Han Xiaorui smiled. She knew Wu Cuicui meant well, and she understood that living here meant she couldn’t just act on impulse.
“If I were to truly follow through with suing Zhang Xiufang, it would not only create a deep, irreconcilable enmity but would also lack any deterrent effect. I don’t care about Yang Jianguo, but I have to consider Pingping and An’an’s grandfather. When I was in my darkest moments, Uncle Yang was the one who supported me and gave me the courage to stay and build a life here.”
“I am going to call a lawyer and communicate with the police station. I want Zhang Xiufang to know that I am capable of dealing with her. I am not someone she can insult or bully at will.”
Hearing this, Wu Cuicui exhaled a long breath of relief and patted her chest. “Xiaorui, if you can think like this, then you are truly clever. My Second Aunt is someone who feeds on chaos; if she really went to jail, she might come back and do even worse things.”
“Using this to keep her in check is smart. My Second Uncle probably won’t have the face to come and beg you to let her go, but Yang Jianguo is a university professor. If he had a mother with a criminal record, how could he continue teaching, let alone get promoted to professor? He would definitely be anxious.”
“My Second Aunt’s greatest weakness is her precious son, Yang Jianguo. Once you’ve gripped that vital point, she will rein herself in to avoid hurting his career and won’t dare to act so recklessly again.”
That was exactly Han Xiaorui’s plan. “Exactly, that is precisely what I intend to do. Sending her to prison isn’t my end goal, but making her behave, ensuring she doesn’t dare provoke me again, and letting the villagers see that I am not to be trifled with—that is my goal.”
Wu Cuicui nodded, smiling with relief. “Xiaorui, if you have a plan, then I can rest easy. If anything happens in the future, just come to me, so people won’t talk.”
“Sister Cuicui, I think so too. Thank you for helping me.” Han Xiaorui felt grateful, though she knew Wu Cuicui’s intercession on Zhang Xiufang’s behalf was also well-intentioned.
Han Xiaorui was fully capable of navigating these social complexities. This was not a post-apocalyptic world where only the strong survived without rules; here, there were laws, ethics, and social expectations that constrained Zhang Xiufang, Han Xiaorui, and everyone else. Han Xiaorui was more than willing to use these rules to solve her problems, relying on her own intellect to navigate her life.
After Wu Cuicui left, Han Xiaorui found a business card from a local law firm. When the Nanyang Law Firm learned of the situation and heard that Han Xiaorui was willing to pay a thousand yuan, they immediately guaranteed her satisfaction. Chen Nanyang, who had opened the firm a year ago, had been struggling with business. When a client came to him with a case that seemed like easy money, he immediately hopped on his motorcycle and rode over.
At Han Xiaorui’s house, they signed an authorization contract, and Han Xiaorui gave him a three-hundred-yuan deposit, with the remainder to be paid upon completion. Chen Nanyang was a local with extensive connections and understood Han Xiaorui’s dilemma. “Ms. Han, rest assured. I can handle this matter properly and guarantee that Zhang Xiufang won’t dare to cause trouble for you again.”
Hearing this, Han Xiaorui laughed. “If you do a good job, I’ll hire you for all my future business and property dealings!”
Chen Nanyang’s eyes lit up; he certainly wanted to develop Han Xiaorui into a long-term client for stable income. “Excellent, I look forward to more opportunities to work together.”
Carrying a freshly dubbed cassette tape as evidence, Chen Nanyang marched confidently to the police station where Zhang Xiufang was being held. Only then did the police realize Han Xiaorui wasn’t just bluffing—she had actually hired a lawyer. With the testimonies from Ye Feng and the villagers confirming that the yellow croakers belonged to Han Xiaorui, Zhang Xiufang’s claims were exposed as slanders. Insulting Han Xiaorui and Yang Zhigang was defamation and spreading rumors; kicking the door was intimidation; and demanding money was extortion. With both testimonial and material evidence, if Han Xiaorui insisted on pressing charges, Zhang Xiufang could face several years in prison.
Zhang Xiufang, stunned, finally realized the gravity of the situation. “In the past… in the village, people curse and fight all the time, what law is that breaking?”
The police officer stifled a complaint about people like her and explained patiently, “If no one reports it, the police don’t investigate. But now that someone has pressed charges with both testimonial and material evidence, you are facing three counts: defamation, intimidation, and extortion. These are enough to put you away for a few years.”
Zhang Xiufang had been stubborn before, but she didn’t want to go to prison! She had heard that inmates were forced to work, pedaling sewing machines endlessly. “Please, let me go! I won’t dare curse Han Xiaorui again; from now on, I’ll stay far away from her.”
Officer Li sighed. “Why act this way then? No matter what, she is the mother of your granddaughters. You insulted and bullied her, thinking she was a soft target.”
“The Han Xiaorui you bullied once got into the best university in the area—do you think she’s a fool? Now that she’s dealing with you, she has you right where she wants you. Instead of begging me, you’d better get your family to seek forgiveness from the victim. Maybe then you won’t have to go to prison.”
Terrified, Zhang Xiufang wept and regretted her actions deeply. “Please notify my family; I’ll have them beg Han Xiaorui.”
After leaving the station, Chen Nanyang rode his motorcycle straight to the university where Yang Jianguo worked. In front of a dozen professors and faculty members in the office, he played the recording of Zhang Xiufang’s insults. The sharp, filthy language echoed through the room.
Yang Jianguo recognized his mother’s voice immediately and jumped up. “Stop playing that!”
Chen Nanyang, a tall and sturdy man, blocked Yang Jianguo’s hand. “Lecturer Yang, I am Han Xiaorui’s attorney. I have been formally instructed by her to file a lawsuit against your mother.”
“You committed adultery during your marriage to Han Xiaorui. Although you are now divorced, your mother came to my client’s home to insult her, spread rumors, intimidate her, and extort money. She is currently being detained by the police.”
The office erupted in a buzz of whispers. University teachers were meant to be decent and valued their reputation above all else. Yang Jianguo had married a student and then cheated on her, and now his own mother was acting like a hooligan—it was no wonder Han Xiaorui had hired a lawyer. With a mother in prison, Yang Jianguo’s chances of being promoted to professor were—well, dream on!
Chen Nanyang had come intentionally to put pressure on Yang Jianguo, hoping he would force Zhang Xiufang into compliance to save face. As the battle of public opinion ignited, Chen Nanyang picked up his recorder and walked out.
“Who would have thought that the refined Lecturer Yang would have such a vicious mother!”
“He slept with his student, got her pregnant, married her, and in a few years, divorced her—and I hear the one on the side is pregnant now too.”
“A beast in human clothing—that describes him perfectly, doesn’t it?”
In the office, the selection for associate professor was highly competitive. Yang Jianguo had been a shoe-in, but with this scandal, that was no longer certain. If this blew up, Yang Jianguo would be finished. The others in the office stood to gain from this. With evidence and recordings, this wasn’t just gossip—so why wait? They spread the news aggressively behind his back.