Chapter 68: Perfume Replaced

On the way to the political commissar's office, Ruan Yuntang thought again and again and asked Jiang Yubai to wait for her for a while.

She hurried to the next yard and knocked on the door.

After a long while, Hu Xiaoling held the baby in one hand, opened the door with the other, and said happily, "Tangtang, you're here?"

Ruan Yuntang looked into her clear eyes, smiled and asked:

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask if you've ever given the perfume I gave you to anyone else."

"Of course not, you gave it to me!" Hu Xiaoling shook her head quickly. Then she realized something and asked worriedly, "Did something happen?"

Ruan Yuntang said a few words briefly, and when she saw the child in her arms burst into tears, she said:

"It's okay, I'll be back soon, you go ahead and do your work."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Hu Xiaoling was busy coaxing the child. After the child fell asleep, she remembered something and quickly put the child on the bed, covered him with a quilt, and then ran to her mother-in-law's room.

"Mother-in-law, can you return the perfume you took from me the other day?"

The old woman was half leaning on the bed, eating a watermelon. When she heard the noise, she spat the watermelon seeds on the ground and scolded:

"You're at home taking care of the kids all day, why do you need perfume? You're just imitating those fairies out there, not being frugal at all!"

Hu Xiaoling felt a tightness in her chest, but she didn't argue with her. Now she mainly wanted to find out whether the perfume was still with her mother-in-law.

She lowered her head and begged, "Mother-in-law, I don't need it. I just want to take a look."

The old woman's eyes changed slightly, but she raised her hand to chase him away, "What are you looking at? Go take care of that little girl quickly, or she'll have to spend money if she falls!"

Seeing this, Hu Xiaoling understood something. For the first time in her life, she rushed into her mother-in-law's room and searched everywhere.

Instead of finding the perfume, he found a thick stack of banknotes.

"Did you exchange the perfume for money?"

Hu Xiaoling was so angry that her lips were shaking. She was reluctant to use it herself, and this was the first time she received a gift from a friend.

The old woman's heart tightened. She snatched the money from her hand and slapped her again, "How dare you rummage through my things? I'm giving you face?"

"If you don't exchange it for money, will you keep it to dress up and seduce others?"

Hu Xiaoling couldn't escape. She covered her swollen face, feeling aggrieved and heartbroken.

She sprayed it once two days ago, and her mother-in-law asked her for more. She gave her a bottle, but her mother-in-law still wanted more, and even forced her to ask Ruan Yuntang for more to give to relatives.

She thought she was really going to give it to her relatives, but she didn't expect that her mother-in-law would exchange it all for money.

She suppressed her anger and asked, "Did you sell it to Captain Yang's wife?"

The old woman waved her hand and sent them away, "No, no, who remembers!"

After years of getting along, Hu Xiaoling knew she was lying just by looking at her flickering eyes.

She immediately left the house, picked up the baby and rushed to the troops.

Political Commissar's Office.

Ruan Moli huddled behind Yang Chuan, feeling wronged. Her voice was weak.

"That day I just thought the perfume smelled nice, so I sprayed it on the flowers. I had no idea there was something wrong with my sister's perfume."

As she spoke, she showed an exquisite glass bottle filled with clear liquid.

Ruan Yuntang knew at a glance that it was the perfume she gave to Hu Xiaoling.

She walked over and just as she reached out her hand, Ruan Moli quickly retracted her hand and said in surprise, "Sister, you are not trying to damage the evidence!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Dafu, who was sitting at the desk, said coldly: "Stand still, girl, and don't move around!"

Ruan Yuntang looked at Ruan Moli's cautious eyes and said with a half-smile:

"How can I know if the perfume in this bottle is mine if I don't smell it?"

Ruan Moli's eyelashes twitched slightly, but Yang Chuan stood in front of her and said with a smile: "You don't need to touch it, someone can prove that this perfume is yours!"

After he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.

Yang Chuan raised his eyebrows with confidence.

The door opened and Hu Xiaoling walked in tremblingly, holding the baby.

Yang Chuan frowned slightly. Didn’t they say that the old woman was coming? Why was someone else replaced?

Then, Hu Xiaoling walked towards Ruan Yuntang with an apologetic look on her face and apologized in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Yang Chuan's brows relaxed. It seemed that Gao Yang, his wife, was sensible!

He said gently, "Sister Hu, you are just telling the truth. You don't have to apologize to someone who hurts others and yourself."

Unexpectedly, Hu Xiaoling ignored him and shouted to Chen Gang and Sun Dafu:

"Commissars, my mother-in-law did take my perfume out in exchange for money, but there is absolutely no problem with the perfume."

Yang Chuan's brows suddenly fell, and he winked at the guard at the door in anger.

Just as the guard was about to leave, a large hand grabbed his collar and a sharp, cold voice rang out, "Where do you want to go?"

The guard turned his head to meet Jiang Yubai's stern face, quickly shook his head, and stood back to his original position, no longer daring to help Yang Chuan report the news.

Yang Chuan was so angry that he glared at the person who then stood back beside Ruan Yuntang.

Ruan Yuntang noticed this little episode, but this was not the time to thank him.

Sun Dafu in front has already started asking three questions in a row.

"What is your relationship with Ruan Yuntang?"

"Do you know that your mother-in-law is exchanging perfume for money?"

"How do you prove that this perfume is okay?"

…

Hu Xiaoling answered smoothly at first, but only stumbled over the last question: "I've used it before, and I can prove it's fine."

Sun Dafu laughed, "You just said that you and Ruan Yuntang are good friends. How can I believe what you said?"

Instantly, Hu Xiaoling's face turned pale, her fingers clenched around the child's trouser legs. She said anxiously, "And my baby can prove it!"

"Children are most sensitive to smells. My baby has smelled it and nothing happened, so there's no way perfume would be a problem!"

As soon as these words came out, Sun Dafu choked.

Chen Gang then interjected, "The fact that children have used it without any problems is enough to prove that perfume is fine."

Sun Dafu angrily said, "There's nothing wrong with the perfume, so why did Mrs. William faint after smelling it?"

The office fell into silence.

At this time, Ruan Yuntang said slowly: "That means it is not at all——"

Before she could finish, Ruan Moli suddenly suggested:

"Since Mrs. Hu insists that the baby is fine after using my sister's perfume, why not test it right here and prove it to everyone? This will also immediately clear my sister of suspicion."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaoling nodded without hesitation and was about to reach out to take the perfume.

Ruan Yuntang's heart trembled, and he quickly grabbed Hu Xiaoling to stop her, "No!"

Ruan Moli smiled triumphantly, "Why, sister knows there's something wrong with her perfume, so she doesn't dare let Sister Hu try it?"

Hu Xiaoling also looked at her in confusion, and whispered, "Tangtang, it's okay. I've really sprayed babies before, it's okay."

Ruan Yuntang met Hu Xiaoling's sincere eyes, and his heart warmed. He shook his head at her, "This perfume is not mine, don't try it."

Hu Xiaoling's eyes widened in shock.

Ruan Moli sneered, "Sister, even if you feel guilty, you can't talk nonsense like that. If this isn't your perfume, whose else could it be?"

"I bought this from Mrs. Hu's mother-in-law for five dollars."