Bai Shanshan’s eyes were bloodshot.
It was clear she had been crying for a long time.
She didn’t look like she’d come willingly.
A woman in her forties was pulling her along.
The woman’s cheeks were chapped red from the cold, but she was tall and had a hearty smile.
“Oh my, I’ve always heard Little Jiang say how beautiful his wife is.
Now I finally get to see you in person.
You really are beautiful!
Wen Yan knew the other woman was just being polite.
But her ears enjoyed hearing it all the same, and she couldn’t help that.
The corners of her lips lifted involuntarily.
“Thank you.”
Gu Qing: “…”
That “thank you” almost made her forget what she wanted to say.
The woman laughed heartily and picked up the conversation.
“I’m Li Group Leader’s wife.
My name is Gu Qing.
You can just call me Sister-in-law.”
Wen Yan addressed her as Sister-in-law and invited them to sit on the kang.
Luckily, while unpacking her luggage just now, she had found the enamel mugs.
Wen Yan went to pour some water.
“Don’t trouble yourself.
We’ll just say a few words and be on our way.”
Gu Qing was actually quite embarrassed.
Her family had always had a good relationship with Jiang Baizhou.
When he got married two years ago, everyone was happy for him.
But who would have known that he would later be sent on a mission, then come here to reclaim the wilderness, and then, right after, came the twelve divorce telegrams.
The incident had a terrible impact.
People who didn’t know the inside story thought Jiang Baizhou had done something to wrong Wen Yan.
When she heard the divorce report had been approved, she was genuinely happy for Jiang Baizhou.
Without getting the details, she blurted it out when her niece asked.
Who would have thought Bai Shanshan would come straight here?
Last night, she told her she’d taken a fancy to Jiang Yingzhang.
If Jiang Baizhou had really gotten divorced, she would have been willing to be the matchmaker.
But Old Li came home at night and said they weren’t getting divorced anymore.
Not only were they not divorcing, but it seemed Jiang Baizhou was very attentive to his wife.
What a mess.
Gu Qing explained the cause to Wen Yan, saying self-reproachfully, “This is all my fault for not asking clearly.
I have a big mouth and just blurted things out.
Sister-in-law apologizes to you.
Shanshan will absolutely not ruin your marriage.
We’re not the kind of people who would do something so rotten.”
After Gu Qing finished her frank explanation, she tugged on the stunned Bai Shanshan.
Bai Shanshan held her breath and stared at Wen Yan.
‘What’s so good about her, anyway?’
She was very unwilling to accept this.
But her aunt had forced her to come.
She’d said that if Bai Shanshan did anything shameless, her parents and younger siblings back home would lose face too, and her aunt wouldn’t let her stay here any longer.
It was so frustrating.
What was even more frustrating was that Jiang Baizhou had come to find her aunt first thing in the morning, begging her to come and explain things to Wen Yan.
She couldn’t even pretend to be clueless.
From start to finish, he hadn’t even glanced at her.
At this thought, Bai Shanshan’s eyes grew even redder.
She said sullenly, “I’m sorry.”
Wen Yan ignored Bai Shanshan’s attitude and went straight for the jugular.
“You need to explain to the people from yesterday’s vehicle that Jiang Baizhou was not on a blind date with you.”
Gu Qing: “What blind date?”
Wen Yan pointed at Bai Shanshan.
“Yesterday in the vehicle, she took out a photo of Jiang Baizhou and said he was her blind date.”
“What?
Bai Shanshan, didn’t you say you just happened to run into Comrade Wen and were talking about Jiang Baizhou?
Where did you get a photo?
Is that something you can just go around saying?!”
Going on a blind date before you’re even divorced—that’s a problem with one’s personal conduct!
If this wasn’t handled well, Jiang Baizhou could be disciplined.
Gu Qing stood up in anger.
Bai Shanshan’s face flushed then paled.
She felt as if Wen Yan was trying to throw her dignity on the ground and stomp on it.
‘I knew she wouldn’t be easy to get along with!’ Bai Shanshan fumed internally.
“Why are you being so aggressive?
You don’t even truly love Jiang Yingzhang!
If you hadn’t been making a fuss about divorcing him, I never would have misunderstood!”
“I didn’t even do anything!
Isn’t it enough that I’ll stay away from you from now on?
You’re just trying to get revenge on me and make me lose face!”
Wen Yan silently put down one of the enamel mugs she had just filled with water.
‘I’m not giving her this one.’
Wen Yan offered an enamel mug to Gu Qing.
“Please, have some water.
She’s running on pure spite and doesn’t need any.”
She even politely reminded Gu Qing that it was hot.
Gu Qing: “…”
‘Can people really do things like this?’
Even stranger, she inexplicably felt that she was being “valued.”
Wen Yan was polite to Gu Qing, but when she turned back to Bai Shanshan, her smile vanished.
