Chapter 9: The Devoted Rival Returns!
“Such wickedness!”
“How could the Zhou family marry such a daughter-in-law? She’s truly despicable!”
“Yes, shameless beyond measure!”
“Hold your tongue a bit. At least Qiao Qian didn’t spend the money on herself!”
“Well, that’s because the Zhou son is no good too!”
“You’re right. If the Zhou boy managed the family finances properly, Qiao Qian wouldn’t have had to do this!”
“The Zhou family keeps boasting about their son’s filial piety and how much money he sends every month, but in the end, it’s all propped up by the daughter-in-law stealing from Shen Zhiqing!”
“If you ask me, the whole Zhou family should be held accountable!”
...
Once the village found out the truth, they surrounded the Zhou family with scorn and criticism.
But what no one expected was that when Zhou Cuihua, Shen Zhiyu’s nominal mother-in-law, arrived, she didn’t defend Shen Zhiyu or seek justice. Instead, she urged her to withdraw the case immediately.
“We’re family, close relatives. Are you trying to make it impossible for us to live in this village?”
Only then did Shen Zhiyu remember that Zhou Cuihua was Zhou Yuhuai’s distant aunt, though beyond the fifth degree of kinship.
Still, the families were closely connected.
Even Qiao Qian’s grandmother bore the Zhou surname.
Such are the ties in rural communities!
Relatives often spanned ten or more villages nearby.
“What’s the matter? If the close relative is a thief, should your family be thieves too?”
“Shen Zhiyu, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Zhou Cuihua raised her hand, pointing at Qiao Qian. “I’m telling you, you’d better withdraw the case quickly. Otherwise, I’ll have Qi Huan divorce you. Our old Qi family won’t accept a daughter-in-law like you!”
“Divorce if you want. Who’s afraid?”
“Go call your son back. Anyone who refuses to divorce is a fool!”
Shen Zhiyu was naturally not intimidated.
Qi Huan was deeply devoted to Qiao Qian, but whether he would remain so after learning she was a thief was another story.
Tsk tsk, the most devoted man in the whole story!
Alas, blind in both eyes and heart!
Shen Zhiyu’s defiance only made Zhou Cuihua more determined; she immediately rushed to the post office to call Qi Huan back.
Qi Huan hadn’t grasped the full situation when he heard that Qiao Qian had been reported by Shen Zhiyu and detained by the police. He hung up and hurried to request leave.
At that hour, there were no vehicles to the village in the county, so Qi Huan pedaled his bicycle and returned to Han Family Village an hour later.
“My son, you’re finally back!”
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“Your wife is no good. She’s bullying your mother!”
“She’s wasted your money!”
“Mom, don’t say that now. What’s going on between Shen Zhiyu and Qiao Qian? Weren’t they on good terms?”
Qi Huan stopped Zhou Cuihua, who was about to complain, eager to understand what had happened.
This time, Zhou Cuihua did not fabricate but truthfully recounted everything.
“So you’re saying Qiao Qian took the money and bills from the letters Shen Zhiyu’s family wrote her?”
“Yes!”
“I understand now!”
Qi Huan grasped the situation and ignored Zhou Cuihua, not bothering with his father or brothers, and went straight to find Shen Zhiyu.
When Shen Zhiyu saw Qi Huan, she immediately recognized this devoted male supporting character from the story.
He was rather plain-looking, an average face.
No wonder Qiao Qian looked down on him and preferred Zhou Yuhuai.
“Shen Zhiyu, I think there might be a misunderstanding about Qiao Qian. Why don’t you withdraw the case first, and we can talk things over?”
Wow!
This really is a devoted male supporting character!
Even after learning what Qiao Qian had done, he still defended her.
“Aren’t you here to divorce me?”
“We’ll talk about Qiao Qian’s matters after we divorce.”
“Divorce? When did I say I wanted a divorce?”
Qi Huan was stunned. How did the conversation suddenly turn to divorce?
“Your mother says I’m a bad wife and that I’ve brought shame to your family, urging you to divorce me. Fine, don’t waste words. Since you’re back, let’s go and get the divorce done!”
Shen Zhiyu truly looked down on this devoted male supporting character.
She was not someone to wrong herself!
If he had no real feelings, she wouldn’t chase after him.
Thinking he would be successful in the future and earn big money?
She had come into the story and could strive for money herself!
Rely on a man?
Pillars fall, people abandon you!
One must rely on oneself!
Qi Huan was genuinely confused; he had no intention of divorcing.
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“Shen Zhiyu, if we divorce, you’ll have to join the labor force. Can you handle that?”
“I advise you not to make trouble. Withdraw Qiao Qian’s case first, and let’s clear things up properly. I will still support you!”
Snapping back to reality, Qi Huan suddenly grasped the key point.
He married Shen Zhiyu because she couldn’t handle farm work.
A pampered city girl couldn’t endure such hardship.
He agreed to marry Shen Zhiyu partly because of Qiao Qian’s request and partly because he needed someone to help him resolve his marital issues. He wanted to advance at the factory, and a stable family was a consideration for his superiors.
But overall, he was the one in control in this marriage!
“Oh, I get it!”
Shen Zhiyu raised a finger at Qi Huan. “You didn’t come back to divorce me. You came back for Qiao Qian!”
“So, you like Qiao Qian, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t. Stop talking nonsense!”
Qi Huan vehemently denied, but Shen Zhiyu knew everything.
“Qi Huan, if you really like Qiao Qian, then you should divorce me even more!”
“After all that’s happened, do you think Qiao Qian can stay in the Zhou family? She’ll soon divorce Zhou Yuhuai. Then what will she do?”
“Her family will surely find her disgraceful. She might be married off to some old man!”
“Or they might not even acknowledge her!”
“But if we divorce, you can take her to the county town, where few know her. Your salary is enough for you two to live a comfortable life in the city!”
“See? Am I right?”
Shen Zhiyu felt like the wolf grandmother luring Little Red Riding Hood, while Qi Huan was that innocent girl, being seduced step by step toward an unknown fate.
Qi Huan was truly moved by Shen Zhiyu’s words.
He had always liked Qiao Qian because she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.
Qiao Qian was naturally pretty, and with the lover’s special filter, even though Shen Zhiyu’s looks and figure surpassed hers, Qi Huan refused to see it.
Alas, love was unrequited.
Qiao Qian ignored Qi Huan and married Zhou Yuhuai instead.
Thus, Qiao Qian became the white moonlight in Qi Huan’s heart, unforgettable.
Now, with a chance to openly possess his white moonlight before him, could Qi Huan resist temptation?