He simply turned around and looked at the crowd around him.
"Excuse me, everyone, could any of you ladies be quick on your feet and help me find a doctor? This lady doesn't seem to be feeling well. What if she faints when the leaders arrive? If that gives the impression that she's unwell, the leaders might start to doubt her ability to perform her duties."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiulian, who was about to fall, stopped in her tracks. Damn it, she had said all that, leaving her speechless and afraid to even faint. Today was a gamble; if it didn't work out, she would have to go back to her hometown and get that job.
If I had known things would turn out like this today, and with this brat involved, I wouldn't have come. Now I'm in a bit of a bind.
She barely managed to stand, supporting her head, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her sisters-in-law running away. She felt like she was going to grind her teeth to dust.
Not to mention Cheng An, Cheng Rui's adoring gaze was so obvious.
She wanted to vent her anger, but Jian Dan was new here and didn't know what her second uncle meant. She didn't want to cause any more trouble. While others were watching the spectacle, she quietly asked Cheng An...
"What's the nature of this? How will it be resolved? Are we just going to scare them like this, or are we really going to make a big fuss about it?"
Cheng An's eyes turned cold. Thinking of Cheng Zhuo's recent chaotic situation, he gritted his teeth.
"Can you silence her and make her promise never to come again?"
Don't you want her to clear your father's name?
"Everyone knows my father is innocent; his suspension was a last resort."
“Oh,” Jian Dan said thoughtfully.
"How's Brother Chen doing?"
Cheng Rui clenched his fist.
"She's still in the hospital and hasn't woken up yet. My dad doesn't want to make things too complicated and wants to send her away as soon as possible so she won't find out about Brother Chen's compensation and keep nagging him."
"Once they leave, my parents will try to rent a place for Brother Chen and his wife around here, so they can take care of them if anything happens."
With a simple clap of his hands, he understood; then, his voice rose even louder.
"Oh, right, Xiao An, do you remember that place your older brother mentioned last time?"
Cheng An was taken aback, but quickly picked up the conversation.
"Sis, are you talking about the one in the next province?"
"Yes, let me tell you, I ran into people from their village when I came here yesterday."
Didn't the eldest brother say back then that their elders were biased and only knew how to bully the eldest brother, using the eldest brother's money to support the third brother's family, almost driving the eldest brother's family to their deaths, right?
Do you know what it's like now?
"What happened, sister? Tell me quickly! Didn't my brother say last time that his family was forcing him to sell his mentally challenged wife and child so they could find a wife for their third son?"
It was purely improvised. Cheng An's mind worked quickly, and he added the plot himself. Jian Dan also wanted to say that this kid was really quick-witted.
The siblings spoke loudly, and the people around them listened attentively, asking questions as well.
"Really? How is it? Tell me, young lady."
"Is this karma coming on?"
At this point, there's no time to worry about what should or shouldn't be said. The main issue is that there are quite a few biased families, and most of them are from rural areas. This situation is actually quite common, just not this extreme.
Most people still have a positive outlook on life, especially those guarding this military camp, where there is righteousness everywhere. As long as you're not an old fogey, they can correct any skewed ideas you may have.
"Yeah, yeah, how did it go? That poor boss didn't really sell his wife and kids, did he?"
"Then why is she still considered a simple-minded wife? Didn't his family find him a proper wife?"
Seeing that the woman across from him, named Chen Xiulian, was already leaning against a tree and about to collapse, Jian Dan sighed heavily.
"Sigh, I don't know if this is good luck or bad luck. The eldest brother is fine, but the third brother is in trouble."
Cheng Rui took it seriously and joined in the fun.
"Sis, did the eldest brother get angry and beat up the third brother?"
Simply shake your head.
"It's not that simple."
They weren't family members; it was someone else who couldn't stand it anymore and reported them.
They said their family had bourgeois ideology, oppressing the eldest son's family to work like slaves, reaping without sowing, distancing themselves from the peasantry, and even oppressing the peasantry—this was the behavior of landlords and rich peasants, pure feudal dregs. They were dragged away by the local authorities for public criticism and struggle sessions.
"ah!"
Surprisingly, cheers erupted from the crowd.
"good!"
"That's exactly how it should be, it feels so good!"
"Haha, the boss is finally free."
Chen Xiulian, sitting opposite, was sweating profusely and dared not move.
She was illiterate and didn't know if the other person was alluding to her, but she also thought of her own family. Her family's situation was almost the same as what she described, though not quite as serious. They hadn't forced her older brother to sell people.
Thinking they had escaped a disaster, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Simple saw it all, but ignored her and continued talking.
"Hey, don't even mention him. My brother and I ran into two of his comrades-in-arms who were on their way back from visiting their families. They were furious when they came back. Can you guess why?"
This makes it even easier to relate to; it's like those women who accompany their husbands to the military. They used to look forward to their husbands' visits, but now the men in their families also have to send things and money back home.
"Why? Is your wife having an affair?"
Gossip is human nature, so it's not surprising that it's kept simple.
"No way, his wife is dutifully taking care of his parents, but, well, when he wasn't home, his relatives took advantage of his absence and tormented his wife, making her very tired."
Her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and sister-in-law were all bad-tempered, beating and scolding her constantly. Her family wasn't nearby, her husband wasn't home, and she had no one to back her up. The injuries on her body, new wounds on top of old ones, made her look like a human being.
When that comrade went back, his wife was about to hang herself. Tell me, who could agree to that?
Meanwhile, his family wouldn't let his wife join him at the military base. His comrade said that since his wife was a military dependent, it was illegal to mistreat military dependents. If the military leaders found out that the mother-in-law was beating and scolding her daughter-in-law and that the whole family treated her like a servant, that would be considered feudal thinking, and the matter would be very serious.
That's how they brought their wife back.
"Tsk tsk, ladies, let me tell you, those two sisters-in-law were just unbearable to look at. They couldn't even sit still; everything they touched hurt. My eyes welled up with tears."
I didn't mean to preach to anyone that women should rely on themselves; given the current environment and conditions, that's unrealistic.
Many of the people around also had tears in their eyes, feeling the same way.
Jian Dan didn't pay attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chen Xiulian hanging from the tree trunk like a noodle. Forget about the careful dressing she had when she arrived. Now, even her bangs were stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her long braid was a bit messy. She didn't care at all.
Instead, he braced himself against a tree, stood up, slowly hid himself behind the tree, and then ran away when no one was paying attention.
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