“How many times have you seen it? What time, what place? Tell me in detail,” Cheng Hui said.
Zhu Qiufang began speaking without hesitation. “The first time was the night before you and Gao Yuan got married. You were in the Small Woods behind the Educated Youth Spot. I saw you when I went to gather firewood!
“The second time was the day after Gao Yuan left, in the evening, at the Village Mill!
“The third time was… the day the village distributed grain. I told you to go get our share, but you didn’t come back for a long time. I went looking for you and found the two of you fooling around in the Village Elementary School!”
…
“The eighth time was this evening. I went behind the house to get firewood and ran into you and Zhang Laizi coming out from there!
“I never thought that once you saw you were exposed, you’d immediately try to pin the Shit Pot on my head. You’re quite something!”
Zhu Qiufang rattled off eight instances in one breath, her words flowing more smoothly as she went, even including details. The times and places she chose were also suitable—all places fit for a secret tryst.
Cheng Hui actually admired her quick thinking and her ability to fabricate things out of thin air. It was a pity she didn’t write novels.
Now, the crowd was convinced!
They stared at her with piercing eyes.
The gazes of several men in the crowd were even more brazen.
Cheng Hui began to speak. “Now, let’s talk about the first time.
“The day before Gao Yuan and I got married, I cried in my room at the Educated Youth Spot for a whole day and night. I didn’t step out of the door until Gao Yuan came to pick me up the next morning. All the female Educated Youth can testify to that, right?”
There were also some female Educated Youth in the crowd who had come to watch the commotion.
Hearing her words, they immediately nodded. They remembered this incident very clearly.
Cheng Hui was from Jingcheng, and her father was said to be an official. To be forced to marry a village soldier, they had all felt great sympathy for her and had tried to console her for an entire night.
Cheng Hui continued, “Besides, when have you ever gathered firewood? The firewood at home is always gathered by the children.”
A buzz went through the crowd. That was right. In their families, it was also the children who gathered firewood. How could the adults have time?
And who gathers firewood in the middle of the night? You’d be lucky to see a ghost!
“Now for the second time. The day after Gao Yuan left would be April 15th, a Saturday. That day… the Small Team Leader announced that the busy farming season was about to begin, so everyone would eat together, with the team providing the grain. The mill was busy with people from morning until late at night.
“You went back to your parents’ home at noon that day and only returned the next morning. You went to the mill late at night? And saw Zhang Laizi? Did you go with him?
“Unfortunately for you, I didn’t go. That night, my Little Sister-in-law and I got into a fight over the blankets and were still brawling late into the night.”
The crowd fell silent, then burst into laughter.
Regardless of whether this was true or not, how could they remember what happened last April? It was already January of ’73!
But Cheng Hui’s way of speaking was quite interesting. Zhu Qiufang and Zhang Laizi…
Zhu Qiufang’s face turned ashen. “Impossible! You’re making it all up! How could you remember so clearly? You even remember the day of the week!”
“If you can remember clearly, why can’t I? As for the date and the day of the week, we’ll know just by looking at a calendar,” Cheng Hui said.
Immediately, a busybody ran home to get a Perpetual Calendar.
This wasn’t an era where people couldn’t afford to eat anymore; most families had one of these.
They couldn’t bear to throw away last year’s, keeping it for the children to use as scratch paper.
When they found it and took a look, April 15th really was a Saturday!
Cheng Hui had already continued, “The third time, the day the village distributed grain, was October 18th. The elementary school happened to be on holiday that day, so no one was there. The location was indeed quite suitable.”
Zhu Qiufang immediately seized on this as if catching her in a lie, clamoring, “See! You admit it, don’t you? You’ve admitted it!”
“But that day, you were the first to receive your grain, and then you immediately carried 50 jin of it back to your parents’ home without stopping. You didn’t come back until after dark. Because of this, Father-in-law argued with you until midnight. When did you tell me to go get more grain? When did you go looking for me and find me at the elementary school?”
“Woooow!!!”
The crowd practically shrieked.
Many people knew about this!
Because every year, Gao Lao San’s family was the first to get their grain! And every year, she would be the first to send some to her parents’ home, and every year, she would get a beating for it!
Gao Lao San stared at Zhu Qiufang with a grim face.
Cheng Hui continued, “The fourth time, November 3rd, a Sunday…”
She had a good memory in her past life. Although not quite photographic, it was close.
Now that she was reborn, she found that as long as she wanted to, she could recall any detail that had happened in her past life!
