TDU Chapter 390
Chapter 390 Vengeance Commences
Hearing Jiaqi’s words, my tears spilled uncontrollably.
What…the heck was I doing?
I had once, in the darkest corner of this world, told someone I never wanted to be with, {I agree to everything}. I had also, in front of the only person who truly cared for me, exposed the side of myself I never wanted anyone to see.
I felt unbearably sad.
The better Jiaqi treated me, the more I wanted to run away.
I shouldn’t be dragging him down anymore.
"Chenze… what’s wrong?" Jiaqi draped my clothes back over me and gently smoothed my hair. "Did something happen last night? Do you need me to help you deal with it?"
"I…"
I knew that if I spoke of this, it would no longer be only my burden. No matter what, Jiaqi would be implicated.
Even if I intended to kill that entire family, Jiaqi would become an accomplice by knowing and not reporting.
"It’s nothing…" I could only shake my head, burying all the past deep within, just like every other day before.
According to Article 274 of the Criminal Law, extortion involving a relatively large amount, or repeated extortion, is punishable by a limited term of imprisonment of up to three years, detention, or parole. For enormous sums, imprisonment ranges from three to ten years.
If Chengcai ended up in prison for a few years, it would mean nothing to me. Once he was released, what awaited me would be eternal hell.
Jiaqi looked at me for a long moment, then slowly forced a wry smile. "Chenze, I came across an interesting question… mind if I ask you?"
"Mm." I gathered myself and gave a slight nod.
"If offered ten million, would you take it?"
"What?" I was a little confused.
"Let’s say someone offered you ten million right now. Would you take it or refuse?" Jiaqi repeated.
"If someone gave it to me for free… of course I’d take it," I replied, staring at him blankly.
Xiao Sun smiled and nodded. "But what if, after receiving the ten million, you would die at sunrise tomorrow? Would you still take it?"
"I…" I forced a bitter laugh and sighed. "Then of course not."
"In other words, to you, opening your eyes tomorrow surpasses ten million in worth." With a firm hand on my shoulder, Xiao Sun said solemnly, "So every morning, we must tell ourselves: this day is more precious than ten million. We must never waste it."
"What…?"
"Chenze, every single day that you wake up is more important to me than countless sums of ten million," Xiao Sun continued, his expression resolute and clear. "We still have a long future ahead. Let’s cherish each day as we walk it together."
He buttoned up my blouse, one by one, then gently stroked my hair. "You don’t have to do anything in front of me that you don’t want to. I don’t just want to be your {boyfriend}, I want to be your true other half."
Hah… my life.
My miserable life, every step wrong, leading to the next.
If only I had accepted Jiaqi’s love earlier, perhaps my entire life would have been different.
If there were someone in this world who could love me like this, I could have completely abandoned that fragile illusion of family, and no longer harbored any hope in those blood-related relatives.
I would then never naïvely step back into that house, and give a red envelope to my younger brother.
I would also never foolishly assume that twenty years away would reduce their hostility toward me, or that the hometown would have changed in my absence.
I would then never be locked away in that dark room.
Regrettably, I have never been wise; merely a stubborn, common person, forever unable to foresee the fate my decisions would bring.
So all of this is my own fault. No one else is to blame.
Don’t be good to me anymore. I don’t want any hope left.
For I will soon {slaughter my entire family}, and thereby embody the demon I deserve to be called.
For the next few days, I acted as if nothing was wrong, staying with Jiaqi, quietly awaiting the arrival of that day.
On the fifth morning, I turned on the air conditioning and TV at home, then went downstairs to unplug the dashcam in my car and switched off my phone’s location-tracking function.
I contacted the most expensive scalper online, but I refused to talk over the phone and insisted on communicating via WeChat.
After spending eighteen thousand yuan, I successfully bought a stalls-seat ticket to Jay Chou’s concert, and I also purchased some of his fan merchandise for two hundred yuan.
After receiving the delivery, I photographed the merchandise and ticket and posted it on Moments, set Chengcai as blocked, and wrote beneath: {So excited}.
Seeing people start to like the post, I anonymously uploaded a photo of the ticket’s QR code to Jay Chou’s forum and posted, {Can anyone confirm if this ticket is genuine?}
If nothing unforeseen occurs, this ticket will be used up, whether or not I set foot in Jay Chou’s concert hall.
Next, I went on to find a few {shady} figures who had previously turned to me for legal matters, arranging for them to quietly procure some {necessary tools} for my plan, along with hefty hush money.
The final step was to visit a street-side print shop to print two digits on a blue paper to stick over my license plate, changing my car number. I didn’t need to alter all the numbers—just two digits, and my car would no longer be traceable to me.
With everything prepared, I drove toward my {home} under the rising sun.
I avoided all highways and main roads, threading through small village paths wherever possible. Even though my plate had been altered, I still took care to evade every camera along the way.
By evening, I had finished navigating the last stretch of mountain road and parked my car inconspicuously by the village entrance. I opened a ride-hailing app and ordered a car from my apartment to the Jay Chou concert venue.
A few minutes later, the driver called.
"Hello?"
"Hey miss, I’m here. Where are you?"
"Mister, I’m not getting in. Just drive straight to the destination, and I’ll pay the fare."
"What?"
"That’s it, goodbye."
Watching the app display {Trip in Progress}, I turned my phone on silent mode, and put it in my pocket. Then I took my handbag and walked into the village.
I chose the least conspicuous path, avoiding all eyes along the way, until I reached my {home}.
I hid my handbag beside the water tank at the door and knocked.
They seemed to be watching TV, laughing loudly together. It took a long while before someone came to open the door.
"Zhang Laidi?" Chengcai opened the door, his face lighting up with delight. "You’re back?!"
"Yes, let me in," I said with a smile. "I want to have a chat with you all."
"Mom, Zhang Laidi is back!" Chengcai called out.
"Goddamn it!"
The woman had been happily watching TV, but the moment she heard Chengcai speak, she stormed out, shouting, "You damn fool actually had the nerve to come back?! What in tarnation did you do? Why’d the police haul Butcher Ma off?"
She waddled forward with her bulky frame, stopping a few steps in front of me, pointing at my nose as she yelled, "Whole dang village says you’re bad luck for yer husband! What the hell did ya do?"
"Ah, enough! Enough!" The old man smiled warmly and held the woman back. "Laidi finally made it home, don’t be scoldin’ her."
Seeing the old man’s beaming face, I smiled faintly and walked toward him. Then, gently pushing him aside, I stepped into the room behind him.
This seemingly joyous and harmonious room was plastered with my photos.
In every single one, I was crying.
Yet just moments ago, they had been laughing here.
Yes, I hadn’t understood before why the old man always smiled whenever he saw me. Now I understood.
Every time he scrutinized my body, that was the smile he wore.
That new sister-in-law of mine was piling seed husks upon my picture, laughter flowing with the television program, and never once did her gaze fall upon me.
"Sister-in-law," I called out.
"Hahaha!" she laughed, spitting out her sunflower seed shells, then cast me a glance from the corner of her eye.
If it were possible, I didn’t want to harm this girl for she might have gone through experiences similar to mine.
Before I could utter another word, she thrust the sunflower seed husks before my eyes. "Throw this away for me."
TL Note: I’m not going to lie, translating Lawyer Zhang’s backstory is mentally draining. I’m a rather empathic person, so it’s very hard on me, but I’m pushing through! Two more chapters and it’ll be done!
