My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 112

Ming Mei guessed that the middle-aged woman coming her way was Jiang Baohong.

And guess what? She was absolutely right. The reason Jiang Baohong came to see Ming Mei was because of an accident that had occurred on a bus route Ming Mei used to work on. The conductor not only sprained her foot but also injured her arm, which naturally required rest. As the direct supervisor, Jiang Baohong was the first to know about the incident. After leaving the hospital, she headed straight to Ming Mei’s house.

Normally, when someone gets injured, they would handle it internally by rearranging shifts. But Jiang Baohong wasn’t exactly considerate. She planned to coax Ming Mei into helping out at their workplace. The reason she had her eyes on Ming Mei was because Ming Mei had a track record of catching thieves three times—twice on the bus and once outside, for which she had even received commendations. Jiang Baohong noticed this and hoped Ming Mei could help her make a strong start, adding some shine to her own credentials.

In reality, even if Ming Mei did catch a thief, Jiang Baohong wouldn’t give her much credit. She’d take the honor for herself to make her resume look better, proving her competence and making it easier for her to get promoted. That’s how she had always operated.

Stepping on others to climb up? That’s her way of showing “respect.”

As for whether Ming Mei, a pregnant woman, might face retaliation or an accident, Jiang Baohong couldn’t care less. All she wanted was to boost her own career.

Her plan seemed perfect, but she didn’t expect to run into trouble before even finding Ming Mei. She encountered a mischievous child and, of course, the child’s equally troublesome parent. Jiang Baohong’s husband was a leader, and she always looked down on people, treating them with disdain.

Most of the people she interacted with were sycophants.

But she never imagined she’d meet someone who wouldn’t give her face. The two of them ended up fighting, and the matter was taken to the police station.

The police station… the police station was truly exhausted.

Him again!

Why is it always him!

Bai Fendou’s name was at the top of their “Most Notorious” list, and that’s no exaggeration.

It’s not like he’s done anything majorly criminal, but he’s been involved in countless petty, ridiculous incidents. While many of these cases were eventually dropped without involving the police, as a “celebrity” in the neighborhood, everyone knew about him.

Everyone knew their compound had a pair of “legendary” troublemakers—Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou.

No need to explain, it was clear Bai Fendou had caused trouble again.

And guess what?

Although the woman didn’t live in the area, she was still recognized.

In this city, it’s not too big, not too small—just the right size for coincidences.

At the police station, the two didn’t calm down. They kept arguing, neither backing down.

By then, Aunt Wang had returned, bringing along a few people from the compound. They weren’t there to watch the drama; they were there as witnesses.

Truth be told, they didn’t want to come. After all, Bai Fendou was their neighbor. When the police arrived earlier, they had scattered. But this matter couldn’t just be left as a case of “he said, she said.” So, as the compound manager, Aunt Wang was tasked with finding people to testify.

However, Aunt Wang first chatted for a while before actually gathering people. Even though Bai Fendou wasn’t well-liked, and Jinlai was a brat everyone wanted to slap, they were still neighbors. Testifying against them would mean making enemies.

In a society built on relationships, no one was eager to do that.

Aunt Wang went around in circles, finally managing to bring a few people over.

Among them was Zhuang Zhixi.

Of course, he came voluntarily. He wanted to see what this new leader, who was always trying to scheme against Ming Mei, was like. Although she hadn’t directly approached Ming Mei, her intentions were as clear as day.

Zhuang Zhixi was sharp—whether by nature or nurture, it’s hard to say. But with accomplished older siblings like Zhuang Zhiyuan and Zhuang Zhixin, who had both graduated from high school in the 1940s, it’s clear they were quick-witted from a young age.

As the youngest, Zhuang Zhixi had to keep up with his siblings’ cunning. By the age of three or four, he already knew how to play mind games.

Unfortunately, his older brother and sister grew up to become upstanding citizens, losing their childhood cleverness.

Only he remained true to his crafty nature.

So, even though he hadn’t heard a single word from Jiang Baohong, Zhuang Zhixi could smell her intentions from a mile away. He wasn’t stupid.

The machinery factory was a massive workplace, and while the lower-level employees weren’t involved in the higher-ups’ schemes, they had seen enough to understand how things worked.

Zhuang Zhixi could tell Jiang Baohong was up to no good, so he was more than happy to come and watch her get humiliated. Even if she was in the right, Zhuang Zhixi trusted the combative skills of Aunt Su and her daughter-in-law, as well as Bai Fendou’s knack for causing chaos.

This was entertainment he couldn’t miss. If it weren’t for his wife not being able to show up, he would’ve brought the whole family. After all, neither side was particularly virtuous, and watching the drama unfold was a way to spice up life.

As long as it didn’t involve his family, Zhuang Zhixi was all for it.

He and a few others followed Aunt Wang to the police station.

Jiang Baohong wasn’t pleased. “Why did it take so long to find witnesses? If you keep dragging your feet, it’ll be morning soon. Your grassroots work is really subpar.”

Just listen to her—she had a knack for offending people with her words.

