Before the Xu family could respond, Ruan An’an suddenly stumbled, her body going weak as she swayed to the side.
It was as if the thunderbolt of shocking news had drained all her strength; her eyes immediately reddened.
“Sister-in-law! Even if Wang the Cripple is a scoundrel, how dare he sneak into my courtyard on my wedding night? Is he trying to get himself killed?! But you… weren’t you lying on Yanli’s bed at that time?! Then tell me, how could you have seen Wang the Cripple entering my courtyard?”
“Exactly that!” Mrs. Liu suddenly slapped her thigh, exclaiming as if struck by sudden realization.
“Wang the Cripple isn’t some ghost escaping from the underworld just to pick a night to sleep with a new bride! And at that time, those two scoundrels were busy in bed ‘messing around,’ couldn’t even move their own asses. How could they have had time to go watch Wang the Cripple? Nonsense!”
Her words were like poking a hornet’s nest. Li Ying’s eyes reddened. “I’ll tear that filthy mouth of yours!”
She let out a roar and lunged forward again.
“Stop!” The guard moved swiftly, blocking her, his face dark enough to drip water.
Xu Yanli looked at Ruan An’an, whose expression was “fragile and helpless” yet each word pierced the heart, and felt a sudden surge of anger.
This woman was clearly doing it on purpose! She just wanted to see the Xu family humiliated!
He was about to scold this “ungrateful” woman when he met ***’s cold, warning gaze.
His chest sank; his bravado instantly drained, and he could only reluctantly bend down to help Li Ying, who had been slapped and now had a swollen, bruised face.
Li Ying’s face was swollen like a steamed bun, blood and foam at the corners of her mouth, her words slurred, like she had a hot eggplant in her mouth: “Damn… damn you soldiers! You… you in uniform… don’t care… don’t care?!”
(Kill her! You soldiers don’t care?!)
“Outrageous!” The guard barked sharply, his voice booming. “Obscene language! Defaming a soldier!”
“Oh my dear mother… there’s no way out…” Li Ying plopped to the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing, tears and snot covering her face, throwing a tantrum.
Xu Yanli glanced at the stars on ***’s shoulder straps, feeling increasingly panicked, wanting only to get his embarrassing mother up: “Mom, please get up, don’t… don’t do this…”
He reached to pull her, his tone suppressing impatience.
Unexpectedly, Ruan An’an’s cries suddenly rose, even more pitiful than Li Ying’s, tearing at the heart: “How have I ever blocked your sight? Why are you treating me so cruelly?”
She turned teary-eyed toward Su Qingyue, seeming to grieve: “Sister-in-law, I know you are precious! You carry the Xu family’s heir, a great contributor to their house! I… I remembered this, and the brown sugar I was given, I didn’t eat a single bit myself, brought it all back to make soup for you… How… how could you treat me like this? Pouring this filthy mud over me… boo hoo…”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Su Qingyue snapped, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face pale. “Who… who’s pregnant! Stop spitting bloodless lies!”
“You are pregnant!” Ruan An’an looked stunned at her denial, eyes wide with tears, full of grievance and confusion.
“I have… I have your record!”
Shaking, Su Qingyue pulled a crumpled, frayed piece of paper from her old cotton coat pocket.
She unfolded it, and there it was: the words “Su Qingyue” followed by “8 weeks pregnant,” like a branding iron burning into everyone’s eyes.
This was something Ruan An’an had found earlier while tidying the west room in a corner of the Xu family’s annex, never expecting it would be useful so soon.
Mrs. Liu, though largely illiterate, could recognize the characters “Su Qingyue,” “pregnant,” and “8 weeks.”
“Everyone, look! It’s written in black and white! Already two months along?! My goodness! That means this shameless pair… before the news of Commander Xu’s ‘sacrifice’ even reached them… they… they were in the same bed, committing immorality?! Shameless!”
“You give it back!” Su Qingyue’s mind went blank; she lunged like a madwoman to grab the paper.
