Li Qiuyue couldn’t recognize these people, but they could recognize her.
The gossiping women at the back felt a twinge of embarrassment when confronted by someone they knew, yet when they realized it was Li Qiuyue, they straightened their posture.
Aunt Pang puffed out her neck and said arrogantly, “Being born as a human, isn’t it just to be talked about?”
Of course, they wouldn’t gossip openly in front of strangers.
But Li Qiuyue was different she couldn’t recognize faces.
Even if they spoke behind her back, they had no fear of consequences.
Could Li Qiuyue burn her own house and then indiscriminately burn everyone else’s too?
Before, Li Qiuyue didn’t have time to deal with endless, incurable gossip.
But since yesterday, she realized most of these people just went with the wind, flattering whoever was convenient. That gave her a new idea.
These people could spread rumors about her, or they could clear things up for her!
At that moment, hearing these people disparage Qin Huai, thinking of the injuries he had suffered doing his duties, she didn’t hesitate and rushed over.
Today she didn’t shout or cause a scene as she might have before. She just tilted her chin up, hands on her hips, looking down at Aunt Pang.
“Since you say that, Aunt Pang, can I go to your son’s school and say a few things? You scold his sister every day for him, steal from her, and even thought about selling her?”
“You dare!” Aunt Pang was shocked. “If you spread nonsense outside, I’ll tear your mouth off!”
Her son was going to succeed in life if gossip kept him from wanting to go to school, she’d be ruined!
“Being born as a human, isn’t it just to be talked about?” Li Qiuyue sneered.
Ignoring Aunt Pang’s choked expression, she turned to the woman who had commented about soldiers’ pay.
“And you, Aunt Shuan Zhu, I remember your son couldn’t handle army life, got kicked out, and the girl he was interested in in the neighboring village did she know?”
“You know us?” Aunt Shuan Zhu couldn’t believe it.
Li Qiuyue rolled her eyes. She had bad eyesight, not blindness.
Among these few people, not only did she see them daily, but her friends often described who was who.
The one so fat it glistened was her friend’s mother, the skinny bony one was Aunt Shuan Zhu, and the one always wrapped in a yellow scarf was her mother…
She chuckled and called out, “Husband! Come quickly!”
Not far off, Qin Huai was watching the scene.
He had just been riding the tricycle when suddenly Li Qiuyue’s chattering disappeared.
Looking back, he saw she had somehow already appeared in front of the gossiping women.
He was equal parts exasperated and amused but didn’t want to embarrass Li Qiuyue in public.
Not because he wanted to help her, but because he knew that if he showed even a hint of disrespect, her life would become even harder.
Hearing Li Qiuyue call him, he could only jump off the tricycle and walk over.
“What’s going on?” He seemed calm, but truly, he had no solution for Li Qiuyue.
Li Qiuyue ignored his attitude and commanded him, “Tell them, what’s the crime for gossiping about soldiers behind their backs?”
Qin Huai gave her a long look, but before he could speak, Liu Jinhua had already lost composure.
She immediately stood up and protested, “I didn’t say anything! Catch them!”
“Hey! Liu Jinhua, are you human?” Aunt Pang blinked in shock.
“You gossiping women, doing nothing every day, just gathering to talk nonsense about my daughter!” Liu Jinhua spat.
Then she complained to Qin Huai: “She even scolded me when I stopped her from speaking! Chief Qin, arrest her!”
She looked perfectly righteous.
Her husband, not knowing what spell he had been under yesterday, had insisted she come to the street to talk about Li Qiuyue’s past gossip.
Luckily, she spotted Qin Huai immediately, or she’d have been doomed!
Aunt Pang coughed angrily from Liu Jinhua’s backstab.
Glowering at Liu Jinhua, she looked at Qin Huai. “Chief Qin, we didn’t mean anything else. It’s just that Qiuyue keeps causing trouble outside and brought back a bastard, we couldn’t stand it and said a few words.” She gestured to the people behind her.
Veins popped on Li Qiuyue’s forehead she hadn’t expected this woman to twist things so brazenly.
Just as she was about to argue, Qin Huai grabbed her arm.
He squinted, scanning Aunt Pang from head to toe, and said coldly, “Your name is…”
“Just call me Aunt Pang,” she smiled cheerfully. “I can’t stand seeing scum bully honest people.”
“Fine, Aunt Pang. Now go to the police station to confess, or when the police come to arrest you, it won’t just be education detention,” Qin Huai said calmly, but with no room for argument.
Aunt Pang’s smile froze instantly, leaving her stunned on the spot.
The others looked at each other, but only Liu Jinhua secretly congratulated herself on her cleverness.
Qin Huai glanced at his watch and said to Li Qiuyue, “It’s getting late. Let’s go.”
Li Qiuyue nodded, satisfied, withdrew her hand, and walked toward the tricycle.
Aunt Pang muttered with reluctance, “That Qin guy! Is he born to be annoying, loves being a green turtle…”
Before she could finish, she met Qin Huai’s cold, deadly gaze.
In that instant, she realized no matter how gentle he seemed, Qin Huai was a decisive soldier!
Li Qiuyue didn’t notice Qin Huai’s last glance.
She climbed onto the tricycle, basking in the morning sun, feeling elated.
Turns out, handling petty gossip was so easy!
She tapped the rider on the shoulder playfully. “Chief Qin, I didn’t expect you’re actually quite handsome!”
Sending Aunt Pang to the police station herself, how mischievous!
“With your eyesight, you really wouldn’t notice,” Qin Huai glanced at the hand on his shoulder.
Li Qiuyue: “…”
Praise you a little, and you get cheeky!
Li Qiuyue was too happy to argue further.
Unexpectedly, Qin Huai spoke first: “Can you tell me how Zhaozhao ended up in your care?”
He had wanted to ask for a long time but hadn’t when Zhaozhao was around.
Li Qiuyue paused. “You don’t think Zhaozhao is the child of me and some random man, do you?”
Qin Huai raised an eyebrow at her meaningfully: “Zhaozhao is smart.”
“Yes, he’s been…” Li Qiuyue nodded instinctively at the praise.
But soon, she realized, “What do you mean? Are you saying I’m stupid and can’t have a smart child?”
Qin Huai said nothing, wearing a look that said, “You said that yourself.”
Li Qiuyue laughed bitterly in anger. The small touch of fluster she felt moments ago vanished.
She felt indignant and almost self-destructive. “Yes, that’s right. Zhaozhao is a child I found.”
She recounted how she found Zhaozhao on a winter construction site, how she reported it to the police, and after they refused to take him, how she decided to adopt him.
Qin Huai listened silently for a long moment. “It’s been hard on you all these years.”
Li Qiuyue waved her hand, awkward at Qin Huai’s occasional honesty.
She was about to say that raising Zhaozhao wasn’t hard at all.
But then she heard the question ahead: “If Zhaozhao’s parents came to take him back, would you give him up?”
Li Qiuyue shivered under the sun.
She stiffened like a frightened cat, her fur standing on end.