Chapter 101: Sooner or Later, He Will Face Retribution

Liu’s wife’s full name was Zhang Qiuhe. Her elderly father had once been a village teacher, so she had learned to read and write. Recently, she had been bringing her child along to the shop, learning bookkeeping from Du Wanchun. Though she was a farmwoman, she was honest and intelligent. In just three or four days, she had already learned how to use an abacus. Though she wasn’t entirely proficient, she was good enough to manage.

This saved Du Wanchun a lot of trouble.

Upon hearing Aunt Zhou’s voice, Zhang Qiuhe, holding her two-year-old child in her arms, suddenly burst into tears. “Aunt Zhou, I saw my child’s father today!”

Aunt Zhou immediately responded, “That’s great news! Wasn’t your husband taken as a forced laborer three years ago and never returned? Now that he’s back, you and your child finally have someone to rely on.”

Aunt Zhou had been the one to suggest that Zhang Qiuhe help Du Wanchun in the shop. She had pitied their situation—an orphaned child and a widowed mother struggling to get by.

In this small village, people survived by farming and growing vegetables. But Liu’s wife had no in-laws to support her, and her son was still young. As a woman, she had to farm the land while raising a child alone. It was easy to imagine how difficult life was for her.

Not to mention, there were always a few predatory men from outside the village eyeing her like wolves.

Zhang Qiuhe sobbed even harder. “Aunt Zhou, he came back, but… he has become another woman’s husband.”

The moment she said this, everyone in the room was shocked.

Du Wanchun handed her a cup of water. “Sister Zhang, don’t panic. Drink some water and tell us slowly.”

Zhang Qiuhe took the cup, wiped her tears, and continued, “Today, Shopkeeper Zhou and I were tending to business in the shop when a wealthy lady, pregnant with a large belly, came in to buy floral dew. When she took out silver to pay, her husband arrived. And when I looked up, wasn’t that my own husband, Liu Shengyuan?”

Aunt Zhou pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Zhang Qiuhe’s tear-streaked face, frowning as she tried to comfort her. “Qiuhe, are you sure you didn’t mistake him for someone else?”

Zhang Qiuhe shook her head repeatedly. “Impossible! I could never mistake him for someone else. We were husband and wife for a year—I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes! And…”

“And what?” Aunt Zhou quickly asked.

Zhang Qiuhe bit her lower lip, her face filled with anger. “And judging by his reaction, he definitely recognized me too.”

At this moment, Zhou Feng stepped forward and said, “Back then, when Sister Zhang grabbed him and asked if he was Liu Shengyuan, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost. He immediately pulled that pregnant woman along and ran away. If it wasn’t him, why would he act so guilty, like a thief caught in the act?”

As he spoke, his face was full of disdain. Then he continued, “Later, I sent someone to investigate. That woman’s surname is Mo—she is the second daughter of General Mo. Recently, General Mo returned to his hometown to visit relatives, bringing along his eldest and second daughters, as well as their husbands. When Liu Shengyuan was serving in the military outside the pass, he used his pretty face to seduce General Mo’s eldest daughter and became a live-in son-in-law of the Mo family.”

At last, Aunt Zhou fully understood the situation.

Zhang Qiuhe broke down crying even harder. “That beast! He abandoned my child and me, only to marry another woman! Does he even know that while he was enjoying wealth and luxury, my child and I couldn’t even get a bowl of hot porridge?”

Her sobs grew more intense, to the point where she could barely speak. “If it weren’t for the Zhou family taking us in, my child and I would have starved to death by now.”

In this remote and impoverished place, it wasn’t uncommon for people to starve to death.

And she wasn’t wrong—if not for the Zhou family, she and her son truly would have perished.

Listening from the side, Du Wanchun was also filled with rage. She patted Zhang Qiuhe’s shoulder to comfort her and said, “Sister Zhang, a heartless man like him isn’t worth your grief. Take your son to the Mo family and demand justice. At the very least, they should give you some silver to support you and your child!”

Aunt Zhou nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Qiuhe! You must take your child and confront the Mo family. You can’t let him get away with this!”

As she spoke, something suddenly came to mind. “The head of the Mo family seems to be a righteous man. If you go to him, you should be fine.”

Zhang Qiuhe, still choking on her sobs, asked, “Aunt Zhou, do you know the Mo family’s patriarch?”

Aunt Zhou quickly shook her head. “Not personally, but I’ve heard of him back when I was in the capital.”

She didn’t know General Mo personally, but years ago, when her third brother was in the army, he had mentioned serving alongside a general named Mo. She wasn’t sure if it was the same person.

Gradually, Zhang Qiuhe calmed down. “Aunt Zhou, you and Sister Du are right. I can’t let him trample over me like this. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Mo residence and demand justice!”

Aunt Zhou nodded. “That’s the right thing to do.”

Seeing that Zhang Qiuhe’s mood had improved, Du Wanchun hurried into the house and brought out several boiled eggs. She gave two to Zhang Qiuhe’s child and stuffed the rest into Zhang Qiuhe’s hands.

Zhang Qiuhe accepted the eggs, repeatedly expressing her gratitude. Then, carrying her child, she made her way home.

Watching her frail figure disappear into the distance, Du Wanchun felt a wave of emotions wash over her.

Aunt Zhou took her by the hand and led her inside, sighing, “I used to think men like Chen Shimei only existed in books. I never imagined I’d see one in real life—a man who truly abandons his wife and child.”

As she said this, a sharp pain tugged at her heart. After all, wasn’t that dog of an emperor in the capital the same? Whether rich or poor, there were always heartless men willing to forsake their wives and children.

Sooner or later, they would all face retribution.