When Lin Jiaman saw He Yanzhi and many military families surrounding her, she immediately felt that she had someone to rely on.
She wailed even more loudly, pointing at Guan Wenru's nose, her voice so shrill it could pierce the night sky:
"I say this! Fellow neighbors! You must stand up for me! Look at this heartless wretch! How dare she hit me!"
She even tried to beat my grandson and granddaughter! Haoxian! My poor son! Look what kind of heartless wife you married! She's trying to drive the Han family to its death!
She cried and tried to get up to show her "injuries," but the pain from being kicked in the stomach and thigh was too intense, so she could only kick her legs in vain, making her look even more pathetic.
The onlookers whispered among themselves, their eyes shifting back and forth between the tantrum-throwing Lin Jiaman and the pale-faced Guan Wenru standing to the side, most with expressions of suspicion and amusement.
After all, Lin Jiaman's shrewishness and meanness were well-known in the compound.
Just as He Yanzhi's brows furrowed more and more, preparing to ask again, Guan Wenru suddenly seemed to be terrified by Lin Jiaman's accusation. Her body trembled violently, and all the color drained from her face.
His eyes instantly switched from cold and sharp to one of fear, terror, and helplessness.
She trembled and took two small steps back, her back almost hitting the cold earthen wall. Her voice was weak and trembling, choked with sobs, "I...I didn't...Mother-in-law, how could I dare to hit you...and even less dare to hit the child..."
Her current appearance is completely different from when she was fiercely kicking someone earlier; she looks exactly like a timid and cowardly young wife who has suffered all kinds of humiliation.
Lin Jiaman was stunned, clearly not expecting her to suddenly back down and play dumb. She was so angry she could hardly breathe, coughing for a while before finally snapping, "You're talking nonsense! You clearly just now..."
"Mother-in-law!" Guan Wenru interrupted her timidly, raising her voice slightly so that everyone around could hear.
As if summoning immense courage, tears streamed down her face like broken beads, as she frantically tried to roll up the sleeves of her old cotton-padded coat while crying.
Under the dim light, several bruises and marks of pinching were clearly visible on the slender wrist and a small section of forearm that were exposed!
The mix of old and new is shocking!
"Oh my god!" someone among the military dependents watching exclaimed softly.
Guan Wenru seemed to realize what she had done only then, and hurriedly tried to pull down her sleeves to cover herself, her movements flustered and pitiful.
She cried even harder, her voice broken and filled with grievance and fear:
"This...this is from when Xiang Dong and Feng Jiao had a fight a few days ago...he said I didn't give them money to buy snacks...and this..."
She seemed agitated, and slightly tugged at her collar, revealing a small bruise near her collarbone. "My mother-in-law hit me with a fire poker the day before yesterday... saying the water I boiled was too hot..."
She raised her teary eyes, glanced timidly at the dumbfounded Lin Jiaman on the ground, then quickly lowered her head, her shoulders shrinking even tighter, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet clearly penetrating everyone's ears:
"I...I just...I saw my mother-in-law was about to hit me with a stick again, and I got scared...so I dodged...and she lost her balance and fell...I...how could I dare to hit her back...I wouldn't dare even if I had ten lives...Waaah..."
She cried with genuine emotion, her whole body trembling. The exposed wounds and her weak, helpless, and speechless appearance instantly aroused the sympathy of those around her.
Public opinion immediately shifted.
"My God! Look what they did to Xiao Guan!"
"I knew it! Xiao Guan is usually such an honest person, always speaking softly to people. How could he possibly hit someone?"
"Aunt Lin, isn't that too cruel? How could you be so harsh on your daughter-in-law?"
"You fell down and are blaming others? That's the pot calling the kettle black!"
"Commander He, you must investigate this thoroughly! Xiao Guan can't live like this anymore!"
He Yanzhi's gaze fell on the bruises on Guan Wenru's arm and collarbone, and his eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp!
His jawline tightened, and his hands unconsciously clenched.
Under the dim light, those scars pierced his eyes like needles.
He knew Lin Jiaman was mean, but he never expected her to be so vicious in private!
When he looked at Lin Jiaman, who was throwing a tantrum on the ground, his eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and authority.
Lin Jiaman was stunned by the sudden reversal and the accusations from those around her. She looked at Guan Wenru, who was crying her eyes out as if she had suffered a great injustice, and she trembled with anger.
She pointed at Guan Wenru, "You! You're talking nonsense! You're faking it! You little bitch, all you can do is pretend! Where's the force with which you kicked me just now?! Don't believe her!"
Guan Wenru only cried harder, shrinking into the corner as if she were about to faint from the insults, repeatedly muttering, "I didn't... I wouldn't dare... Mother-in-law, please don't hit me..."
He Yanzhi finally lost his temper and shouted in a deep voice, "Aunt Lin, that's enough!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced the entire room.
He looked coldly at Lin Jiaman on the ground, "The facts are right in front of us! We've all heard that you've been mistreating Comrade Guan, but we never expected you would actually dare to hit him!"
You even instigated your child to commit violence! Haoxian sacrificed his life; his widow deserves the care of the organization and neighbors, not to be humiliated like this by you!
"I...I didn't! She was the one who kicked me!" Lin Jiaman was still struggling.
"She kicked you?" He Yanzhi's eyes were sharp as knives. "She's a weak woman, beaten like this by you, yet she still has the strength to kick you to the ground? Do you believe that yourself? Do any of you here believe that?"
The onlookers shook their heads, their gazes toward Lin Jiaman filled with disdain.
He Yanzhi stopped looking at her and turned to Guan Wenru, who was huddled in the corner. His tone softened a bit. "Comrade Guan, don't worry, the organization will handle this matter seriously and will never let you suffer in vain."
Guan Wenru raised her tearful eyes and timidly glanced at He Yanzhi. Her eyes were filled with gratitude, dependence, and a hint of complex emotions that were barely perceptible and only she herself understood.
She quickly lowered her head, sobbing softly, "Thank... thank you, Commander He..."
He Yanzhi looked at her slender, scarred arms and fragile, trembling shoulders, and his heart tightened inexplicably.
This is the person who saved his life, yet now he lives such a life!
A strange urge to protect her welled up within me.
He forced himself to look away. "Aunt Lin, if you dare to lay a hand on me again, don't blame me for reporting this to the organization."
After he finished speaking, he looked at the others and said, "Sisters-in-law, go back now. We all live in the same compound. If you see Comrade Guan being beaten in the future, I hope you will help her."
After the women responded, they gradually dispersed, and the chatter subsided.
Guan Wenru remained leaning against the wall, her head bowed.
She knew this was just the first step.
In this terrible "past life," she must do everything she can to survive, protect herself, and then... create an opportunity to return to her true love.
He Yanzhi must have realized that she was the blue sky he was looking for, which is why he helped her time and time again after returning from the front lines.
She tried to think of a way to marry him as soon as possible. She didn't know how long she would live in this life, but now that she was back, she wanted to make it up to him.
She wants to marry him in this lifetime!
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