Chapter 22 The End of Old Lady Li
Zhang Weihong felt deeply sympathetic. She wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes and said indignantly, "Old Mrs. Li is so wicked. She spread rumors that Xiao Shen's child was an illegitimate child, wrote it in the newspaper, and even sent it to every household wrapped in brown sugar, ruining Xiao Shen's reputation."
"Luckily, Xiao Shen caught her, otherwise she wouldn't have admitted it."
The onlookers began to chatter amongst themselves. They had all received the items recently and naturally knew the whole story. Old Mrs. Li was spreading rumors behind the scenes, but Shen Zhixia caught her red-handed and openly brought it up, which showed that Shen Zhixia was definitely innocent.
In addition, given that Mrs. Li's character was not good, everyone thought that what she said was just a rumor.
Faced with everyone's accusations, Old Mrs. Li became somewhat frightened and hurriedly shook her head: "No, it's not mine, I didn't do it."
Zhang Weihong sneered: "The evidence is conclusive now, so there's no use denying it."
Officer Li looked at her with a disappointed expression.
At this point, there was no point in Grandma Li trying to explain. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she gave up and went all out.
"I...I just can't stand it!" Old Mrs. Li suddenly wailed and knelt down, her cane rolling far away. "That Commander Huo bullied me, and my son even sided with outsiders..." She shouted loudly, "I just want them to suffer!"
Shen Zhixia frowned as she watched Zhang Weihong throw a tantrum. Zhang Weihong stepped forward and blocked Shen Zhixia's path. She pointed at Old Mrs. Li and scolded, "Do you know what you're doing? You're spreading rumors with your foul mouth. You're driving people to their doom!"
The crowd fell silent instantly.
Officer Li stepped forward and said sincerely, "Zhi Xia, it's my fault. I didn't take good care of my mother..."
He turned to look at Old Mrs. Li, his eyes filled with pain, "Mom, let's go to the commune to apologize."
Grandma Li collapsed to the ground.
This matter has blown up too much now, so the only option is for Old Lady Li to go to the commune to apologize. This is a big deal, equivalent to public criticism, and everyone will know what she did from now on.
In the past, whatever Old Lady Li did was never made public, but now it's different. As long as she is publicly criticized, she becomes a disgrace to the military camp.
Grandma Li felt that everything was over.
She looked at Officer Li anxiously: "I'm your own mother! Can't you help me? How could you treat me like this?"
In fact, Officer Li didn't want to do this either. After all, Old Mrs. Li was his own mother. If he made her go to the commune to apologize, she would be punished. Not only would Old Mrs. Li lose face, but he would also lose face.
Since Old Mrs. Li doesn't work in the military camp, it doesn't really affect her. In the end, it's him who gets affected. But if he doesn't do this, this matter won't be resolved, and Huo Chenzhou definitely won't let it go so easily.
Even now, he could feel Huo Chenzhou's icy gaze fixed on him.
"no!"
Huo Chenzhou suddenly shouted sharply. He was wearing a crisp military uniform, his top button fastened tightly, and he stood there with a livid face. His military jacket was still draped over his arm, and the gold stars on his epaulets gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
When Old Mrs. Li saw Huo Chenzhou, her arrogant demeanor vanished instantly. She shrank back half a step like a punctured balloon, her voice trembling, "Commander Huo, I didn't mean to..."
Huo Chenzhou didn't even look at her. When he saw the brown sugar on the stone table and the vicious newspaper, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the chill emanating from him froze the surrounding air.
“Old Mrs. Li,” Huo Chenzhou’s voice was as cold as the winter wind, “do you know what crime you should be charged with according to military regulations for spreading rumors, misleading the public, and damaging the reputation of military families?”
Grandma Li was so frightened that her legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground: "Commander Huo, I... I was just saying it casually, just joking..."
"Are you kidding me?" Huo Chenzhou picked up the newspaper, his fingers trembling as he gripped the pages tightly. "You not only slandered military families, but you also deliberately sent substandard food in an attempt to harm people. Your intentions are despicable!"
He turned to the dumbfounded communications officer beside him, "Go! Call the comrades from the security department, and also ask the regimental clerk to record and file this!"
Grandma Li panicked completely. She was truly terrified now. She knelt down with a thud and hugged Huo Chenzhou's military boots: "Commander, spare me! I was wrong! I was bewitched, I was jealous... Please forgive me, you are a magnanimous person!"
Huo Chenzhou withdrew his foot in disgust, but when he held Shen Zhixia's cold hand, his heart ached with heartache.
Since joining the army, Shen Zhixia has not had a few good days.
Soon, the head of the security department arrived. After learning about the matter, he made a fair judgment: "According to the commune's resolution, those who illegally possess public property or spread rumors and cause trouble will be required to move out of the family compound if the circumstances are serious." He glanced at Old Mrs. Li: "This is the final ultimatum."
This wasn't the first time Old Mrs. Li had caused such a scene; she'd never had a good reputation in the family compound, but people hadn't confronted her directly before.
Upon hearing the punishment, Old Mrs. Li became very agitated: "I'm not leaving! I've lived here for so long, this is my home." The tip of her cane poked at the foot of the security chief, splattering fine mud. "Why are you kicking me out?"
"Based on this alone," the head of the security department pulled out a yellowed piece of paper, "this time, spreading rumors about military dependents violated the Public Security Regulations and should be punished."
He looked up at Officer Li and said, "You are a Party member, you should know that discipline is more important than family ties."
Officer Li's Adam's apple bobbed, his nails dug deeply into his palms. He recalled how last month, Old Mrs. Li had mended his military uniform under the kerosene lamp, the needle pricking her finger but she still smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt." Then he looked at the head of the security department in front of him with his businesslike gaze.
If he speaks up for Old Lady Li, his own image will be damaged.
“Mom,” he finally spoke, his voice sounding as if it had been sanded, “you should go back to live in the countryside.”
"Are you going to kick me out too?" Old Mrs. Li's cane clattered to the ground as she pointed tremblingly at her son. "I raised you with such hardship, and this is how you repay me?" She suddenly coughed violently, frantically touching her chest. "My heart, it hurts so much."
Li, the clerk, seemed completely oblivious to all of this. He suddenly straightened his back and, as if counting off in a line, said, "My mother will be moving out within three days."
He turned to look at Old Mrs. Li, his eyes red-rimmed, "I'll bring you back when there's another chance."
Even so, Old Mrs. Li knew that once she left this time, she would never be able to come back for the rest of her life.
Grandma Li stared at the Party emblem on her son's chest and suddenly realized that she could no longer turn the tide. She let out a heart-wrenching cry.
After this matter was over, Huo Chenzhou didn't look at Old Madam Li again, but instead took Shen Zhixia's hand and went back.
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