Aunt Wang’s face immediately darkened, but the police officer understood why. It was because no one wanted to come. Who would want to get involved in such a thankless task? Seeing her complain, several people were ready to turn around and leave.

“Actually, we don’t know how it started. We just saw them fighting. We don’t know the specifics, so we can’t really testify.”

“Same here. By the time I got there, they were already fighting. I don’t know what happened or why. To testify, we’d need to have seen the whole thing. Otherwise, it might not be accurate.”

“If we didn’t see the whole thing, we don’t have the right to speak.”

Well, everyone was backing out.

Truth be told, everyone knew it was Jinlai’s fault. Some had even witnessed it, but with Jiang Baohong’s attitude, they didn’t want to testify. Besides, they weren’t lying—they hadn’t seen the whole incident. By the time they arrived, the fight was already underway.

The police officer understood the situation. These people were only here because they had to be, and with Jiang Baohong’s tone, who would want to help? Bai Fendou and Jinlai might be troublemakers, but they were still neighbors. Jiang Baohong was a stranger, and her attitude didn’t help.

The officer turned to Zhuang Zhixi, who hadn’t spoken yet. “What about you? When did you arrive?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied seriously, “I’m worse than them. I only showed up towards the end of the fight, took a look, and went home. I have no idea what happened.”

The officer: “…Then why are you here?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “Aunt Wang is my aunt. It’s late, and I don’t know how long this will take. My mom asked me to come and help, to make sure Aunt Wang gets home safely. It’s not safe for her to walk alone at night.”

The officer: “…”

Doesn’t she have her own kids? Why would she need you? And there are so many witnesses here—can’t they walk together? You’re just here to watch the drama!

The officer rolled his eyes at Zhuang Zhixi and ignored him, turning to the others. “It’s okay if you didn’t see the whole thing. Just say what you did see.”

“Oh, that’s allowed?”

“Well… okay then.”

Everyone was eager to leave.

Seeing their reluctance, Jiang Baohong snapped, “Are you blind? Didn’t you see that little brat splashing water all over me? That little punk needs to be taught a lesson! What, are you trying to protect him?”

"This lady, what are you saying? We’re only speaking about what we saw. If we didn’t see it, how could we dare to make things up? If we were to lie, wouldn’t the police hold us accountable?"

"Exactly! Whether there was someone there earlier, shouldn’t you know yourself? Shouldn’t you know if we’re telling the truth?"

"We came here with good intentions. What’s going on? Why are you blaming us? I’m done with this, I’m going back."

"I’m leaving too!"

Everyone was quite upset. One of the sly old-timers, clearly trying to curry favor, slammed the table and said, "What are you all doing? Do you think this is a marketplace? Be serious! Didn’t you see anything? If you didn’t see anything, why are you here? Besides, could this woman have just started hitting someone for no reason? There must be a reason. Share your thoughts. I heard that several of you have seen this guy throwing stones into puddles after work. Shouldn’t that be mentioned? What, are you trying to cover for them? Aren’t you afraid I’ll charge you with false testimony?"

"Hey, why are you blaming us now?"

"Aunt Wang, I told you I didn’t want to come, but you insisted. Now look, we’re being accused. This is too much."

"Exactly! How can this happen? We’re here to do a good deed, and now we’re being treated like criminals?"

"Oh, stop talking. Someone’s trying to suck up. Be careful or you’ll really get arrested."

"Is there no law anymore?"

The crowd was indeed worked up.

If it were someone else, they might have been scared by such a shout, but these people were seasoned veterans. They’d dealt with the police, factory security, and neighborhood committees so often that they weren’t easily intimidated.

Did they think slamming the table would scare them?

What were they thinking?

They’d seen it all, even lightning striking people. This was child’s play to them.

Moreover, they could tell from Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou’s situations that as long as things weren’t set in stone, even if a leader didn’t like you, they wouldn’t fire you. That’s just how things were now.

So there was no need to be overly submissive. They were the proud working class, after all.

"Look at this, someone’s trying to flatter their way up, treating us like fools."

Another officer, seeing things were getting out of hand, quickly stepped in to mediate: "Everyone, please sit down. I understand you’re all in a hurry, being here so late. Just say what you saw. After all, you’re here to do a good deed, right?"

He shot a glare at the sly old-timer who had spoken earlier and said, "Just stick to what you saw and heard."

"Hey, don’t play favorites. I can see this woman has connections. You better be fair and just." Bai Fendou wasn’t a fool. Despite his earlier bravado, he was actually quite nervous.

After all, he wasn’t a naive young man fresh out of society. He knew how complicated things could get.

If someone had connections, that was enough to cause him trouble. He had been a bit anxious, but suddenly he wasn’t afraid anymore. He was a bit clever, because he realized that no one had actually seen what happened at the very beginning.

And it was clear that no one wanted to testify.

Bai Fendou must have had good connections.

Just look at this!

Suddenly, he was emboldened.

Since Jinlai had a history, everyone assumed he was up to his old tricks again.

And others had been treated the same way, but in reality, no one had actually seen Jinlai throwing stones at this woman and splashing her with water. It wasn’t that the alley was empty; it was after work, so there were people around. But no one was paying attention to others. No one had actually seen it happen.

