"Brother Lei, there's no need to risk yourself for such a scumbag."
"She'll regret the foolish decision she's making now."
"It's good that you've seen her true colors now, rather than discovering she's like this after getting married."
Chen Yang was burning with anger just listening to it. That woman was truly rotten to the core. Not only did she swindle Lei Baoguo's parents out of their life savings, but she also caused him to lose his chance to become a volunteer soldier.
It was fortunate that Lei Baoguo still cared about his parents, otherwise, someone else might have impulsively done something foolish.
"Little brother, I know it's not worth getting angry over that woman."
"But that was the savings my parents scraped together for half their lives. They lived frugally at home, saving this little bit of money with the hope of finding me a wife."
"Now it's all gone. I don't know how to face them."
"They work their fingers to the bone from dawn till dusk. Even my younger sister goes to the production team before daybreak to cut pig feed and earn work points. I've failed them."
"Now that the opportunity to become a volunteer soldier is gone, I'll have to go back to farming. I've also failed the instructor."
Lei Baoguo gritted his teeth. He could have had a bright future, but now, because of this woman who betrayed him, he had nothing.
He had explicitly told her in his letter that he could become a volunteer soldier. However, considering that becoming a volunteer soldier would mean staying in the army for at least another five years.
He knew that Zhao Shufang couldn't wait for him for five more years, so Lei Baoguo was willing to give up this opportunity and retire to come back.
Even so, she hadn't even mentioned in her letter that she had already been with someone else.
How could Lei Baoguo not be angry? He wished he could kill Zhao Shufang. She was truly wicked to the core. Suzhou Novel Network
"Brother Lei, when you gave her the betrothal gifts, did you keep any proof? Let's go to the public security comrades and get the money back. We absolutely cannot let those two scoundrels benefit."
Chen Yang was also furious, his teeth itching. He had never met such a shameless person.
"She acted so perfectly back then. Not to mention me, even my parents were completely fooled by that woman. We agreed to the engagement and gave the betrothal gifts. Who would have thought she'd do this after we were engaged?"
"No one writes a receipt when giving betrothal gifts for an engagement. If I give her the money and she denies it, I won't have any proof."
As he spoke, Lei Baoguo fiercely slapped himself. He hated himself for being so stupid back then, for trusting that woman so much.
"Brother Lei, what are you doing?"
"It's not worth it."
"We'll find a way to deal with her. I refuse to believe that in this world, such bad people can get away with it."
"Does she have a workplace? At worst, we'll make a scene at her workplace. I don't believe she'd be shameless enough to lose face there. I think she's counting on your honesty, Brother Lei, thinking you'll just swallow this bitter pill."
"Let's get a wheelchair now. And the matchmaker who introduced you to her, that matchmaker must know about your family giving the betrothal gifts. I refuse to believe that in this world, swindlers can strut around while victims can only suffer in silence."
Chen Yang, having lived two lives, had more mature ideas than the impulsive Lei Baoguo.
Lei Baoguo might be afraid of losing face and causing his parents to lose face later, but Chen Yang didn't think so.
It would be foolish to let Zhao Shufang spend the betrothal money like a mute eating a bitter herb. Moreover, if this matter were to be exposed, Zhao Shufang would be the one to lose more face.
In everyone's eyes, she would be a shameless woman who got engaged, accepted betrothal gifts, and then engaged in illicit relations. Strictly speaking, this was fraud.
"Little brother, the years I've lived longer than you have truly been wasted. I don't see things as clearly as you do."
"That woman is in the Kunqu opera class of the city's opera troupe. I don't believe she'll be shameless enough. The person who introduced her to me is a woman from our village who joined the opera troupe. By seniority, I should call her Grandma."
"She personally saw my parents wrap the betrothal gifts in red paper and hand them to Zhao Shufang. I refuse to believe everyone will betray their conscience."
Upon hearing Chen Yang's words, Lei Baoguo immediately sat up excitedly.
"That's good. That's good."
"Let's go find the matchmaker first. If she agrees to testify for us, it will be much easier."
"Let's make a big fuss about this. This is about right and wrong. Justice is in people's hearts. I don't believe everyone will fail to see who is doing wrong."
"If that woman still shamelessly refuses to admit it, then we'll find the public security. If it weren't for the fact that we only have witnesses and no physical evidence, we'd have the public security arrest her and make her pay."
Although he didn't know how much money Lei Baoguo's parents had given, the mention of "three turns and one ring" implied that the amount was definitely not small.
In this era, even city dwellers struggled to afford "three turns and one ring."
Even if they bought the cheapest items, it would cost at least over two hundred yuan. For a rural family to come up with such a sum, it was imaginable what a price they had to pay.
Perhaps it wasn't just Lei Baoguo's parents' life savings; they might have even borrowed money.
"Chen Yang, thank you."
"If it weren't for you, I, this good-for-nothing, would just be sulking here by myself."
"Why should she spend my family's money, deceive my feelings, and ruin my future, while I suffer here and she's completely fine?"
"I want everyone to know what kind of person she is, so she doesn't deceive anyone else!"
"And the money she swindled from my parents, not a single cent will be written off."
Lei Baoguo gritted his teeth. After Chen Yang's suggestion, he finally understood what he needed to do.
"Young man, uncle supports you."
"We saw how that woman looked earlier. She's truly not a decent person. We can't let such a woman harm others."
"Exactly, exactly. Auntie was saying earlier that the crows were cawing, and seeing her today felt like the worst luck in eight lifetimes."
Just then, two other patients in the adjacent beds also chimed in. They had all witnessed Zhao Shufang informing Lei Baoguo of the breakup.
At first, seeing Zhao Shufang's aggressive and righteous demeanor, they thought Lei Baoguo had done something to wrong her.
Now that they heard the truth, they were all furious.
"We have wheelchairs at the nurse's station. I'll go and apply with the head nurse to borrow one for you. Just remember to return it when you're back."
At this moment, a young nurse who had just finished changing medication for a patient in the next room peeked her head in.
Others might not know, but she knew that this injured man was a PLA soldier, a great hero who subdued a villain on the train. She never expected that woman to be so wicked.
She had already disliked that couple for a long time. Now, to help the hero get justice, even if she couldn't contribute much, she could still apply to the head nurse to borrow a spare wheelchair from the hospital.
"Uncle, Auntie, thank you for scolding that woman for me."
"Comrade Li, thank you, thank you so much."
Upon hearing the young nurse's words, Lei Baoguo's eyes instantly turned red. In this world, there were still people who could distinguish right from wrong.
"Brother Lei, see? There are still many good people in this world. We don't need to do anything foolish over one bad woman."
Seeing Lei Baoguo regain his fighting spirit, Chen Yang felt much relieved. In this society, heroes like Lei Baoguo shouldn't be met with indifference, or even driven to despair.