At that moment, the man looked at Zhou’s mother with a mocking smile. “If I were higher in rank than your son, you’d fawn over me; if I were lower, you’d insult me?”
Zhou’s mother was quick-witted, hearing his words, she immediately realized who held the higher rank.
She hastily plastered a smile on her face and said, “It was all my mistake, a blind old woman mistaking Mount Tai for nothing. I misunderstood, I misunderstood. Commander Shen, please don’t blame Ah Ran. If anyone is to blame, blame…”
Suddenly, she pointed at Tang Rubao, her smile vanishing in an instant. In a split second, her expression flipped from ingratiating to sharp and cruel.
“It’s her! She had a daughter with her lover, and now she wants to divorce my son. She even swindled my son out of three hundred yuan!”
Then she flopped onto the ground, pounding her thighs and wailing: “Three hundred yuan! That’s a year’s salary for Ah Ran! She swindled it all! Not only did she steal the money, she also hit me…”
She pointed at the side of her face that Tang Rubao had struck. “Look, look! My face is all swollen from her beating.”
Tugging at her still-wet clothes, she continued, “She even splashed me with her wash water, my clothes are still wet.”
Pointing at Tang Rubao, she added, “Last night when I arrived at the family compound, she didn’t get up to cook noodles for me and gave me a hard time. This morning she hit and scolded me. She’s a wicked daughter-in-law.”
“Look at that little brat, she’s the spitting image of hers. She’s the child of her lover, not adopted by her at all.”
“Look, open your eyes! Doesn’t she look just like that little brat?”
After Zhou’s mother said this, the onlookers forgot all about Tang Rubao hitting her. Their attention shifted entirely to Anlai.
Everyone knew Tang Rubao had adopted a daughter, but they had never suspected the child was hers and another man’s.
They had always assumed that Tang Rubao and Zhou Jingran had been married many years without children, so adopting a daughter seemed normal.
Now, hearing Zhou’s mother’s words, they scrutinized Tang Rubao and Anlai like radar.
And indeed, they really did look alike.
At first glance, yes; second glance, still yes; third glance… the more you looked, the more alike they seemed.
“What a coincidence that her adopted daughter looks just like her?”
“Could it really be that she had a child with some random man? Isn’t she afraid of going to jail for that?”
“The man she’s having an affair with is deliberately ruining her military marriage. If she doesn’t go to jail, he will.”
“This woman is immoral and should be kicked out of the family compound.”
“Exactly! Kick this kind of woman out of the family compound!”
“Battalion Commander Zhou, divorce her immediately and get rid of her!”
At first, they weren’t sure whether Tang Rubao had cheated, but someone started the rumor, claiming she had.
The crowd’s emotions were stirred, and they shouted loudly, demanding Tang Rubao be driven out.
“I’ll go to the political commissar and ask him to decide whether to kick this immoral woman out of the compound.”
“First, grab her and make her hand over that bastard. Then arrest him and put him in jail.”
“Yes, arrest her first!”
Two military wives immediately moved to grab Tang Rubao.
Tang Rubao would leave the family compound, but not like this.
She regarded Anlai as her own daughter and could not allow anyone to humiliate her.
She pushed the two women aside and glared at them with eyes sharp as knives.
Her gaze, like an enraged lioness, sent chills down their spines.
They didn’t dare approach her.
Tang Rubao then looked coldly at Zhou Jingran. “You also believe I cheated on you?”
Given her nature, she would never cheat.
But lately, her behavior had been unusual, getting a divorce, asking for money, mailing letters, renting a place…
Zhou Jingran’s face darkened. “You know whether you cheated on me or not. Don’t try to blame me.”
“Heh…” Tang Rubao sneered, a pang of hurt stabbing at her heart.
“Then let’s report it to the police and have them investigate. I didn’t steal from anyone, after all.”
Zhou Jingran’s face darkened, but he didn’t refuse to involve the police.
He wanted to use this opportunity to report the incident and find out why Tang Rubao had gone to the post office to mail a letter.
If it turned out she was an enemy agent, she would be shot.
He said calmly, “Then let’s call the police.”
“I can call the police, but first hand over the three hundred yuan,” Zhou’s mother said, rising from the ground and reaching toward Tang Rubao for the money.
Tang Rubao looked at her with sarcasm. “The three hundred yuan was returned to me by your son.”
“My son doesn’t owe you any money, so why should he pay you back?” Zhou’s mother said, unconvinced.
Tang Rubao turned to Zhou Jingran with a cold smile. “Tell me, you really don’t owe me any money?”
Zhou Jingran’s face flushed and his gaze darted away, but he still forced out, “Don’t talk nonsense here.”
Tang Rubao looked at him calmly, she had given him a chance.
“Tu Xiuxiu stole my money to buy a TV. Zhou Jingran paid off the money to cover up her theft. It was Zhou Jingran who returned the money to me.”
Tang Rubao then looked at Zhou’s mother mockingly. “What face do you have to come back here?”
Her words caused another moment of stunned silence in the room.
Everyone’s expressions shifted rapidly.
Attention quickly moved from Tang Rubao supposedly stealing money to Tu Xiuxiu’s theft.
Tu Xiuxiu’s face went pale. “Tang Rubao, you… you’re lying!”
Zhou Jingran’s chest heaved in anger. He glared at Tang Rubao and snapped, “Shut up!”
“Why should I shut up?” Tang Rubao’s eyes were clear and cold, her expression indifferent, a faint hint of sarcasm at the corner of her mouth.
Compared to Tu Xiuxiu and Zhou Jingran’s reactions, anyone with eyes could immediately see who was lying.
“Didn’t Xiuxiu say that the TV was bought for her by Battalion Commander Zhou?”
“It was Battalion Commander Zhou who bought it. I saw him carry the TV back with my own eyes.”
“So, you’re saying Xiuxiu stole someone’s money and then made Battalion Commander Zhou buy her a TV?”
“Don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t steal any money!” Hearing the crowd’s murmurs, Tu Xiuxiu felt anger, frustration, and injustice.
Zhou Jingran glared at Tang Rubao, trying to rescue Tu Xiuxiu from the situation. “That money was given to you by me, and Xiuxiu took my money, not yours.”
These words cut across Tang Rubao’s heart like a merciless blade.
She swore she would never love him again in this lifetime.
Seeing him unconditionally dote on Tu Xiuxiu still hurt her deeply.
She controlled her emotions, tears welling in her eyes. “That was the betrothal money you gave me!”
Zhou Jingran’s body trembled at her words.
A bad feeling ran through him.
He quickly shot Tang Rubao a warning look, silently telling her not to say another word.
But Tang Rubao ignored him.
What she was about to say would make him wish he could vomit blood on the spot.