“Heh, you really are good at making things up out of thin air. For the past twenty years, I’ve lived openly and honestly, always in the Phoenix Brigade and the Niubi Mountain Brigade. I’ve never once left Peach Blossom Spring Commune, let alone had any contact with people outside it.”
After speaking, Shen Fuyao cast a faintly amused look at Wang Daren.“For the past four years, aside from returning to my parents’ home during New Year and other holidays, I’ve stayed in the Niubi Mountain Brigade the entire time, living with the Wang family. If I were really a spy, then as the brigade leader, how could you possibly have failed to notice?”
“Of course, I very much welcome the comrades from the People’s Liberation Army to go to Niubi Mountain Brigade and Phoenix Brigade to conduct a thorough investigation—let’s see whether I’m truly a spy or not.”
As soon as her words fell, panic flashed across Wang Daren’s face. He hurriedly said, “Yulan, you’ve misunderstood. How could Shen Fuyao be a spy? She’s lived right under my and Chaoying’s mother’s noses every day—she’s had no opportunity to contact enemy agents at all.”
Shen Fuyao pondered this silently. Wang Daren definitely wasn’t trying to help her out. He was clearly afraid that if things escalated, the PLA would really come down to the countryside to investigate.
“She may not be a spy, but it’s true that she colluded with bandits.”A soft, childish voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned toward the hospital entrance. Zhou Lanxiang had arrived, holding Wang Zhuo’er’s hand on one side and Wang Caifeng’s on the other.
“I can testify. The night before last, I heard bandits talking to her. She was the one who colluded with them and emptied out my house.”
Wang Zhuo’er pointed at Shen Fuyao, tears streaming down his face.“W–w–I was so scared that I didn’t dare wake Grandpa, Grandma, or Auntie. I was afraid the bandits would kill our whole family.”
“Children who lie will have their mouths go crooked, you know.”Shen Fuyao looked at Wang Zhuo’er—whose soul was over twenty years old—with an amused expression, deliberately stressing the word children.
“I didn’t lie! Our things were taken by you and the bandits!” Wang Zhuo’er insisted.
The Wang house had been emptied in an extremely short time—so thoroughly that even the roof had been torn off. Only Shen Fuyao, reborn with memories of her past life, could have done something like that.
As for the bandits, the law had not yet established the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” Since he claimed he had heard them, Shen Fuyao had to produce evidence that she had not colluded with bandits. But it was so late that night—everyone in the village had been asleep. There were no witnesses.
“Shen Fuyao, your heart is as black as the bottom of a pot!” Zhou Lanxiang cried.“Back then, our Chaoying pitied your grandmother and gave you five hundred yuan to take her to the hospital. Who would’ve thought you’d latch onto us like this!”
She beat her chest and stomped her feet.“It was all because I softened my heart when I saw how badly your stepmother treated you that I took you in. And this is how you repay kindness—emptying out our entire house, even ripping off the roof! That was a brand-new house we’d just built!”
Zhou Lanxiang’s crying was full of genuine emotion. Her money, her dowry, and the hard-earned new house had all vanished overnight. Even though they had now moved into the military compound, Wang Chaoying’s place was tiny—a one-bedroom unit of only thirty or forty square meters. The whole family could barely fit, and it was unbearably cramped.
Shen Fuyao stared at Zhou Lanxiang’s belly and asked mockingly,“Has the thing in your belly fallen out yet?”
Before, it had been fine. But once Shen Fuyao said that, Zhou Lanxiang immediately sensed something wrong in her body, and an embarrassed expression appeared on her face.
The crowd didn’t understand what was going on. Even Wang Chaoying was clueless. Everyone looked at Zhou Lanxiang’s stomach with curiosity.
Seeing the topic about to be derailed by Shen Fuyao, Xia Yulan immediately cut in,“Zhuo’er already said you colluded with bandits. Would a child lie? Comrades from the Security Department, hurry up and take her to the army for interrogation!”
“All right.”The security personnel stepped forward at once, moving to seize Shen Fuyao.
Shen Fuyao dodged quickly. She knew that in the 1970s there was no presumption of innocence. She immediately rushed toward the second floor, planning to find Dongfang Huaiyu to testify that she had returned to Phoenix Brigade that night.
“What are you standing around for? Go after her!” Xia Yulan shouted.
The security personnel immediately gave chase.
The second floor housed seriously injured patients and was relatively quiet. Not wanting to disturb the soldiers and officers wounded in service to the country, Shen Fuyao deliberately softened her footsteps. As she ran, she called softly, “Auntie Dongfang, where are you?”
After calling a few times, a door opened. Dongfang Huaiyu beckoned to her.“Fuyao, I’m here.”
“Stop! Stop right there!” the security personnel shouted from behind.
Shen Fuyao darted into the ward and closed the door. She said to Dongfang Huaiyu,“Auntie, I’ll have to trouble you to testify for me. They’re falsely accusing me of colluding with bandits and emptying out the Wang family’s house.”
“All right.” Dongfang Huaiyu nodded and took Shen Fuyao by the hand, about to go out with her.
“Auntie, what did the doctor say?” Shen Fuyao asked about Dongfang Yunqi’s condition. After all, they were from the same brigade, and since she was already there, it was only right to ask.
“Sigh… the doctor says he’s been unconscious since he was brought in. He was shot twice, and he also hit his head. The bullets have been removed, but his brain was injured—we don’t know when he’ll wake up.”Dongfang Huaiyu’s voice was hoarse as she spoke, and she began wiping away tears again.
Shen Fuyao looked toward the hospital bed, about to offer some words of comfort, when she suddenly saw Dongfang Yunqi open his eyes.