The late spring breeze, carrying the lingering warmth of the day, swept across the mud-brick houses of the Hongqi Production Brigade, making the smoke rising from each chimney sway crookedly. Zhang Lan, carrying an empty bamboo basket, walked home along the grassy ridges of the fields, the mud on her shoes falling with each step, just like the barely suppressed anger burning and crackling in her heart.

As soon as she reached the gate of her own courtyard, she heard her husband, Shen Laoda, humming a tune inside the house. His leisurely demeanor only fueled her anger. She shoved open the wooden door, and the bamboo basket crashed to the ground with a thud. Shen Laoda, who was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) weaving a bamboo basket, was so startled that his hand trembled, and bamboo strips fell to the ground.

"What's wrong with you?" Old Master Shen frowned and stood up. Looking at his wife's ashen face, his heart skipped a beat. "Did you go to the soy sauce shop to find Wanqiu and she didn't give you a friendly look?"

Zhang Lan plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), slapping her thighs and wailing. Her voice was so shrill it could pierce the night: "Why is my life so miserable! My own brother's business is booming, but my sister-in-law was kicked out when she tried to lend a hand. They think we're too poor and afraid we'll benefit from their success!" Between sobs, she stole glances at her husband's reaction. Seeing his face darken, she cried even harder. "That little bitch Lin Wanqiu, now that she's got wings, she has no respect for us elders! So what if she runs a run-down soy sauce shop? What's so great about that? She probably used some underhanded methods to get the supply and marketing cooperative to accept her goods!"

Old Shen was annoyed by her crying. He picked up the bamboo strips from the ground, but couldn't continue weaving. He knew his wife was lazy. Before, when Wanqiu asked her to help at the soy sauce factory, she had used the excuse of her sick child to avoid it several times. But now, listening to his wife's complaints and thinking about how everyone else in the village could earn money from the soy sauce factory, except for his family, he gradually felt a little resentful: "Don't talk nonsense. Wanqiu is now recognized by the commune as a leader in getting rich. If word gets out, our family will be even more embarrassed."

"I'm talking nonsense?" Zhang Lan suddenly raised her head, her eyes red and swollen, yet revealing a fierce determination. "I saw her exchanging glances with Director Wang of the supply and marketing cooperative. Otherwise, how could a widow like her get a huge order of a thousand kilograms? And Shen Tingzhou, he said he faked his death, but who knows if he did something wrong and came back to hide? Now look what's happened, one of them is pulling strings outside, while the other is acting like a local tyrant in their hometown, trampling us, their respectable relatives, underfoot!"

These words, like poisoned needles, drifted out through the open window and were overheard by Aunt Zhang, a neighbor who was passing by. Aunt Zhang, carrying the freshly washed dishes, paused, her eyes wide with surprise. She always thought Zhang Lan was a gossip, but she never expected her to dare slander Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou. This couple was now the talk of the village; many people depended on their soy sauce shop for their livelihood.

Aunt Zhang didn't dare linger and quickened her pace home, her heart pounding like a rabbit's. As soon as she got home, she couldn't help but grumble to her husband, "Do you know what? Zhang Lan was just yelling at Wanqiu at home, saying Wanqiu was having an affair with the supply and marketing cooperative director, and that Tingzhou came back from a crime. If Wanqiu hears this, she'll cause a huge uproar!"

Her husband was squatting by the stove, tending the fire. Hearing this, his hand trembled, and firewood fell to the ground. "Don't spread rumors like that. Don't we know what kind of person Wanqiu is? She's brought benefits to so many people by running the soy sauce shop. Zhang Lan just didn't get any benefits herself, so she's deliberately spreading rumors!" Although he said this, he also knew in his heart that gossip in the village was the most dangerous thing. Once it spread, who knows what trouble it might cause.

Sure enough, within two days, rumors about Lin Wanqiu spread like wildfire throughout the Hongqi Production Brigade. Some said she had spent the night alone with Director Wang at the supply and marketing cooperative to secure orders; others said Shen Tingzhou hadn't faked his death at all, but had been discharged from the army for making a mistake and was afraid to tell anyone; still others said she had stolen the soy sauce workshop's secret recipe, otherwise how could a country woman like her brew such good soy sauce?

These rumors hung like a shadow over the village. The once bustling soy sauce workshop had become rather deserted in recent days. Several young women who used to be on good terms with Lin Wanqiu now avoided her gaze and no longer greeted her as warmly as before; the women in the bean-picking group also lacked their usual enthusiasm while working, whispering among themselves, seemingly discussing something.

Lin Wanqiu witnessed all of this, her heart aching as if pricked by needles. She knew these rumors must have been spread by Zhang Lan, but she hadn't expected them to escalate to this extent in just a few days. That evening, as she was leading everyone in bottling soy sauce, she noticed Aunt Li constantly sighing and couldn't help but go over and ask, "Aunt Li, have you been troubled by something lately? If you're having any difficulties at home, please tell me, and I'll definitely help if I can."

Aunt Li looked up at Lin Wanqiu's sincere eyes, her eyes slightly reddening: "Wanqiu, I know you're a good person, but the gossip in the village..." She sighed and lowered her voice, "Some people say you slept with Director Wang for the orders... and some people say Tingzhou... These words are so hurtful, it makes me feel so bad for you."

Lin Wanqiu's heart sank. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she forced a smile: "Aunt Li, thank you for telling me all this. A clear conscience fears no accusation. Those rumors are all false. One day everyone will understand." Although she said this, she knew that words alone were useless. She had to produce evidence to completely shatter these rumors. Otherwise, it would not only affect the soy sauce shop's business but also damage Shen Tingzhou's reputation.

Shen Tingzhou had recently noticed something amiss in the village. Every time he went to the commune to collect supplies, he could sense people talking behind his back. That evening, when he returned from the commune, he saw Lin Wanqiu sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), lost in thought, clutching a porcelain bottle of soy sauce in her hand, her eyes filled with exhaustion. He went over and gently took her hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through her coarse cloth clothes: "Don't think too much. I already know about those rumors; Zhang Lan spread them."

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