“At that time, Ye Yunshuang wasn’t married yet. Young women were too embarrassed to talk about such things—she kept covering her face the whole time, and it was Dalong’s sister who did all the talking.”
“I asked the patient, and she nodded, confirming that what Dalong’s sister said was accurate. I took her pulse and diagnosed her with irregular menstruation, so I prescribed Taohong Siwu Decoction.”
“After that, she came by herself for follow-ups. Later, she got married, and her husband started accompanying her.”
“After I left the traditional Chinese medicine hospital, I really intended to stop prescribing. But they sought me out and insisted. Considering I’d been treating her for a long time and her condition had indeed improved, I wrote three more prescriptions for her.”
Xu Lai raised his hand solemnly. “Comrade, I swear—she was the only patient I prescribed for after leaving the hospital, and it was just those three formulas.”
Learning that Xu Lai had been unaware of the situation, Shen Zhiqiu’s attitude toward him softened. She pressed further: “Do you know what relationship the woman Wang Fengqin brought had with her?”
“I think she was her cousin. I heard the girl call her ‘cousin’ once. Another time, when I went to drink with Dalong, I even ran into her at their house.”
Shen Zhiqiu suddenly realized that since Xu Lai was close to Wang Yuelong, he might know something about Wang Fengqin’s affair with Shen Daqiang.
She had also reviewed Yue Mingyuan’s investigation files on Xu Lai. After sending Old Dong and several others to labor camps, Xu Lai had changed his name and moved to this area—right around the time her parents had just started dating.
“By the way, were you familiar with Wang Fengqin’s husband?” Shen Zhiqiu looked at Xu Lai.
“Old Shen? Of course! I knew him back when he was dating Dalong’s sister.”
At the mention of Shen Daqiang, Xu Lai visibly relaxed. “Old Shen was incredibly generous—every time he visited, he’d bring good cigarettes and liquor. I always looked forward to his visits.”
“Do you know when he and Wang Fengqin got married?”
“Well…” Xu Lai thought for a moment. “It was early spring of ’65.”
“I remember there was a late cold spell that year. On their wedding day, it was freezing—both of them had icicles hanging from their hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes, like a pair of snowmen.”
“But the banquet was impressive. All of Dalong’s sister’s friends and relatives said she’d married a capable man…”
Noticing Shen Zhiqiu’s darkening expression, Xu Lai faltered, unsure what he’d said wrong, and his voice trailed off into silence.
Yue Mingli patted Shen Zhiqiu’s shoulder, signaling her to steady herself, then took over the questioning. “Did they invite many people to the wedding?”
“Yeah, pretty much all the neighbors around here attended.”
“Are most of those old neighbors still living here now?”
“Quite a few, yeah. Only a handful have moved away.”
Yue Mingli glanced at the officer recording the interrogation. After receiving a nod, a young man stepped forward to collect the transcript.
After skimming through it, Yue Mingli handed the document and an ink pad to Xu Lai. “Read this over. If everything’s correct, sign and fingerprint the bottom.”
Once Xu Lai had signed and pressed his thumbprint, he looked up, bewildered, still unsure what exactly they were investigating.
“Xiao Li, go with him and have him bring over a few others who attended the wedding back then,” Yue Mingli instructed his apprentice.
“Don’t go spreading word of this, understand?” Yue Mingli warned Xu Lai.
Xu Lai nodded vigorously. “Understood, Comrade. Absolutely.”
The others brought in later corroborated Xu Lai’s account—Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin’s wedding had taken place just over half a year after his marriage to Shen Zhiqiu’s mother. None of the neighbors knew he had another wife; they all believed Wang Fengqin was his only spouse.
If they could also find proof that Shen Liya was Shen Daqiang’s biological daughter, that would be enough to confirm the charge of bigamy against both Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin.
Yet Shen Zhiqiu felt no joy at this realization—only a deep ache in her heart.
How much suffering had her mother endured?
Had she eventually learned about Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin?
Shen Zhiqiu remembered her mother arguing with her father, threatening divorce—only to be brutally beaten in response.
After that, her mother’s health deteriorated further, leaving her barely able to leave her bed.
“Comrade, was there… anything else you needed from me?” Xu Lai asked nervously, snapping Shen Zhiqiu out of her thoughts.
Shen Zhiqiu fixed her gaze on him. “Xu Lai, do you remember the Dong family?”
All color drained from Xu Lai’s face. He pointed a trembling finger at her. “You… you’re from the Dongs?”
“I’m half-Dong. Dong Hesong is my honorary grandfather.”
“It’s happening… It’s really happening. I knew they’d never let me go.”
Xu Lai dropped to his knees, kowtowing desperately. “Comrade, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please, spare me!”
“Back then… I was young and foolish! I was just following orders!”
Shen Zhiqiu sidestepped, avoiding his bow. “Your pleas mean nothing to me. Save them for my grandfather.”
“Do you think saying you were ‘young and foolish’ erases what you did?”
“Do you have any idea that your actions drove my grandfather’s parents to suicide? That his four-year-old daughter fell ill and died on the road?”
“I… I know. I know all of it.” Xu Lai shuddered. “That’s why I’ve been living in fear.”
“I never thought Uncle Dong would take his own life. I just wanted to vent my anger—I never meant for anyone to die!”
“After his death, I had nightmares every night. I kept dreaming he’d come back to haunt me. That’s why I changed my name and moved here.”
“But you can’t escape fate. It always catches up.”
Xu Lai wiped the tears and snot from his face, his expression hardening with resolve. “Comrade, where is Elder Dong now? Let me go and beg for his forgiveness!”
Knowing this was a lingering wound for Old Dong, Shen Zhiqiu agreed to take Xu Lai to see him in a few days.
The stifling heat that day only deepened Shen Zhiqiu’s gloom.
“Zhiqiu!” Tian Man waved from the roadside.
Forcing a smile, Shen Zhiqiu stopped her bike and dismounted. “Sister-in-law.”
“Are you feeling unwell? You look pale,” Tian Man said with concern.
Shen Zhiqiu touched her flushed cheeks. “Probably just a bit of heatstroke from being out too long. It’s nothing serious.”
“You’ve just finished your postpartum month—don’t overexert yourself. Health comes first.” Tian Man patted her hand.
Shen Zhiqiu nodded. “You’re right.”
“Oh, I wanted to tell you—the editor approved that article. It’s going to be published again!”
“That’s wonderful news!” Shen Zhiqiu clasped Tian Man’s hands, her spirits lifting.
