In one sentence, it meant no matter if Zhang Yi was innocent or not, they wouldn’t agree to let Zhou Yulan marry him.
The situation with Zhao Mingfang was not resolved well. Although it wasn’t Zhang Yi’s fault, it shouldn’t have involved the innocent Zhou Yulan. The entire debacle had only lasted for a few days, yet Zhou Yulan had lost a great deal of weight.
She was already lean to begin with, now she seemed as light as a paper figure that would be blown away by the wind.
Listening to their father negotiate with the Zhang family outside, Zhou Yulan and her mother sat together, their faces stained with tears, appearing extremely haggard.
"Child, I have made you suffer." Mother Zhou hugged her daughter, regretting her previous agreement to let Secretary Huang introduce prospective suitors for Zhou Yulan. Such a decision had ruined her daughter’s life!
Zhou Yulan nestled against her mother, sobbing.
Zhang Tiezhu, Hong Damei and Zhang Yi failed to obtain forgiveness from Father Zhou, and didn’t receive a response from Zhou Yulan. They had no choice but to leave temporarily and return next time. Zhang Yi kept looking back, his gaunt face full of pain.
The real trouble followed. The trio had just returned to the yard when they were blocked by Wang Fengmei and Zhao Mingfang.
Clearly, the mother and daughter had been waiting for them for a long time.
"Zhang Yi, you’re heartless! I told the people investigating from the factory that there was no incident and that our relationship was a normal one. Instead of being grateful to me for defending you, you went to that vixen Zhou Yulan!" Zhao Mingfang accused heatedly. "You are my suitor, what were you doing with Zhou Yulan? Do you want to be accused of indecent assault again?"
Zhang Tiezhu, Hong Damei and Zhang Yi looked disgusted, their eyes filled with resentment.
If it hadn’t been for Zhao Mingfang’s clingy behavior, falsely accusing him by tearing her clothes in the alley, would such a thing have happened?
Even after being released, the label of indecent behavior couldn’t be removed. Now a decent marriage had turned into an illusion.
Zhang Yi liked Zhou Yulan and so did Zhang Tiezhu and Hong Damei.
Compared to the arrogant, shameless, and malicious Zhao Mingfang who was all bark and no bite, the gentle and quiet Zhou Yulan seemed like a fairy descended from heaven, flawless.
Although Zhao Mingfang wasn’t the one who reported Zhang Yi, following the investigation it was discovered that the colleague who witnessed everything in the alley and heard Zhao Mingfang shouting that Zhang Yi was behaving indecently made the complaint. Zhao Mingfang only represented her parents and attempted to force a marriage. She didn’t officially press charges because her family presumably understood that ruining Zhang Yi’s reputation was of no advantage to them. However, the person the Zhang family hated the most was Zhao Mingfang, she was the instigator of all their troubles!
"Zhao Mingfang, in front of your parents and mine, I want to reiterate that even if I can’t marry in my lifetime, I will not marry a despicable woman like you!" After yelling at her, Zhang Yi rushed into his house.
Hong Damei spat, ignored Wang Fengmei and Zhao Mingfang, and followed her husband in.
Probably because he felt it was disgraceful to get involved, Zhao Yide didn’t appear. Yet, Zhang Tiezhu and Hong Damei still resented him. They believed that if he hadn’t failed to discipline his daughter, this wouldn’t have happened.
Secretary Huang also felt very guilty towards Zhang Yi, but he didn’t know that Zhao Mingfang was such a person. He had originally intended to speak up for Zhang Yi and urge the Zhou family to reconsider once things had settled down. But Zhao Mingfang obstinately continued to pester Zhang Yi, regardless of how coldly he treated her or how he scolded and dismissed her, she considered herself Zhang Yi’s suitor.
Under such circumstances, not to mention the Zhou family reconsidering, no other family would dare to marry their daughter to Zhang Yi either.