Chapter 023 Gossip and Jealousy
To put on a complete show, Jiang Nan and Jiang Mancheng, father and daughter, went to the police station to give a statement. Lu Jiahui was quickly handed over to the security department, and Su Shuixian was kept in a separate ward in the hospital. Whether she could be convicted of being a spy depended on whether Lu Jiahui's mouth could be pried open.
"You did a great job this time. If you're unsure, leave it to us police officers. Don't act rashly. Okay, I won't see you off. Goodbye." Lan Qingshan saw the three of them out, gave Jiang Nan a long look, and said meaningfully, "Xiao Nan, have a good rest. We'll need you someday. Don't worry."
The family of three waved goodbye, finally feeling reassured. Chen Jinhua hadn't gone home after work, but had come straight here. The family of three quickly left the police station and headed towards Courtyard No. 1.
"Dad, Mom, do you think Uncle Lan doubts us?" Jiang Nan said uncertainly. "Does what we said have any loopholes?"
Their initial visit to the police station had been based on the excuse that Du Hehua, an elderly woman in the village and a distant relative of the Jiang family, wanted to arrange a marriage for her and asked Jiang Mancheng to search the oil fields for suitable gay men. Jiang Mancheng immediately thought of Lu Jiahui's widower son, who worked in the archives. He quickly reviewed the files of older gay men and the widower, focusing on Lu Jiahui's family. Unbeknownst to him, he discovered that Lu Jiahui had been married five times! Each time, to women in prominent positions. This, unbelievable, prompted the family to report the matter to the police that same day, suspecting Lu Jiahui of being a spy.
Nowadays, spies are strictly investigated, especially those with suspicious intentions. They will not be let off. The police station immediately arranged this drama, hoping to invite Lu Jiahui to the police station with a reasonable excuse and not alert his superiors and subordinates, so as not to alert the enemy.
The reason they sent Jiang Mancheng over the more skilled Chen Jinhua was, firstly, that Chen Jinhua had been to the Shan'aozi Brigade, and her distinctive features were too distinct for the police station to recognize. Secondly, a "medical troublemaker" needed to have some scoundrel in him, so Jiang Mancheng was clearly the more suitable choice.
Unexpectedly, Lu Jiahui was so alert that he wanted to end his life on the spot. This showed his determination and the knowledge that this was a big fish, with a life at stake. He was now being handed over to the security department, where professionals would pry open Lu Jiahui's mouth as quickly as possible. This was also to deliver the swiftest possible blow to the spy.
Although Su Shuixian hadn't been transferred, she couldn't escape as long as Lu Jiahui spoke. Furthermore, the police station had instructed the hospital's leadership to keep an eye on her, leaving her stranded.
Jiang Mancheng went over the whole thing from beginning to end and shook his head, saying, "You probably won't be suspected. Just wait to make a name for yourself and become a police officer."
"Yes, anyway, your grandma has a distant relative, and this can be found out," Chen Jinhua added.
"Hehehe." Jiang Nan was very proud.
The three of them happily returned to the family compound, but they had no idea that the news of Jiang Nan and his daughter causing a disturbance in the hospital had already spread throughout the building.
This matter started when Qiu Paner was frightened by Jiang Nan's eyes.
Qiu Pan'er walked out of the hospital in a daze, watching Jiang Nan and his daughter follow the police into the police station, still a little in disbelief. She often stared at Jiang Nan, loved to compare herself with him, and loved to gossip about him behind his back. What she hated most was people praising Jiang Nan as better than her. But even so, Jiang Nan had never looked at her with such hatred.
For some reason, she suddenly felt confused and helpless, not knowing what to do.
It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when they went to the hospital. Because of the commotion, it was already time to get off work when Qiu Paner returned to the tube building.
The workers went home in groups of three or four, discussing what delicious food they would eat in the evening along the way.
Fang Nanshan had also finished work. He was walking slowly with a few people in the building. From a distance, he saw a woman in front of him walking unsteadily, as if she were drunk. When he got closer, he realized it was Qiu Pan'er. He rolled his eyes, walked over and asked with concern, "Pan'er, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell, or did something happen?"
