Chapter 41: The Tail

As Jiang Zhaoyang's voice came through the other end of the phone, Liu Huang abruptly pressed the record button.

"Little Jiang, your father and I are close friends of many years. That kind of steadfast bond is something that time can never erase."

"Little Wen, she is clever, sensible, gentle, and lovely. Standing beside you, you truly make a talented and beautiful match, a union made in heaven."

"To be honest, from the bottom of my heart, I have always strongly supported the two of you getting together."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have proposed holding an engagement banquet in the first place."

However, Liu Huang's tone quickly shifted to one of heaviness. "It's just that the world is unpredictable, and fortunes change overnight. Everything as it stands now is vastly different from how we originally envisioned it."

"But what I want to tell you is that no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, I will not choose to break my word."

"If a person cannot even uphold a promise, how can they stand in this world, and how can they win the trust and respect of others?"

"Even after you get married, you will be worlds apart—no, worlds apart, where taking a bus into the mountains takes two hours."

At this point, his tone suddenly pivoted, carrying a hint of self-mockery and helplessness. "Ah, but I almost forgot, that place doesn't even have public transportation."

"This means your daily commute and visits will be even more difficult."

"That place can truly be described as utterly desolate."

"You have to take a motorcycle to get deep into the mountains, along winding mountain roads where landslides and rockfalls occur from time to time. It is said there have even been several tragic accidents where vehicles plunged and people perished."

"It's enough to make one's heart skip a beat with fear."

"Yet I believe true love cannot be defeated by such hardships, right?"

"The power of love is infinite; it can overcome all obstacles and dangers."

"Uncle Liu, I..." Jiang Zhaoyang started to speak.

Liu Huang immediately cut him off.

"Little Jiang, listen to me until I finish."

"Go ahead, please speak!"

"If the two of you get married in the future, she can manage to get by dragging children along with her. Isn't it just that her husband isn't by her side?"

"Isn't it just having to buy groceries, cook, and raise the kids all by herself? Along with the daily trivialities of sending the children to kindergarten?"

"What's so hard about that? It would be just like living as a widow, single-handedly holding up the sky."

"Doesn't Fujian have a village of widows? The stories from that place have been passed down for a long time."

Back when the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan during a time of immense urgency, they rounded up every single male in the village and forced them onto ships, abducting them across the strait.

In a single night, the entire village seemed to have had its soul extracted, leaving behind only a group of helpless women.

The women of that village lived as widows in all but name, their lives as fragile as petals. Through decades of endless waiting, longing, and bitter hardship day in and day out, didn't they still manage to raise their children?

What does it matter if a woman suffers a little? What does living as a widow matter?

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyang felt a tight consternation in his chest, as if gripped by an invisible hand that left him barely able to breathe.

He knew all too well that Liu Huang was using those extreme and cruel examples to provoke him.

Liu Huang's words were like a sharp blade, slicing through every corner of his heart, forcing him to face the cold and brutal reality before him.

Yet, Jiang Zhaoyang also understood that if he truly chose to let Liu Wen face all of this alone, it would be a cruel and selfish act indeed.

A wave of sorrow washed over Jiang Zhaoyang's heart; he certainly did not want Liu Wen to live as a widow in all but name.

He wasn't that selfish. Why should he make a woman suffer on his account?

Isn't letting go also a form of love?

With this thought, he said to Liu Huang, "My fate and Little Wen's have come to an end. I do not want her to suffer for me any longer, nor could she bear this kind of suffering."

"Therefore, I propose breaking off the engagement."

Looking uneasy, Liu Huang asked, "Are you truly certain this is your honest feeling? Is it not to escape something, or due to outside interference?"

"Of course these are my true feelings. Reflection during this period has made me realize that true love is not just about possessing someone, but also about letting go."

"Let Little Wen pursue the happiness that belongs to her, even if there is no place for me in that happiness."

"Moreover, from a legal standpoint, our engagement was never anything more than a piece of paper without legal binding force."

"Whether I propose ending it or not, she has every right to pursue her own happiness and choose her own life partner."

At this point, Jiang Zhaoyang paused, seemingly gathering his emotions. "I only hope she can find someone who can truly bring her happiness."

Having said that, Jiang Zhaoyang softly uttered two words: "Goodbye!"

Without waiting for a reply, he resolutely pressed the hang-up button on the phone, as if making a fierce and final break with the past.

The voice on the other end ceased abruptly, leaving only the sound of a busy signal echoing in the empty room.

This romance, like the final fallen leaf of autumn, drifted silently onto the lake of Jiang Zhaoyang's heart, stirring up faint, dwindling ripples.

Yes, it was over. Everything was over.

Jiang Zhaoyang's heart was a tangled mix of emotions—relief, regret, and a profound uncertainty about the future.

He had prepared himself to take root right here and guard this reservoir for the rest of his life.

Jiang Zhaoyang took a deep breath, sweeping all distracting thoughts from his mind.

He knew that from this day forward, his life would revolve around this reservoir, and he would share its breath and its destiny.

Next, Jiang Zhaoyang managed to contact his father, Jiang Jingzhang.

It was only then that he learned his father's return was not because all the issues had been thoroughly investigated and the truth brought to light.

Rather, because definitive evidence could not be found, his father's case had been temporarily shelved without any conclusive judgment being made.

In other words, although his father had returned home, his "case" remained unresolved, hanging over his head like an invisible sword.

"Grounds for suspicion exist, but no solid evidence was found"—a case left in doubt!

The masterminds behind his father's persecution possessed such brilliant methods and meticulous minds that he could not help marveling in secret.

Not only had they successfully stripped his father of his freedom for a period of time.

They had also skillfully ensured that even upon his return, his father still bore an unerasable "stain."

Like an invisible "tail," it clung to him wherever he went.

When would the truth finally come to light, the false charges be cleared, and his innocence restored?

Who knew? All they could do was wait!

Jiang Zhaoyang dialed Wu Wenjuan's phone number once more, his fingertips gently brushing against the screen as a tempest of emotions churned within him.

On the other end, Wu Wenjuan's voice rang out as gentle as a spring breeze, carrying a trace of a smile. "Are you calling to express your gratitude?"

"Yes. I sincerely thank you for all the effort you've put into this matter!"

At this point, Jiang Zhaoyang's tone shifted slightly. "However, I have a question, and I'm not sure if it's convenient to ask."

"Of course it is. Ask away if you have any questions," Wu Wenjuan replied with a smile on the other end of the line.

"Why wasn't a definitive conclusion given regarding my father?" A trace of puzzlement and urgency seeped into Jiang Zhaoyang's voice.

He longed for a clear answer to untangle the mystery that had been plaguing him.