He suddenly sighed, leaned his head back on the sofa helplessly, looked up at the ceiling, and said sadly: "Brother Hongjun, I owe you a debt!"
Seeing him so moved, I couldn't help but feel sad, "Brother, as a man, who doesn't owe some emotional debts? Just say it out loud. Actually, Liu Yun is quite reasonable. She just feels resentful about your leaving without saying goodbye and giving you no explanation."
Hu Haitao sat up slowly and looked at me with a complicated expression: "In my life, I give gratitude to your sister-in-law and true love to Liu Yun. We knew each other's situation from the day we started. No one expected a long-lasting relationship. We just wanted the happiness. Emotionally, I gave my all and I don't feel I owe you too much. The debt I'm talking about is a debt of real money."
This really surprised me: "You... borrowed money from her?"
He took a deep breath and nodded slowly: "Yes. I took one million from her."
I gasped. One million is not a small amount even today, let alone in 2011.
He saw my shock and continued, "I'm not very ambitious. I only got a bachelor's degree. Whether he can learn skills is secondary, but for face, your sister-in-law and I insisted on sending him to study in the United States. It sounds good, but it really costs money! I've been in the officialdom for so long, and I can't say I'm incorruptible, but to be honest, I've only drunk a lot of alcohol. I'm cautious and timid, so I don't dare to put money in my pocket when I have the chance. At first, your sister-in-law and I lived frugally and could barely make ends meet. But from the beginning, we were stretched to the limit and couldn't make ends meet anymore. I had no choice but to ask Liu Yun for help."
After understanding the whole story, I developed a sympathy for this official in front of me - although he was not honest, he was also greedy and crazy to amass wealth.
I asked: "Does Liu Yun know what this money is used for?"
He nodded: "I told the truth."
I asked, "Did you give her an IOU?"
He shook his head: "No. At first she said I didn't have to pay her back, and I didn't mind. But she tore up my IOU in front of me."
Liu Yun can be regarded as an open-minded and affectionate woman.
I asked, "Does your sister-in-law know about this?"
He gritted his teeth, his expression painful: "At first I kept it a secret from her, and only said that I borrowed money from a boss with whom I had a good relationship. But I don't know who was so nosy and told her about Liu Yun and me. She insisted on getting a divorce, and I was helpless, so I made up a lie and said that I had sex with Liu Yun... and borrowed money from her. She was skeptical and didn't ask for a divorce, but she scolded me as soon as she saw me, saying that I was a "giver"! "
The tone of his voice and the expression of deep hatred and resentment on his face really made me laugh so hard that I burst out laughing.
My smile obviously made him more embarrassed: "Brother, you...you are making fun of me?"
I quickly tightened my face and pretended to be serious: "Sister-in-law... you are right." As soon as I finished speaking, I was stunned - why did I say this without thinking? It sounded like a black humor.
This time I really couldn't hold it back! I laughed so hard that my cheeks were sore.
Seeing me like this, he couldn't help laughing too, and started laughing even more exaggeratedly than me—he laughed until tears streamed down his face.
In this office that is not very grand and even a bit cramped, a middle-aged man and a man who is about to enter middle age laugh wildly in the face of the reality that their relationship and life are broken. However, their laughter is filled with sadness.
After an unknown amount of time, when the laughter was gradually tinged with fatigue and sadness, the room finally fell silent.
He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, his eyes bleak.
I asked, "Does Mayor Hu know about this?"
He said, "I don't know. Your sister-in-law won't let me tell you. She said that if I tell Haiyang about this, he will definitely find ways to help me pay back the money. But he is a department-level official, how much does it take for him to earn one million? Isn't this forcing Haiyang to make mistakes? Moreover," he paused, "your sister-in-law thinks that doing this is like forcing Haiyang to repay his parents for raising him."
I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and said, "Brother, your life is not in vain. You have met two good women. 'A wife who has lived with you for many years will not be divorced, and a new favorite in a wealthy family will not be divorced.' If I were in your place, I would also be hesitant and confused about this dilemma of choosing between fish and bear's paw."
He felt deeply: "Oh. But in the end, I have to face reality. Haiyang knows that he will never let me abandon my wife and become a modern Chen Mei."
I pondered for a moment, and finally blurted out, "Brother, I understand your situation and I feel for you. Based on my understanding of you and Liu Yun, it is not difficult to part ways amicably. The problem is the one million, which has caused resentment in your hearts. She doesn't care about the money, but she cares that you don't have an explanation; you can't pay the money back, and you don't know how to explain. In the final analysis, it's hard to untie the knot. I think it's better to do this: I will find a way to help you return the money to Liu Yun. The two of you can part ways amicably, keep some thoughts, and be clear from now on, and live a happy life. You can also return to your family with peace of mind and live a comfortable life. What do you think?"
He shook his head like a rattle: "No! This matter has nothing to do with you, how can I trouble you? Besides, where can you get so much money? Brother, listen to my advice, don't try, or you will be caught!"
I insisted, "Why is it okay? You and Liu Yun are both my friends! As for money, there are always more solutions than problems. Don't worry, I won't make that mistake."
I! am not a good person, I am too lazy to help others in need. I! am not a bad person, I will not take advantage of others' misfortune.
In the final analysis, I am just laying a plot line. Based on my understanding of Hu Haitao, he will tell his brother Hu Haiyang about this sooner or later. In the future, if Yue Mingyuan and I have a falling out, as long as Hu Haiyang still cares about our old friendship and can remain neutral, it will be worth it.
As for the risk? Of course not. Even if Hu Haiyang wants to use this one million to find out the source of my money, he has to be cautious. Behind this is the scandal of his brother Hu Haitao.
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