Han Jianwu carried their son and went home with Huo Qingqing and their daughter.
Baoping was crying and howling again, wanting White Rabbit Creamy Candy, which made Liu Chunyan's cursing even more vicious.
After returning home, Huo Qingqing opened her medical kit to treat her daughter's lip. Though the lip was cut and swollen, fortunately the teeth were unharmed. After applying ointment, she broke a White Rabbit candy in half, giving one piece each to her son and daughter to hold in their mouths.
"Is it less painful now?" Huo Qingqing asked.
Little Niu Niu nodded, though it still hurt. The alcohol swab had stung even more, and applying the ointment was uncomfortable too, but the sweetness in her mouth provided some comfort.
Children's emotions shift so easily.
Huo Qingqing patted Niu Niu's head. "Just keep it in your mouth—don't swallow it!"
Her son added, "If you swallow it, you'll choke to death, right?"
The boy was exceptionally clever, and he voiced exactly what his mother was thinking. Huo Qingqing said, "Yes, you must never swallow it."
Little Niu Niu nodded. "Mm!"
Huo Qingqing had her own plans. She hadn't intended to make an enemy of Liu Chunyan so soon, but since the woman insisted on seeking trouble, she couldn't back down.
Liu Chunyan was still in the front yard, scolding her son while aiming her insults at Huo Qingqing.
Huo Qingqing said to Han Jianwu, "Stay home and watch the children."
Han Jianwu asked, "Where are you going?"
Huo Qingqing replied, "To teach that bitch a lesson."
Han Jianwu said, "Come back. I'll go."
Huo Qingqing countered, "If you go, it'll change the situation."
Han Jianwu argued, "You can't win against that shrew."
Huo Qingqing said, "Not necessarily."
Huo Qingqing stepped out into the backyard. "Liu Chunyan, who are you cursing? I've ignored you all these years, and you really think I'm easy to bully?"
Liu Chunyan retorted, "You slut, you whore! What if I curse you? How cheap are you, flaunting that damn White Rabbit candy in front of the kids? You're just showing off on purpose. No wonder—you're the bastard child of a capitalist and a traitor. You ought to be stripped naked and paraded through the streets at a criticism rally!"
Liu Chunyan was a genuine village woman who had never spent a day in school. Tall, fair-skinned, and quite pretty, she was tough and capable at work—a practical homemaker. But her skill at cursing had been famous throughout the region since her maiden days, making her a true thug.
Huo Qingqing sneered. "So you've always resented me because I wasn't dragged off for criticism? Even if I were criticized to death, what's it to you?"
Liu Chunyan was speechless. Someone who usually cursed more fluently than she ate was suddenly at a loss for words.
Huo Qingqing continued, "Liu Chunyan, do you really think no one can see your dirty little secrets?"
Liu Chunyan bristled. "What nonsense are you spouting, you slut? What dirty secrets do I have? Not everyone is as shameless as you!"
Huo Qingqing asked, "How am I shameless?"
Liu Chunyan accused, "You—you cuckolded Fourth Brother and ran off with another man."
Huo Qingqing challenged, "To catch adulterers, you need both parties. Did you see me cuckold your Fourth Brother? Which man did I run off with? Bring him here, and we'll confront each other face to face!"
Liu Chunyan was speechless again, furious and wanting to curse herself. What was going on? She hated that she hadn't performed better, but a ruffian like her would never admit defeat easily.
Liu Chunyan laughed loudly and said, "On the day you were quarreling with Fourth Brother about divorce, that male Educated Youth came right to your doorstep. So many people saw it—do you think everyone is blind?"
Huo Qingqing retorted, "Then why don't you go and bring that male Educated Youth here to ask what really happened? Bring your Fourth Brother too, call all the Han family members, and we'll confront each other face to face. I've done nothing wrong and fear no accusations."
Liu Chunyan shot back, "Why don't you go call him yourself?"
Huo Qingqing replied, "You're the one suspecting me of planning to elope with that male Educated Youth. Why should I be the one to fetch him for confrontation?"
Liu Chunyan sneered, "You're just guilty."
Huo Qingqing fired back, "Guilty my ass! I just got back from collecting debts at the Educated Youth compound. If you don't go get those people for confrontation today, I won't let this rest. You can't just sling mud at people like this."