As for him, he had only seen the woman hitting Jinlai, which led to the conflict.

Thinking this, Bai Fendou felt secure and raised his voice: "Don’t think that just because you know each other, you can fool everyone into saying they didn’t see anything to back this woman up. Think carefully. Who knows if what she’s saying is true? Look at her behavior. Does she look honest? Look at her face—full of meanness and cruelty. She’s definitely no good. They say the face reflects the heart, and this woman’s face shows she’s no good."

Jiang Baohong was already in a bad mood, and hearing this made her even angrier. She rushed forward and hit him, saying, "I’ll teach you to talk, you scoundrel!"

She slapped Bai Fendou across the face. Bai Fendou shouted, "Officers, you saw that, right? This shrew is no good. She hits people at the drop of a hat. How can you believe she’s innocent?"

"I’ll kill you!" Jiang Baohong, even angrier, tried to slap him again, but this time Bai Fendou caught her wrist. Bai Fendou wasn’t some refined gentleman; he was quite rough and immediately slapped her back.

"Don’t push your luck, woman. Who do you think you’re dealing with? Are you done yet? Officers, you saw that, right? She hit me!"

"But you can’t hit a woman."

"She can hit me, but I can’t hit her? What are you saying, old man? Don’t think I haven’t noticed—you’ve been taking her side from the start. What, trying to curry favor? Trying to be biased? Is this what the police force has come to? You’re a disgrace."

"You—you’re insulting me."

"Can’t handle the truth?"

"You scoundrel, I won’t let you off!" Jiang Baohong, after being hit, finally reacted and lunged at him, scratching his face. Bai Fendou, like a woman, grabbed her hair. Though it was short, he managed to pull it.

He punched her twice in the face.

"You think I’m easy to bully? Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean I’ll let you off. I stand by my principles. You deserve to be hit, you wicked thing."

"Hit her! Hit her! Beat this nasty woman!" Jinlai shouted from the side, "Go, Uncle Fendou, beat her!" Jinlai was egging him on.

Bai Fendou had lost his goodwill toward Jinlai and his brothers after the earlier incident, but hearing the boy call him "Uncle Fendou" again made him feel like they were back on good terms. He was excited and felt he couldn’t lose face in front of the child.

He pinned Jiang Baohong down and punched her twice more.

When a man and a woman fight, it’s usually the woman who suffers. Although the onlookers didn’t like Jiang Baohong’s arrogance, they also didn’t approve of Bai Fendou hitting a woman. What kind of man does that? He’s really no good.

It was a real dog-eat-dog situation.

The officers quickly stepped in to pull them apart: "Bai Fendou, what’s wrong with you? Are you ignoring us now? This is the police station. Are you trying to cause trouble here? Are you rebelling?"

Bai Fendou: "When this woman hit me, you didn’t say anything. Should I just take it? Look at my face. I’m not even married yet."

He was quite the fighter, able to take on both Jiang Baohong and the officers. He wasn’t afraid of anyone, no matter the consequences. He was just reckless.

"But you can’t hit someone like that, right in front of us. What are you trying to do?"

The officers were furious. This was supposed to be a simple dispute that could be resolved with mediation. Normally, both sides would shake hands and make up. It wasn’t a big deal. After all, there were plenty of mischievous kids and quarreling adults, but it rarely escalated.

Because it really wasn’t necessary.

However, it was hard to believe that Bai Fendou actually dared to hit someone here. As for Jiang Baohong... although she was the victim, she carried herself in a domineering and bullying manner, which only made the situation worse.

"Everyone, sit down. This is not the time for nonsense... Oh my, what are you doing!"

The police officer was just about to mediate when he saw Jiang Baohong suddenly grab Jinlai and start slapping his face repeatedly.

Jiang Baohong couldn’t win against Bai Fendou. For so many years, when had she ever suffered such a loss? Now that she had been dealt such a blow, she was completely beside herself. Seeing that little brat looking at her smugly, full of provocation, she couldn’t hold back and lashed out.

Wang Xiangxiu was sitting on a chair holding her child, with her mother-in-law, Aunt Su, sitting beside her. Aunt Su was holding Yinlai and Tonglai.

Jiang Baohong moved quickly, venting her anger on the little brat. Wang Xiangxiu, as the mother, couldn’t stand it any longer. She let out a cry and rushed forward, knocking Jiang Baohong down. She straddled her and started slapping her fiercely: "You dare hit my son? I’ll make you pay, you wretch! You bully us, a widow and her child!"

"Holy crap."

"Stop it right now! What are you doing? Are you out of your minds?"

The group was pulled apart again, but Jiang Baohong’s face was already swollen like a pig’s head, with scratches all over her neck and her clothes disheveled.

"Do you not know where you are? Are you treating us like we’re invisible? All of you, go stand in the corner!"

"Why should we?"

Several voices rang out at the same time.

The police officer was so angry he was trembling. They had seen troublemakers before, but most of them at least had some respect for authority. But these people clearly didn’t care, treating the place like a battleground.

This is... utterly outrageous.

