Chapter Twenty-Six: Repayment

The first rays of the morning sun spilled into the room. The two of them opened their eyes at the same moment. A delicate blush tinged Liu Yue’s fair cheeks. Since their marriage, this was the first time Liu Yue had ever felt such contentment. Even now, recalling the night, she felt as if she were in a dream—it was still hard to believe that this man was truly her husband.

In the past, Shen Guodong had harbored an inexplicable aversion toward her, treating her like a stranger. Though they shared the same bed, Liu Yue often felt as if the man beside her was not a husband, but a stranger—so cold and distant, he might as well have been made of ice.

She took the initiative to embrace Shen Guodong. Yet he immediately pinned her down.

“You’re playing with fire, woman!” Shen Guodong teased.

Liu Yue’s face flushed crimson. Last night, this man had already claimed every part of her—another round would be nothing—but her reserved nature made her too shy to voice such thoughts. Her hesitant, bashful demeanor was enchanting beyond compare.

To have such a woman as his wife in this lifetime—Shen Guodong could hardly contain his joy, even in his dreams. Yet, thinking back, he couldn't help but despise his former self for not cherishing her. The regret stung deeply.

An hour later, they rose to wash and prepare for the day. After breakfast, they got ready to visit their relatives to repay debts.

“Guodong, come with me, will you?” Liu Yue asked. “You’ve changed now—they definitely won’t treat you the way they used to. I want everyone to see the new you, to show them that the man I chose is not some good-for-nothing who only knows how to drink and gamble. You’re capable too! In fact, you can earn in minutes what would take them years.”

As she spoke, a smile played at the corners of Liu Yue’s lips. There was no trace of the old embarrassment when mentioning Shen Guodong; instead, she seemed proud.

Since Liu Yue insisted, Shen Guodong did not refuse. He nodded slightly and replied, “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Liu Yue went to prepare breakfast while Shen Guodong picked up the ledger beside him. It was filled with countless entries—some debts as large as a hundred yuan, others just a few yuan. Though a few yuan held considerable purchasing power at the time—akin to two or three hundred in later years—for a married man to borrow that much was a humiliation. Yet, time and again, whenever Shen Guodong got into trouble and needed money, this woman would humble herself to borrow from relatives and friends.

Eventually, people began to avoid Liu Yue, knowing her husband was a bringer of misfortune. Each time she appeared, it meant she was there to borrow money.

On the surface, Liu Yue always seemed optimistic, but Shen Guodong knew all too well the humiliation she endured—hidden deep inside, never spoken of.

Before marriage, Liu Yue had been a rare university graduate, proud and aloof, dismissing suitors by the dozen. She certainly had the right, but in the end, only Shen Guodong won her heart. As the saying goes, what cannot be obtained is ever restless, and the favored are reckless with impunity.

It was precisely because of this that Shen Guodong’s behavior grew worse over time. He took her love for granted, believing she would never leave, and became increasingly outrageous.

Disappointment does not accumulate in a day. Eventually, even as much as she loved him, when Liu Yue decided to leave, she did so without hesitation, never looking back. By the time Shen Guodong in his previous life understood this, it was already too late. No matter how accomplished or famous he became later, no matter how he tried to win her back, Liu Yue remained unmoved.

This was Shen Guodong’s eternal regret—a thorn lodged deep in his heart, never to be removed.

His gaze fell again upon the ledger. With a rough calculation, the debts added up to quite a sum. The largest was three hundred yuan, borrowed from Liu Yue’s eldest brother. The rest were smaller, but the number of creditors was so great that it would take an entire day just to repay them all.

“Looks like today’s going to wear out my legs,” Shen Guodong muttered with a bitter sigh.

Liu Yue overheard and retorted, “That’s just you paying the money back. Do you know what I went through when I had to borrow it?”

“Thank you for your hardships.” Shen Guodong’s heart tightened. She was right—if repaying the money took a whole day, only he knew how much humiliation Liu Yue had endured when borrowing it.

He said no more, resolving instead to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

“Oh, it’s nothing—those days are behind us now, aren’t they? From now on, we’ll live well together. And when the time is right, we’ll have a baby,” Liu Yue said with a gentle smile.

Shen Guodong nodded, “Whatever you wish.”

Soon, they headed out together. According to their plan, they would start by repaying the smaller debts—one household after another.

By the time they finished with the minor creditors, it was already noon.

“Now there are only a few close relatives left. Let’s go to my parents’ house for lunch, then we’ll pay back my eldest brother and the others,” Liu Yue suggested.

Though Shen Guodong was reluctant, he understood Liu Yue’s intention: she wanted to mend his relationship with her family, and to show them he was truly changed. He wouldn’t let her efforts be in vain—they were her family, after all, and he hoped to smooth things over for the future.

By noon, they finally reached Liu Yue’s family home. Shen Guodong couldn’t help but sigh at the inconvenience of their circumstances. Once he had the means, he would buy a vehicle without delay.

For now, his goal was a car.

Cars at this time cost about the same as they would in later years—one hundred thousand or so—but the value of that sum was vastly different now. The goal seemed lofty, but Shen Guodong was filled with confidence. He was certain he would achieve it within the year.