Tian Baozhu’s gaze lingered on the girl for a moment. Sensing her look, the already furious young man immediately shifted his body to block her view, glaring at Tian Baozhu.
Watching Tan Yandong snort angrily like a provoked bull, Tian Baozhu couldn’t help but feel it was a waste for her predecessor.
Damn it. If you really didn’t like her, why didn’t you firmly refuse before going to the countryside?
She followed you all the way here, and only now you say you’ve found your true love and see her as a little sister? What were you doing before?
And if you didn’t like her, why did you take all those meat and grain coupons her family sent, spending them without a second thought?
This was a classic case of a kept man with an attitude. Tian Baozhu had never seen someone act so entitled while being a freeloader. It was a real eye-opener.
“Hmph. What trouble am I causing?
You arrive at the educated youth compound, ask nothing, and immediately accuse me of causing trouble.
Tell me, Comrade Tan Yandong, which of your eyes saw me causing trouble?”
“Baozhu, Brother Yandong rushed over as soon as he heard you’d fallen into the river.
Even if you’re angry with him, you shouldn’t talk to him like that!
Brother Yandong… he’s just worried about you, his little sister.”
Cheng Baole, shielded behind Tan Yandong, felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.
But hearing Tian Baozhu’s harsh questioning, she couldn’t help poking her head out, her face full of sincerity as she addressed Tian Baozhu.
Tian Baozhu couldn’t help but curl her lip at the saccharine tone.
“Don’t call me ‘little sister.’ I’m the only daughter in my family.
And who are you to speak on Comrade Tan Yandong’s behalf?
Could it be that what Liu Qiuhua said was true? Were you and Tan Yandong together last night? Is that why you two are showing up together so early this morning?”
Cheng Baole’s face first flushed red, then went pale.
“You… you’re slandering me! Brother Yandong had dinner at my house yesterday. He shared a room with my older brother!”
Her eyes reddened with anger.
“Baole, don’t cry. The innocent have nothing to fear.
Some people have filthy minds, so they spout this kind of nonsense.
Tian Baozhu, where are your manners? Did you learn nothing at all?
If you keep slandering Baole like this, Aunt Taohua might just tear your mouth apart.”
Tan Yandong was momentarily startled by Tian Baozhu’s words but quickly composed himself. After softly comforting Cheng Baole, he turned and scolded Tian Baozhu with righteous indignation.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Before, when you didn’t know what happened at the educated youth compound, you kept saying I was causing trouble.
Now that your precious Baole has had a few words said about her, you’re jumping three feet high, threatening to tear someone’s mouth apart?
Oh, right. Even if Aunt Taohua wanted to tear someone’s mouth, she wouldn’t come after me. I clearly said just now that those words came from Comrade Liu Qiuhua.
I slapped her because she made up lies about me. So, if she made up lies about your precious Baole, I’d understand if Aunt Taohua tore her mouth apart.
So, Comrade Tan Yandong, tell me now: what trouble have I caused?”
Tian Baozhu wasn’t about to indulge this freeloading scumbag. She laid it out clearly and directly.
Tan Yandong’s face turned a mix of red and pale at her words, his expression growing awkward.
“Baozhu, I was just anxious. You see, people in the village were spreading rumors that you were pulled out of the river last night by one of the village loafers.
“So, I rushed over urgently to ask clearly: what exactly is going on?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Tian Baozhu, who had been standing by the door of the female educated youth dormitory, strode purposefully toward Tan Yandong.
Then, in front of everyone, she delivered several resounding slaps—smack, smack, smack—across Tan Yandong’s face.
Afterward, she shook her hand, muttering to herself.
“Quite a thick face. My hand’s a bit numb.”
Tan Yandong, even if he didn’t like Tian Baozhu, had always thought of her as a little sister he’d grown up with. Hearing the rumors circulating in the village, he felt he needed to get to the bottom of things, lest she make a grave mistake.
He never expected to be slapped. Staring at Tian Baozhu in disbelief, his eyes wide.
“You… you hit me?”
“That’s right. I hit that mouth of yours for spouting nonsense and slandering me.
Just now, you said anyone who slanders others deserves to have their mouth torn.
I’m only hitting your mouth, not tearing it, and that’s out of consideration for our acquaintance.”
Tian Baozhu replied with a straight face, her expression one of righteous indignation.
“Tian Baozhu, you actually hit Brother Yandong? Have you lost your mind?”
Cheng Baole hadn’t expected Tian Baozhu to lay a hand on Tan Yandong. After shooting her a vicious glare, she looked at Tan Yandong’s swollen face with heartbroken concern, wanting to touch it but seeming too afraid, as if her heart were breaking.
“Whether I’ve lost my mind isn’t important. What’s important is that if anyone dares to slander me with their nonsense again, I’ll tear their mouth apart myself.”
Tian Baozhu sneered at the pair, then gave a sharp kick to the wall beside the gate of the educated youth compound.
The compound, originally a landlord’s property, was built of blue brick. Even after all these years, it was solid.
But with that one kick, the blue bricks at the impact point caved in, leaving a deep, visible footprint.
Anyone who had been ready to condemn Tian Baozhu from a moral high ground fell utterly silent at the sight.
A flicker of unease passed through the crowd. Were Tian Baozhu’s feet made of iron?
To be able to shatter bricks like that… if she kicked a person, wouldn’t their bones shatter too?
Tan Yandong was the most shocked of all. He had grown up with her predecessor, and she had never once shown this kind of strength in front of him.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Good thing I’m not with Tian Baozhu.
Otherwise, if she ever got upset, a punch or a kick from her might just kill him.
As he stood there in a daze, Tian Baozhu, who had turned back towards the dormitory door, looked over her shoulder and stared directly at him.
“Comrade Tan Yandong, since you and Cheng Baole are a couple now, it’s probably not appropriate for you to keep using my meat and grain coupons, is it?
I won’t ask for anything more. Either return everything you’ve taken over the years in kind, or pay me back in cash.
I hope you’re not thick-skinned enough to try the ‘brother and sister’ excuse to weasel out of paying me back.
Otherwise, I’ll make you find out why flowers are so red.”
With that, Tian Baozhu lifted her chin, gave a proud hmph, and slammed the female dormitory door shut with a bang!
The sound of the door slamming made everyone’s heart skip a beat.
Tan Yandong’s face, which had been a mix of red and pale, was now livid with rage, turning a dark, ashen shade. His fingers trembled uncontrollably.