Chapter 1: Chapter One: Trouble Abounds at the Widow

Catch him!

Don’t let him get away!

A buzzing sound rang in Li Dongling’s ears; his vision gradually shifted from blurry to clear. Before him stood a woman with damp short hair, wearing a gray plaid shirt and blue trousers—plainly dressed, yet her graceful figure could not be hidden. Li Dongling stared at her, feeling a strange mix of familiarity and strangeness.

How dare you look! Wait till the Security Section arrives—I’ll gouge out your eyes!

A girl with two braids, dressed in a brighter red sweater than the short-haired woman, grabbed Li Dongling’s shirt. Seeing his gaze still fixed on the short-haired woman, she shouted at him angrily.

Looking at the short-haired woman, then at the girl clutching his shirt, then at the row of dormitory-style buildings before him, a memory suddenly surged into Li Dongling’s mind—a brief but unforgettable memory, one that filled him with anger and helplessness every time he recalled it.

Is this West City State-Owned Wireless Factory No. 1?!

Li Dongling murmured. He remembered being at the Provincial Machinery Design Bureau, having worked overtime for nearly half a month, feeling chest discomfort, and resting his head on his desk—only to wake up back here.

It was 1993. Li Dongling had just graduated from Hanxi Transportation University, but after quarreling with his girlfriend An Ruxue, he refused to use her father’s connections to stay in the provincial capital of Xiyuan. Instead, he insisted on accepting his assigned posting and returned to his hometown, Pingyang City, arriving at this West City Wireless Factory No. 1.

On the very day he returned, he encountered this exact scene: falsely accused of spying on a widow bathing. Though he was never taken away by the Security Section, he lost all face and could not stay. Less than a week later, he called his father-in-law—An Ruxue’s father, a director in the provincial capital’s municipal government—and begged to be transferred back. He left in disgrace.

As for what happened after he returned to the provincial capital with An Ruxue, Li Dongling refused to recall further. In the end, they couldn’t survive the seven-year itch and parted ways.

The red-sweater girl, seeing Li Dongling’s slightly dazed expression after speaking, snapped, “Don’t pretend you don’t remember! Qin Jie saw you with her own eyes! You’re shameless, spying on a widow bathing!”

A crowd gathered, all workers from West City Wireless Factory No. 1. Qin Fang, the short-haired woman called “Qin Jie” by the girl, looked around at the pointing, whispering crowd, her face flushed red, head bowed low.

Li Dongling stared at Qin Fang. He had replayed this scene countless times after the fact. Soon after returning to the provincial capital, he received a mysterious phone call—just a whispered “I’m sorry,” then the line went dead. Though he couldn’t recognize the voice, he later realized: this was a setup. In minutes, the “good cop” would arrive!

What are you all doing here?

Got nothing better to do? Go clean the factory floor!

A commanding voice rang out. Many onlookers scattered at once, but several workers living in the dormitory building stayed, especially a few middle-aged women—they weren’t afraid of anyone.

It’s Manager Liu!

The middle-aged women smiled at the newcomer. Liu Jiande could only cough, pretending not to see them. These women were expert gossips. He could reprimand or fine male workers, deduct bonuses—but if he fined them, they’d storm from the factory auditorium all the way to his home, wailing, throwing themselves on the floor, screaming for their dead parents, causing a city-wide scandal. After several such episodes, he gave up. He simply couldn’t control them.

What’s going on? Wei Hongying, why are you holding this comrade?

Liu Jiande first scolded the red-sweater girl, Wei Hongying, in an irritated tone, making her release Li Dongling’s shirt. Then he turned to Li Dongling, Qin Fang, and Wei Hongying. “Explain what happened. Acting like this inside the factory—how disgraceful!”

“Manager Liu, you don’t know—he spied on Qin Jie bathing! Qin Jie’s husband just died! How can she be treated like this? You should call Security Section to take him away!” Wei Hongying glared fiercely at Li Dongling.

Qin Fang, is what Hongying said true? You must tell the truth—don’t falsely accuse anyone. But if you really were wronged, as a family member of West City Wireless Factory No. 1, I’ll stand up for you!

Liu Jiande spoke to Qin Fang with a stern but encouraging expression.

Li Dongling watched the scene calmly. He made no rebuttal to Liu Jiande’s words to Qin Fang. When Qin Fang looked up and met his gaze, she flinched in panic.

I—I didn’t see clearly! Qin Fang stammered, still refusing to directly accuse Li Dongling of spying on her.

Liu Jiande’s eyes darkened with displeasure. He shot a sharp glance at Qin Fang, then turned to Li Dongling with a smile.

He glanced at Li Dongling’s luggage, then smiled. “Comrade, you must be a new worker here at Wireless Factory No. 1!”

“You’ve only been here one day, and already this incident happened—it’s bad for everyone. How about this: Comrade…”

“Li Dongling!”

Hearing Li Dongling’s name, Liu Jiande acted as if hearing it for the first time. “Dongling, I’m the factory manager, overseeing Technical, Production, and Raw Materials Supply Departments. If you trust me, I’ll handle this matter. What do you say?”

“Qin Fang is a woman, and her husband just passed away last month—he died in an accident while transporting factory goods out of town. If this spreads, it’ll harm both you and Qin Fang.”

“How about this: if you truly acted on impulse and made a mistake, I’ll witness it—you apologize to Qin Fang. We’re all working in the same factory—we’ll see each other every day. Let’s just let this go, okay?”

“Otherwise, if it goes to Security Section or even the police station, it’ll get messier—and could even affect your employment here!”

“Manager Liu, how can you just sweep this under the rug? You’re letting him off too easily!”

Wei Hongying protested, but Liu Jiande shot her a glare, silencing her.

Liu Jiande’s proposal sounded like he was thinking of Li Dongling and Qin Fang’s best interests, treating the matter as trivial—as if a simple apology would make it vanish. Back then, Li Dongling believed him, apologized, and the story exploded across the factory.

In recent years, foreign influences had slightly loosened attitudes toward gender relations, but only marginally—especially in this inland city, where such matters remained deeply conservative.

Back then, desperate to escape, Li Dongling accepted Liu Jiande’s “fair” resolution and apologized. The story spread like wildfire. Everywhere he went, people pointed and whispered. Even his brother, Li Dongshan, a temporary worker at another fertilizer plant in the city, suffered the fallout. Unable to bear the public scorn, Li Dongling transferred out within days.

As for what happened after he left, Li Dongling never followed up—but he heard his permanent position was taken by a special recruit. His surname? Liu.

Liu Jiande felt he had reasoned with Li Dongling and appealed to his emotions. He was certain Li Dongling would apologize—after all, it was just an apology, no real loss, and he could leave immediately.

But the words Li Dongling spoke shattered Liu Jiande’s smile.

“I think we need to investigate thoroughly. This concerns Qin Jie’s lifelong reputation—no amount of caution is too much. Let Security Section or the police come and investigate properly!”

“When I came here, I saw people near the worker activity center. Maybe someone saw something—we should bring them in and ask!”

Li Dongling’s words turned Qin Fang pale. Wei Hongying stared at him, suddenly doubting whether she’d misjudged him.

“Qin Jie, maybe you should think again—was it really him…?”

Before Wei Hongying finished, Qin Fang cut in: “No need. I was blinded by water—I saw nothing. This matter is closed. It definitely wasn’t Li Dongling!”

Saying that, Qin Fang hurried back into the dormitory building. The middle-aged women, losing interest now that she was gone, muttered among themselves and drifted off, their whispers trailing behind them—something about Qin Fang.