Zhuang Zhixi watched as two rounds of fighting left Jiang Baohong looking like a swollen pig. He couldn’t help but smirk.

Although Bai Fendou and the Su family women were usually annoying, there was a saying that came to mind... well, he couldn’t remember it exactly, but seeing them take on someone he disliked was truly satisfying.

At that moment, he was glad Bai Fendou was the way he was.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to witness such a spectacle, right?

Hitting a woman—Bai Fendou was truly one of a kind.

He tugged at Aunt Wang, and both of them took a few steps back. Zhuang Zhixi could tell that the initial reason for the fight was long forgotten. Now, it was purely about the hatred between the two sides.

If that was the case, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t start fighting again. So, as bystanders, they needed to keep their distance to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Zhuang Zhixi’s experience with watching drama was indeed rich, and his guess wasn’t wrong. While the police officer was trying to mediate, Jiang Baohong lashed out at the child again. She simply couldn’t swallow her pride.

This time, she targeted Yinlai, who was closer to her. She remembered this little brat had also thrown stones. She reached out and grabbed him, but Aunt Su was knocked to the ground in the process. She let out a cry and started convulsing, shouting, "Murder! They’re kidnapping the child!"

Bai Fendou had been keeping an eye on this woman. Seeing her attack again, he kicked her hard. The force of a man’s strength sent Jiang Baohong crashing into a table and falling to the ground. "I won’t let your family off the hook!"

Well, she had no idea that Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu’s family weren’t actually related.

In her mind, only a father would defend a child like that. As for Jinlai calling him "Uncle Fendou," she hadn’t paid any attention to it, assuming from the start that they were a family.

"It hurts! My leg hurts so much. I think it’s broken. Help me..." Seeing the woman start to threaten them, Aunt Su cried out even louder. After shouting, she began to moan, her face pale and trembling as if she was in a bad way...

Elderly people’s health is always unpredictable, and Aunt Su looked like she was on the verge of collapse, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

"Auntie, are you okay?"

"Take her to the hospital, quick!"

"Don’t delay. Take all of them to the hospital."

Everyone was bruised and battered.

Jiang Baohong was in a terrible state, and although Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu had won the fight, they weren’t unscathed. Jinlai and Yinlai were also injured... With such a large group, they were now heading to the hospital. The officer in charge of the station felt his head buzzing.

Who could have imagined that this whole mess started with a stone thrown into a ditch?

But that was exactly what had happened.

The police officer said helplessly, "Thank you all for coming to help, but the situation is quite chaotic now. It’s best if you all go home. We’re sorry for the trouble."

"It’s no problem. It’s what we should do."

"So, this has nothing to do with us now, right?"

"It never did."

"It’s getting late. Let’s go."

The group left the police station together. Outside, the heavy rain hadn’t stopped. Someone looked up at the sky and said, "Why is this rain not letting up?"

"Exactly."

"Let’s hurry back. Who knows if there’ll be thunder later."

"Agreed."

Although the trip had been chaotic and no one was quite sure what they had accomplished, no one complained! Yes, no one!

After all, if they hadn’t come, they wouldn’t have witnessed such a spectacle. It was because they came that they got to see such drama.

The fight was intense, but the audience was equally enthusiastic.

"Bai Fendou is really something, huh? Knowing she has connections, he still dared to hit her. That’s bold."

"He’s going to pay for this, isn’t he?"

"Wang Xiangxiu isn’t bad either. She usually seems so gentle, but look at her in a fight—she doesn’t hold back at all. That middle-aged woman was no match for her. But if she really has someone backing her, they’re in trouble."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled and said, "Not necessarily."

"What do you mean?"

Zhuang Zhixi shrugged. "Just a guess."

Aunt Wang felt that Zhuang Zhixi wasn’t just guessing, but she couldn’t figure out why they’d be fine.

"Oh, by the way, Aunt Wang, Wang Xiangxiu’s cousin, Hu Huihui, why didn’t she come?"

"Yeah, doesn’t she live nearby?"

Aunt Wang: "Hu Huihui came back late. By the time she returned, everyone had already been taken away. I asked her if she wanted to come along, but she said it was better to have someone stay and watch the house."

"That makes sense. It’s safer to have someone stay behind. She wouldn’t have been able to do much anyway."

"Exactly."

"Aunt Wang, you’re quite the matchmaker. You should introduce us to someone..."

"Come on, just say you’re interested in Hu Huihui."

"You should talk to Aunt Su about that! She has relatives to introduce. Why should I get involved, right?"

"That’s not how it works. The Su family takes gifts but doesn’t deliver."

Aunt Wang: "I can’t do anything about that."

The group chatted all the way back to the alley. It was late at night, and the atmosphere was quite eerie.

Zhuang Zhixi: "You guys go ahead. I’ll use the restroom before heading home. I won’t come out again tonight."

"Me too."

"Yeah, I need to go as well."

Everyone now had a fear of going out to the restroom at night. Although most households had chamber pots, major business couldn’t be taken care of at home, so nighttime trips to the restroom were still necessary. However, the restroom in their area had been quite strange lately, so everyone thought it was best to avoid it at night.