She made the distinction clear and unapologetic, her voice even as she spoke.
“You were the one who, without Jiang Baizhou’s consent, spread the rumor that you were on a blind date.
You wanted to gain the admiration of others and use gossip to pressure Jiang Baizhou.
Your current hysteria is just a display of impotent rage now that your plan has failed.”
Bai Shanshan: “…”
Gu Qing: “…”
Wen Yan ignored their expressions and continued, “My issues with Jiang Baizhou are an internal matter between a husband and wife.
You are not just an outsider, but a stranger ten thousand miles removed.
You have no right to meddle in our affairs.”
“Also, if you don’t explain, I will.
When that happens, you’ll only be more humiliated.”
And just like that, Wen Yan had bluntly exposed and deflected Bai Shanshan’s attempt to turn the tables by blaming the victim.
She was about to open her mouth again, but Gu Qing grabbed her.
“Shut up!”
“Wen Yan, I will personally see to it that she gets this done.”
Gu Qing could see clearly that Wen Yan would show no mercy in this matter.
Gu Qing also knew that if this wasn’t resolved properly, it could even affect Old Li.
After all, she was the one who had spread the word.
No matter how much she doted on her niece, her own husband came first!
Wen Yan looked at Gu Qing.
Yesterday’s eggs had come from Li Group Leader.
‘I should give her some face.’
“Fine.
Since you’ve spoken up, Sister-in-law, I’ll give her half a day.
If this isn’t cleared up before lunch, I’ll set up a stage in the cafeteria and explain it myself.”
Bai Shanshan’s expression twisted as she looked at Wen Yan, as if to say, ‘Are you crazy?
Set up a stage?
Aren’t you afraid of embarrassing yourself?
Do you really have to make such a huge scene?’
Gu Qing also looked astonished.
‘Jiang Baizhou’s wife…
she’s really tough.
And so straightforward you can’t find fault with her words.’
At most, one might feel they’d been put on the spot and couldn’t back down gracefully.
But Gu Qing was no fool.
It was better for Bai Shanshan to explain things privately.
First, it could salvage some of Bai Shanshan’s reputation.
Second, it would minimize the impact of the incident.
‘This wife of Jiang Baizhou’s isn’t just tough; she’s also smart and knows how to leave some leeway.’
‘No wonder Old Li said Jiang Baizhou had become so attentive.’
Gu Qing left, taking Bai Shanshan with her.
Wen Yan immediately put them out of her mind.
She put on her thick padded jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves, and went out.
The Great Northern Wilderness.
Desolation was its essence.
The view was one of bleak white, a crisscross of earth tones and snow.
Pines and cypresses stood in the distance.
Amid the desolation, gusts of north wind blew, a cold that pierced to the bone.
When it blew on her face, it felt like being sliced by a utility knife.
Wen Yan shrank her neck and pulled her scarf tighter.
The camp, only a year old, had next to nothing, barely meeting the most basic requirements for lodging.
As she walked and observed, she ran into several curious, gossipy people who tried to strike up a conversation.
Wen Yan was completely direct with them.
“I’m Wen Yan, the one with the twelve telegrams.”
“My husband and I had a fight, but we’ve made up.
We never really wanted to divorce.”
“I came here to live a good life with him.”
Wen Yan’s main strategy was to be upfront and say it all herself, firmly controlling the source of the gossip so they wouldn’t have to beat around the bush.
In the end, there was nothing left for others to say.
After a stroll around the camp, the news that Wen Yan and Jiang Baizhou were not divorcing and were going to build a life together had spread.
Once she felt she had spread the word enough, Wen Yan arrived at the logistics department.
The so-called logistics department was just a drafty shed made of a mix of mud and straw.
A lot of lumber was piled inside.
Wen Yan’s eyes lit up instantly.
‘It’s all stacked so neatly!’
‘So satisfying!’
Feeling a small flutter of joy, she approached, unnoticed by the few people talking nearby.
“Xiao Zhao, you look like you fell in a ditch.”
“Don’t even ask.
The sled flipped.”
“Huh?
Didn’t Jiang Yingzhang’s wife say yesterday that there was something wrong with your sled?”
Xiao Zhao scoffed.
“What’s so strange about a sled flipping?
What could she possibly know about it?”
Someone immediately chimed in, “True.
She looks so delicate.
You can tell she’s not the type to do manual labor.”
“That’s true, but Xiao Zhao, haven’t you flipped your sled four times this month?”
Old Zhu, a self-taught carpenter, came over.
His palms were covered in rough calluses.
He looked the sled over again and again.
“I don’t see anything wrong with it.
Aren’t all sleds built like this?
Maybe you’re just bad at driving it?”
Xiao Zhao: “Nonsense!
With my skills, I could ride a horse or fly a plane without any problem.”
HAHAHA—!
“I can fix it.”