Chapter 8: Tragedy and Comedy

When he got home, Ding Mei was nagging at Wen Huiming in the living room, not even bothering to ask about his son’s return. Wen Liang, well aware of being ignored, went to the kitchen to find something to eat, then sat aside to listen to his parents’ conversation.

“I say, Li Shengli isn’t a real man. So what if his wife ran away? He should live even better to show those two dogs. All he does is drink, drink, drink, and drink himself to death!” Ding Mei looked annoyed, her frustration and disappointment making Wen Liang recall the times he was beaten for poor exam results.

Wen Huiming, reading the Qingzhou Daily, said casually, “Everyone has their own fate. There’s nothing that can be done. If Li Shengli couldn’t keep his wife, it’s not others’ fault. I’ve always said, Li Shengli shouldn’t have married a woman like Zhao Yaqing.”

Ding Mei, thinking of something, her eyes turned red, and she wiped the corner of her eye. “It’s just pitiful for Nuan Nuan. What a clever little girl, and now...”

Wen Huiming sighed. “Tomorrow, you should take 200 yuan over. We have some responsibility in this, we can’t just let them starve to death.”

“Mm,” Ding Mei nodded, thinking of the beautiful woman who was now living happily in Shenzhen, her heart filled with resentment. “I must have been blind, treating her as a good sister and even introducing her to Li Shengli. If I had known...”

Wen Liang, hearing bits and pieces, remembered what had happened. Zhao Yaqing was the first woman he had ever liked in his previous life. Generally, shy and introverted boys often develop their first sexual awareness towards attractive and seductive older women. Zhao Yaqing, known as the factory beauty, had a figure and appearance that were incredibly alluring, especially her firm chest, round hips, and slender waist. She walked with a graceful, swaying gait, and many men in the factory would swallow their saliva as they watched her walk by. Ding Mei and Zhao Yaqing entered the factory at the same time, one as a cashier and the other as an accountant. They quickly became good friends, often going in and out together.

Zhao Yaqing’s parents were farmers from the suburbs, and she had few friends in Qingzhou. The canteen food was poor, so she often came to the Wen family for meals. The young introverted boy was soon captivated by this extremely beautiful aunt. The first night he experienced nocturnal emission, the woman in his dreams was clearly Zhao Yaqing.

Li Shengli was a technician in the third workshop, known for his kindness and honesty. He didn’t drink or smoke, and despite his handsome appearance, he never flirted with the female workers in the factory. He was a well-known gentleman. After being introduced by Ding Mei, he and Zhao Yaqing eventually got married, becoming a celebrated couple.

Unfortunately, love is like a lottery ticket that wins big, but once the prize period is over, it’s not even worth the paper it’s printed on, and it can leave you in deep regret.

In 1993, Zeng Wucheng, a former troublemaker from the factory, returned from the south, dressed well and spending lavishly. Although he still looked disgusting and sleazy, he was now a wealthy man. People from the factory visited the Zeng family in droves, and they all came back saying the same thing: Zeng Wucheng, the former thug, had become a rich man. This world truly favors the bold and punishes the timid.

Zeng Wucheng’s success was partly due to Zhao Yaqing. Although he was a factory worker’s son, he was uneducated and often got into trouble. He frequently harassed young women in the factory, but everyone tolerated it because they had families to support. When he first saw Zhao Yaqing, he was captivated. Despite her repeated rejections, he didn’t give up. One night, he attempted to rape her as she was returning to the factory from the Wen family’s home. Li Shengli, who happened to be passing by, saved her.

After the incident, Zeng Wucheng threatened Li Shengli multiple times. It was only after Ding Mei asked Wen Huiming to have his police friends intervene that Zeng Wucheng calmed down. However, he was no longer welcome in the factory and decided to go south. To everyone’s surprise, he returned a few years later, wealthy and successful.

The factory had been declining since the early 1990s, and many people were seeking other opportunities. Li Shengli, a man of courage, resigned from his stable job in 1992 and opened a small restaurant. His family had a tradition of cooking, and he had inherited some secret recipes. It should have been a good business, but running a business requires more than just skills. Within a year, he had lost all his savings, and people in the factory mocked him for giving up a secure job. They said he was foolish and now couldn’t even afford to buy his wife underwear.

With all these issues, when Zeng Wucheng returned in 1993, it took only three months for Zhao Yaqing to leave her husband of nine years and her nine-year-old daughter to run off with the former thug, now a wealthy man, to Shenzhen.

Love, in the face of reality, became a joke.

Recalling all this, Wen Liang sighed lightly. In his previous life, he had hated Zhao Yaqing countless times, thinking she was the epitome of all bad women. But after living two lives, his thoughts had changed. Perhaps it wasn’t the woman who was dirty, but the world.

Ding Mei, having recovered from her self-blame, noticed her son leaning on the sofa, staring straight out the window with a sadness in his eyes that was unusual for a young boy. Her heart ached, and she sat beside him, gently stroking his hair. “Wen Liang, what’s wrong? Did something happen at school?”

Wen Huiming, unable to stand Ding Mei’s maternal indulgence, grunted and went to the bedroom. Ding Mei ignored him, taking Wen Liang’s hand and smiling. “Good son, tell Mom what’s wrong. Do you need some pocket money? Mom will give you some!”

“Mom, what did you say about Li Siqing? Is she not doing well?” Li Siqing was Li Shengli’s daughter, formerly known as Li Yi, with the nickname Nuan Nuan. After Zhao Yaqing left, Li Shengli changed her name.

“Sigh, I went to their house today. Li Shengli is still drinking heavily, drunk like a pig, and doesn’t care about anything at home. Siqing told me that she hasn’t paid her tuition for the last semester, and the school has notified her that if she doesn’t pay, she won’t be allowed to attend. Poor girl, she’s only eleven, but she’s wearing clothes meant for a seven or eight-year-old. Her shirt doesn’t even cover her belly, and her pants don’t reach her calves. She’s thin and dark, and her hands are full of calluses...”

In his previous life, after Zhao Yaqing left, the two families stopped interacting. Ding Mei occasionally sent money, but Wen Liang never saw the Li family again—he was too focused on his own suffering to care about others.

Wen Liang vaguely remembered the cute girl who used to tug at his clothes and call him brother. Li Siqing, inheriting the best genes from her parents, was a beauty from a young age. She had big eyes, long lashes, flawless skin, and a long ponytail that swayed as she walked. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared, making her look like a little fairy.

But he never imagined she was living such a hard life now!

“Mom, if we can help, we should. Aunt Zhao may have left, but Siqing is innocent...”

“Do you think I don’t know that? But your father is no good, and my salary is so low. How long can I help them? Sigh.”

Wen Liang stood up. It was already dark outside, and a few rays of moonlight crept over the wall, casting dappled shadows on the balcony.

The darker the night, the brighter the moon.

If he could live this life again, wouldn’t it be to make the world a little less tragic, a little more joyful, a little less sorrowful, and a little more happy?

It’s okay, everything will change!