Chapter 20

Luo Heimei was in such a hurry that she ran straight into the arms of Old Shang, who was cleaning the pigsty at the military district.

Old Shang’s full name was Shang Zhiyong. He was fifty-two years old and had been cleaning the pigsty at the military district for many years. He had no wife or children, loved drinking, and was rarely in contact with people from the family quarters.

Luo Heimei thought it was Zhou Zheng who had caught her, so she quickly wrapped her arms around him tightly, afraid he would run away.

“Brother Zhou Zheng, I knew you liked me.”

Luo Heimei looked up expectantly, but when she saw a dark, ugly, bearded man instead, she immediately pushed him away.

“Who are you? Where is Brother Zhou Zheng?”

“He’s on duty tonight. He asked me to come and tell you that he can’t make it.”

Luo Heimei originally planned to use this method to force Zhou Zheng to marry her. Seeing that he didn’t come, she quickly ran back home.

The next morning, before Luo Heimei even woke up, Chen Lixia stormed into her room with a dark expression.

“Heimei, wake up! How can you still sleep when there are rumors about you everywhere?”

“Mom, what rumors?”

Overnight, gossip spread throughout the family quarters that Luo Heimei had been held naked by Shang Zhiyong.

Luo Heimei thought the rumors would die down in a few days, but to her surprise, the matter reached the military district leaders.

Her streaking incident had caused a bad influence in the military district. Since two unmarried people were seen hugging in front of so many people, the leaders decided that Luo Heimei must marry Old Shang to calm the rumors.

Upon hearing the news, Luo Heimei cried uncontrollably, clutching Chen Lixia’s hand tightly.

“Mom, I don’t want to marry that old man! Mom, please think of something!”

“Luo Dazhu, think of a way! Can’t you save your sister?”

“Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to help. This matter has spread throughout the military district. If my sister doesn’t marry him, I might get dragged into it too.”

Hearing this, Chen Lixia quickly calculated in her mind. Luo Dazhu gave her ten yuan from his allowance every month.

If Luo Dazhu got demoted and his allowance decreased, the money she received would also be less. She knew what was more important.

“Since your brother said there’s no other way, Heimei, you’ll just have to endure it.”

Luo Heimei cried bitterly. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have listened to her mother. Because the rumors were so intense, there was no wedding ceremony.

Luo Heimei only brought a few clothes and moved in with Shang Zhiyong. Luo Dazhu, feeling sorry for her, secretly gave her ten yuan before leaving.

That night, Shang Zhiyong happily drank half a liter of white liquor. No one expected him to be this lucky—to get a wife for free.

—–

The story then shifts focus to a new scene where Jiangsu Su accompanies Zhou Zheng home while Gu Nian prepares a speech for an event.

At the event, Gu Nian encounters a man she once saved—Xie An, the main organizer. Their conversation reveals that the event aims to promote Chinese culture.

After resting at the guesthouse, Gu Nian ignores an invitation from the vice principal to have lunch together. Instead, she enjoys a bowl of snail rice noodles with fried egg and a cold cola, feeling content.

At the event venue, Gu Nian’s speech draws the attention of foreign guests. One of them, Helen, praises her, and they exchange pleasantries. However, Gu Nian dislikes the hypocrisy of forced diplomacy between China and the foreign delegation.

Later, she overhears a secret conversation between Helen and the vice principal. Helen promises to help the vice principal go abroad in exchange for betraying Chinese culture. Worse still, Helen asks if they can take Gu Nian back with them for “research purposes”—just like they had done with a previous woman.

Realizing she was being targeted, Gu Nian activates a system reward she had earned earlier—a “Truth Serum” that forces anyone who comes into contact with it to speak only the truth for 24 hours.

With this, she plans to give the vice principal a special surprise.