Fang Nanshan doesn't really care about Qiu Paner. He wants to instigate Qiu Paner to cause trouble for the Jiang family.
In the tube building, everyone could see that Qiu Paner was jealous of Jiang Nan.
As long as he used it well, he wouldn't have to intervene to give the Jiang family a hard time. Fang Nanshan still remembered the time when Old Lady Liu wrongly accused them of stealing honeycomb coal. This was most likely the Jiang family's doing, and he had to give them a good riposte.
The workers in the building who were walking with Fang Nanshan laughed in an ambiguous manner when they saw this.
Qiu Pan'er was startled by the laughter and came back to her senses. No matter why Jiang Nan was angry, she and Uncle Jiang's trouble in the hospital was not fake. If they dared to do it, she would dare to say it.
Humph, Qiu Paner is not afraid of Jiang Nan!
That's right, she is the best and deserves a good life! Why should Jiang Nan live better than her!
What happened today will spread sooner or later, so what if she says it!
They shouldn’t do anything wrong! If they did, she can tell!
Qiu Paner cleared her throat and, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, explained in detail how Jiang Nan and his daughter were causing trouble in the hospital and extorting money. Finally, she asked a question from the bottom of her heart: "Do they want compensation from the hospital?"
Humph, it must be. Look, everyone is nodding silently.
Fang Nanshan hadn't expected such a surprise. As the supporting actor, he chimed in, "Really? That's impossible! How could that be?" Regarding the last question, he kindly defended Jiang Mancheng and his daughter, "No, Uncle Jiang is a respectable man. He wouldn't do such a thing. He must be seriously ill."
"Oh my god, how come there is such a person in our building?"
As Qiu Paner was recounting her story, the elderly women who didn't have to cook were gathering downstairs to chat. They knew they couldn't miss the excitement of this young man gathering to chat. As soon as Qiu Paner opened her mouth, the elderly women surrounded the young men. One woman, who prided herself on her knowledge, curled her lips in disdain and said, "Jiang Mancheng is just a pretty boy. How can he be considered a respectable man? I think he's probably controlled too much by his wife. He has no money, so he's thinking of making trouble for money."
"No, Xiaonan is with us. The little girl has too much dignity to do such a thing." A wise old man analyzed, "I think what the young man Nanshan said is right. This kid Mancheng might be sick."
"He's a grown man, usually healthy, how could he be sick? He must be trying to extort money. What's wrong with Xiaonan following him? How can a girl disobey her parents?"
"Look at what you said. How can a grown man not get sick? There are so many diseases that can happen to him."
The men in the crowd let out lewd laughter, and the discussion inevitably took a turn. Anything even remotely close to a scandal would raise the bar. Even a visit to the hospital could lead to such a rift. The elderly, no longer in a rush for dinner, chattered non-stop.
By the time the three Jiang family members arrived at the building, it was already dark, and there was still a crowd of people gathered in front of the building. Even the children hadn't rested, leaning against the windows to watch the excitement.
"Xiao Nan, did you cause trouble at the hospital today?"
Old Lady Liu was a simpleton and stingy person. She assumed the Jiangs were doing this for money. Her triangular eyes swiped Jiang Nan's face and she said sarcastically, "Your family is so desperate for money that they resorted to such despicable tactics. Hey, Xiaonan, why don't you learn your lesson at such a young age? We can have arguments in the building, but we can't do things like this. It's embarrassing."
"Grandma." Cheng Gaigai pulled Old Lady Liu and smiled apologetically at Jiang Nan. She said, "Xiao Nan is not that kind of person. She must have her reasons for doing this. Grandma, please don't say such things."
"What's your reason, Xiaonan? Tell me, what's your reason for going to the hospital and extorting money?" Old Lady Liu shook off her granddaughter's arm and raised her chin contemptuously. "Besides, even if you have a reason, you can't do such a thing. It's so embarrassing, isn't it, Sister Cao?"
"That's right," said Old Lady Cao, the building manager, who had been waiting downstairs. She spoke up. "Mancheng, your family has two working parents, so life isn't difficult, is it? How could you come up with such a scheme to extort money? It's truly disgraceful! Look, Jinhua's father is the chief engineer. Isn't this bringing shame to the oil field?"