“Smack!” A crisp, sharp slap.
Luo Guifen, holding back her fury, delivered a hard slap that made Su Qingyue stagger.
“Bah! Shameless little whore! Two months ago? The news of Commander Xu’s sacrifice hadn’t even come back yet! Whose seed is in your belly?! Tell me! Was it at that time that you were already entangled with Xu’s second son?!”
“Comrade!” ***’s face turned completely dark, his tone so serious it could freeze water. “The military district’s archives are clear: there has never been a marriage application report from Su Qingyue and Commander Xu. Therefore, this is entirely Comrade Su Qingyue’s personal misconduct, and has nothing to do with Commander Xu! Do not confuse the two!”
“Ah?!” Mrs. Liu quickly covered her mouth in shock, eyes wide, speaking low enough for nearby people to hear: “So… so this woman was using Xu family’s eldest son’s fiancée status to mess around?”
“N… no… not like that…”
Su Qingyue’s half face burned painfully, her ears ringing.
Looking around at the disdainful, contemptuous gazes, she wished she could disappear.
Her hatred for Ruan An’an surged, nearly consuming her.
But now, not only were Luo Guifen and Mrs. Liu protecting Ruan An’an, even the soldiers were clearly on her side.
No matter how much she hated her, all she could do was cover her face, sobbing in fake misery, trying to garner the last shred of sympathy.
Su Qingyue’s cries, tear-streaked and pitiful, could indeed soften hearts.
*** frowned, about to say something to calm the situation…
“Report, Commissioner Li!” The militia captain, accompanied by a few team members, hurried over, their faces upright with righteousness. “We’ve completed the investigation! This Comrade Su Qingyue and Xu Yanli, second son of the Xu family, not only maintained a long-term improper relationship, seriously damaging social morality, but also, taking advantage of living next to Comrade Ruan An’an, used her kindness and honesty to forcibly occupy and swindle a significant portion of her valuable belongings! There are neighbor testimonies and some of the stolen items as proof!”
This was like a final hammer, completely shattering any pity *** had felt for the weak.
His gaze toward Su Qingyue instantly turned icy with contempt and disgust.
Messing around and stealing from a military spouse—crime upon crime!
***’s voice was cold, carrying undeniable authority: “Damaging a military spouse’s reputation, swindling a military spouse’s property—punish all offenses! Militia comrades, execute the law! Seize what must be seized, seal what must be sealed!”
Upon hearing the order, several large, stern-faced militia members marched toward the Xu family’s house.
Li Ying no longer cared about wailing; she sprang up, arms outstretched to block the door, screaming hoarsely: “What are you doing?! What do you think you’re doing?! Is there no law anymore?!”
The militia captain forcefully shoved her aside; the force almost made her stumble: “Move! Don’t obstruct official duties!”
Li Ying nearly fell, but immediately lunged back, clinging to the doorframe, shouting red-faced and hoarse: “Those things! All of them were willingly given to me by Ruan An’an! They’re mine! On what grounds are you seizing my home?!”
Xu Yanli pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, trying to act calm, adding support: “Yes, comrades, you must be mistaken. We’re family with An’an, bound together through thick and thin. Those things… she offered them herself. Afraid they’d be stolen if left there, she ‘entrusted’ us to ‘keep’ them, right An’an?”
As he spoke, he desperately signaled Li Ying to cooperate.
Li Ying’s eyes darted; she immediately understood.
A fawning smile, uglier than crying, spread across her face. She quickly rushed to Ruan An’an, reaching out to grab her hand.
Ruan An’an disdainfully dodged, but Li Ying didn’t mind; she feigned sobbing: “An’an! Arli, Qingyue, they… they really had no choice! If it weren’t… if it weren’t for your weak body, unable to bear children, breaking the Xu family line, Qingyue, such a young unmarried girl, would never have humiliated herself like this, risking her reputation just to give you a son or daughter and continue the Xu family bloodline, right?”