Font Size:
The landlord was shouting about going to report them to the police.
Chen Li could only scowl and say coldly,
“Haitang, hurry up and pay the money back.”
Li Haitang lowered her head, her voice barely audible.
“I… I spent it all.”
“What?”
Chen Li suppressed the fury in his chest and pretended to remain calm.
“How did you spend it?”
He was sure of one thing—none of that money was spent on him.
He had never realized until now how materialistic Li Haitang really was.
He was only going through a rough patch temporarily.
He would bounce back soon.
And she couldn’t even endure this short period with him?
She listed food, clothes…
As she spoke, she actually became indignant.
“I’ve been in the city for so long and still don’t have a decent set of clothes.
To others, I look like a scavenger.”
“Everyone back home thinks I’m living the good life in the city with you.
Only I know how hard things actually are.”
The landlord cut her off impatiently.
“This isn’t the time for your sob story—pay up, now!“
In the end, Chen Li couldn’t bring himself to make Li Haitang face the consequences alone.
He handed over his work permit to the landlord as collateral,
and promised to repay the money within a week.
But that very night, Chen Li got a phone call from his mother.
“Son, something’s happened!”
“That fiancée of yours—Li Haitang—she’s cheating on you!“
“And the man she’s involved with?
You know him—he’s Chen Yongcai from our brigade.“
Chen Li’s dark eyes instantly turned gloomy.
He knew Chen Yongcai liked Li Haitang.
Otherwise, the two of them wouldn’t have ended up together in the last life.
But now… were they already having an affair?
He quickly shook off the thought.
No way.
Haitang was right here beside him.
“Mom, I know you don’t like Haitang,
but you can’t just make things up about her.”
Xu Zhaoying (his mother) immediately raised her voice:
“Since when did I make anything up?”
“The whole brigade knows she’s sleeping around with Chen Yongcai!”
A dark shadow fell across Chen Li’s face.
“Mom, tell me everything in detail.”
Xu Zhaoying spilled the beans like a bamboo tube dumping beans:
“That vixen Li Haitang told Chen Yongcai to steal money from his family and wire it to her.”
“A full 20 yuan!“
“Chen Yongcai’s mother even went and beat up the brigade secretary over it!”
“If they aren’t messing around,
then why is he sending her money?!“
“It’s not like money falls from the sky for their family!”
She paused for breath, then quickly added her true motive:
“Listen to your mother—figure out a way to break off the engagement with Li Haitang!“
“And that girl from the city—you need to make it up to her.
Don’t throw away such a good marriage prospect!“
Chen Li sneered to himself.
What girl from the city?
That woman had already dumped him.
But he said none of this.
He didn’t want to disappoint his parents.
Then a thought struck him—
Li Haitang had told him that her family was sending her money…
but it never arrived.
Now it turns out the one who sent money was Chen Yongcai?
If she had nothing to hide, why would she lie to him?
Chen Li’s expression grew colder and more distant by the second—frighteningly cold.
“Mom, don’t worry.
I’ll figure out a way to break off the engagement.”
He didn’t hear a single word his mother said after that.
In just one day, he had discovered that the woman he once loved was secretly involved with not just one, but two other men.
Was he angry? Or hurt?
He sat on the curb, silent,
as if the air around him had frozen.
The obsession of his previous life…
had turned into a complete joke.
And the one girl who had truly cared for him—he had pushed her away.
Now he didn’t even know where she was.
…
Whenever the postman came, the educated youths always looked forward to it.
When Lin Ting heard she had a package, her face was filled with surprise.
Her family was in the same village—who else could have sent her something?
One name jumped into her mind—
Zhou Tao. Who else could it be?
As Lin Ting and her two roommates stepped outside,
they ran into a group of fellow educated youths.
Wen Chunlan teased,
“Lin Zhiqing, did your family finally remember you?”
Most of the educated youths had received mail or parcels at some point.
Only Lin Ting had received nothing since she arrived.
Lin Ting coldly replied,
“Zhiqing Wen, do your relatives live by the sea?
Why are you so nosy?”
Wen Chunlan gave a sheepish smile.
“I was just curious what your family sent you.”
Lin Ting ignored her.
Truth be told, she was curious about what Zhou Tao had sent.
In the distance, they saw several parcels laid out on the ground.
The older educated youths instinctively quickened their pace,
eager faces all around.
Wen Chunlan rushed to the front.
“Comrade, which one’s mine?”
Her eyes were already fixed on the biggest parcel.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Wen Chunlan.”
“Oh, Wen Chunlan?
No parcel—just a letter.”
Wen Chunlan couldn’t believe her ears.
She had written home specifically asking for food rations!
She earned only a few work points a day—she’d starve by winter.
Unwilling to give up, she double-checked,
“Are you sure none of those parcels are mine?”
How could this be happening?
The postman handed her the letter.
“This is all there is.”
Wen Chunlan tore the envelope open eagerly.
She needed to know why.
A curious onlooker leaned over and read it out loud:
“Chunlan, things are tight at home.
We really can’t afford to send you food.
You’ll have to manage on your own.”
“Work harder in the countryside.
Learn from the neighbors—their daughter sends food home every year.“
Wen Chunlan was humiliated that someone read the letter aloud in public.
Furious, she tried to slap them—
but they had already run away, laughing.
Zhao Weidong, always blunt, said loudly:
“Zhiqing Wen, turns out your family’s that poor, huh?”
The crowd burst into laughter.
Wen Chunlan snapped back,
“Would your family have sent you to the countryside if they were well off?”
Zhao Weidong choked on his words—he had no comeback.
Most of the educated youths here had been sent because their families couldn’t secure jobs for them.
The parcels on the ground were quickly claimed.
Three of them belonged to the same educated youth.
And the biggest one?
It was for Lin Ting.
Someone asked,
“Zhiqing Lin, what did your family send you?”
“That package is huge—must be packed with goodies, right?”
Lin Ting shook her head slightly.
“I really don’t know.”
She was telling the truth—she genuinely didn’t know.
Xu Zhaoying craned her neck, eyes shining with greed,
looking at the parcel like it belonged to her.
“Zhiqing Lin, just open it and you’ll see what’s inside!”
“Want me to help?”
Without waiting for an answer—she reached her hand out toward the package…