhen’s eyes suddenly widened.

What did Lin Jianzhang mean by this? Had he discovered what had happened between her and Sun Haowen in the past?

But Sun Haowen had already been reported and sent for re-education long ago. Moreover, she had kept her relationship with Sun Haowen a secret, hiding it completely. Even in her previous life, up until the moment she died, no one had ever known that she had gotten involved with Sun Haowen while she was still married.

The panic was brief. As Luo Manzhen thought about it, the feeling of guilt quickly disappeared. She pushed Lin Jianzhang’s hand, which was gripping her shoulder, away. “Lin Jianzhang, are you crazy? What relationship could I possibly have with Sun Haowen? We were classmates in middle school.”

Lin Jianzhang stared at Luo Manzhen intensely, not seeing any sign of guilt on her face.

He recalled what he had overheard while shopping in a state-run store—rumors about Luo Manzhen and Sun Haowen. Lin Jianzhang’s eyes gradually grew sharper.

Rumors often had a kernel of truth. If Luo Manzhen and Sun Haowen really were just classmates, it wouldn’t matter. But if there was something else, something improper, Lin Jianzhang smiled. “Luo Manzhen, you’d better not let me find anything. If I do, even if I have to give up this outfit, I’ll make you pay for it.”

With that, Lin Jianzhang stormed out. Luo Manzhen collapsed back onto the bed, her shoulder aching from where he had gripped her so tightly. She rubbed her shoulder while reassuring herself that everything was fine. There was no need to worry; she had been careful in her previous life, and Lin Jianzhang wouldn’t be able to find anything. But the more she reassured herself, the more uncertain she became.

Lin Jianzhang still had three days left in his holiday, and it was impossible for him to uncover the truth within that time. But that was fine. He could wait as long as it took.

Lin Jianzhang enlisted the help of his old comrade, Gao Ronghua. Gao had just retired from the military the previous year. Before his discharge, he had been the top scout in the reconnaissance unit. If it hadn’t been for health reasons that forced him to retire, no one would have wanted to lose him. He had once been Lin Jianzhang’s team leader, and their relationship had remained good because they were both from the same hometown.

When Lin Jianzhang asked for his help with such a personal matter, Gao Ronghua didn’t hesitate for a second and agreed immediately.

By now, Sun Haowen had already been sent to a labor camp for two years of re-education. He had previously worked as an accountant in a state-run store in the county. Once he fell from grace, someone had immediately taken his place.

He was gone, but his reputation remained.

Gao Ronghua investigated Sun Haowen’s old rival in the state-run store and showed his work ID. The rival was very cooperative with the investigation.

Gao Ronghua spent a week gathering information and then sent his findings to Lin Jianzhang.

When Lin Jianzhang received the letter, he took it to a private place and read it carefully.

The more he read, the angrier he became.

From the investigation results, it was clear that Sun Haowen and Luo Manzhen had been involved in an ambiguous relationship during their school years, but their contact had ended when Luo Manzhen dropped out of school and stayed at home. After they got married, Luo Manzhen came into some money, and she often visited the state-run store. Because they were old classmates, Sun Haowen gave her some special attention.

As time went on, whenever Luo Manzhen visited the state-run store, Sun Haowen would personally greet her. He began buying more and more women’s products at internal prices from the store.

The most memorable item was a dark blue lamb wool coat. The store had received three of them, but only two were put up for sale, and both buyers had unusual backgrounds.

One was bought by the county head’s daughter-in-law, another was bought by the county head’s daughter, and the final one was worn by Luo Manzhen. Even now, that wool coat still hung in the wardrobe of Luo Manzhen’s room in the family compound. Despite the two or three years that had passed, when Luo Manzhen wore that coat on a cold day, it still made a stunning impression.

At this point, Lin Jianzhang no longer needed to read further. Luo Manzhen’s affair during their marriage had already been confirmed as a fact.

No wonder they had no conflicts, and no wonder Luo Manzhen wanted a divorce and separation. No wonder no matter how much he begged, she wouldn’t turn back. It turned out she had already found someone else.

Lin Jianzhang now understood why Luo Manzhen regretted coming back. It was because Sun Haowen had been reported and sent to the labor camp. Her new support had been lost, and Luo Manzhen, who had no control over her spending, must have returned to cling to her ex-husband for financial support.

Lin Jianzhang pieced everything together clearly. By the time it got dark, his stomach rumbled, and he realized he had been sitting in the woods for more than two hours.