Liu Chunyan demanded, "Then why did he come looking for you?"
Huo Qingqing said coldly, "You'll have to ask him that yourself."
Liu Chunyan, "…"
After a brief stalemate, Liu Chunyan started cursing again, "You're just a cheap slut who wants to divorce Fourth Brother and follow some wild man back to the city to live the high life."
Huo Qingqing countered, "Then why haven't I divorced your Fourth Brother or left with some wild man? Do I not know the way back to the city? Even staying here, I eat and drink better than you."
"…"
This was Liu Chunyan's worst argument ever. Huo Qingqing hadn't used a single curse word, yet she was cornering Liu Chunyan into retreat.
Liu Chunyan was a classic bully who preyed on the weak but feared the strong. She wouldn't dare bring Zhang Zhiqing here for confrontation even if it killed her—even if they were having an affair, it would be Han Jianwu who settled scores, none of her business. She just wanted the satisfaction of running her mouth.
Though Liu Chunyan had never spent a day in school, she had her own survival instincts. A quick mental shift and she resumed her signature arguing style.
Liu Chunyan shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Huo Qingqing, you're a cheap whore, rotten goods, a slut! Your father was a traitor, your mother a capitalist, your children are little prostitutes—you should be stripped naked and paraded through the streets!"
Slap! Huo Qingqing landed a hard slap across Liu Chunyan's face.
"Ah…! You bitch Huo Qingqing, how dare you hit me?" Liu Chunyan lunged to pull Huo Qingqing's hair.
Though Huo Qingqing wasn't short, she wasn't as sturdy as Liu Chunyan. Fortunately, she knew some rudimentary self-defense and was prepared. She grabbed Liu Chunyan's hair, kicked the back of her knees, and Liu Chunyan collapsed with a thud.
People from the east and west wings, along with the in-laws from the north and Han Jianhua, had been secretly watching. Now that fighting had broken out, they all rushed out to intervene.
Liu Chunyan wailed loudly, drawing the entire village out to watch the spectacle.
Her mouth still running, Liu Chunyan kept cursing, repeating the same refrain: "Huo Qingqing is a whore, a slut! Her father was a traitor, her mother a capitalist, her children are little prostitutes…"
With every curse, Huo Qingqing slapped her across the mouth. Liu Chunyan's lips and nose were bleeding, but her vicious tongue wouldn't stop.
Huo Qingqing seemed possessed, beyond anyone's control. "Don't anyone try to stop me! Today I'm going to smash her filthy mouth! Curse me all you want, but insult my parents and my children—absolutely not! Who told you my father was a traitor?"
The mother-in-law erupted in fury, "Jianwu, take your wife back inside! Stop making a spectacle of us! What sin did I commit to raise such debt-collecting demons?"
Huo Qingqing only then noticed Han Jianwu standing behind her.
Huo Qingqing turned to Mother Han, "I'm not afraid of embarrassment. Today I must make her explain herself clearly. What right does she have to call my father a traitor?"
"My father is a hero who shed blood and killed enemies on the battlefield. What right does a shrew like you have to call him a traitor?"
Huo Qingqing also burst into loud sobs, "My father is not a traitor! He's a hero who defended our homeland. If not for them fighting bloody battles on the front lines, would you people be enjoying peaceful lives today? What right does an illiterate village woman like you to say such things about him? You must tell me who told you this! Otherwise, I'll go to the police station and report you for slandering a hero. You'll get at least three years in prison, and it will affect your descendants' chances of going to college, joining the military, or becoming officials."
A few years ago, if someone had spoken about her parents like this, no matter how upset Huo Qingqing felt, she wouldn't have dared to confront them. But now she wasn't afraid anymore. Her mother had already been politically rehabilitated, her father's case was nearing its conclusion and about to be cleared, he was going to become an important figure, and her two older brothers were both top talents in the military. What did she have to fear?
When the Han family heard things were escalating seriously, they all signaled to Fifth Brother with their eyes. Han Jianhua looked at Huo Qingqing and said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, this fool is just an idiot. Don't stoop to her level, let it go! I apologize on her behalf."
Han Jianwu said, "Fifth Brother, this matter can't just be dropped like this. Your wife might be an idiot, but that doesn't mean everyone is an idiot. Who told her these things? This question must be clarified, otherwise it won't just be you two who suffer the consequences."