“Then did you see it with your own eyes?” Shen Fuyao glared coldly at Zheng Hongmei. While those who deliberately spread lies were vicious, people who repeated rumors without knowing the truth were also detestable.
Zheng Hongmei shifted uncomfortably under Shen Fuyao’s stare and stiffly replied, “Even if I didn’t see it myself, I heard it. I’m older than your parents—what’s wrong with me saying a few words about you?”
“What’s wrong? You didn’t see me hitting the children, probably haven’t even seen their faces. Did you see any injuries on them? Or that they were pale and malnourished? I’ll tell you, those two kids are plump and healthy—how do they look abused? Or did you see me with bandits? You know nothing and yet you speak? That’s spreading rumors—you realize that’s a crime, right?”
Shen Fuyao’s voice was cold as ice. “Later, I’ll report you to the hospital authorities. You can wait to be fired.”
Zheng Hongmei’s face immediately went pale. She had only gotten this job through connections. Even as a hospital cleaner, the benefits weren’t bad: fifteen yuan a month plus extra food coupons during holidays.
“Brother Wang, vouch for me! I didn’t spread rumors. These words—you said them yourself!” At that moment, Zheng Hongmei spotted Wang Daren following Wang Chaoying and cried out, as if seeing a savior.
“I…I didn’t say that. I only said she colluded with bandits and emptied our house,” Wang Daren stammered. He had overheard everything Shen Fuyao had said just now.
Wang Chaoying cared deeply about the two children. Every time he wrote home, he reminded them to raise the kids well. Zhou Lanxiang had also taken care of the children properly.
These past two days, Wang Daren, Zhou Lanxiang, Wang Chaomei, and even little Wang Zhuo’er had been busy spreading lies at the hospital and the military family compound, claiming Shen Fuyao abused her foster children and colluded with bandits.
Hearing Shen Fuyao’s words today and seeing the two well-nourished children, Wang Daren couldn’t admit he had claimed Shen Fuyao abused Zhuo’er. But colluding with bandits? He could say that—after all, the remaining bandits in the mountains rarely came down.
Without witnesses, they could fabricate anything.
Shen Fuyao, having never done these things, remained unafraid. Her expression didn’t change, and she didn’t immediately rebut Wang Daren. Instead, she turned her focus back to Zheng Hongmei.
“Hear that? He didn’t admit it. That means you deliberately spread rumors to defame me. What you’re doing is slandering a military wife. That’s a serious offense.” Shen Fuyao intentionally intimidated Zheng Hongmei.
Zheng Hongmei was furious, almost rolling her eyes. The wrinkles on her old face deepened in anger.
“You dog, you won’t admit what you said?” the old woman shouted, grabbing a large mop and swinging it at Wang Daren.
The mop had just been used; it carried remnants of patient vomit and traces of blood from the injured.
Zheng Hongmei struck suddenly. Wang Daren froze, caught off guard by the stench.
The entire mop, soaking wet, covered Wang Daren’s head and face completely.
“YUE, YUE!” The indescribable stench hit Wang Daren’s senses. He bent over, gagging instinctively, forgetting to remove the mop.
Wang Chaoying’s arm was bandaged and inconvenient; Xia Yulan, having been pampered, wouldn’t dare intervene, and stepped back, pinching her nose in disgust.
Wang Chaomei, however, felt sorry for her father. She rushed over, pushed Zheng Hongmei aside, and yanked the mop off Wang Daren’s head.
The old woman, caught off guard, fell to the ground.
“Oh! Someone’s bullying an old lady! Oh, oh, I can’t get up!” Almost every era had its “staged accidents.” Zheng Hongmei decided to lie on the floor, screaming.
“You have to pay my medical fees, at least twenty yuan!”
Wang Chaomei wasn’t one to be intimidated. She cursed, “Old man, I saw you lie down yourself. Dare to extort me? Do you believe I’ll have my sister-in-law’s commander father have you arrested?”
Xia Yulan frowned, lightly tugging Wang Chaoying’s sleeve. “Chaoying, control your sister. Don’t use my father as an excuse.”
Wang Chaoying patted her hand reassuringly. “When we get home, I’ll talk to her. The cleaner clearly wants to extort money; just scare her a bit.”
Sure enough, upon hearing the word “commander,” Zheng Hongmei’s eyes flicked. She got up, dusted herself off, picked up the mop, and tried to leave.
Wang Chaomei grabbed her. “You hit my dad and just walk away? Pay up!”
Right now, what they needed most was money. More accurately, the whole family was short on cash.
Most of Wang Chaoying’s allowances had been sent home to build the house, and the rest had been used by Shen Fuyao to buy food and clothing for the children. He only had three yuan sixty-five on him.
Wang Daren had over two thousand; Zhou Lanxiang had two hundred and fifty—all taken by Shen Fuyao into her spatial pocket.
Although living in the military compound allowed them to eat without spending money for now, daily necessities still needed to be bought. They couldn’t just go to the commander asking for money.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Chaomei tried to extort money from Zheng Hongmei.
“I don’t have money,” Zheng Hongmei said, valuing it more than her life. Pointing at Wang Daren, she added, “If he hadn’t said anything, why would Shen Fuyao accuse me of spreading rumors? I was just angry and hit him. Brother Wang, can we just let it go?”
Wang Daren, feeling guilty, nodded, and Wang Chaomei let Zheng Hongmei go.
The old woman hurriedly ran off. Shen Fuyao sneered. “I never said it was over. We haven’t settled the matter of you spreading rumors yet.”
“Comrade Shen, I was wrong. Considering my age, please forgive me,” Zheng Hongmei pleaded, putting on an old face.
“Being old doesn’t give you the right to speak recklessly,” Shen Fuyao said firmly. She intended to punish Zheng Hongmei, making an example so the onlookers wouldn’t dare continue spreading lies.
No need to guess—Shen Fuyao knew exactly how many rumors Wang Daren’s family had fabricated at the military base over the past two days.
Having lived two lives, Shen Fuyao understood all too well the power of words.