Seeing his bad expression, Zhang Xinhua thought her words had worked and was thinking of showing off her skills again.
"Comrade Xinhua, don't talk nonsense in front of the Shen brothers. Comrade Jiang has been quiet at home these past two days, even serving meat to Sister-in-law Cuihua. It's not like what you're saying."
Someone in the crowd refuted Zhang Xinhua's words. Looking in the direction of the voice, it was Cui Jin, the manager who led the educated youth.
He was on his way to the city on business when he encountered this group of villagers blocking his road. He was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard Lu Yi's name and stopped to listen.
The information about his entanglement with Shen Ying's wife, Jiang Yu, was all heard from other people. Lu Yi was a very sensible guy; he usually handled matters that could affect his future privately, without embarrassing his superiors, so Cui Jin didn't know much about it.
Moreover, I've heard the whole story unfold. What was supposed to be a classic hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario turned into a one-sided, relentless pursuit by the woman. In the past, this might have led to a marriage. But the woman suddenly got married, had two children, and still wouldn't settle down.
Her man was a soldier, incredibly powerful, and few dared to mess with him. When Cui Jin returned to the city, he had drinks with the military leaders and specifically inquired about this man; Lu Yi was no match for him at all.
"Yes, she hasn't been bothering the educated youth Lu these past few days, but now she's started hanging around the factory gates in the city again, putting her arm around them. It's an absolutely disgusting sight. Not only that, she's also using the name of Shenjiazhuang, which is making the whole village lose face."
Zhang Xinhua described it vividly, and everyone gasped in shock. This Jiang Yu was going to ruin the reputation of the entire village; it was simply outrageous.
Everyone was indignant and wanted to vent their anger. However, out of consideration for Shen Ying, they could only suppress their rage.
"You saw it with your own eyes?"
Shen Ying came from a poor family and was looked down upon from a young age. Few people helped him back then, and he had almost no connection with the villagers. It wasn't until he joined the army that people's attitudes towards him changed. Therefore, he wasn't afraid to offend these people.
All eyes turned to Zhang Xinhua, who was speechless.
She hadn't actually seen it, but her older sister from her maternal family had! She wanted to admit it, but Shen Ying's aura was too strong, and she was afraid of saying the wrong thing and getting herself into trouble.
Zhang Xinhua remained silent, while the onlookers grew impatient.
"Sister-in-law, you've been sitting in the corner talking about this since early this morning. It seems you've never seen it before?"
Many people complained. They had wanted to build a good relationship with Shen Ying so they could help him out in the future, but why did they listen to Zhang Xinhua's nonsense and come to denounce his wife? Even if Comrade Jiang Yu did something, it was a matter between the young couple. The man didn't mind, so why were they meddling?
Zhang Xinhua stammered for a long time but couldn't say a word, which made everyone dislike her even more.
What's going on? Shouldn't Shen Ying be furious and argue with Jiang Yu when she hears this kind of news? Why is she speaking up for her today? Did the sun rise in the west?
"Don't spread rumors about things you haven't seen before. If you ruin someone's reputation for the sake of momentary pleasure, then be prepared to bear all the consequences."
Shen Ying's words were sharp, and the nice guy in the crowd tried to smooth things over, but he didn't give him any face at all.
"Zhang Da She Tongue, I've been looking for you since I opened my eyes this morning. I searched everywhere before I found you hiding here."
Zhang Ergou rode his beat-up motorcycle, chugging along from the east. Upon seeing Zhang Xinhua, he stopped and rushed towards her.
"Zhang Ergou? What do you want with me?"
Zhang Xinhua glanced at him, forcing a calm expression, her heart pounding. She must have forgotten to check the almanac before going out today; otherwise, she wouldn't have had such bad luck.
What do you want to do?
Zhang Ergou pushed through the crowd, looking down at her. The onlookers quickly made way for him. There were two people in Shenjiazhuang whom no one dared to offend: Shen Yan, who had the right to be arrogant, and Zhang Ergou, who spent his days idly and carefree. If you crossed him, no one would escape unscathed.
Seeing that no one was willing to help her, Zhang Xinhua softened her tone.
"Brother Er Gou, let's talk this out."
She knew why the other person had come to her. A few days ago, he had deliberately told Zhang Ergou about Jiang Yu, probably because he had tried to take advantage of her and had run into Shen Ying, resulting in a warning or a beating.
"What good things can I say to you?"
Zhang Ergou's attitude became harsh, and his voice grew louder. If Shen Ying hadn't let him off the hook, he would have been coming to settle scores with her by now, leaning on his cane.
"Take care of any personal matters elsewhere."
Shen Ying opened the gate and entered the courtyard. Hearing the noise, he frowned. The two children were sleepy, and the woman had been busy until dawn last night. She finally got a little more sleep, so how could she let them make such a fuss?
"Okay, Brother Ying."
Zhang Ergou lowered his voice and dragged Zhang Xinhua away to settle the score elsewhere. Fearing trouble, the others dispersed.
When Jiang Yu heard the arguing outside, she had already put on her clothes and was listening at the door. When she heard Zhang Xinhua spreading rumors, she was about to break down the door and have a verbal battle with her when she heard a man's voice.
Although she and the man are currently living separate lives and don't interfere with each other's affairs except for their two children, she still wants to hear how he plans to resolve things. Is he going to pretend he doesn't hear, or will he believe their nonsense?
To my surprise, I heard a man speak up for her at the end; I never thought I'd see anything like it. And why am I even a little touched?
When Shen Ying entered the room, she saw Jiang Yu sitting by the window, staring blankly outside. She was puzzled but didn't say anything. Had she heard the gossip outside? Did she feel terrible being wronged?
"You've been working hard these past few days, I'll make breakfast."
Shen Ying wiped his face and said calmly. He usually cooked when he came home on vacation; it wasn't very good, but it was filling. He had originally planned to cook this time, but after tasting this woman's cooking, he'd become somewhat addicted. So, he hadn't mentioned cooking to her these past few days.
But today is an unexpected situation, so he shouldn't just focus on the taste buds.
Jiang Yu turned to look at him, a fleeting thought of Chen Niannian's complaints flashing through her mind. She knew that the original owner used to feed the two children leftovers; under such circumstances, it was unlikely the children would be picky eaters. One could imagine how unpalatable the man's cooking must have been.
"No...no need."
Jiang Yu was grateful that he had spoken up for her at the door, but there was no need to make things difficult for her when it came to the meal. Besides, the man had given her so much money yesterday; how could she let her employer do the work? That would be incredibly inconsiderate.
Shen Ying noticed her resistance, touched the tip of his nose, and thought to himself:
'Is it really that bad? Is it really that bad? I think it's alright, though. Otherwise, how could I have grown to 1.85 meters tall?'
Seeing him standing at the door, Jiang Yu gently reminded him:
"Excuse me, I'm blocking the way, could you please move aside?"
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