He returned home in a daze and watched as Qi's mother and Qi Zhifang pasted matchboxes by the dim candlelight. Suddenly, he felt that the bowl of noodles he had just eaten was truly a sin.

He said softly, "Don't stay up too late, go to sleep early!" Qi's mother glanced at him and said, "Didn't Xiao Cui come back with you?"

Qi Zhifang snorted coldly, "They're afraid we'll get involved. I think they're not even as good as Xiao Wei. At least Xiao Wei pays money to her family in real money. Look at her, she only gets 20 yuan a month and she's so stingy, afraid that others will take advantage of her!" As she spoke, she put the cardboard box she had made aside and picked up another one.

Mother Qi sighed and said, "We're all family, after all. We don't blame him for being so clear about things. But now that you, as her husband, are back, she should at least take care of him. How could she not come back? Zhijun, have you asked him what he means? What are his thoughts?"

Qi Zhijun put down her bag, washed her hands, and came over to help. As she worked, she said, "It's nothing. There's a competition at the Youth Palace in the city recently, so she's quite busy and can't come back for the time being. We'll talk about it again after this period. Don't overthink it. Life will go on. And don't mention Xiao Wei anymore. He remarried, and I remarried too. It wouldn't be good if others heard about it."

Qi's mother and Qi Zhifang exchanged glances, pursed their lips, and rolled their eyes, conveying a series of messages through their facial expressions. However, they ultimately refrained from saying anything further to provoke Qi Zhijun.

Qi Zhijun stayed at home for two days, then reluctantly left two yuan behind before going back to work. She had almost finished her handicrafts that day, so Qi Zhifang took them to exchange. Wearing a headscarf and gray work clothes, she was no longer the glamorous woman she usually was. Her once delicate, fair hands had become increasingly rough, so she had to wear gloves and carry the materials for making matchboxes, head down, as she walked forward.

She's been subjected to unwarranted criticism and insults lately, and she's lost the will to argue with others, so she can only passively accept it numbly.

I used to live for love and romance, living in an ivory tower I built for myself, thinking I was a princess. Now that the princess has left the ivory tower and is living a normal life, I'm just living for the mundane necessities of life.

Suddenly, a large Oriental truck drove up from behind and slowly moved forward on the road. "Look at this truckload of criminals, they're all going to be taken to the Northwest."

"Those people standing in that row in the far right truck bed are the ones who forged tickets before. Oh my god, why don't they shoot these bastards? The government is too lenient, actually giving them a way out."

"Pah! If they die from being shot, they'll just waste our country's bullets. They should be sent to the Northwest to reclaim wasteland and farm, growing more grain to contribute to the motherland, and work those bastards to death."

Upon hearing this, she immediately turned around, only to find Dai Shiliang, whom she hadn't seen for almost half a year, in the car. This was a scene she had imagined countless nights: what would her makeup be like when she met Dai Shiliang again, and what words would she use to question her? But now, she unconsciously touched her face with one hand, her whole body trembling, and she gripped the bag of materials tightly with both hands.

The car moved slowly forward. Dai Shiliang, with vacant eyes and emaciated frame, wore a labor camp uniform, his head shaved, his lips cracked and covered with thick, bloody scabs. He looked as wretched as a stray dog.

With a large sign hanging in front of his chest, Dai Shiliang was sentenced to 37 years in prison for forgery, fraud, and rape.

Qi Zhifang looked at the bright red words "rape" and felt a pang of pain in her heart. She covered her mouth tightly with both hands to keep from crying out, but tears streamed through her fingers.

Dai Shiliang just stared blankly at the crowd, his expression calm and his lifeless eyes devoid of any emotion.

Qi Zhifang could feel his gaze lingering on her; he could see her. Only when the car and the man were completely out of sight did Qi Zhifang quickly lower her head and hurry home.

Her heart wept silently, screaming in anger, "Shiliang, in the days since I lost contact with you, I've faced every quiet night alone, my heart filled with longing and worry. Please forgive my selfishness, for I am not only your lover, but also your mother and daughter. I have my own family to protect, and I had no choice but to sacrifice you. I'm sorry! It's just that we were destined to be apart. We clearly loved each other, yet we were separated by unavoidable circumstances. And I will suffer the torment of my conscience day and night! This is God's revenge on me!"

Qi Zhifang returned home in a daze. Her mother, seeing her distraught state, was alarmed. "Fangzi! What's wrong? Tell me what happened. Mom's here!"

Qi Zhifang cried, "Mom, I saw him! How come I can't hate him at all! He was sentenced to 37 years, he..."

"Fangzi, calm down, don't scare your mother. We've finally gotten out of this mess, you can't go down the same old path again!" Qi's mother was anxious and at a loss. Qi Zhifang smiled bitterly, patted her mother's shoulder, and shook her head. "Mom, I'm tired, I want to sleep!"

As she fell asleep, Qi's mother covered her mouth and wept. Seeing her daughter, who had always been proud and arrogant, now experiencing such a dramatic turn of events and looking so dejected, she felt terrible, but she was powerless to do anything for her.

There wasn't much time for her to complain. She rubbed her aching back and insisted on making more of the materials Fangzi brought back so she could exchange them for more money and tickets to improve her family's life.

If Wei Shuqing saw this situation, she would definitely be surprised yet expectant. Li Maocai appeared and helped Qi Zhifang avoid imprisonment, but he didn't love Qi Zhifang to death like in the book; he was another person who went astray.

Actually, when she saw it herself, she couldn't quite understand it either. After all, Qi Zhifang was a widow who had given birth to three children and was also having affairs with eight men at the same time. How could a man of status and position insist on marrying her? Especially when he caught her repeatedly, it clearly didn't make sense. Only the outcome before her eyes made more sense of reality.

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