He stood up, tightly gripping the stack of documents, and staggered back toward the family compound. Just as he reached the entrance, he didn’t feel like going back, so he turned and headed to the barracks.

That night, he had night training with his team. For the sake of Luo Manzhen, he had offended many of his comrades, and his work had been unsatisfactory. He had been reprimanded by the instructor several times. He couldn’t afford to make another mistake.

Lin Jianzhang didn’t get home until 9 PM. Aside from the early days when they first moved to the family compound, Luo Manzhen had never waited for him to come home. The house was dark. He turned on the lights, and saw that the food Luo Manzhen had prepared was still on the table. The dishes, cooked with lard, had already congealed, and an empty bowl was carelessly left on the table. The floor was covered in dust.

Lin Jianzhang didn’t bother cleaning up. He went straight to the small room to sleep.

When Luo Manzhen woke up, she didn’t see Lin Jianzhang lying next to her. A fiery rage surged within her as she recalled the days in her previous life when, despite having a husband, she had spent every night lying alone, unable to sleep.

She got out of bed and, putting on her shoes, went to the guest room. There, she saw Lin Jianzhang lying peacefully on the bed. Luo Manzhen let out a sigh of relief, but her anger did not subside in the slightest.

She went over and shook him awake. She began to complain about him, just like she used to, pouring out her frustration. However, she failed to notice the look in Lin Jianzhang’s eyes, a look that was filled with disgust, as though he were looking at a fly. Every time Lin Jianzhang thought about the intimacy they had shared over the past year, he felt sick and wanted to vomit.

“Get out.” Lin Jianzhang snapped, his fist tightly clenched, veins bulging on his forehead.

He felt that Luo Manzhen should be grateful that he never hit women; otherwise, she probably wouldn’t be able to see the sunrise tomorrow.

Luo Manzhen was startled by the intensity of Lin Jianzhang’s expression, and a trace of fear gripped her heart. She quickly left the room.

Lin Jianzhang spent two days thinking it over and decided to visit the labor camp. He had just returned from vacation, and when he asked for more time off, the instructor was reluctant and scolded him before asking the reason for his request.

Lin Jianzhang had already made up his mind not to continue with Luo Manzhen. He had been divorced once, and he wasn’t afraid of going through it again. He wasn’t worried about losing face either. He showed the instructor the investigation report that Gao Ronghua had compiled.

After reading the report, the instructor remained silent for a long time before granting him three days off.

The next day, Lin Jianzhang took his leave and set off for the labor camp. After passing through several checkpoints, he finally met Sun Haowen, who was undergoing re-education there.

After two years of labor reform, Sun Haowen had completely lost his former scholarly demeanor. When he saw Lin Jianzhang, he froze for a moment. Then it dawned on him that the relationship between him and Luo Manzhen had been exposed. But hadn’t they already divorced? Why was Lin Jianzhang here? Was he going to beat him up to vent his anger? Oh, then he remembered—last time, his sister had come to visit him and brought the news that Luo Manzhen had reconciled with her ex-husband.

Lin Jianzhang had expected that seeing Sun Haowen would make him furious and possibly prompt him to beat him up. However, when he finally faced Sun Haowen, he found that his heart was as calm as a stagnant pool of water.

“Sun Haowen, I came to find you to ask, what is your relationship with Luo Manzhen?” 

Sun Haowen grinned: “You’ve come all the way here, and you still don’t know what my relationship with her is?”

Having received confirmation, Lin Jianzhang felt as though a green cloud had descended upon him. Unable to hold back any longer, he struck Sun Haowen. Sun Haowen did not fight back. He had known that one day this would happen, and although he didn’t want to be beaten, he had anticipated that he wouldn’t be able to defend himself and that resisting would likely only lead to worse consequences.

After striking Sun Haowen, Lin Jianzhang adjusted his sleeve and prepared to leave. Sun Haowen got up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and revealed a crazed smile.

For the past two years, he had been wondering who had reported him. He had kept his actions very secret; even a seasoned accountant would have trouble uncovering the fraud hidden in the books. His bribery was so flawlessly executed that even his family didn’t know anything about it.

Sun Haowen thought back to a particular time when he and Luo Manzhen had an affair. He had drunk a bit, and after their tryst, he had proudly shared some details with her.

Suddenly, it clicked. The person who reported him was undoubtedly Luo Manzhen. The policies weren’t as strict as they used to be, and his sister had come to visit him last time, telling him that the family was already figuring out how to get him out of the labor camp. Once he was out, he would not let Luo Manzhen go.

