第三十四章 (Chapter Thirty-Four)

<<Wang De>>> worked at the Newspaper Office every day, facing scissors and paste. His heart grew more and more troubled. He thought of Li Jing's words and recalled his own aspirations, then unconsciously let out a long sigh.

One day, as he sat gloomily, he suddenly saw Li Ying hurrying over. "Wang De, I have something to discuss with you," she said. Wang De went out with her, and they sat down in a teahouse.

Li Ying said, "My uncle's illness is getting worse, and Lao Zhang is pressing hard. What should we do?" Wang De replied, "I heard the other day that Long Shugu's daughter is to marry Sun Ba, but I don't know if it's true."

Li Ying said, "I've heard that too. It truly adds frost to snow." They discussed for a long time, but still found no good solution.

Wang De said, "Are we just going to stand by and watch my uncle suffer? I would rather go to Dong the Philanthropist again and beg for his mercy."

Li Ying shook her head. "That Dong the Philanthropist merely uses the name of cultivation to amass wealth. How could he be willing to genuinely help others? Moreover, my sister has already been there and suffered humiliation. I absolutely cannot let her go again."

Hearing this, Wang De felt even more distressed. He said, "Li Ying, we young people, can't we even contend with a single Lao Zhang?"

Li Ying smiled bitterly. "Contend? With what? He has money and power. We only have a heart full of passion, and passion can't be used as money."

They chatted a bit more. Seeing that the sky was growing dark, each went home. Wang De walked all the way, thinking all the way. The more he thought, the more he felt the world was unfair.

Arriving at Aunt Zhao's house, Li Jing was doing needlework under the lamp. Seeing him return, she asked, "Brother, why are you back so late today?" Wang De recounted his conversation with Li Ying, and Li Jing remained silent.

After a while, Li Jing finally said, "Brother, I understand your feelings, but we mustn't force things. Let's think slowly. There will always be a way."

Wang De said, "Sister, you're always so patient, but I'm growing impatient. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Newspaper Office again. If they force me to lie once more, I'll resign and seek another livelihood."

Li Jing advised, "If you resign, where will you go? Jobs are hard to find these days. At least take care of food and clothing first." Wang De nodded, but in his heart, he had his own plans.

That night, Wang De tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He thought of Li Jing, thought of Li Ying, thought of Lao Zhang, thought of his own future. He felt only a tangled mess, with no way to sort it out.

Not until the window paper turned white did he drift into a fitful sleep. His dreams were filled with strange scenes. Now he laughed, now he wept. When he woke, his pillow was already damp.