With so many people around, it was a good time to go together.

After watching the drama at the police station, they returned to the courtyard around eleven o’clock. A few people from other courtyards were there, and about three or four from their own courtyard entered together. They noticed that the lights in the Su household were off. Hu Huihui must have already gone to sleep.

Aunt Wang: "That girl is quite carefree. Such a big thing happened, and she’s acting like nothing’s wrong."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled but didn’t respond. Everyone went their separate ways home.

When Zhuang Zhixi returned, Ming Mei was already asleep. He knocked gently on the door, and Ming Mei woke up groggily, slipping on her slippers to open the door. She mumbled, "What time is it?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "It's eleven."

He closed the door behind him, quickly washed up, and got back into bed. Ming Mei immediately snuggled up to him, wrapping herself around him like an octopus. Zhuang Zhixi chuckled softly and patted her back, saying, "Sorry for waking you up."

Ming Mei pinched his waist, and Zhuang Zhixi yelped, "Ouch!"

Still half-asleep, Ming Mei cooed softly, "Why are you apologizing? Are you silly?"

Zhuang Zhixi laughed quietly, "I just thought it’d be polite to apologize sincerely."

Ming Mei, her eyes still closed, mumbled, "How are things at the police station?"

Zhuang Zhixi answered, "They’ve all been sent to the hospital. Those people are really reckless, completely disregarding the police and even starting a fight right in the station."

Ming Mei, who had been half-asleep, suddenly opened her eyes at the mention of a fight, her expression lighting up with curiosity. Zhuang Zhixi paused, amused.

Ming Mei urged, "What happened? Tell me."

She was no longer sleepy, her excitement making her resemble a curious hedgehog scurrying through a melon patch.

Zhuang Zhixi couldn’t help but laugh, "Weren’t you sleeping?"

Ming Mei replied, "I can sleep later. Come on, tell me, I want to know."

Zhuang Zhixi began, "That Jiang Baohong, she had a valid case, but she completely messed it up. Though Bai Fendou is shameless too. Listen, my dear~"

Ming Mei giggled, "Pfft."

Her husband’s dramatic storytelling amused her greatly.

"Go on, go on!"

"We hurried to the police station, and as soon as we walked in..."

He went on and on, even though he was just a bystander in the story, he managed to insert himself into the narrative, adding plenty of his own thoughts and making the tale vivid and engaging.

Ming Mei’s eyes widened in disbelief, "Wow, I can’t believe Jiang Baohong got beaten up."

But she quickly asked, "Why do you think Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu will be fine?"

"Because of Aunt Su," Zhuang Zhixi explained, feeling that everyone was too naive. "Aunt Su is very cunning. I think she faked her collapse. Given her age, if she insists she’s in pain here and there, Jiang Baohong will be held responsible. Older people always have some health issues, and Aunt Su is trying to pin it on Jiang Baohong. After all, Jiang Baohong pulled Yinlai and pushed Aunt Su after everyone had stopped. If Aunt Su decides to make a fuss, Jiang Baohong will have to forgive Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu to avoid trouble. It’s a clever trade, don’t you think?"

"Aunt Su is really good at scheming," Ming Mei remarked.

Zhuang Zhixi added, "I’ve always said she’s not simple. Look at Aunt Zhou, she’s always making a fuss, but she never gets as much benefit as Aunt Su. You can tell just by looking at their houses."

Ming Mei sighed, "Oh, speaking of Aunt Zhou, I kind of miss her. Without her around, only Bai Fendou is causing a stir, and it’s gotten a bit boring. I kind of miss Aunt Zhou’s sharp, mean antics."

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at her, "You just like the drama."

Ming Mei pouted, "That’s not true, you’re accusing me."

Zhuang Zhixi teased, "I’ve already seen through you."

Ming Mei giggled for a while, then said, "Jiang Baohong deserves to learn how harsh the world can be. Always trying to scheme against others, serves her right!"

Zhuang Zhixi ruffled Ming Mei’s hair and smiled, "Today was definitely a lesson for her."

Ming Mei grinned, feeling quite pleased. The happiest thing in the world is seeing someone you dislike suffer.

Hehe!

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei didn’t chat for long, as it was late and they were both tired.

"Alright, let’s sleep. We have work tomorrow."

Ming Mei smiled, "I took the day off tomorrow…"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "But your husband still has to work."

He hugged Ming Mei and sighed, "Why does time fly so fast when we’re resting?"

"Who knows?"

The two murmured softly and soon fell asleep.

Early the next morning, the couple woke up to the sound of heavy rain. Zhuang Zhixi rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it, "It’s still raining?"

He got up and opened the window to see the downpour outside. It had been raining heavily since the night before last, and Zhuang Zhixi frowned, "This isn’t good."

Ming Mei, not in a hurry to go to work, stayed in bed, snuggling deeper under the covers.

Zhuang Zhixi got dressed and went out to the porch to wash up. Across the way, Hu Huihui came out and greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, Brother Zhuang."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, "Morning."

After all, there’s no reason to be rude to someone who’s being friendly.