Including the month, day, day of the week, and even the content of newspapers she had read…
She refuted the accusations one by one.
The crowd noisily confirmed that the things she said all matched up.
On the other hand, Zhu Qiufang’s accusations just now were all lies!
The crowd chattered among themselves, pointing fingers. Zhu Qiufang couldn’t be bothered with them anymore; she glared fiercely at Zhang Laizi.
Zhang Laizi had been staring at Cheng Hui with a sinister expression. Suddenly, a strange smile appeared on his face, and he was about to speak.
Cheng Hui had been keeping him in her peripheral vision. Seeing this, she lunged forward.
She viciously smashed down with the rock she had prepared in her hand!
In her past life, after this bastard was caught, he had run around yelling that she had summoned him over, that they had been involved for a long time!
Back then, she had wanted to tear his mouth apart!
Now, she had finally done it!
The rock was sharp. A few strikes were enough to pulp Zhang Laizi’s lips, and several of his teeth flew out!
She had used too much force, and her stomach hurt a little…
Cheng Hui threw the rock away, turned around, and asked Gao Qishan with a sob, “Uncle Team Leader, the two of them tried to take my life. What punishment should they receive?”
At this time, the leaders of the Production Teams, big and small, held immense power.
As long as it wasn’t a major crime like murder, arson, or fatal poisoning, the officials didn’t bother with the minor squabbles, petty thefts, and chicken-stealing that happened within a Production Team!
The punishment was entirely up to each Production Team to decide.
Gao Qishan called over two militiamen and said, “Give each of them fifty hard slaps to the face.”
As she was being grabbed, Zhu Qiufang immediately hid behind Gao Lao San. “I didn’t lie! I just remembered the dates wrong! But I really did see it! She’s just being stubborn and won’t admit it!
“Husband, save me! If I get beaten, you’ll lose face too!”
Gao Lao San was a man who cared most about his pride. He immediately frowned at Cheng Hui and said, “We’re all family, and she’s your mother-in-law. Why all this talk of beating and killing? What kind of daughter-in-law acts like this?”
Cheng Hui gave a cold laugh. “If I were you, I’d be thinking hard right now about why she was able to order Zhang Laizi to do something that could get him beheaded! Just how deep is their relationship? She goes back to her parents’ home every few days. Is she really just going back to her parents’ home?”
Zhang Laizi and Zhu Qiufang’s parents were from the same village.
Gao Lao San’s eyes were already wide with fury. Without waiting for the militiamen, he raised his own large palm and began slapping Zhu Qiufang repeatedly!
“Speak! What is the relationship between you two?!”
Cheng Hui was not at all satisfied with fifty slaps!
She said to Gao Qishan, “I’ll throw my reputation away and go to the county to report Zhang Laizi for rape! The widow Zhu is his accomplice!”
The people don’t report, the officials don’t investigate. But if she really went to report it, the authorities above would have to get involved.
When word got out, outsiders would mention the Gaojiatun Production Team and immediately say, “Isn’t that the Production Team where the mother-in-law found a wild man for her daughter-in-law? Hahaha!”
The entire Production Team would be disgraced along with them!
And the most disgraced of all would be him, the Small Team Leader.
Gao Qishan immediately ordered the militiamen, “Break one of Zhang Laizi’s legs!”
But when it came to Zhu Qiufang, he was somewhat troubled.
He said to Cheng Hui in a low voice, “It’s not appropriate to break her arms or legs. If her limbs are broken, she can’t work for work points, and it’s your own family that will suffer.
“You’ll also need someone to serve her, to help her eat, drink, and use the toilet. The whole family will hold it against you.
“Where it’s possible to forgive, one should forgive. Always leave a way out for future encounters. You still have to live in the Gao family. If you make a mortal enemy of Zhu Qiufang now, what will you do when her three children come to beat you?”
Zhu Qiufang was in her early thirties, and the eldest son she had brought with her was already fourteen, as strong as a young bull.
Cheng Hui suddenly covered her mouth and sobbed, “I understand the reasoning, but she hired someone to take my life and my child’s! And I’m supposed to let her off lightly?
“If I do, everyone who watched this today will think I’m easy to bully! Anyone will think they can climb into my bed! After all, the worst that can happen is fifty slaps to the face!”
Gao Qishan’s back stiffened. He suddenly strode over, personally dragged Zhu Qiufang from the militiamen’s grasp, and forced her to the ground.
With one stomp, he broke her left arm.