When the Nightmare Hasn't Ended, Will We Still Grow Old Together?

This book tells the story of Song Qingqiu, whose parents divorced and abandoned her. Raised by her grandmother, she worked hard at school and got into a university in the city. Then, tragically, her grandmother fell ill and died. Desperate to pay for her education, Qingqiu had no choice but to borrow money from her maternal aunt. At the aunt’s home, she was tricked into getting drunk and sold to a remote mountain village, where she was forced to marry Xu Jun, a shiftless gambler.

Xu Jun was abusive and indulged in smoking, drinking, prostitution, and gambling. His whole family treated Song Qingqiu like a slave, beating and berating her at every turn, while relying on her to support them. She endured years of torment and oppression, and her attempts to escape failed time and again. Four years passed in a living hell, until Qingqiu went into premature labor. After Xu Jun beat her, she began hemorrhaging. Fearing she might die and cause trouble, his family was forced to take her to the local county hospital. As her treatment failed and the doctors were about to give up, she happened to meet medical professor Zan Yi, who had come from the provincial capital for an academic exchange. Zan Yi had been Song Qingqiu’s classmate in middle school. He had transferred from another place and was seated next to her; the two became close friends. Even back then, Zan Yi had admired Qingqiu’s strength and optimism. Later, he earned a place at a prestigious high school, and they lost touch.

Now, seeing Song Qingqiu covered in bruises and on the verge of death at the hospital, Zan Yi immediately stepped in to save her. Qingqiu gave birth to a daughter by cesarean section, but because of her premature birth and the abuse, the baby had a congenital heart defect. Xu Jun’s family rejected the girl and abandoned her. They left mother and daughter at the hospital, where Zan Yi helped cover all their medical expenses. After they were discharged, he found Qingqiu a place to live and a job in the city. The two got along well. Xu Jun escaped from prison, committed theft and murder, then vanished with their daughter. With Zan Yi’s help, Qingqiu finally escaped the monster, but lost her child. Zan Yi never left her, and when Qingqiu was in her thirties, she gave birth to his son. From then on, they lived happily.