But seeing how cheerful Hu Huihui was, it was hard to tell that her cousin was in trouble.

Curious, Zhuang Zhixi asked, "Your cousin hasn’t returned yet, has she?"

Hu Huihui replied, "Not yet. I’m planning to go check on them today."

She put on a pitiful expression, "Brother Zhuang, could I borrow your bicycle?"

Zhuang Zhixi declined, "No, I need it for work."

Hu Huihui pressed, "But your family has two bikes, right?"

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "My brother also needs his for work."

Why should he lend it to her? They weren’t that close.

Besides, bikes were valuable, and with the Su family, you had to stay on guard. If you let your guard down even a little, they’d latch onto you.

Zhuang Zhixi firmly rejected Hu Huihui twice and then went back inside to eat breakfast.

Hu Huihui watched his retreating figure and bit her lip. But then she thought, it was probably because people didn’t want to get involved with her cousin’s family. Hu Huihui had been living in the courtyard for a while now and had some understanding of the dynamics.

The Zhuang family didn’t seem to like her cousin’s family, and that was clear to her.

She thought to herself that her cousin was her cousin, and she was herself.

But obviously, others didn’t see it that way.

Hu Huihui was a bit upset, but she could understand. After all, most people disliked her cousin, and she didn’t like her either. Since she was living with her cousin, others naturally associated her with her cousin’s behavior.

Thinking this, Hu Huihui couldn’t help but blame Wang Xiangxiu. She really wasn’t likable.

When she went to make breakfast, she found that all the food was locked in the cupboard, with nothing left out. Hu Huihui wanted to eat a cornbread bun but couldn’t find one. She muttered under her breath, "Stingy."

She paid eight yuan a month for rent.

To put it in perspective, renting a room outside would only cost two or three yuan, and a small single room could be rented for as little as one and a half yuan.

As for food, a bowl of meat noodles outside would cost two and a half mao, plus food stamps.

But ever since she moved in, she had only been eating cornmeal, with no meat in sight. When she thought about it, paying eight yuan felt like a total rip-off. Hu Huihui grumbled as she left the house, though she put on a gentle face once outside.

"Good morning, Wang Zhaodi."

She happened to run into Wang Zhaodi, who was emptying the chamber pot.

Wang Zhaodi was hardworking and diligent in the Zhou household, and Hu Huihui had a decent impression of her.

She even had a good impression of Jiang Lu and Zhou Qun, despite her cousin constantly badmouthing them, saying they were heartless and would only have daughters. But Hu Huihui had eyes of her own. She paid eight yuan a month but couldn’t eat well or even get full.

Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu, on the other hand, made sure Wang Zhaodi had enough to eat.

Moreover, when they had fine grains, they didn’t make Wang Zhaodi eat cornmeal separately. They all ate the same food, sharing whatever was available. Hu Huihui had secretly observed that although Wang Zhaodi was hardworking and efficient, she wasn’t very mindful during meals and ate a lot.

Even so, Jiang Lu and Zhou Qun never complained. Hu Huihui felt that this couple wasn’t as bad as her cousin made them out to be.

Her cousin was just jealous.

Jealous of Jiang Lu’s good life.

To be honest, it was actually a misunderstanding on Hu Huihui's part. In the past, the Zhou family did indeed have a hierarchy. The good stuff was only bought in small quantities and reserved for Zhou Qun. Jiang Lu and Aunt Zhou had to make do with cornbread. Aunt Zhou was like that—she was harsh on her daughter-in-law and equally harsh on herself.

In her heart, she held a deep-seated preference for sons over daughters, believing that women didn’t deserve to eat well.

But now, Aunt Zhou was no longer in the picture, and Zhou Qun had a major weakness in Jiang Lu’s hands. Although this weakness was known to everyone, Jiang Lu held the threat of "divorce" over him, which kept him in check.

Not to mention, Jiang Lu was pregnant, so she was now the one in charge.

Jiang Lu had been mistreated for many years and had endured a lot, but now she had completely let go of those burdens. She had come to realize that even the Zhuang family, who were worse off than them, still tried to eat well. Why should she deprive herself? If she ruined her health, who would benefit in the end?

The scoundrel husband or the wicked mother-in-law?

So she decided to eat and drink as she pleased. As for Wang Zhaodi, who ate a lot and lacked tact at the dinner table, Jiang Lu didn’t say much. As long as Wang Zhaodi did her work well, that was enough. Wang Zhaodi’s behavior was understandable. She came from a family of nine daughters, and life was extremely tough. Meals were a matter of survival, and you had to fight for your share.

Everyone was used to eating quickly as soon as they sat down at the table.

Jiang Lu understood this and didn’t make a fuss.

After all, she wasn’t planning to spend her life with Wang Zhaodi.

However, because of all this, Hu Huihui had misunderstood. She didn’t know what things were like when Aunt Zhou was around, so she thought her cousin was simply jealous and that’s why she kept badmouthing Jiang Lu. She greeted Wang Zhaodi: "You’re not working today, are you? Why the rush? Is there a line at the bathroom?"