It was Saturday when Lin Jianzhang returned. Wen Xin, who had no class in the afternoon, came to find Gu Xiuping. She had come by herself. After signing in at the gate and completing the visitor registration, she entered the military camp.

Lin Jianzhang arrived just a few steps behind Wen Xin. As soon as he looked up, he saw her. He paused for a moment, and then casually asked the soldier on duty: “Whose family member is that?”

The soldier glanced at Wen Xin’s back and said: “That’s the family of Colonel Gu Xiuping.”

Lin Jianzhang was stunned. He knew Gu Xiuping, but he never expected that Wen Xin was married to him. Lin Jianzhang’s feelings were complex.

Lin Jianzhang followed Wen Xin all the way to the family compound gate. From a distance, he saw Gu Xiuping jogging toward her from the training field, taking the items she was carrying. The two of them walked toward the family compound, talking and laughing closely together.

Just by watching, it was clear how close they were. Lin Jianzhang stood frozen. He couldn’t help but wonder: if he had married Wen Xin, would he be the one enjoying this sweet intimacy with her today?

As they entered the family compound, Gu Xiuping turned around and noticed Lin Jianzhang staring at Wen Xin. He frowned slightly. Wen Xin noticed that he didn’t respond to her, so she pulled at his arm, displeased. “Gu Xiuping, I’m talking to you, what are you looking at?”

Wen Xin followed Gu Xiuping’s gaze and saw Lin Jianzhang. She frowned as well. “Gu Xiuping, what are you looking at him for?”

“Didn’t look at anything. Xin Xin, let me tell you something. Luo Manzhen and Lin Jianzhang might be getting divorced again.” Gu Xiuping said, passing along some gossip he’d heard from elsewhere. As for who spread it, that was anyone’s guess.

Wen Xin raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What happened?”

“Apparently, Luo Manzhen has someone on the side, and Lin Jianzhang found out about it. He’s already gathered the evidence.” Before he knew Wen Xin, Gu Xiuping had been acquainted with Lin Jianzhang. Being able to lead a team in exercises meant he was quite capable, and their Colonel had praised him.

During the exercises, Gu Xiuping had seen Lin Jianzhang’s abilities and considered him a competent soldier.

However, after learning that Lin Jianzhang was indecisive in handling his emotional problems, Gu Xiuping began to look down on him. Especially after hearing that Lin Jianzhang was wavering between Wen Xin and his ex-wife, Gu Xiuping thought even less of him.

As a man himself, he could understand Lin Jianzhang’s thoughts all too well. He was enjoying the regret of his ex-wife while also weighing his options with a potential match. Gu Xiuping thought he might even be fantasizing about having his ex-wife and new match compete for him.

Some people were just average-looking but had these grand ideas. Shameless.

Wen Xin scoffed but didn’t comment further.

See, some people don’t even need to be dealt with. They end up ruining themselves. The question was whether Lin Jianzhang would choose to divorce her or continue wearing the “green hat” and stay with her.

Lin Jianzhang, of course, was going to divorce her. He couldn’t stand being with such a dirty woman any longer. When he got home, he threw the collected evidence in front of Luo Manzhen.

Luo Manzhen was in the middle of giving herself a hand treatment. She was used to a life of luxury. In her previous life, Sun Haowen had never skimped on her spending, and it wasn’t until she came back from her rebirth and hadn’t remarried Lin Jianzhang yet that she experienced a few months of financial struggle.

After remarrying, Lin Jianzhang gave her part of his salary. While it seemed meager to her, it was still decent enough in terms of purchasing power in that era.

Luo Manzhen used Friendship brand Snow Cream for her skincare routine.

The room was filled with a rich, fragrant scent. Luo Manzhen didn’t even glance at the documents Lin Jianzhang had thrown at her. She felt like she needed to deal with this man. He hadn’t come back to the bedroom that night, and then he had taken several days off without telling her. She hadn’t even known he’d taken leave until she visited the instructor’s house.

This wouldn’t do. In her past life, Sun Haowen had done the same thing, going off without informing her. She had to keep him in check, or who knew what kind of trouble he’d get into next.

“Hmph, you still know to come back. I thought you didn’t want this family anymore.” Luo Manzhen said sarcastically. Lin Jianzhang had long been used to her biting tone.

Lin Jianzhang stared at Luo Manzhen’s still-beautiful face, but his mind was filled with the image of Wen Xin and Gu Xiuping sharing a smile. He thought back to that moment in the village government compound when he had seen that same smile through the window, and his breath caught in his chest. He lowered his gaze. “Luo Manzhen, let’s get a divorce.”