Chapter 293 At the Forefront
Her eyes were red-rimmed. She looked around, her voice trembling, "She's pregnant now, getting up before dawn every day and not returning home until late at night to take care of a group of children without a single complaint. How can you bear to smear such a good girl? She doesn't even have time for a hot meal, yet she's still thinking about delivering medicine to the sick children in her class; her feet are so swollen from walking that she can't even fit into her shoes, but she's never complained of being tired. And what about you? Sitting here gossiping, making it sound like she's done something shameful! She's carrying twins, and the doctor advised her to rest more, but for the sake of those children, she doesn't even dare to lie down for a moment. Have you ever thought that if she didn't genuinely care for them, who would work so hard? She's not seeking fame or fortune, nor does she want praise; she just... just wants every child to be treated with kindness. And this is how you repay her kindness?"
After saying that, she turned and left without even taking the fish or looking back, as if if she stayed for another second, her tears would flow uncontrollably.
Behind me, there was a hushed murmur, all of it a low, whispered discussion:
"Commander Fu's wife is really furious this time... I've never seen her so angry, her face turned white."
"That's right, Aunt Li who was speaking just now was so scared that her face turned pale, and she huddled in the corner, not daring to say a word."
"Sigh, the more they argue, the more it seems like the truth. At first, some people didn't believe it, but now even kids are gossiping behind their backs."
"Stop talking, stop talking! Be careful someone hears you! If Commander Fu finds out, it'll cause a huge mess!"
Song Yazhi quickened her pace, and in the end, she almost ran home.
Her heels clicked rapidly on the bluestone pavement, much like the violent heaving of her chest.
The wind blew in from the alley entrance, ruffling the white hair on her forehead, but she didn't bother to tidy it up.
Those harsh rumors kept replaying in my mind; every time I heard one, it felt like my heart was being cut by a knife.
Pushing open the door, I saw Qiao Wanyin squatting in the yard hanging clothes to dry. The sunlight shone on her slightly protruding belly, making it look like it was wrapped in a layer of gold.
A gentle breeze rustled through the clothes rack, causing the shirts on it to sway softly and cast dappled shadows.
Her movements were slow but meticulous; she wrung out a towel three times, afraid that a drop of water would wet the floor.
Sunlight fell on her face, revealing faint dark circles under her eyes—the marks of days of hard work.
"Mom, you're back?"
Qiao Wanyin turned her head with a smile and immediately noticed that her face was pale, her lips were bloodless, and even her nails were bluish-gray. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Have you had heatstroke? Come in and sit down!"
Song Yazhi's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.
Her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and the words that were about to come out were swallowed back down.
She can't say it, she can't say it now.
We cannot allow this daughter-in-law, who is pregnant with twins, to suffer unwarranted malice.
Her hands gripped the basket handles tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Don't frighten her; the baby is still inside her, and any fright could cause problems.
She had to stay calm and pretend nothing was wrong.
"No...it's nothing, I just ran too fast and I'm a little out of breath."
She forced a smile, her lips twitched, and her voice was so weak it sounded like it was being squeezed out from the back of her throat.
She placed the empty basket on the stone table with a soft "thud," like the string in her heart stretched to its limit.
Qiao Wanyin didn't move, but gently helped her sit down.
She squatted down, looked up at her mother-in-law, her gaze clear and focused, as if she could see into her heart.
Her hands were icy cold, yet they possessed a reassuring warmth.
“Mom,” her voice was soft, yet sharp as a nail, each word piercing Song Yazhi’s ears, “I knew something was wrong even if you hadn’t said anything. The way you walked wasn’t right, you wouldn’t look at me, and even your basket was empty. You never come back empty-handed from the market. And… there were tear stains on your eyes, you had just been crying and then wiped them away with your sleeve, didn’t you?”
When Song Yazhi looked up, she met her daughter-in-law's clear yet worried eyes, and her heart suddenly ached as if she had been hit hard by a heavy hammer.
There was no blame or anger in those eyes, only heartache and understanding.
She couldn't hold on any longer.
"Qingqing..."
She grabbed Qiao Wanyin's hand, tears streaming down her face, landing on her daughter-in-law's hot hand. "Someone... is talking badly about you. They're saying you... that you have ulterior motives, that you're using your pregnancy as a stepping stone to climb up the ranks to the regimental commander's family. They're also saying... that you're having an affair with another man, and that the child isn't even from the Fu family..."
Her voice trembled, and every word was spoken with difficulty, as if she were cutting her own heart.
Qiao Wanyin's heart tightened, her fingers suddenly curled up, and then slowly loosened.
She lowered her head, looked at her bulging belly, and gently touched it.
turn out to be……
No wonder I've been feeling strange lately. The vegetable vendor has suddenly stopped talking to me, the neighbor's kids avoid her when they see her, and even parents avoid her gaze when picking up their children.
She had always thought she was being too sensitive, but it turns out the rumors had spread to this extent.
Song Yazhi took a deep breath and recounted every single rumor she had heard in the market.
She even recounted the most vicious words verbatim: "Some people said you were faking illness and weakness to gain sympathy; they said you had your eye on the Fu family for a long time and had been waiting for this day; they also said the child in your belly was of dubious origin and would become a laughing stock sooner or later..."
As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion, and her shoulders trembled.
Her eyes reddened, and she gripped her daughter-in-law's hand tightly, her fingertips icy cold: "Qingqing, don't take it to heart. Those people don't understand you at all. They don't know that you get up at five every morning to cook porridge and bring it to the children's classroom door; they don't know that you carry students with fevers three miles to the hospital on rainy days; and they don't know that you secretly used your savings to pay tuition for impoverished students. They just talk nonsense, but you... you are cleaner and kinder than anyone else!"
What she feared most was that these words would hurt the child's feelings.
She was afraid that Qiao Wanyin would be upset, that her emotional fluctuations would affect the fetus, that she would be afraid to go out, and that she would lose trust in the world.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Wanyin didn't cry or make a fuss.
She didn't throw anything, didn't question anyone, and didn't even frown.
She listened quietly, then gently patted her mother-in-law's hand, her voice as calm as still water: "Mom, I'm fine. The innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. I have a clear conscience, so I'm not afraid of what they say."
Song Yazhi froze, staring blankly at her: "But those words are not true at all... You are not that kind of person! You are completely open and honest with the Fu family, with the children, with everyone, but they... they just treated you like this!"
Her voice was filled with pain, resentment, and extreme anger at her daughter-in-law's injustice.
"I know."
Qiao Wanyin smiled, her tone gentle, yet as cold as the wind on a winter night, each word seeming to be slowly spat out from between her teeth, "But what I want to know more is who is making up these things behind my back, who is hiding in the shadows, pushing my name to the forefront of controversy time and time again."
In the past few days, her intuition has been right every time.
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