The morning sunlight bathed the entire compound in golden light.
It was the peak hour for people heading to work and school, and the entrance to the compound was bustling with people coming and going.
Just then, the gate to the Lu family courtyard opened.
For a moment, all the sounds around them seemed to vanish.
Countless pairs of eyes turned toward the gate in unison—and then refused to look away.
It was Su Man who walked out.
But today, Su Man looked completely different from usual.
She was wearing a dress no one had ever seen before.
The fabric was still the familiar floral Dacron, but the design was enough to make everyone’s eyes light up.
She had cleverly cut the floral section of the fabric and used it for the lower half of the skirt, creating a gradient effect reminiscent of an ink-wash painting.
The waist was fitted tightly, accentuating her slender figure, with a matching fabric belt tied into a bow that emphasized her tiny waist.
The neckline was a modified square neck, revealing a delicate stretch of collarbone and making her neck appear long and graceful.
But the most striking detail was the sleeve cuff.
There had originally been a small hole there, but she had embroidered a delicate little daisy over it. Not only did it conceal the flaw, it had become the finishing touch of the entire dress.
Vintage and elegant, yet with an indescribably fashionable, almost foreign flair.
In an era when loose work clothes filled the streets, this dress was practically in a league of its own.
Su Man held Erbao’s hand. The little boy had also changed into a newly made vest and looked bright and spirited.
Dabao followed behind them with his schoolbag on his back. Though he wore his usual stern expression, the new trousers made his legs look especially long.
The three of them walked out together, looking almost like they were putting on a fashion show.
“My goodness… is that Su Man?”
“That dress is gorgeous! What kind of style is that? I’ve never even seen anything like it at the department store!”
“Look at that floral pattern. Why does it look so much like that pile of defective fabric the supply store was selling yesterday?”
“How could it be? How could that junk fabric make such an amazing dress? She must have bought it in Shanghai!”
The women stared at her with astonishment, envy, and barely concealed jealousy.
Even Lin Wan’er, who had been strutting off to work moments earlier, froze when she saw Su Man.
She looked down at the red wool coat she had always been so proud of.
Suddenly, she felt…
It looked a little tacky.
The bulky cut of her coat looked like a sack compared with the well-tailored dress Su Man was wearing.
“This… How is this possible…”
Lin Wan’er bit her lip, her fingernails digging deeply into her palm.
How could that country girl possibly know anything about fashion design?
Just as everyone was buzzing with discussion, a group of people in uniforms with red armbands suddenly marched into the compound.
Leading them was Liu, an officer from the Revolutionary Committee. His face was stern.
Following right behind him was Sister Zhang, the woman who had filed the report the night before.
She was wearing a smug expression as she pointed at Su Man, who was preparing to take the children to school, and shouted:
“Officer Liu! It’s her!”
“It’s that Su Man!”
“I personally saw her carrying a huge bundle of fabric back from the supply store yesterday!”
“That fabric is all state property! She didn’t have any cloth coupons, yet she bought so much. She must have stolen it! Or she colluded with someone at the supply store to engage in profiteering!”
Her shout left everyone stunned.
Profiteering?
Stealing state property?
Those were serious crimes that could land someone in prison!
Officer Liu quickly walked over with his men and blocked Su Man’s path.
“Comrade Su Man, we’ve received a report from the public alleging that you are suspected of embezzling state property and engaging in profiteering.”
“Please come with us and assist with the investigation.”
The crowd immediately erupted.
The admiration and envy from moments ago instantly turned into schadenfreude and contempt.
“I knew it! How could that junk fabric suddenly look so good? Turns out she stole it!”
“Tsk, tsk. You really can’t judge a person by appearances. Commander Lu is going to be in for a rough time with a wife like this.”
Standing among the crowd, Lin Wan’er curled her lips into a vicious smile.
Su Man, let’s see how you get yourself out of this one!
Dabao and Erbao were terrified. They clung tightly to Su Man’s hands.
“Don’t take my mom! My mom isn’t a bad person!” Erbao cried.
Su Man, however, remained unusually calm.
She patted both children’s shoulders, signaling them not to be afraid.
Then she raised her head and looked directly at Officer Liu. Her cold gaze swept over Sister Zhang, who was hiding behind the others.
There was no panic or fear in her eyes.
Only a calmness that suggested she had expected this all along.
“Officer Liu, if you’re going to arrest someone, you need evidence.”
Su Man straightened the hem of her dress, her voice cool and composed.
“You say I stole it? Where’s your evidence?”
“I paid for the fabric. The supply store has the sales receipt, and Director Wang can testify to it.”
“As for profiteering…”
Su Man stepped forward and fixed Sister Zhang with a sharp, knife-like gaze.
“I made a few pieces of clothing for myself and my children. How exactly is that profiteering?”
“If being skillful with your hands is a crime…”
“Then shouldn’t someone like Sister Zhang, who does nothing but envy others and smear them with baseless accusations, be charged with a crime of ‘jealousy’?”
“You… You’re too sharp-tongued!”
Sister Zhang was momentarily speechless, but quickly stiffened her neck and shouted:
“Who knows if you only made them for yourself?”
“You bought so much fabric! You must be planning to sell it illegally!”
“Officer Liu! Search her house! You’ll definitely find the stolen goods!”
Officer Liu frowned.
Looking at Su Man’s demeanor, which was clearly unlike that of an ordinary village girl, he began to feel uneasy.
But the report had already been submitted. He had no choice but to investigate.
“Comrade Su Man, in order to prove your innocence, we need to conduct a routine inspection of your residence.”
“Please cooperate.”
Su Man looked at the group of people preparing to storm into her home.
There was still a pile of leftover fabric on the kang, along with dozens of design sketches she had drawn overnight.
If these people rummaged through everything, they could even accuse her of having “capitalist tendencies”…
Su Man quietly reached into her pocket.
Inside was the firearm permit for the gun Lu Zhan had left with her.
Just as the confrontation reached a breaking point, with violence seemingly moments away—
A green military jeep suddenly screeched to a halt at the edge of the crowd.
“I’d like to see who dares touch my family!”
The furious roar crashed down like thunder.
The car door was kicked open.
Covered in mud and radiating a murderous aura, Lu Zhan jumped out of the jeep.
He was back!
And in his hand, he was dragging a man who had been bound tightly from head to toe and had a black hood over his head.
That was…
The shadowy figure from last night?!