"Where's that young woman from the countryside? Tell her to come out!"
Xu Ruantang looked in the direction of the sound and saw only the girl's profile. She was wearing a stylish dress and small leather shoes, and Cheng Dan, who was also dressed in a stylish outfit, was standing next to her.
Cheng Dan kept pulling her, her face full of helplessness and embarrassment, her cheeks flushed slightly.
The girl grabbed Cheng Dan's hand and comforted her, "Sister Cheng Dan, don't be afraid. She bullied you first. We're just here to seek justice. You didn't do anything wrong. Why is she bullying you like this?"
Xu Ruantang stood there, thinking about who the "bully" was—was it her?
So he stepped forward and said to Aunt Wang, "Godmother, you go back to Aunt Liu's house with Xiaobao first. I can take care of things here."
Aunt Wang looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. They had just arrived in the city, and this girl seemed like someone not to be trifled with. Chen Ji wasn't there, and she was worried about leaving Xu Ruantang alone.
Xu Ruantang patted Xiaobao's head and gave Aunt Wang a reassuring look before Aunt Wang left with Xiaobao and Aunt Liu.
"Comrade, you were looking for me?" Xu Ruantang walked to the girl's side, glanced at Cheng Dan first, and said slowly.
Cheng Dan looked apologetic, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
The girl glanced at Xu Ruantang out of the corner of her eye, never giving her a direct look, and said impatiently, "I'm not looking for you, I'm looking for that country bumpkin that Chen Ji married from the countryside!"
Xu Ruantang: "......"
Maybe that country bumpkin is me?
"Ahem, it is indeed me." Xu Ruantang suppressed a laugh. "Did you need something from me?"
The girl perked up immediately upon hearing that it was her, and finally turned to look at Xu Ruantang.
It wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't looked, but once they did, both of them were stunned.
When Li Shuhe heard that Chen Ji had returned, she was surprised that his return had caused Cheng Dan to cry for several days. It was said that it was because of the new bride; on the day Chen Ji returned, Cheng Dan had kindly gone to greet him, only to be humiliated by the new bride.
Both being children of high-ranking officials, Li Shuhe had admired Cheng Dan since childhood.
Cheng Dan is gentle and successful in her career; at a young age, she is a doctor at a military hospital. Hearing that she hadn't been to work for two days and had been crying at home, I immediately decided to drag her here to seek justice.
A country bumpkin had dared to lay her hands on their faces; it wasn't her style not to fight back. Li Shuhe always had a clear sense of right and wrong!
But the girl in front of her, with her doe-like eyes that shimmered like water and a beautiful smile, was no country bumpkin at all; she was clearly the great hero she had been longing for!
"You...so you're the wife Chen Jixin married?!"
Li Shuhe's face changed quickly, and she immediately looked at Xu Ruantang with a smile on her face.
Xu Ruantang never expected the world to be so small, and that she would encounter someone who knew her secret so quickly. This was a hundred times more troublesome than Cheng Dan bringing people to cause trouble.
"Yes, that's me." Xu Ruantang still tried to pretend she didn't know him. "Do you need something?"
Seeing Xu Ruantang's reaction, Li Shuhe knew that she hadn't recognized her and was somewhat disappointed. Just as she was about to speak, Cheng Dan spoke first: "Comrade Xu, this is my sister, Li Shuhe, the daughter of the leader of our compound. My sister speaks rather bluntly, but she doesn't mean any harm, so please don't mind her."
Cheng Dan wore a demure smile, looking like a pure and innocent little flower.
Xu Ruantang: "Yes, she didn't mean any harm. She didn't say anything, just that I was a country bumpkin. It seems like she also said that I bullied you?"
"Dr. Cheng, how did I bully you? Did I hit you? Did I yell at you? Or what? Why don't you tell me in detail, so others don't think this country bumpkin is bullying you."
Xu Ruantang smiled and continued in a languid manner, "Oh, by the way, Dr. Cheng, I'm a very straightforward person, I usually just ask directly, so please don't mind!"
How come every girl I bump into on the street knows Chen Ji! This old man's womanizing ways are just too annoying, even if he doesn't realize it.
Cheng Dan's face grew paler and paler, looking as if she might faint at any moment. She was still trying to explain, "No, Comrade Xu, I've just been sick these past two days and haven't been feeling well. It just so happened that I was going back from Brother Chen's place that day, and my sister misunderstood."
“I understand. You were scared by the dog that day, which is why you said those hurtful things to me. But I really meant well for Brother Chen. If I made you unhappy, I apologize to you here.”
Cheng Dan spoke at length, tears welling in her eyes, looking pitiful. Even Xu Ruantang, if he were a man, would feel sorry for her.
Normally, if she did this, Li Shuhe would have rushed out and confronted the person who bullied her.
I don't know what's wrong with this girl today. She stood to the side for a long time, staring blankly at Xu Ruantang, and her face was even a little red.
"Shuhe?" Cheng Dan called out to Li Shuhe with displeasure when no one responded.
Li Shuhe then realized what was happening and turned to look at Cheng Dan blankly, "Sister Cheng Dan, what's wrong?"
Cheng Dan: "......"
She quickly composed herself and looked at Li Shuhe with concern, "Shuhe, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Did something scare you?"
Li Shuhe shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Thank you, Sister Cheng Dan, you're truly my benefactor!"
After she finished speaking, she stepped forward and affectionately took Xu Ruantang's arm, half-coquettishly asking, "Sister, what's your name?"
"Xu Ruantang, don't call me sister. I might not even be as old as you."
Xu Ruantang gave her name and tried to pull her arm away, but Li Shuhe was holding her very tightly. She was afraid of hurting her if she used too much force.
"Sister Xu, how old are you? I just turned 20, am I younger than you?"
Li Shuhe completely disregarded her attitude and clung to Xu Ruantang like a leech.
Cheng Dan stood to the side, completely bewildered by the situation. It was clearly Li Shuhe who had angrily pulled her along, saying she wanted to come and demand an explanation for her. How come, in such a short while, Li Shuhe was acting like she was seeing her own mother?
"Shuhe, do you know Comrade Xu?" Cheng Dan forced a smile and asked casually.
Li Shuhe was a bit stubborn and immediately wanted to reveal how they knew each other, but Xu Ruantang stopped her first: "Yes, I went out to set up a stall a couple of days ago and some thugs robbed me of my things. Thanks to Comrade Li for helping me, I was able to get them back!"
She smiled at Li Shuhe as she spoke.
Even if Li Shuhe was slow to react, she understood immediately. She remembered what Xu Ruantang had said to her: "This is a secret between us."
"Yes, I never expected to meet Brother Chen's wife by chance!"
Li Shuhe no longer calls Chen Ji by his name directly, but instead calls him "elder brother".
Xu Ruantang's lips twitched, and she seized the opportunity to pull her arm away. "If you have nothing else to do, I'm going out."
She gave them the order to leave, or rather, she was the one who wanted to go, since the two of them hadn't even been able to enter Chen Ji's courtyard and had been talking outside the whole time.
Li Shuhe had finally found the hero she had been longing for, so how could she let her leave so easily?
"Sister Xu, where are you going? I'll protect you! Let's go together!"
No matter what, she was determined to stay by Xu Ruantang's side today.
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