After returning home, Zhong Yi began setting aside time to review her studies. The original owner’s academic foundation had been quite solid, and Zhong Yi herself had graduated from university in the modern era.
Although she might have forgotten some concepts, once she started reviewing them, she discovered that the memories buried deep in her mind were still there. As a result, studying again wasn’t particularly difficult. In fact, everything went quite smoothly.
The original owner had always led a relatively quiet life, so even when Zhong Yi stayed in her room to study, no one came to disturb her.
As she reviewed her lessons, Zhong Yi also began thinking about something else.
She definitely couldn’t neglect her studies, but shouldn’t she also start looking for ways to make money?
After all, she would be responsible for raising two children in the future. She had no idea how much savings Zhou Shu had managed to accumulate, but now that she was going to have children, she would certainly need to raise them properly.
She wasn’t the kind of person who could tolerate hardship or put up with being deprived of things, and she certainly didn’t want her two children to suffer either.
The idea of eating meat only once a week was absolutely unacceptable to her. And once the children arrived, that would be even more out of the question.
Tsk, tsk.
Zhong Yi rubbed her belly. A mother naturally wanted to take good care of her own children. It seemed she really ought to add making money to her plans.
However, before Zhong Yi could put any concrete plans into action, a “guest” arrived at her house.
When she opened the door and stepped outside, she never expected to find Meng Lina standing there.
Meng Lina’s eyes were red, and she looked somewhat haggard. Her clothes were wrinkled, too. Yet the moment she saw Zhong Yi, she lifted her chin and put on an arrogant expression.
“I have something to tell you. It’s about Liang Feng.”
The deadline for the remaining 1,000 yuan was approaching. If Meng Lina hadn’t come, Zhong Yi had already planned to go looking for Liang Feng herself.
It would be best if the matter could be settled peacefully. If not, she didn’t mind making a scene. After all, she wasn’t the one who would end up embarrassed.
Still, she genuinely hadn’t expected Meng Lina to show up.
Since Meng Lina was a fellow woman, Zhong Yi felt there was no need to make things difficult for her. She invited her inside and brewed some tea.
Meng Lina glanced at the enamel mug, where a few coarse tea leaves floated on the surface, and frowned in distaste.
“I know everything about what happened between you and Liang Feng. I also know you demanded that he repay you 1,500 yuan. He’s already returned 500 yuan to you. Here’s the remaining 1,000 yuan. I’ve repaid it on his behalf.”
At the time, the largest-denomination banknote was worth ten yuan, commonly known as a Great Unity note. A thousand yuan consisted of a hundred ten-yuan notes, making for quite a thick stack of cash when placed on the table.
The money had originally belonged to the Zhong family anyway, so Zhong Yi accepted it without feeling the slightest burden.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t find certain things puzzling, though.
“Since you know what kind of relationship Liang Feng and I had, why are you still willing to repay his debt for him when he’s been so ungrateful?”
She genuinely couldn’t understand it.
Meng Lina folded her arms, her attitude haughty.
“What makes you think you can compare yourself to me? Besides, Liang Feng told me that he has absolutely no romantic feelings for you. All these years, the two of you had nothing more than a formal engagement. Nothing actually happened between you. The person he loves now is me. As for you, he only felt obligated to you because of the promise made to his elders and his sense of responsibility. Your family gave his family so much financial support that he felt too embarrassed to bring up breaking off the engagement.”
Zhong Yi was speechless.
Even a ghost wouldn’t believe such a ridiculous excuse. And yet, there were actually people who bought it?
“You believed him just because he said so?”
Has a pig eaten your brain or something?
Meng Lina wasn’t completely oblivious to the look in Zhong Yi’s eyes. She simply had her own way of reasoning.
“I know you don’t understand, but if a man were willing to risk his life to save you, wouldn’t you be moved? Forget it. No man has ever done anything like that for you, so of course you wouldn’t understand. I’m not going to explain it to you anymore. I still have to return to the hospital to take care of Liang Feng.”
From Meng Lina’s perspective, Zhong Yi had never experienced such profound love. Liang Feng would never go to such lengths for her, either.
