Chapter 44: Two Sentimental Women

Wang Wenyu affectionately wrapped her arm around Hao Meng's shoulder and said, “Mengmeng, there’s no need for formality between sisters like us. There’s nothing we can’t say to each other.”

Though she felt a pang of regret, Hao Meng responded sincerely, “If you truly care for him, just stay by his side. Don’t use your background to help him advance. That might make him lose his original intentions and the sharpness he needs. A man’s potential—how high he can climb in life—can only be answered by his real experiences. Only when one forges ahead through hardship can he truly measure his own worth.

His strengths are resilience, kindness, and a strong sense of justice. He also knows his limits. But his weaknesses are that he’s too emotional, easily acts on impulse, and is rather stubborn. These qualities, good and bad, need to be tempered by life before he can truly mature.

Forcing growth is just like me choosing the life I did—it’s a shortcut, but you might pay a heavy price and even destroy him in the process.”

Seeing Hao Meng, who was half a year younger than herself, speak so sincerely about Jiang Fan while clearly still carrying feelings for him, Wang Wenyu made no attempt to hide her feelings. She replied just as honestly, “Mengmeng, thank you for the reminder. I may have more education than you, but when it comes to being a good person, I have a lot to learn from you.

Even now, I can’t say for certain if I really like him. But even if I do, I’ll stand on the same side as you—we’ll compete fairly and openly, and I would never play any tricks behind your back. No matter what happens, our sisterhood will always remain.”

Moved by Wang Wenyu’s frankness, Hao Meng shook her head sorrowfully. “You two are meant for each other. I’m not worthy. When I was just a girl, I fell for a man I thought I could trust for life, and it ended in miscarriage. Now, I’ve walked the path I have—how could I deserve to love anyone? That’s why, even when I shared a bed with him, nothing happened.

Even if you help me cover up my shame, it won’t wash away the stain on my soul. I just hope to cherish this encounter, to be his friend. I ask for nothing more.”

By this point, tears streamed down Hao Meng’s face.

Seeing Hao Meng bare her most painful secrets, Wang Wenyu gently wiped her tears and hugged her tightly. “Mengmeng, thank you for trusting me. I promise I’ll be the kind of sister you can rely on.”

Past midnight, Wang Wenyu returned to her dormitory, unable to sleep.

Her mind replayed everything she’d learned about Jiang Fan’s recent experiences: spending the night in a graveyard, helping a stranger, standing up to Qiu in defiance of authority, doing what he could for the factory workers, and showing kindness to Uncle Qiu and his wife, who once offered him a simple bowl of hot soup.

As she thought it over, the memory of Jiang Fan’s sneaky behavior in the bathhouse surfaced. Unconsciously, she touched the spot where his mischievous handprint lingered, and muttered playfully, “You scoundrel, do you still want more? The moment I got close to you, I couldn’t pull myself away. Are you really a man or some kind of devil?”

Tossing and turning until dawn, sleep eluded her. At last, Wang Wenyu got up, dressed, and left her room.

Passing the station gates, the officer on duty greeted her warmly, “Miss Wang, where are you off to so early?”

“I’m heading to Shangsha in Chang’an to meet two strangers—and take a look at the so-called security team with their wolfish grins. I want to see what kind of faces they really have.”

Watching her police car drive off, the officer muttered to himself, “Which unlucky guy on the Shangsha security team has managed to provoke this young lady?”

A police car was the best pass in the city—everywhere she went, barriers melted away, and people greeted her with respect.

Wang Wenyu brazenly parked her car in the middle of the security team’s entrance, got out, found Zhu Maoju, flashed a temporary work ID, and said she needed to ask a few questions.

Zhu Maoju, thinking she was in trouble, had no choice but to follow Wang Wenyu into the car.

The security team captain had never seen Wang Wenyu before. Hearing she wanted to question Zhu Maoju, he tried to ingratiate himself, “Hello, I’m the captain here. If you want to talk, you can use my office—I’ll have someone make tea for you.”

“What nonsense. Don’t I have tea of my own? I don’t need yours. Your office is only fit for beasts like you. If I went in, I’d dirty my own feet. I’m busy today and have no time for your nonsense. Tell your lackey Qiu that taking a beating was just the beginning. There’s a debt between us, and in a few days I’ll make sure he pays for it.”

Her angry tirade, aimed directly at Qiu for no apparent reason, left the captain bewildered. After Wang Wenyu finished venting and left with Zhu Maoju, he turned to his deputy, “Who is this beautiful woman? Do you know her? I’ve never seen her before, but I’m sure she’s not from the Chang’an station.”

Trying to please him, the deputy replied, “I’ll call and find out right away.” He quickly dialed a contact at the Chang’an station.

After hanging up, he reported, puzzled, “She was driving a Humen station car. Maybe Qiu has offended someone from Humen?”

The captain and his deputy were at a loss, wondering who they could ask to find out more about Wang Wenyu.

Meanwhile, Wang Wenyu was already on the road from Shangsha to Chang’an town with Zhu Maoju.

Seeing Zhu Maoju’s nervousness, Wang Wenyu offered a gentle explanation, “Don’t be nervous. I’m a friend of Jiang Fan’s, and I came here especially to thank you. I just didn’t want to talk at the security team’s place, so I asked you out. Sorry for not explaining sooner.”

“I heard you people in Guangdong call breakfast ‘morning tea.’ A lot of older folks can sit for an hour or two over a single morning meal. Is that true?”

Relieved by this, Zhu Maoju understood Wang Wenyu’s intention was simply to put her at ease by chatting about local customs. She explained the origins of the morning tea habit, then asked, “How is Jiang Fan doing now?”

“He’s all right, thanks to your help. Otherwise, he’d have been forced to shave his head and sent off to Zhangmutou.”

Conversation quickly broke the ice. Sensing how much Wang Wenyu cared about Jiang Fan, and with women always keen on gossip, Zhu Maoju teased, “Miss Wang, you care so much about Jiang Fan. You don’t seem like just a friend—more like his girlfriend!”

Wang Wenyu didn’t deny it, just smiled and replied, “If you say so, then so be it. But tell me, working in such a heartless place as the security team—does it make you happy, being so kind yourself?”

Zhu Maoju sighed, “What can I do if I’m not happy? My father was a live-in son-in-law, always looked down on in the village. Any good opportunities never come to our family. All the decent jobs are reserved for people with connections. Thanks to the era of reform and opening up, my family never went hungry, but I’m still young and have to work. Taking the job at the security team was really out of necessity—and I have to put up with harassment from that scoundrel Qiu. I’m talking with my father now, planning to quit after New Year’s.”

Zhu Maoju confided her family’s difficulties to Wang Wenyu.

Wang Wenyu gently patted her on the shoulder in comfort, “Don’t worry—good people are rewarded in the end.”

At noon, Wang Wenyu met Jin Lan and learned the full story of Jiang Fan’s experiences in Chang’an. The three women had lunch together, after which Wang Wenyu drove back to Humen.

With a clearer picture of Jiang Fan’s time in Dongguan, Wang Wenyu finally found peace enough to sleep for a while.

A little after five in the afternoon, she woke up excitedly, telling herself she was going to Baisha to give Jiang Fan a piece of her mind—though the truth was, she simply longed to see him.

Remembering Hao Meng’s advice, Wang Wenyu didn’t drive the police car this time. Instead, she took a taxi to the gate of the Da Feng factory, arriving just as the workday ended. The industrial park was teeming with crowds.