Jiang Ci held a steamed bun in her hand, eating as she hurried to catch up.
Before they even reached the entrance of the military dependents’ compound, a man’s voice could be heard cursing from afar: “What are you doing? I’m Chief Jiang’s brother-in-law! How dare you stop me…”
Listen to that arrogant attitude—it was exactly like Mother Jiang’s.
They really were born from the same mother.
“Make way, everyone. Chief Jiang is here.”
Someone among the onlooking military family members shouted, and a path was cleared.
“Hah!” Mother Jiang’s older brother, Mo Dacheng, sneered at the sight of Father Jiang, his laughter filled with contempt. “What? Now that you’ve made it big, you look down on your wife and just kick her back to her family?
Jiang Zhan, are you even fit to be a chief? Let me tell you, Jiang Zhan, you better apologize to your wife right now and drive her back home. Otherwise, I’ll report you to your superiors.”
“Fine, go ahead and report me! While you’re at it, have them thoroughly investigate Mo Jinhua’s actions. I wanted to spare her some dignity, but since you don’t care about that, let’s make it public!
Brother-in-law, you’re currently the workshop team leader at the textile factory, right? If you don’t mind the embarrassment, go ahead and report me.”
Father Jiang stood his ground.
Faced with a brother-in-law like this, perhaps he had already endured countless unreasonable tantrums.
He was long accustomed to it.
Sure enough, after hearing Father Jiang’s words, Mo Dacheng fell silent.
His face changed color repeatedly.
He understood—Father Jiang was threatening him. The only reason he had become the workshop team leader at the textile factory was because of Father Jiang’s connections.
Seeing her husband like this, Mo Dacheng’s wife shot him a disdainful glare. Despite his usual arrogance and domineering attitude, he seemed tough to deal with.
But as soon as someone stood up to him, he cowered like a mouse, not daring to make a sound.
Good thing she had come along. She pulled Mo Dacheng aside and stepped forward with a sharp, fake smile. “Oh, brother-in-law! What’s all this talk about reporting? You know what kind of person our Dacheng is, don’t you?
He’s just a paper tiger. He’s just upset that his sister was wronged and couldn’t control his mouth for a moment. Deep down, he means no harm. He just thinks that you and your wife have been married for so long—how could a little argument lead to sending her back to her family?
So, we’re just here to ask what exactly happened!”
Mo Dacheng’s wife, Zhao Cuilan, was a smooth talker.
With just a few words, she made Mo Dacheng sound like he was simply concerned about his sister.
Father Jiang snorted coldly. “If you want to know what happened, go ask Mo Jinhua yourself! She had the nerve to do it, but I don’t have the face to say it.”
Hmph!
Zhao Cuilan wore a forced smile and was about to respond when Mo Dacheng started shouting again. “My sister told me it was all because of that adopted daughter of yours.
She brought some random man home and then accused my sister of framing her and ruining her reputation. Jiang Zhan, bring out your adopted daughter. I want to see how that slut dares to slander my sister.”
“Slander?”
Father Jiang scoffed coldly. “Is that what Mo Jinhua told you?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what my sister said. Whoever your adopted daughter is, make her come out and kneel to apologize to my sister. Otherwise, my sister will divorce you.”
“She wants a divorce?” Father Jiang’s eyes widened.
Mo Dacheng spoke without thinking.
Zhao Cuilan was so angry she wanted to kick him. She pinched the back of his hand hard and raised her voice. “Husband, what nonsense are you spouting!
What divorce? Don’t talk rubbish. Brother-in-law, don’t listen to Dacheng’s nonsense. Jinhua never said anything about divorce.”
Father Jiang snorted coldly, “Then what are you here for?”
Mo Dacheng said, “What are we here for? We’re here to support our sister. You and your adopted daughter need to apologize to our sister and bring her back.”
“Bringing her back is impossible. You should go back!” Father Jiang’s tone was firm.
After saying this, he turned and went back inside.
Mo Dacheng grew anxious and chased after him, “Jiang, you stop right there! Do you think you can look down on us?”
Thud
Someone had tripped him.
Mo Dacheng fell flat on his face, cutting his mouth. He cried out with a loud “Ow!”
“Who, who pushed me…”
Mo Dacheng scanned the crowd as he shouted and immediately spotted Jiang Ci among them, “Little bastard, did you trip me? Watch me beat you to death…”
Jiang Ci:…
She turned to avoid Mo Dacheng’s swinging hand, “Try hitting me, and you’ll suffer retribution.”
“Bah! You wretched girl harmed our sister and niece. Today, I’ll teach you a lesson…”
Mo Dacheng lunged at Jiang Ci again.
Jiang Ci sidestepped, gently pushed the Political Commissar’s Wife behind her aside, and deliberately bumped Battalion Commander Xue’s Wife into Mo Dacheng’s path.
Mo Dacheng missed his target and turned to continue chasing Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci appeared to panic as she dodged through the crowd, bumping neighbors left and right.
But in the end, Mo Dacheng suddenly felt dizzy, seeing countless Jiang Cis before him. He shook his head vigorously.
Who knew that his feet stumbled, his vision darkened, and he collapsed headfirst onto the ground.
He didn’t move.
The crowd:?
Zhao Cuilan:…
“Dear, dear…”
Zhao Cuilan called twice, sensing something was wrong, and rushed over to turn him over.
Mo Dacheng’s face was dark, his jaw clenched tightly biting his own tongue, his eyes rolled back, motionless.
Like he was dead.
Gasp!
The crowd collectively gasped, retreating six or seven steps.
Jiang Ci innocently raised her hands, “I didn’t touch him! Everyone saw, he was chasing me to hit me and fell by himself.”
“Ah! Dear! Wake up! Oh dear, you can’t be like this!”
Zhao Cuilan slapped Mo Dacheng and wailed loudly.
The watching military families sighed in pity.
They whispered among themselves: “What happened?”
“Who knows!”
“Whatever it is, I say it’s deserved.”
“Exactly, he fell by himself and might have killed himself. Retribution, right?”
“Maybe he had an illness already?”
“Let’s go, let’s go! Don’t get implicated. They were so rude to Chief Jiang earlier, we can’t afford to provoke them.”
“Yes, yes, hurry, hurry.”
In an instant, the crowd dispersed.
Zhao Cuilan cried out, “Don’t go, help me call a doctor!”
“Why call a doctor? Jiang Ci is a doctor, isn’t she? Jiang Ci, he’s your uncle, shouldn’t you help check on him?
After all, he fell because he was chasing you.”
Among the few remaining neighbors, a young wife rolled her eyes and said this.
Jiang Ci had seen her before; she seemed to be the newly moved-in wife of Battalion Commander Su.
However, Jiang Ci didn’t know her. Why was she targeting Jiang Ci?
“Little Ci! Save your uncle! I apologize for what your uncle did earlier…” Zhao Cuilan wiped her tears and called to Jiang Ci, “He’s your uncle! Can you bear to watch your uncle die?”
Jiang Ci replied, “Sorry, I was dismissed from the hospital yesterday and am no longer a doctor. I truly can’t help you.”
“What? You were dismissed from the hospital?” Su Lianzhang’s wife exclaimed in surprise.
A flicker of delight passed through her shrewd eyes.
“Ci, oh dear… Even if you were dismissed, you’re still a doctor. Please check on your uncle! Auntie begs you…”
Zhao Cuilan tearfully came over to tug Jiang Ci.
“That’s right! Jiang Ci, saving lives is urgent. No matter what, he’s your uncle. How can you be so heartless?”
Su Lianzhang’s wife’s tone carried a hint of gleeful malice.