Jiang Nan glanced at Cheng Gaigai, knowing she was upset about her upcoming move to the countryside, and that she was just jealous that she didn't have to. Jiang Nan didn't take it to heart, as everyone has their own little thoughts. He just looked at Qiu Pan'er, who was cowering in the back, and a fire welled up in his heart.
For so many years, Jiang Nan had been letting Qiu Pan'er go, thinking she was just a poor little thing, unloved by her father and mother. But now, out of jealousy, the poor little thing had almost ruined a big thing, and even went home to spread gossip. Her character had begun to slip away. She shook her head and shouted to Old Lady Liu, "Grandma Liu, there's a reason why I went to the hospital and did this today. But I can't tell you, everyone will know in a few days. We've been neighbors for so many years, and you still don't trust me? When have I ever been unreliable?"
"That's right, Aunt Cao. Look at me. I'm a Three Good Youth in the Oilfield, not some unruly troublemaker. I can only say that what happened to us today happened for a reason. Everyone will know in a few days. Don't envy us too much then."
Jiang Mancheng hadn't kept it a secret. Something this serious would inevitably be known to the building sooner or later. Furthermore, Lu Jiahui was about to commit suicide, so he must be a spy, perhaps even murdered. The security department would have to conduct a thorough interrogation and produce a result within a week. Otherwise, Lu Jiahui was a university student from the capital. What if he had connections there and someone with ulterior motives spread the news? Wouldn't everything have been for nothing?
"Brother Jiang is a good man. I believe what he says. Let's stop talking." Sun Qiaolian said softly.
It would have been fine if she hadn't said anything, but once she did, everyone started gossiping even more. Didn't she see several old ladies' eyes twinkling, and one even shouted, "Oh, Sun Qiaolian, tell me, why do you think Jiang Mancheng is a good man? What has he done for you?"
Sun Qiaolian blushed slightly, and glanced at Jiang Mancheng with a mixture of anger and resentment. She stamped her feet and said, "Brother Jiang is a good man anyway. You can't wrongly accuse him like this."
The inquiries became louder, and someone bold enough directly implied, "Jiang Mancheng is already ill. It's unclear whether he can be a good person in the future."
Hahaha.
There was ambiguous laughter in the crowd. Jiang Mancheng narrowed his eyes and looked up in the direction of the Fang family on the fourth floor. In the corridor on the fourth floor, Fang Nanshan smiled provocatively.
Seeing that everyone was trying to pin the incident on Sun Qiaolian, Lin Bing couldn't stand it anymore. He raised his finger and pointed at the people who were laughing the loudest, threatening them: "What are you laughing at? Are you trying to bully Sister Qiaolian? If you laugh again, I'll beat you up, you wimp."
"Lin Bing, get out of here. Why are you interfering in this matter?"
Old Mrs. Qiu was planning to give the Jiang family a hard time. Seeing that no one was getting to the point for a long time, she said angrily, "My Pan'er saw you and your daughter making trouble in the hospital with her own eyes. How could it be fake? You two were even taken to the police station. My Pan'er saw it all, and Old Wu was also there. Don't even think about denying it. I think you didn't expect to be seen by the people in the hospital. You felt so embarrassed that you came up with this excuse. What's the point of everything? Bah, you still want to deceive me, I have a clear mind."
She held her head high, looking disdainful of the Jiang father and daughter.
Old Wu shrank back into the crowd. He was still confused and had been beaten up for nothing. He had gone to the hospital because he was feeling unwell. Who had he offended?
Old Wu glanced at Jiang Nan with his small eyes and thought, "Tsk tsk, this little girl from the Jiang family is not someone you can mess with." He stole another glance at the little girl, then glanced at everyone else, feeling that they were all so ignorant.
Can this family be easily provoked? Old Wu has his own wisdom. In his mind, shameless people are the ones that should not be provoked. In the past, he dared to provoke Jiang Nan because she had a sense of shame. Now, he dared not do anything.
