Bonnie prepared food and drinks, and she and Sister-in-law Wei Hong nestled in the study, chatting about gossip.
“Bonnie, I really didn’t intentionally try to find out about these things, but things just always happen so coincidentally that I ended up knowing the truth.”
Zhou Weihong was also helpless. Although she was very curious and liked to hear gossip, she would not spread it around. At most, she would talk about it with Bao Ni who came over, but she would not tell anyone else about it.
"What's wrong? Whose family is involved this time?"
Bonnie knew that Sister-in-law Wei Hong liked to listen to gossip, but she would only talk about these things with her at most, and secretly enjoy it.
"Who else could it be but Commander Yang's family? My house is so close to hers, we can hear everything that's going on."
"What happened to the Yang family? Could it be that their second son also suffered retribution and contracted some kind of illness?"
Bonnie thought to herself, if that's the case, Gu Ye must be envious of Wen Ze. He doesn't have to take revenge himself; his enemies get their comeuppance. He must also want Gu Xiangdong and Xu Fang to suffer retribution and be unhappy in their later years.
Although Gu Bei went to prison, it was his own doing, and Gu Ye wasn't happy about it. Gu Xiangdong and Xu Fang were the real culprits; they were living very well. Gu Xiangdong, in particular, was doing quite well at the retirement home under the guise of taking care of his grandmother.
"No, it was the youngest daughter of the Yang family who had the accident. She took the college entrance exam twice, and her score was lower each time, so she eventually gave up."
As you know, job opportunities were incredibly scarce for educated youth returning to the city. She tried two jobs but couldn't hold them for long, and eventually gave up and stayed home all day. She'd spend her free time wandering around with a few others in similar situations.
Wei Hong often saw Yang's youngest daughter skipping work, buying a bunch of food, and staying home watching TV.
I don't know when it started, but she stopped staying at home and always hung out with some young people in the compound, going out early and returning late, I don't know what she was doing.
"Baoni, you have no idea, the Yang family's youngest daughter is dressed up so beautifully, and she's brought back by a different boy every day."
Aunt Yang wouldn't listen, and even Commander Yang's beatings didn't work. She was completely obsessed, no matter what anyone said; she was totally trapped in it.
"What's so fascinating about it? Does it have such a strong appeal?"
Bonnie didn't know if addictive substances, like opium, existed at that time.
"What are you doing? Dancing, of course. You wouldn't believe it, she somehow got hold of a tape recorder, and every day after she's had enough sleep, she'll play tapes in the yard and dance to the music."
She struck a pose by herself and started jumping and dancing the cha-cha nonstop, making a terrible racket. Later, Commander Yang smashed her tape recorder, and she didn't go home for several days; nobody knew where she was staying.
Zhou Weihong recalled that period when her mother-in-law was extremely annoyed and almost wanted to smash her tape recorder. Later, Commander Yang smashed it, and her mother-in-law almost went to buy a string of firecrackers to set off.
"Oh, she participated in the dancing too?"
Bonnie never expected that there was anything related to the youngest daughter of the Yang family. They lived quite far away and didn't know much about the Yang family.
"I can't understand how girls in their twenties could be so obsessed with dancing. Now, the police have conducted a surprise inspection and arrested them all."
Regardless of whether or not they are sentenced, their reputation is now infamous. People from the neighborhood committee went there with them, and it's said that the men and women inside were scantily clad, their bodies pressed together, writhing in extremely unsightly movements.
Moreover, there were also married couples; although not caught in the act, several couples were seen embracing and kissing passionately. Outside it was freezing cold, but inside it was warm and inviting!
The reason why Sister-in-law Wei Hong knew so much was twofold: firstly, the Yang family's argument was too loud, and secondly, one of the members of the parents' committee who went to the scene was her friend.
"It's that serious? Are there any military spouses in the compound?"
Bonnie felt this matter couldn't be resolved peacefully; if any military spouses were involved, things would get complicated.
"No, there are quite a few unmarried girls and boys in the compound, but they're all good-for-nothings. Among them, the younger ones are mostly young, and those who are married aren't very old either."
If a group of middle-aged men and women were arrested, their wives and children would make a scene, and it would be incredibly embarrassing. However, this time, those married women won't fare well; will their in-laws tolerate them?
Although Zhou Weihong and Bao Ni got along very well, she was a native of the modern era and her thinking was still relatively traditional.
"That's true. Once things get out of hand, you lose all face and dignity, and things can get out of control."
Bonnie thought that Chinese people are generally concerned with saving face, and if this hadn't been exposed, everyone could have muddled through. Now, everything is out in the open, and there's no way to hide it anymore.
"Who says otherwise? Just you wait and see, this is going to cause quite a stir."
Zhou Weihong understood human nature in this era better than Bao Ni. Matters between men and women have always been a focus of public and private discussion. Women, in particular, receive far more abuse and contempt than men, and such a reputation may follow them for life, even influencing their children.
Bonnie and Wei Hong lost their desire to eat snacks and gossip. No matter what, people are always harsh on women.
Bonnie thought that even decades later, when women had become more respected and capable, men would be quickly forgiven for such affairs, at most labeled as philanderers and fickle. But women would be constantly criticized, accused of being unfaithful, promiscuous, and shameless.
When a man in his seventies or eighties marries a woman in her twenties or thirties, people say he's charming and wealthy. Conversely, if a middle-aged woman marries a man more than ten years younger than herself, she's ridiculed for keeping a gigolo and being disreputable…
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