Feng Mingshu didn't understand why Wang Sujuan had suddenly come to his door. It wasn't until he heard Yu Xiuchun's insult that he remembered seeing Zhang Yunxiao outside the neighborhood committee this morning. He roughly guessed what Zhang Yunxiao had done to cause him this trouble. He felt annoyed.

Ignoring Yu Xiuchun's clamor, she said directly to Wang Sujuan, "Your son and I are just ordinary classmates. Whether he goes to the countryside or not has nothing to do with me. If you want to discipline your son, go home and discipline him. Don't go to other people's homes and cause trouble."

Wang Sujuan seemed not to have expected her to speak so rudely. Her face darkened instantly, and she lost her composure: "If you hadn't instigated him, would my son have ever thought of going to the countryside to become an educated youth?"

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

At this moment, Zhang Yunxiao rushed over and grabbed his mother, but dared not look at Feng Mingshu.

Seeing her son's pathetic state, Wang Sujuan was even more furious: "How would I know who seduced my son if I didn't come?"

"Mom, don't talk nonsense—"

“Zhang Yunxiao, you’ve come at the right time,” Feng Mingshu interrupted the mother and son’s argument, thoroughly annoyed, and said coldly, “Please explain in front of everyone whether there is any relationship between us other than classmates.”

Hearing her words, Zhang Yunxiao felt a pang of pain in her heart. She looked up at her and said in a hoarse voice, "No, there's no other relationship... we're just classmates."

He spoke the last sentence with difficulty, as if hiding sadness, but Feng Mingshu didn't care at all. He nodded indifferently and then raised his hand to close the door.

Yu Xiuchun jumped out at this moment and shouted: "Impossible! My daughter was with you today and saw you chase after Feng Mingshu into the neighborhood committee and sign the volunteer form to go to the countryside with her. If my daughter hadn't stopped you, this would have been done!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sujuan's face darkened considerably, and the surrounding neighbors began to murmur amongst themselves. They had heard about the farce that had occurred at the neighborhood committee that morning.

Ignoring the noise, Feng Mingshu stared at Zhang Yunxiao and asked, "Did I say a single word to you this morning?"

"No." Zhang Yunxiao shook her head.

Feng Mingshu: "Did I ask you to go to the neighborhood committee?"

Zhang Yunxiao: "No."

Feng Mingshu: "What does your going to the countryside have to do with me?"

Zhang Yunxiao did not deny it as before, but just stared at her intently, her eyes still a little red.

Feng Mingshu felt a sense of unease, but before she could find a way to break the deadlock, Yu Xiuchun jumped out again.

"Look, look, you said it was okay, but now you've been exposed!"

Yu Xiuchun, with a smug look on her face, continued to provoke Wang Sujuan, whose face was gloomy: "Director Wang, I told you long ago that this girl is no ordinary person. Just like her mother, she is good at seducing people... Ah, you slut, you dare to hit me!"

Caught off guard, Yu Xiuchun was slapped and screamed as she lunged at Feng Mingshu.

Feng Mingshu dodged the attack and then precisely kicked Yu Xiuchun in the knee, sending her crashing to the ground in front of the courtyard gate. Looking down at her, he said, "If you dare to slander my mother again, I'll slap your face to pieces!"

Having experienced hardship and the coldness of the world in her past life, and then working on a farm for fifteen years, she was no longer the delicate young lady who would stammer and blush when arguing with others. She had also learned to take action.

Perhaps the contrast was too great, because her actions left the surrounding neighbors, including the Zhang family mother and son, somewhat stunned and unable to react for a moment.

Only the tall man who reached the back of the crowd had bright eyes and quickened his pace.

"You bitch, I'll fight you to the death!" Yu Xiuchun, having suffered a great loss, screamed and jumped up, lunging at Feng Mingshu with a ferocious expression.

But this time, before Feng Mingshu could make a move, the man arrived, grabbed Yu Xiuchun's arm, and with a pull and a push, Yu Xiuchun fell backward toward Wang Sujuan.

"Mom, be careful!"

Zhang Yunxiao exclaimed in surprise and pulled Wang Sujuan away in time, causing the mother and son to stumble.

With no one to shield her, Yu Xiuchun fell flat on her backside with a thud, howling in pain, "The soldiers are beating people! Everyone come quick!"

The man appeared too quickly and acted too fast. It was only after hearing Yu Xiuchun's scream that everyone reacted and turned to look at his military cotton-padded coat and the two bars and one star on his shoulder insignia. They immediately looked at each other in bewilderment.

Feng Mingshu was slightly taken aback before looking over and seeing the man's angular face under the streetlight. She recognized him as the bandit she had been worried about, but now that he had actually appeared and shielded her from Yu Xiuchun, her feelings became complicated.

Noticing her gaze, Zhou Jinshan's lips curled into a smile. He gave her a reassuring look, then turned his face serious, took a big step, and reached out to pull Yu Xiuchun up: "Comrade, I pushed you to stop you from hurting anyone. I just didn't expect there to be no one to catch you. I misjudged the situation. I'm sorry."

His words were reasonable and well-founded, and his apology was sincere. The onlookers immediately expressed their understanding and followed his words, turning their attention to Wang Sujuan and Zhang Yunxiao, the mother and son.

Zhang Yunxiao blushed deeply under the gaze, stammering and unsure how to explain.

Wang Sujuan, on the other hand, had a dark expression. She didn't think she had any obligation to catch Yu Xiuchun, the woman who had instigated her daughter to covet her son. She wished she could fall even harder.

Of course, she was a person who valued dignity, so she couldn't bring herself to say such things. Instead, she glared at the man who had suddenly appeared and caused trouble.

"What do you mean I hurt someone? Didn't you see that bitch hit me first? I think I was bewitched by this little slut and stood up for her. I'll scratch you to death, you stinking man!" Yu Xiuchun screamed and pounced on Zhou Jinshan, scratching and clawing like a complete shrew.

Feng Mingshu frowned and was about to step forward when Zhou Jinshan raised his hand and grabbed Yu Xiuchun's scratching hand. Amid the latter's cry of pain, he coldly warned, "Comrade, you are a member of the public. I can let you off the hook if you attack me, but please watch your mouth. Comrade Feng Mingshu is someone I'm dating. I will not allow anyone to belittle her character or slander her reputation!"

Upon hearing the word "partner," Feng Mingshu's mind went blank for a moment, and she stared incredulously at the man in front of her who was talking nonsense with a straight face.

The surrounding area was already filled with noise, with everyone gossiping about when the Feng family's daughter had started dating a military officer. Wasn't she just entangled with the Zhang family's son? Now that his mother had come knocking on their door.

Zhou Jinshan ignored the gossip. After warning Yu Xiuchun, he turned to Feng Mingshu and gave her a look that asked her to cooperate for the time being.

Feng Mingshu was furious, but she knew it was too late to deny it, so she could only hold her anger in until her eyes turned red.

Yu Jingqiu came out of the courtyard, patted her daughter's hand tenderly, then nodded slightly to Zhou Jinshan and said, "Let her go. You are a soldier, it's not appropriate for you to fight with a shrew."

This shrew naturally refers to Yu Xiuchun, while Yu Jingqiu's tone was indifferent.

Zhou Jinshan immediately obeyed and let go: "I'll listen to you, Auntie."

He took a step back, but still maintained his guarding posture.