Time: 2013-03-14 19:39 Source: "Storyteller" Author: Wan Li Qiu Feng \ 1. Love Rival
Liang Ping came home from a night shift and saw the courtyard across the street bustling with people coming and going. He asked his wife, Li Yu, "Why is it so lively across the street?" Li Yu said, "Zhang Qiang is back, treating friends to dinner at home." "I just came to invite you, and I said you haven't finished work yet. He said we'll go over together when you come back." Liang Ping said nothing. He and Zhang Qiang and Li Yu grew up together as friends since childhood. After graduating from high school, none of them got into college. Liang Ping was introduced and worked as a temporary worker at the city police station. Zhang Qiang, however, was unwilling to find a job and was always thinking about getting rich. Both had liked Li Yu since school. Li Yu originally felt better about Zhang Qiang, but Li Yu's parents preferred the steady and reliable Liang Ping, thinking that although Zhang Qiang was clever, he was not reliable. When both proposed marriage to Li Yu, under the influence of their parents, Li Yu ultimately chose Liang Ping. From then on, they had a knot in their hearts. On the day Liang Ping and Li Yu got engaged, Zhang Qiang carried his bag and went south, and he was gone for five years. Now that he heard Zhang Qiang had returned, Liang Ping felt a bit embarrassed. But thinking about it, he had been married to Li Yu for three years; this matter should have long since passed. He changed clothes and went with Li Yu to the front yard of the Zhang family's house. As soon as he entered the courtyard, Liang Ping was startled. A Toyota sedan was parked in the yard. Liang Ping knew it was a car too, and he heard it was over 200,000. Looking at Zhang Qiang, dressed in a suit, his face glowing with a rosy glow, he was greeting everyone. Friends who used to grow up together in the village had all come, sitting at four tables. Seeing Liang Ping, Zhang Qiang warmly walked over and pulled him to sit next to him. Li Yuze sat at the woman's table. During the chat, Liang Ping learned that Zhang Qiang was returning home in glory. Five years ago, he went to Guangdong and worked with a boss. Because he was clever and capable, he made some money. Later, he started his own business, made several million, and opened a small factory in Guangdong, which was doing well. He handed out a business card with the general manager's title to everyone, and one buddy said enviously, "Millions, Zhang. If it were here, building a small house would be enough to last two generations." Zhang Qiang smiled and shook his head: "What's there to keep here? I've already bought a house in Guangdong, that's where I live."As soon as night fell, the lights were dazzling everywhere, malls, restaurants, nightclubs all around; you could buy whatever you wanted, eat whatever you wanted, play whatever you wanted. It only takes a little over an hour to drive from my home to Hong Kong, and I've been there several times.” Everyone marveled, and another guy said, “Brother Zhang, you're really something; whoever marries you is truly lucky.” Zhang Qiang said calmly, “I'm not married yet; my career is too busy, I don't have time to think about it.” As he spoke, he deliberately looked toward the table with the women. When Li Yu's eyes met his, her heart pounded. Zhang Qiang discreetly withdrew his gaze and patted the shoulder of Liang Ping beside him, saying, “Brother, what are you doing now?” Liang Ping awkwardly replied, “I'm still at the police station, checking the detention room.” Zhang Qiang nodded: “Not bad. You've been working five or six years; is it about time to become a regular employee?” Liang Ping said, “There will be a spot at the end of this year; I'm trying for it.” Zhang Qiang smiled and didn't comment further.
When they returned home that night, Li Yu was unusually quiet, and Liang Ping had nothing to say either. The couple went to bed in silence.
Liang Ping often worked night shifts, so the couple had little time for intimacy, and Li Yu still hadn't become pregnant. Still, having a job in the city was something to treasure. Liang Ping worked hard; if he could become a regular employee, life wouldn't be so hard.
After Zhang Qiang returned, he drove around daily, reminiscing, without hurrying to leave. When he ran into villagers playing cards or mahjong, he joined in, caring little about winning or losing. But within a few days, gossip started spreading, saying that his return this time was actually for Li Yu.
The rumor soon spread through the village, and Liang Ping was the last to know. One day, a month later, Liang Ping came home after a night shift, and Li Yu placed a divorce agreement on the table. Liang Ping felt his world spin. After calming himself, he asked Li Yu, “Have you really thought this through? Do you feel no attachment to our home at all?” Li Yu cried: “Liangzi, you know I've wanted to leave the countryside since I was a child. You've worked at the police station for so many years and still haven't become a regular employee. Do you know how much I want to have a child? With you on night shifts all the time, when will it ever happen?”