This kind of treatment was something only she could enjoy.
She was even unwilling to waste any more time talking to Zhong Yi.
Seeing Meng Lina get up to leave, Zhong Yi quickly reached out and grabbed her.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Having her stopped made Meng Lina extremely unhappy. She shook Zhong Yi’s hand off.
“What is there to tell you? I’ve already said you wouldn’t understand.”
Zhong Yi was speechless again.
“How would you know I don’t understand if you don’t tell me?”
“Fine. I’ll tell you, but don’t go getting too jealous.”
Meng Lina raised her chin again, her expression radiating superiority and unmistakable smugness.
“A few days ago, I went out to eat lunch with a colleague. We ran into two hooligans who were robbing people in broad daylight. We were practically scared to death. Just when things were at their most dangerous, Liang Feng appeared. He put himself in danger to shield me, and while saving me, he was stabbed twice by those thugs. He had two gaping wounds in his body, and who knows how much blood he lost! I was terrified at the time, but he still held my hand and comforted me, saying that as long as I was safe, nothing else mattered. He wasn’t even afraid of dying to save me…”
“Let me ask you this: Would Liang Feng ever go that far for you?”
“He was willing to throw his life away just to save me! With a love like that, what reason do I have to doubt him?”
Zhong Yi finally understood.
The story she had overheard in the county town that day had been about Liang Feng and Meng Lina.
But could something really be that coincidental?
Liang Feng had already been pushed almost to the end of his rope. Then, just at that moment, he happened to encounter Meng Lina being robbed, allowing him to appear like a hero descending from the heavens…
Wait a minute.
Why did this storyline sound so familiar?
Zhong Yi furrowed her brows, trying hard to recall something.
“That’s enough. I’ve said everything I needed to say, and now I’m leaving. The money has been repaid. I hope you’ll know your place from now on. Stop bothering Liang Feng, and don’t interfere with our lives anymore.”
Meng Lina had come for two reasons. First, to repay the money. Second, to warn Zhong Yi not to entertain any more fantasies about Liang Feng.
Liang Feng was her man!
“Wait a moment.”
Zhong Yi couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
Back then, the reason the Zhong family had felt indebted to the Liang family—and spent so much money supporting them over the course of eight years—could ultimately be traced back to Liang Feng saving the original owner’s life.
Thinking about it carefully, the original owner had been washing clothes by the river when the incident happened. Although it had been summer, people were constantly passing by the steps along the riverbank, and the grass nearby had been neatly cleared.
Yet, somehow, a snake had suddenly appeared. The original owner had been frightened by it, lost her footing, and fallen into the river. Liang Feng had happened to pass by at that exact moment and rescued her.
At the time, no one had thought much about it. They had simply regarded Liang Feng as her lifesaver.
But the more Zhong Yi thought about it now, the stranger it seemed.
She remembered that Liang Feng’s father had died of illness not long before the incident. The Liang family had been living in dire poverty. They had borrowed money from others, and according to what people said, they had barely enough food to survive.
Because of that one act of saving the original owner’s life, the Zhong family had begun supporting the Liang family financially for eight long years.
Looking back now, Zhong Yi suspected that the supposed act of saving her life had most likely been part of a scheme all along.
And now, the very same trick seemed to have been used on Meng Lina.
Since they were both women, Zhong Yi felt she had a responsibility to warn Meng Lina about the mistake her own family had made.
So she told Meng Lina what had happened all those years ago.
Meng Lina listened patiently until Zhong Yi finished, then let out a mocking laugh.
“What exactly are you trying to say? That you suspect Liang Feng deliberately set up the whole thing? Honestly, how can you be such a nasty person? Is it because Liang Feng doesn’t want you anymore, and you’ve become so bitter that you’ve lost your mind?”
“You were unlucky enough to encounter a snake. That’s all there is to it. And as for what happened to me, I wasn’t the only one there at the time. A newly arrived female doctor was with me, too. Are you seriously suggesting that all of them conspired to deceive me?”
“Enough. I’m not talking to you anymore. I have to hurry back to take care of Liang Feng. Remember what I said: From now on, you’re not allowed to pester Liang Feng ever again!”