Chapter 35: The Last Words of Shen Jianguo and Li Libin

At a middle school in the town, Li Limei was burying her head in her studies.

Li Limei had changed a lot this semester. Her father, mother, and older brother were all sentenced to death or long prison terms.

She felt as if she had no one to rely on anymore. If she didn’t work hard, her life would be over.

She was very proud, especially because she had a fixation in her heart: she had to be stronger than Yu Zihan and live a better life than her.

The day her brother was sentenced, she went to visit him.

Her brother said to her, “Don’t struggle anymore. Our family only has you left. You need to study hard, become strong, and then get revenge on Yu Zihan.”

“Brother, it’s all because of me. I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s all in the past now. Don’t say such things. Although I’m here because of Yu Zihan, I’m also carrying other charges. Anyway, my life will end this year. I just want you to live well.”

Even the worst of people have things they care about when they are on the brink of death. Li Libin couldn’t let go of his younger sister. He knew she had the potential to accomplish great things because she had the ruthlessness to do so.

He actually hoped that one day his sister would become strong enough to destroy Yu Zihan. That woman had ruined their family.

“I’ll avenge you, brother,” Li Limei said, her eyes filled with venom and sorrow, nearly overflowing with emotion.

“Go to the big tree in our yard and dig up what’s buried there. Maybe those things can help you. Remember, this is the last of our family’s fortune. You must use it wisely.”

Li Libin told his sister about the family’s hidden assets, feeling that somehow, those things would help her.

“I understand, brother,” Li Limei said. One reason she came to see him was to send him off, but another reason was to ask if their father had left any other wealth. She knew her brother would tell her.

“Brother, I’m leaving. You can rest easy now,” Li Limei said decisively after receiving the information.

Li Libin watched his sister’s back as she left, smiling bitterly. He knew she was a ruthless person.

“Yu Zihan, a powerful opponent will appear in your life. I believe this opponent will be like a shadow, following you everywhere. Just wait for it,” Li Libin’s last words seemed like a curse.

Back home, Li Limei couldn’t shake her brother’s words from her mind.

“Our family only has you left. You must become strong to fight against Yu Zihan. You must become strong…”

She locked herself in her room. No matter how ruthless a person was, she was still just a young girl. After such a huge upheaval in her life, it would be impossible not to feel sorrow. Her parents’ and brother’s faces flashed through her mind.

In the end, the face that lingered in her mind was Yu Zihan’s beautiful face. Yu Zihan had looked at her with those beautiful eyes.

Her already stunning face, coupled with that brilliant smile, was so mesmerizing it seemed unreal. Li Limei wanted to tear that face apart, gouge out those eyes, and torture her mercilessly.

“I must become stronger. I must take revenge.” In truth, she knew that her desire to destroy Yu Zihan stemmed more from jealousy and frustration than a true thirst for revenge. The revenge was just a side effect.

When the night was quiet, Li Limei, following her brother’s instructions, dug up a porcelain jar beneath the large tree in the yard.

After cleaning up the traces in the garden, she carefully carried the jar back to her room and locked the door. She stared at the jar but hesitated to open it.

She knew that this jar contained not just money and objects, but also her hope, her only lifeline. Now, she had nothing left except this porcelain jar.

After a long time, Li Limei finally opened the jar. Sure enough, there were several big notes of cash. She counted them—only one thousand yuan. She also found many small yellow fish, and as she picked up one, she noticed it had a name engraved on it—Yu Yanming.

Li Limei thought for a moment. This Yu Yanming must be connected to Yu Meijuan. She also found a jade tablet with Yu Meijuan’s name on it. “What’s the use of this? It’s just names written on everything.”

Li Limei couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The only useful things were the cash notes, but they wouldn’t last long.

She rummaged through the small yellow fish and suddenly found a piece of yellowed paper, which looked old and had clearly been there for a long time.

The note was signed with the name “Yu Meina.” Looking at the handwriting, it was her father’s. “Who is this Yu Meina? Why did Dad write her name on the paper and bury it with these things?”

Li Limei couldn’t figure it out after thinking about it all night, so she decided to visit her father.

But someone like Shen Jianguo wasn’t easy to meet. Eventually, she had to ask Shen Laotai for help, bribing her with ten big yuan notes.

Shen Laotai was a person with influence, and she was moved by the fact that her son’s last moments were attended to by a daughter who still cared enough to see him one last time. She used her best efforts to make it happen.

When Li Limei met her father, she almost didn’t recognize him. The once spirited man now had no light in his eyes. He stared blankly at Li Limei, and suddenly, a brief flash of light appeared in his eyes.

He looked at his daughter with affection, as if he had many things to say, but he didn’t speak.

He was already in this state, so he left his son to take care of his daughter. With a son to care for her, he could die in peace.

“My brother was caught and sentenced to death,” Li Limei said, and she could see from her father’s expression that he was still hoping for his son. Her heart sank—yet again, it was the son, just like any other family.

To achieve her goal, she had no choice but to bring up her brother’s situation. As the only one left alive in the family, she wanted to see if her father had any final words or secrets to share.

“What?” Shen Jianguo was shocked by the news. His body swayed, and he looked at Li Limei. “Who? Who is it?”

“Yu Meijuan and her daughter.”

Father and daughter had an unspoken understanding in their conversation; they both knew what was being said.

“This venomous woman… she’s so ruthless.” Shen Jianguo’s hatred was clear as he heard Yu Meijuan’s name. His eyes were filled with loathing.

After a long while, when Li Limei had grown impatient, Shen Jianguo finally spoke.

“Go to the yard at home and dig up a porcelain jar. Don’t rush to sell the small yellow fish. There’s a note inside with a name on it. You need to go to the capital and find that person. Tell them everything that’s happened here. I believe she will take care of that venomous woman and her daughter.”

“You must remember, Shen Zihan is not your real sister. Her father doesn’t even know who her real father is.”

“The person on the note has as much reason to hate Yu Meijuan as we do. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tried to kill her multiple times.”

“The most important thing is that this person has a lot of power, so finding her is the right choice.”

Having said all that, Shen Jianguo felt exhausted. He thought for a moment, but had no other advice to give. His daughter was the only one left, and whether she succeeded or failed was up to fate. He had done what he could.

After meeting with her father, Li Limei quietly left the small village one night. Where she went after that is unknown.