Chapter 214 Perfume
The captain's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to support her arm, whispering, "Be careful! Don't fall! You're pregnant!"
He turned his head and glared fiercely at Fang Xiaoju, his eyes filled with anger and contempt: "It's one thing for you to engage in speculative trading, to make some extra money while supplies are scarce, we can understand that. But you actually dared to deceive a pregnant military dependent? Don't you have any basic humanity? Do you have any conscience?"
The surrounding crowd, who had been observing, erupted in uproar upon hearing this.
"My God, this is too cruel! Targeting patients specifically, isn't this just pushing people to their deaths?"
"Look at her belly, she's obviously about to give birth, how could she do that?"
"He looks decent and is always dressed neatly, so how could he do such despicable things? He's simply corrupting social morals!"
"They even dare to play tricks on military dependents! They're incredibly audacious! They deserve to be arrested and locked up to reflect on their actions for a few days!"
Fang Xiaoju blushed and breathed heavily as she was criticized by everyone. She struggled to get up from the ground, her heel bending in the process.
She was so anxious she was stamping her feet, her voice trembling: "No! Listen to me! That's not how it happened at all! I didn't lie to her! I sold her the candy, but she took it without paying and turned to leave! I couldn't catch up with her!"
In her panic, she reached for the cloth bag in her arms, wanting to pull out the transaction records and receipts to prove her innocence, but her hand trembled, and the cloth bag slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground with a crash.
Several packets of brown sugar, carefully wrapped in yellow paper, rolled out and scattered on the ground. Some of the packets even tore open, revealing the reddish-brown sugar chunks.
Several grain coupons were also swept up by the wind, swirling and flying towards the roadside ditch.
Upon seeing this, Qiao Wanyin's eyes quickly swept over the pile of brown sugar on the ground. Her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then her face paled, and she leaned limply against the patrol captain's shoulder, whispering weakly, "Look... the evidence is all there... She's hiding so many scarce supplies and secretly selling them... and she even lied to me, a sick and pregnant woman... I... I really can't take it anymore..."
The captain of the disciplinary team looked down, his brows furrowed, his face as dark as a looming storm.
He crouched down, picked up a bag of brown sugar and examined it, then picked up a fallen grain coupon and said coldly, "You not only illegally resold scarce state-controlled supplies, but also took the opportunity to deceive military families. The nature of your actions is extremely egregious! The circumstances are particularly serious! Take him away! Detain him in the detention center for a few days to reflect on your actions! We will deal with him after the investigation is completed!"
"Qiao Wanyin, you..."
Fang Xiaoju's face was deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she could barely utter a complete sentence.
She stared intently at the woman leaning on the captain's shoulder, her eyes filled with shock and anger.
She never expected that the other party would so skillfully turn the tables and devise a flawless plan.
Qiao Wanyin simply raised her head and smiled at her.
Her smile was pale and weak, like a thin mist that would dissipate in the wind, but her eyes were as cold as an icy lake in the depths of winter, chilling to the bone and devoid of warmth.
She's pregnant now, so even if she comes to the black market to buy something, she'll only get a few words of criticism at most, and maybe she'll have to write a self-criticism. Nobody will really do anything to her.
After all, everyone knows that pregnant women are emotionally unstable, and it's understandable that they might occasionally do something outrageous.
But Fang Xiaoju is different—she is a legitimate employee working at a company, with a clear identity and a clear file. How could she just make up an excuse like she did?
She couldn't very well say she was from the performing arts troupe in front of so many people, could she?
Wouldn't that be inviting humiliation?
Once the name of the organization is mentioned, not only will the individual lose face, but the entire performing arts troupe will also be disgraced.
If a leader blames you, the consequences can range from a public reprimand to jeopardizing your future career.
Not to mention those who are envious of her qualifications and jealous of her appearance, who are eager to seize the opportunity to kick her when she's down.
Now, not only will they have to suffer in the disciplinary team, but they will also inevitably be reprimanded and punished. They will have to register their names, copy the regulations, write a self-criticism, and have their photos taken for record-keeping.
In the end, the matter escalated, and she had to ask her uncle to step in and smooth things over—it didn't look good for a high-ranking official to have to lower himself and beg for help for his niece's sake.
Fang Xiaoju's aunt had always been indifferent to her, speaking with barbs and making things difficult for her at every turn, and had long been holding back, wanting to find fault with her.
This is a real chance to watch the show!
They might go back and spread the word among their relatives, exaggerating and saying she was "indecent" and "disgraced her ancestors," turning a small matter into a major scandal.
Finally, the captain of the disciplinary team forced Fang Xiaoju to pay Qiao Wanyin for two jin of brown sugar.
Despite Fang Xiaoju's repeated explanations that she hadn't touched anyone or caused any damage, the captain wouldn't listen and only accepted the fact that Qiao Wanyin was "injured" and the "conclusive" testimony.
Two pounds of brown sugar was no small amount at the time, equivalent to nearly half a month's worth of food rations for an ordinary worker. This compensation made her face turn pale and her fingers tremble.
Once the patrol team left, the onlookers gradually dispersed. Some shook their heads and sighed, some whispered among themselves, and others secretly cast meaningful glances at Qiao Wanyin.
The streets returned to calm, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the tattered sheds.
Qiao Wanyin then slowly took out a handkerchief from her pocket. It was made of fine cotton with plum blossom embroidery, and it looked much better than what ordinary people used.
She gently unfolded the cloth and carefully wiped the corner of her eye, her movements as tender as if she were caring for a precious treasure.
Just moments ago, her face was crying pitifully, her eyes brimming with tears, but in the blink of an eye, a smug smile appeared on her face.
A slight smile played on his lips, and his eyes gleamed with the light of a victor, as if he had just won a meticulously planned battle.
She stared in the direction Fang Xiaoju was taken away, watching that once proud figure disappear around the street corner with her head down and her back looking disheveled.
Then, she quietly mouthed something to the air, her lips moving slightly as she silently said, "Trying to outmaneuver me? You're still a long way off."
His tone was full of sarcasm and contempt, like a hunter watching his prey finally fall into his trap.
*
Qiao Wanyin hummed a little tune as she pushed open the courtyard gate.
It was a popular Suzhou storytelling piece, with a melodious and playful tune. Coupled with her light and quick steps, it made her seem exceptionally relaxed and carefree.
Grandma was sitting in a rattan chair in the main room reading a book, "Dream of the Red Chamber," with its pages worn and frayed. When she heard the door creak open, her hand trembled, and the pages almost slipped out of her hand.
She quickly steadied herself, and when she looked up, she saw that it was her daughter-in-law who had returned. Her face immediately lit up with a smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out: "Qingqing is back? Why are you so late? Mom has been waiting for you for quite a while."
"Mom, I've bought the face cream you wanted."
Qiao Wanyin smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescent moons, her brows furrowed with joy, and her voice was so sweet it could drip honey.
She took out a pretty little porcelain bottle from her cloth bag. The bottle was as white as jade and decorated with pale blue butterfly patterns that shimmered in the sunlight. "Smell it, is this the scent? It's genuine Shanghai stuff, made with rose essence."
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