Wang Zhaodi replied, "Sister Jiang Lu is pregnant and can’t stand the smell. I’m going to empty it early and open the windows to air out the house so it doesn’t stink."

Hu Huihui said, "You’re really hardworking."

She would never do such a task herself, not even if her life depended on it.

"This rain just won’t stop. I feel like I’m going to grow mold."

Wang Zhaodi, however, said, "Once the rain stops, we can go mushroom picking."

As a country girl, she knew all about these things. She said, "I’ve already made plans with Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao to go up the mountain in the outskirts once the rain stops. There are always plenty of mushrooms after the rain, and they taste great no matter how you cook them. If we have too many, we can dry them and save them for winter. It’s a good way to have an extra dish."

Hu Huihui gave her a subtle look. "You’re really diligent."

Wang Zhaodi smiled sheepishly and said, "I’m not smart, and I didn’t get much education. I don’t have any impressive skills, so all I have left is diligence."

Hu Huihui: "..."

She said, "Diligence is a good quality. Many mothers-in-law like that."

Wang Zhaodi scratched her head and said, "I’m not in a hurry to get married."

Though she might seem simple-minded, she had her own thoughts. Her parents would never marry her off to a good family. They’d just marry her to whoever offered the most money. But with her background, why would anyone pay a lot to marry her? It would have to be someone with issues.

Then she’d end up serving an entire family, just like her mother, who kept having children until she finally had a son.

In the past, she thought this was normal, but now she wasn’t so sure.

She thought it would be better not to marry at all.

She’d rather stay at Sister Jiang Lu’s house as a nanny, where she had food and shelter, and Sister Jiang Lu wasn’t harsh toward her.

Even when Sister Jiang Lu didn’t like her at first, she never mistreated her. Now that Sister Jiang Lu was pregnant, she was even more easygoing. There was plenty to eat and drink, and there was always something interesting happening. She didn’t want to leave!

Wang Zhaodi took a deep breath and said, "I need to hurry. I still have to make breakfast. Sister Jiang Lu hasn’t had much of an appetite lately, so I’m going to borrow a fishing rod and check the moat later."

Hu Huihui was stunned. "What? You’re going fishing in this heavy rain?"

Wang Zhaodi replied matter-of-factly, "Yes. On clear days, people go fishing themselves and won’t lend me their rods. I have to wait until they’re not using them to borrow one."

She added earnestly, "I need to make a good impression!"

Suddenly, Wang Zhaodi seemed to be filled with energy. "I’m off to work!"

She was as quick as the wind.

Hu Huihui: "..."

Are all country girls this hardworking?

She looked at Wang Zhaodi with a subtle expression.

"Hu Huihui!"

Hu Huihui turned around at the sound. "Who are you...?"

There were too many men on this street who admired her.

"You don’t remember me? I’m Fourth Brother Yu, Yu Baoshan’s brother."

Hu Huihui suddenly realized. "Oh, it’s you."

Then she immediately frowned and said coldly, "What do you want? Hasn’t your family done enough to hurt my cousin? Yu Baoshan did so many terrible things, and your family hasn’t even apologized. It’s outrageous."

Fourth Brother Yu said, "Hey, he’s him, and I’m me. We’re not the same. I don’t like Yu Baoshan either. He’s always causing trouble and hogging the big room and the job. I guess he got what was coming to him."

The brothers didn’t feel the slightest bit of sadness. They all disliked Yu Baoshan.

In a family with many brothers, resources were always scarce, and Yu Baoshan took the lion’s share. Who could be happy about that?

Their resentment had built up over time, and now that he was gone, they didn’t feel any grief.

However, he said, "Wait, your cousin wasn’t really harmed, was she? I heard she got away. How is she suffering?"

Hu Huihui became agitated. "What do you mean she wasn’t harmed? That scoundrel Yu Baoshan... uh!"

She suddenly stopped herself and said, "Uh, my cousin was scared, okay? Doesn’t that deserve an apology?"

Fourth Brother Yu looked at her suspiciously, pondering what she hadn’t said. He pressed, "What happened to your cousin? What did Yu Baoshan do to her? Tell me."

Hu Huihui’s eyes darted around. "Nothing, you heard wrong."

Fourth Brother Yu became more intrigued. "No, there’s definitely something. Tell me. I won’t tell anyone."

Hu Huihui waved her hands vigorously. "No, no. Nothing happened. Don’t get the wrong idea, okay? Don’t overthink it."

Then, as if she had let something slip and was feeling guilty, she repeatedly emphasized, "My cousin is pure and innocent."

Fourth Brother Yu finally understood. He grinned slyly and said, "So, your cousin... did Yu Baoshan do *that* to her...?"

"No, don’t talk nonsense."

Hu Huihui pushed Fourth Brother Yu aside and quickly ran off, as if a wolf were chasing a rabbit.

Hu Huihui ran fast, and when she reached a secluded corner, a triumphant smile spread across her face.

Wang Xiangxiu had been so harsh to her. Now she would make sure Wang Xiangxiu’s reputation was ruined.

After all, she hadn’t lied.