Jiang Nan had no time to care about Old Wu's thoughts. After hearing what Old Lady Qiu said, she decided not to tolerate it anymore and started to confront him directly: "Qiu Pan'er, come out. Can you stop following me all day and find something to do on your own? You are also a high school graduate. You have the education, the family background, and the appearance. Why do you live like a shadow? Yes, others always like to compare us, but everyone is different. Can't you have your own ideas? Don't always let others lead you by the nose. You have no opinions of your own and make people look down on you."
She looked at Qiu Pan'er deeply and said, "This is my last warning to you. If you still follow me in the future, don't blame me for being rude."
"When did I follow you?" Qiu Pan'er's eyes were panicked for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by shame and anger. She knew that Jiang Nan looked down on her! What's so great about it? She raised her head and said angrily, "What's so great about you that you deserve me to follow you? It's ridiculous. I still have to warn you not to follow me all the time. Don't bully others just because you are tall. I'm not afraid of you."
"That's right, stop bullying my Pan'er." Old Mrs. Qiu always defended her granddaughter in front of others. She said angrily, "When did my Pan'er follow you? Don't be so self-indulgent! Are you the only one who can walk the road of the oil field, or are you the only one who can see the factory recruitment? Stop joking, okay? You are so shameless. Pan'er, go away. You don't want to be with such an uncultured person. It's a loss of face! We don't want to care about her."
After she finished speaking, she snorted heavily, pulled Qiu Pan'er over, and stormed upstairs. Sun Qiaolian finished her son's instructions and took the opportunity to run upstairs crying.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, but soon, everyone put the two of them behind their minds and became curious.
"Chengzi, why are you still hiding this from everyone? What's going on? Why are you guys causing trouble at the hospital? Can't you just tell us now?"
"Exactly. Why are you still keeping me in suspense? This is not the way to do it."
"That won't do. This is confidential." Jiang Mancheng spread his hands and shrugged, looking helpless. "Let's not talk about it anymore. We have to go home and rest. We have to go to work tomorrow. Uncle and Auntie, see you tomorrow."
"How can you be so dishonest, Chengzi?"
Jiang Mancheng chuckled twice, waved his hand firmly and went upstairs. But as soon as he closed the door, his face fell.
"Jinhua, do you still have the itching medicine Dad gave me? Qiu Pan'er went too far today. She must be taught a lesson."
"dad......"
"Don't be soft-hearted. If you don't teach her a lesson, she won't change. People like this are always bullying the weak and afraid of the strong. I've seen it all before." Jiang Mancheng said disdainfully, "And today she wants to step on us to gain merit. Just think about it, if that Lu Jiahui had a gun, he would be in danger today."
Jiang Nan: She didn’t. She just wanted to say that there was also the Fang family. Sun Qiaolian’s behavior today must have been instigated by Fang Nanshan behind the scenes.
Chen Jinhua: "Yes, but not many."
"Bring them all here. We'll talk about the Fang family later. If both families get into trouble today, it will arouse suspicion."
As a eunuch in his previous life, Jiang Mancheng was quite good at sneaking in and picking locks. Although the two were unrelated, he had nothing to do anyway, so he picked up a variety of skills.
"Do you want to go back to the village and live for the next few days? It will take at least four or five days for the police station to come out with the results. There will definitely be a lot of gossip in the family compound about this medical dispute. Why don't we go back to the mountains and see the excitement of the educated youth? Why do we have to stay in the tube-shaped building?" Jiang Mancheng suggested.
[Host, according to the original timeline, the exploration team will be coming to the village this weekend. It will definitely be a lively scene. Let's go back and take a look.]
"Okay, Dad." Jiang Nan told his parents about the upcoming oil discovery. "Grandma will definitely have Xiaosong come find you then. It's going to be exciting."
"As expected of the heroine, she's so lucky." Jiang Mancheng clicked his tongue twice, "Okay, let's rest first. Dad will take you back home tomorrow."
"No, I can just ride back by myself."
"Stop talking nonsense. How can Dad be at ease with you being alone? Okay, go wash up. Mom and Dad need to rest too."
Just halfway through the break, Jiang Mancheng got up and went outside to do some minor damage, which caused the Qiu family to wail in the middle of the night, and the tube-shaped building was in chaos again.
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