“A signed complaint?” Xia Xiaolan was somewhat surprised. She must have hated Wang Jianhua – with a signed complaint, not only would Wang Jianhua be ruined, but Liu Shan herself would face a dim future…
Du Zhaohui sneered, “If you don’t have the means, you shouldn’t keep a mistress. Who else deserves to suffer if not him!”
He had a point. Du Chengrong could maintain several concubines due to Hong Kong’s special environment and his wealth. The women were willing to stay with him, making such relationships stable long-term.
No, even that relationship had capsized – when several women compete for one man, and the man favors one, he neglects the others. While Du Chengrong maintained control, the flaws weren’t apparent, but once there was a slip, the women around him would “rebel.” The Du family’s bloody example was clear – Liu Keying conspired with Du Zhaoqi to kill Du Chengrong, and Xia Ziyu boldly “borrowed seed” to cuckold Du Chengrong… As for Wang Jianhua, a young cadre who had barely started his career, what could he offer Liu Shan?
Financially, after Wang Guangping and his wife’s years in the countryside and their return to the city, they hadn’t held powerful positions long before retiring to the Party History Office. After all this turmoil, their family wealth might not even match Liu Shan’s.
The records showed that Liu Shan’s father was a professor at the Normal College, unaffected during the Cultural Revolution, maintaining stability throughout. A poor professor might not be rich, but wouldn’t be too badly off either.
To suggest Liu Shan sought power was even more absurd. She and Wang Jianhua both graduated from Normal College with the same qualifications and starting point. Though Wang Jianhua could take shortcuts through his father-in-law’s influence, would he dare extend those privileges to Liu Shan in the short term? He wouldn’t dare.
So Liu Shan wasn’t after money or career help from Wang Jianhua – she was after love. On one hand, lovers seeking romance are the easiest to please, requiring little financial investment; just believing the man loves them keeps them contentedly by his side. On the other hand, such lovers are also the hardest to please – once they begin doubting the man’s feelings, they become extremely unstable and aggressive… Rationality? What rationality would make someone follow Wang Jianhua to Fujian Province without any official status!
Comrade Liu Shan endured moral pressure believing in Wang Jianhua’s feelings. That scoundrel Wang Jianhua must have constantly reassured her and made promises. Yet he had even fathered a child with Xia Ziyu!
More seriously, Liu Shan’s “faith” had collapsed. Thinking of everything she’d sacrificed for Wang Jianhua, her hateful signed complaint was perfectly understandable. From Xia Xiaolan’s objective view, while Liu Shan wasn’t blameless, she had paid the price by destroying her future to bring down Wang Jianhua.
Liu Shan wasn’t innocent, but Wang Jianhua was most despicable. The most unfortunate was Wang Jianhua’s wife – reportedly from a good family but with poor personal conditions, her family wanted to support a capable son-in-law. When the woman’s side is stronger, they can control the man. Years later, when the man becomes stronger and the woman weaker, the son-in-law becomes harder to manage, especially after an influential father-in-law retires.
But he hadn’t retired yet, which is why Xia Xiaolan said Wang Jianhua lacked even the professional qualities of a kept man. Before establishing himself, he was already fooling around – the Zhang family saw no returns but had to swallow their anger!
Du Zhaohui’s gossip was clear and organized, with real-time updates about Wang Jianhua’s situation from the past few days. Xia Xiaolan guessed that Du Chengrong was also monitoring Wang Jianhua’s movements:
“…The old ginger is spicier – Director Du would rather wrong everyone else than let anyone wrong him.”
Du Zhaohui thought this wasn’t unique to the old man; the whole Du family was like this. While thinking this, he didn’t hesitate to criticize his father:
“Right, the old man is vicious.”
After thinking, he sincerely emphasized:
“I’m not like that – it’s shameful that such a person is my father!”
Xia Xiaolan: “…”
Xia Xiaolan believed Liu Shan’s signed complaint dealt Wang Jianhua a fatal blow.
Indeed it did.
When Xia Junbao delivered the child to Wang Jianhua’s workplace, Wang Jianhua could deny everything – DNA paternity tests weren’t understood or used domestically to determine guilt. If Wang Jianhua had placated his wife and convinced his father-in-law, and if the Zhang family decided to handle external threats before internal issues, with no one supporting or guiding Xia Junbao, the situation might have been reversed, dismissed as slander.
Despite the negative local impact, Wang Jianhua could be transferred elsewhere. After lying low for a few years, he could start fresh. As long as nothing entered his personnel file, everything could be managed.
However, Liu Shan’s signed complaint completely shattered Wang Jianhua’s hopes of recovery. Xia Ziyu, a fugitive and “dead person,” couldn’t confront Wang Jianhua. But Liu Shan was alive – another college graduate and young cadre assigned to Fujian Province.
Her signed complaint was a killing move that neither Wang Jianhua nor the Zhang family could stop – it was devastating; the Zhang family couldn’t silence Liu Shan! While Professor Liu wasn’t as powerful as Director Zhang, he had his connections. How could he tolerate his only daughter being wronged by Wang Jianhua?
Most parents are similar – when their children make mistakes, they view everything through rose-colored glasses to defend them. How could their well-behaved child make mistakes? It must be others’ fault, others’ bad influence, or deception!
After Liu Shan submitted her signed complaint, destroying her future and reputation, Wang Jianhua’s escape was impossible.
After Liu Shan’s incident, her mother cried daily to her husband at home, begging him to save their daughter and seek justice.
“Shan was so well-behaved. That scoundrel Wang kept her hanging while dating Xia Ziyu, then turned to comfort her after Xia Ziyu became a fugitive. My poor daughter…”
What was it all for? That bastard was already married – why not let their daughter live her own life?
Professor Liu smoked silently. His daughter’s actions brought him great shame. No matter how much his wife blamed Wang Jianhua, Shan’s own mistakes were inexcusable.
Their daughter was truly ruined. A fine university graduate, is not unattractive – why worry about finding a match? Yet she fell for Wang Jianhua.
When Wang Jianhua had a girlfriend before, Professor Liu thought it fair for his daughter to “compete fairly” since he wasn’t married. But he never imagined his daughter would pursue Wang Jianhua after his marriage. He was wrong – he should never have indulged her!
Shan was wrong, he admitted it.
He failed to teach her properly, he admitted that too.
But Wang was also wrong!
Mistakes must have consequences – regardless of who came knocking, Professor Liu wouldn’t compromise.
If there was to be punishment, both Liu Shan and Wang Jianhua should face it.
“Enough crying. It’s too late for words now. Let’s see how the organization handles it.”