Some things might fool outsiders, but it was hard to hide from someone who lived in the same house. Especially since Yu Baoshan had been so rough, and Wang Xiangxiu had been too shocked to cover her tracks. Hu Huihui knew everything clearly.

She wouldn’t say it outright—that would be too crude.

This level of subtlety was just right.

She could even swear she hadn’t said anything, yet others would understand immediately.

She smiled smugly, thinking Fourth Brother Yu had appeared at just the right time. But it didn’t really matter if it was him or not. If he hadn’t shown up, she would have subtly leaked the information to someone else in the neighborhood.

Now that Fourth Brother Yu was here, she’d use him.

It didn’t matter who it was—she’d take whoever was available.

Hu Huihui was pleased with herself and hummed a tune as she walked away. Let’s see you feed me cornmeal! Let’s see you feed me cornbread! Let’s see you feed me boiled vegetables! Let’s see you make me do all the housework! I’ll pay you back in full!

My eight dollars aren’t so easy to take!

I’ll expose your secrets!

Hu Huihui left triumphantly, while Fourth Brother Yu mulled over her words and suddenly understood. "So, Yu Baoshan slept with Wang Xiangxiu, the widow."

The brothers were so estranged that they always referred to each other by name.

He narrowed his eyes. So that’s what happened.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it obvious?

They had come out of the bathroom together... Yikes!

He gasped. They didn’t even care about the location? The bathroom, of all places?

Were they that desperate?

Even if she couldn’t have children anymore, was it really necessary to rush into something like that?

Although there have been some rumors about whether Wang Xiangxiu and Yu Baoshan had any involvement, these were overshadowed by the shocking incident of Yu Baoshan being struck by lightning. After all, that was a once-in-a-decade event.

But now, with confirmation from the cousin of one of the parties involved, it’s clear that the rumors are true.

Fourth Brother Yu: “Tsk tsk, who would’ve thought? Yu Baoshan, that scoundrel, didn’t die in vain. At least he had some fun before he went. And Wang Xiangxiu isn’t bad either…”

“Fourth Brother Yu, what are you doing? Standing in the rain all by yourself, aren’t you afraid of getting struck by lightning?”

“Shut your filthy mouth! Lightning won’t strike me—I’m a good person. I’m not like someone else. Oh, by the way, I know something…”

“What?”

“About Yu Baoshan.”

“Huh? What about him?”

“That night he cornered Wang Xiangxiu, he actually… you know…”

“Oh my god, how do you know? Is it true?”

“Of course it’s true! Who do you think I am? I’m Yu Baoshan’s fourth brother. I know everything. That jerk was always up to no good. Just think about Wang Xiangxiu’s state that day—clearly, she was… heh heh heh.”

“Oh, right, right.”

“Wait, what do you think Bai Fendou will do when he finds out? He’s still in the police station because of Wang Xiangxiu, and now she’s been with someone else… Won’t he go crazy?”

“It’s not the first time. He’ll probably still believe her.”

“Ugh. True, he’s an idiot. If a man is like that, he might as well sell hats…”

…

Such salacious gossip spreads quickly. By mid-morning, the story was already the talk of the town.

When someone asked Zhuang Zhixi about it, he was still confused. “What? I don’t know anything about this. Quick, tell me!”

Sister Cui: “…”

She sighed, “I was hoping you’d tell me.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “I don’t know anything about her.”

Zhuang Zhixi had taken a day off yesterday and hadn’t gone to work. This morning, he’d been recounting the lightning strike incident like a stand-up comedian. Just when he thought he could finally take a break at noon, there was new gossip.

The rumor mill moves too fast.

Zhuang Zhixi: “When I got there, I only saw them coming out of the bathroom together. I didn’t see anything else. After that, I was chased with a knife…”

Sister Cui said, “Could it be… could it be that he chased you because you discovered his affair with Wang Xiangxiu? Otherwise, why wouldn’t he chase her and instead go after you?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “…I don’t know.”

Honestly, with Yu Baoshan dead, it’s unclear why he chased Zhuang Zhixi with a knife that day.

Zhuang Zhixi thought that Yu Baoshan must have panicked. His test results had come out that day, and he was already emotionally unstable. Seeing Zhuang Zhixi, he probably feared he’d go to the police, so chasing him with a knife wasn’t entirely out of the question…

“There’s no point speculating now. He’s gone.”

Curiously, he asked, “But how did this rumor about Wang Xiangxiu start? I didn’t hear anything about it yesterday when I was at home.”

“I heard it started this morning, from someone in the Yu family—Yu Baoshan’s brother.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “…”

What’s going on now?

“Oh, by the way, did Wang Xiangxiu go to work?”

“Work? No, she didn’t.” Sister Cui, who seemed to know everything, said, “I heard she’s at the hospital. Her mother-in-law, Aunt Su, is on her last legs.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “…”

He didn’t believe that for a second.

What do you mean, “on her last legs”?

She was perfectly fine last night.

When she fell, it definitely wasn’t life-threatening.

As he suspected, they were using Aunt Su’s health to pressure Jiang Baohong into dropping the matter… Truly, the wicked get their comeuppance from the wicked!