Liang Ping opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, finally resignedly saying, “You should at least tell the elders about the divorce. Go home and tell your parents. If they all agree, I'll sign.” Li Yu said, “I asked them last night; they all agreed.” Liang Ping sighed deeply and signed the paper.The divorce procedures were completed in just half a day. After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Liang Ping saw a Toyota parked outside, and Li Yu immediately got into the car.||2. Revenge||Good news stays indoors, but bad news spreads far and wide. The news of Liang Ping being dumped by Li Yu quickly spread throughout the village. People said that Li Yu went to enjoy life with Zhang Qiang. A few elderly villagers felt sympathetic and approached Liang Ping, offering to introduce him to potential partners. Although he couldn't compare to Zhang Qiang, Liang Ping was still considered a decent guy in the village, so finding someone shouldn't be a problem. However, at that moment, Liang Ping really wasn't in the mood. He thanked the elderly villagers and started drinking alone out of melancholy.||While he was drinking, Li Yu's parents arrived, extremely anxious. They asked, "Liang Zi, why did you divorce Xiao Yu?" Liang Ping was surprised: "Xiao Yu said she had consulted you both. She was so determined, I was afraid she'd get upset." Li Yu's father slapped his forehead: "I only found out today! That stubborn girl has completely embarrassed me, we Li family have wronged you."||Liang Ping comforted the two elders: "Dad, Mom, even though we are divorced, I still treat you as if you are my parents. Li Yu has always longed for the big city. She is happier with Zhang Qiang than with me, so let her go."||Li Yu's father trembled with anger: "No matter how well Zhang Qiang treats her, can he be as good as you? The hospital checked, and she can't have children. You didn't even let us know, fearing she'd be stressed and upset. Where can we ever find a good person like you?" The more he spoke, the angrier he got: "I should go to Old Zhang, he's raising a good son. So what if they have a bit of money?" At that moment, Li Yu's younger brother ran in: "Dad, no one is at Old Zhang's house. I heard the whole family left together by car. My sister just called me, saying she feels sorry for you both. She left a bank card at home with 50,000 yuan inside and said she will continue sending money in the future."||Li Yu's father collapsed in despair, tears streaming: "Our family is unfortunate, so unfortunate!"||At this moment, Li Yu was also in tears. Her heart was reluctant, but she couldn't resist the lure of Zhang Qiang and the city. Since their student days, she had liked Zhang Qiang's dashing and clever nature. Now that Zhang Qiang had returned, he was even more mature and handsome, exuding the charm of a successful person. Compared to him, Liang Ping seemed too rustic, too dull. Especially the life Zhang Qiang described to her made her feel that she had been a frog in a well for over twenty years, and now she finally had the chance to fly. She couldn't miss it.\Zhang Qiang drove to the best hotel in the county and booked two rooms because it was getting dark and driving would be unsafe. His parents stayed in one room, and he stayed with Li Yu in the other. Sitting on the sofa, he smiled at Li Yu and said, “You can leave now.”\Li Yu looked at him in shock: “What did you say?” Zhang Qiang said, “You don't really think I came back to marry you, do you? To be honest, besides picking up my parents, the reason I came back this time was to show you how wrong your choice was back then, and to make that jerk Liang Ping taste what it's like for a woman to be taken away. Now it's all over. You can go home today and remarry tomorrow, and the fifty thousand yuan will count as my compensation to you. How about it, not bad, right?”\Li Yu felt as if the sky had fallen. She stared at Zhang Qiang: “You must be joking, right? You're joking! Everything you told me these days, how could it be all lies? You even cried and told me you'd always been thinking of me!” Zhang Qiang sneered: “I've always been thinking of you, always thinking of the day when you and Liang Ping would be humiliated. As for crying, businessmen are all good actors. If you can't act, how can you make money?”\Li Yu looked at Zhang Qiang in despair, while he looked at her with a cruel smile. Li Yu dragged her heavy steps toward the door. She remembered Liang Ping's obedience to her, recalled her own cold-heartedness, thought of her parents' aging and pained faces, and remembered the villagers' looks of contempt or schadenfreude. She was desperate and suddenly turned and rushed toward the window.\Zhang Qiang was startled and tried to stop her, but it was too late. The hotel windows in the county are open-style, and Li Yu easily smashed the glass and fell from the sixth floor.