Chapter 124: The Gathering Storm

Shortly after my wedding to Sister Li, my adoptive mother fell ill, so we remained in Nanxi Town, Huzhou, to care for her.

Time passed quickly. Several weeks flew by, and with the Lunar New Year approaching, I was surprised to receive a message from Jin Yulian.

"Feng," she wrote, "I heard you have married. Congratulations, and I wish you both a happy marriage!"

Seeing this, I replied, "Sister Yulian, thank you for your well wishes! I hope you, too, will soon find a happy place to call home."

Jin Yulian responded, "Feng, do you have a moment? I would like to discuss something with you."

"What is it?" I asked.

She replied, "It is about my brother. He is in big trouble, and I was hoping you could give me some advice."

I thought to myself that Jin Yulian would never reach out unless it was something urgent. It seemed that Jin Baoqiang had gotten himself into a mess once again. It was hardly surprising; Ling Xue had been plotting to bankrupt him, and with Jin Baoqiang’s intellect, he was bound to fall into the trap.

I reminded myself that I was now married to Sister Li. Although we had not registered the marriage legally, we had held the ceremony according to custom, and she had truly become my first woman. I wasn't sure why Sister Li hadn't pushed for us to register, but since she hadn't brought it up, I didn't press the issue—besides, she had initially said our marriage was a sham.

Under the current circumstances, it was not appropriate for me to get too close to Jin Yulian. I made an excuse: "Sister Yulian, my mother-in-law is in poor health and requires our care. I am afraid I cannot get away."

Jin Yulian sent a bitter emoji and replied, "If you truly cannot get away, then there is nothing to be done. I just wanted to let you know that on the twenty-eighth of the first lunar month, I am to marry Qian Duobao."

Had she chosen to marry anyone else, I wouldn't have been so agitated; I was married to Sister Li, and Jin Yulian was free to choose her own path. But Qian Duobao was my enemy. The thought of her marrying him struck a raw nerve.

I called her directly, my voice filled with anger. "Sister Yulian, you can choose to marry anyone you like, but why must you pick that bastard?"

Jin Yulian replied, "Feng, you don't understand. I have no other choice."

"What choice?" I retorted angrily. "Didn't A-Yun already help you pay off the debts you owed Qian Duobao? Are you just doing this to spite me?" I suspected that upon learning of my marriage, she had decided to marry Qian Duobao just to get back at me.

Jin Yulian said, "If you want to know the reason, come see me. I will tell you in person."

"Sister Yulian," I said, "you know what kind of man Qian Duobao is. Marrying him is just debasing yourself. If you really intend to go through with this, I truly regret not having..."

"If you are not resigned to it," she interrupted, "come here now... there is still time."

"Do you think I don't dare?" I blurted out, immediately regretting the words. How could I have said something so shameless and vile?

Jin Yulian continued, "I am not speaking in anger. I am truly at the end of my rope. My brother was playing the futures market and borrowed millions from Qian Duobao’s company. Now that his positions have been liquidated, he cannot pay it back. Qian Duobao says he will send him to prison unless I marry him. Only then will he let my brother go."

"Even if that bastard ends up in prison, it is his own fault," I said. "You can barely look after yourself; why are you involving yourself in his mess?"

Jin Yulian sobbed over the phone, "It is easy for you to say. He is my brother. He knelt before me, weeping and begging—how can I remain indifferent?"

I began to understand. Jin Baoqiang had borrowed millions from Qian Duobao to trade futures and had lost it all. If he couldn't repay the debt, he would face prison. Desperate to avoid jail, he had begged his sister for help, and Qian Duobao had seized the opportunity to force her into marriage. Jin Yulian had called me because she was unwilling to marry him and hoped I could find a way out for her.

It is difficult to refuse a request, especially from a woman one has once loved so deeply.

"Sister Yulian," I said, "where are you? I will drive over to see you tomorrow."

"I will be waiting," she replied. "Be careful on the road, and call me when you arrive!"

Seeing me finish the call, Sister Li asked, "Who were you talking to? You were on the phone for such a long time."

"Feng'er," I said, "Sister Yulian is in trouble. She called me, and I am going to Qingxi tomorrow."

Sister Li looked at me with sorrowful eyes. "Feng, I know you still hold a place for her in your heart, and I do not want to force you to stay. But my mother has been critically ill these past few days. Can you wait until she has recovered before you leave?"

"Feng'er," I replied, "Qian Duobao is forcing Yulian to marry him, and there are not many days left. Time is of the essence. I must go. I will leave the care of Mother to you and Aunt Shen."

Sister Li said, with a hint of resentment, "Her marrying Qian Duobao is their business. Why are you in such a hurry? Do you still intend to marry Jin Yulian?"

I froze. She was right. With my adoptive mother hospitalized and in need of our presence, how could I abandon Sister Li at such a critical moment?

I sent a message to Jin Yulian: "Sister Yulian, I am sorry. My mother-in-law is critically ill in the hospital; I cannot come for the time being."

Jin Yulian replied, "Feng, I understand your difficulties. I will only say this: in three days, I will be Qian Duobao’s woman."