\Zhang Qiang didn't expect Li Yu to commit suicide. In his view, Li Yu loved to indulge herself and was vain. Although he humiliated her, he also gave her fifty thousand yuan. He had vented his anger, and she didn't suffer much loss, so he considered the matter over. Now things had gotten out of hand, but fortunately, since she had committed suicide, it had nothing to do with him.\The hotel, seeing someone jump, had called the police. The police quickly arrived and took Zhang Qiang to the station for questioning. Zhang Qiang told everything in detail. Although what he did was disgraceful, it was not illegal, and hiding it would only make things worse. After a preliminary investigation of the scene, the police also concluded that Li Yu had committed suicide. Although Zhang Qiang was shameless, it was only a matter of morality, beyond the reach of the law.Because of this, the police decided to detain him overnight, and once all the evidence was complete, they would close the case and release him. 3. Sudden Change
His parents came to see Zhang Qiang. Zhang Qiang told them to stay at the hotel, and he would drive back to Guangdong as planned after leaving tomorrow, with nothing serious. After his parents left, Zhang Qiang lay down on the wooden bed in the detention room, planning to get some sleep. But he could never forget Li Yu's desperate face. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to think of something else, and finally managed to get groggy. He didn't know how much time passed before Zhang Qiang was awakened by a strange noise. He groggily opened his eyes and looked toward the door, only to find that the sturdy door had been opened, and someone was standing before him. It was Liang Ping, but not the Liang Ping Zhang Qiang knew. He had never seen Liang Ping look in such eyes or expression. He was so startled that he sat up all at once: "You...... Why are you here? "After saying this, he remembered that Liang Ping had said he was a guard in the detention room at the police station. It really is a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road."
Liang Ping's eyes were about to bleed: "Why did you do this? Xiaoyu likes to follow you, so I'll just give it to you. Why did you want to kill her?" Zhang Qiang hurriedly explained: "No, no, I didn't hurt her. I'm already married and have a wife. I can't marry her. I just wanted to vent my anger. I never expected her to be so impulsive." Liang Ping roared: "You lied to her about wanting to live a good life in a big city. Do you know how much she longs for her?" You tricked her into getting a divorce, so how could she have any way back? You forced her to her death!" Liang Ping raised his hand, and to Zhang Qiang's horror, he found that Liang Ping actually had a gun in his hand! Zhang Qiang shouted, "You...... Where did you get the gun?" Liang Ping said, "I stole it. I've been working here for six years, I know where the gun is." Zhang Qiang's face turned green: "Don't be impulsive. If you kill me, you won't survive!" Liang Ping laughed bitterly and said, "I only took two bullets—one for you, one for me." Liang Ping raised his gun at Zhang Qiang, who suddenly shouted behind him, "Officer, help!" Liang Ping was startled and turned around. Zhang Qiang snatched the gun from his hand and pointed it at him: "Don't come any closer!" Liang Ping's eyes reddened, and he pulled out a fruit knife from his body and lunged at him. Zhang Qiang screamed in fright and was knocked down, the gunshot ringing. By the time Zhang Qiang came to his senses, Liang Ping was already lying on the ground, blood streaming down his chest. Terrified, Zhang Qiang desperately ran toward the door.Just as he reached the door, a police officer came over. Seeing the gun in Zhang Qiang's hand and Liang Ping lying inside the iron gate, the officer shouted loudly, raised his gun, and fired at Zhang Qiang. But the officer was unsteady and missed the shot. Zhang Qiang was terrified. The thought he had wanted to explain was instantly dashed, and in a panic, he raised his hand and fired another shot. The officer clutched his chest, shook twice, and collapsed, blood gushing out. Zhang Qiang was stunned for a few seconds, then screamed, dropped the empty gun in his hand, and ran out the door. He saw a police car parked at the door, which must be the unlucky officer's business. He had no idea what he needed to do in the middle of the night and ended up losing his life. Zhang Qiang got into the car, pressed the accelerator, and sped away. The county police station was small; it seemed there was no one else on duty except Liang Ping. But Zhang Qiang knew that the police would find out early tomorrow morning, and by then, he would have no way to escape. When Zhang Qiang drove to the hotel entrance, he hesitated for a moment and finally gave up. If he went to pick up his parents, the late night would definitely alert the hotel staff, and then he would have even less chance to escape. He looked at the police car; it was running out of gas, so he didn't dare risk refueling. Fortunately, he still had a spare car key, so he parked the police car by the hotel roadside and put on his own bumper