Fan Meizhen's expression froze. Beside her, even Tang Yulan stood rooted to the spot, her mind completely blank.
Although she was still young, she was not so naïve as to misunderstand what Li Shuying's words implied. She had always known the truth. There was simply no other explanation for why Tang Chunlan existed.
The two girls were nearly the same age, shared the same father, yet had different mothers. That fact alone spoke louder than any explanation.
But... Knowing something in private and having it exposed before a crowd were two entirely different matters. In Tang Yulan's heart, Tang Chunlan had never been worthy of carrying the Tang surname.
Her father had only one legitimate daughter and that daughter was her.
As for Tang Chunlan... She was nothing more than an eyesore who stubbornly clung to the Tang family name.
Yet what truly shook Tang Yulan was something else. How did Li Shuying know? The affair surrounding her parents had always been carefully concealed. Only a handful of family members knew the whole story.
To everyone else, the rumors had always been the opposite. People believed Tang Chunlan's mother was the shameless whore, desperately trying to cling to Deputy Director Tang, refusing to let go even after being rejected.
Over the years, Fan Meizhen had carefully nurtured that version of events, repeating it often enough that many had begun to believe it.
Yet now Li Shuying had not only exposed the truth, she had done so openly, in the middle of the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative, with dozens of people watching.
The entire cooperative fell into a deathly silence. One could hear a pin drop. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Countless pairs of eyes quietly drifted toward Fan Meizhen, but quickly lowered their heads, pretending to examine the shelves, afraid of being noticed.
No one dared whisper.
After all who in the county did not know Fan Meizhen's temperament? Behind her stood Deputy Director Tang of the Steel Factory. Offending her meant offending a powerful cadre.
But silence could sometimes be even more suffocating than ridicule.
Fan Meizhen slowly turned her head. Everywhere she looked, people immediately averted their eyes. Yet that only confirmed her fears.
They had heard... every single one of them had heard. Her breathing grew heavier. Her carefully maintained dignity, the image she had spent years cultivating, seemed to crumble before her eyes.
She had never imagined in her wildest dreams, that the secrets she had buried for years would be ripped open by a wild village girl in broad daylight. Her face flushed scarlet before turning an ashen purple.
Finally, she completely lost control.
"You little wretch! How dare you spread rumors? I'll tear your mouth apart today!" With a shrill scream, Fan Meizhen lunged toward Li Shuying, her hands outstretched like claws.
The sudden outburst startled everyone.
Tang Yulan cried out, "Mother!"
Li Shuying's pupils contracted. She had expected Fan Meizhen to lose her temper, but she had not expected her to attack in public. Without panicking, Li Shuying swiftly shifted one step to the side.
Fan Meizhen stumbled past her. However, one of her fingernails still scraped across Li Shuying's forearm.
A sharp sting followed and a thin line of blood immediately appeared against Li Shuying's fair skin.
Li Shuying's eyes flashed with cold anger. Instinctively, she wanted to push Fan Meizhen away. But she forcibly restrained herself. She understood her position far too well.
Fan Meizhen was the wife of a deputy factory director. She herself was merely a village student. If she struck back now, no matter who had started the fight, the consequences would almost certainly fall upon her.
So she merely stepped back another pace, her expression icy as she looked at Fan Meizhen.
Meanwhile, Fan Meizhen nearly lost her balance after missing her target. Tang Yulan hurried forward and caught her mother by the arm, "Mother, are you alright?"
After helping her steady herself, Tang Yulan turned toward Li Shuying, her face twisted with rage, "It's Tang Chunlan! It must be that bastard spreading lies everywhere! I knew she couldn't be honest! Mother, we can't let her get away with this. She must be taught a proper lesson!"
Fan Meizhen's chest rose and fell violently. Her bloodshot eyes remained fixed upon Li Shuying.
Li Shuying let out a soft laugh. There was no trace of panic on her face. Instead, she looked at Tang Yulan as though she were looking at a child throwing a tantrum.
"Why are you so agitated?" she asked calmly. "Weren't you the one who started this? You were the one who dragged my mother's name through the mud."
Her gaze slowly shifted toward Fan Meizhen, "Besides..." she said with a faint smile, "shouldn't people who have done shameless things be used to hearing them mentioned? If you felt no shame while doing them, why are you so flustered now?"
"You little slut!" Fan Meizhen's face twisted with rage, "Watch your filthy mouth! Don't speak about matters you know nothing about!" She pointed a trembling finger at Li Shuying.
"That woman was nothing more than a remnant of the old feudal society. After Liberation, Chairman Mao himself taught us that New China gives people the freedom to love and to marry. What I did followed the new way. If you continue slandering me, you'll bear consequences you cannot imagine."
Li Shuying merely tilted her head, "A remnant of the old feudal society?" She blinked innocently before asking, "Then according to Aunt Fan's reasoning... does that mean every man who married before Liberation should throw away his wife and marry another woman? Preferably someone younger... prettier... and more convenient?"
The supply and marketing cooperative fell silent. Then... Several pairs of eyes slowly turned toward Fan Meizhen. Especially the old married women.
This time, none of them bothered hiding their expressions.
An elderly woman carrying a bamboo basket frowned deeply, "Madam Tang..." Her voice was slow but firm, "Mind your words." She placed her basket on the floor, "My old man and I also married before Liberation. Are you saying I'm some leftover from the old society too?"
Another middle-aged woman immediately chimed in, "We all married according to the customs back then. After Liberation, nobody came to separate us. Our household registration lists us as husband and wife. How are we suddenly remnants of feudalism?"
A slightly younger woman holding her ration coupons nodded repeatedly, "Exactly. If old marriages don't count anymore, then what security do women like us have? What? Should every husband find himself a younger wife and tell us we're outdated?"
Someone else muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, "Only the first wife can be the proper wife? The later one be the outsider?"
Although no names were mentioned... Everyone knew exactly whom she meant.
Fan Meizhen's face instantly turned deathly pale, "You...!" She glared at the women, "Shut up! All of you, shut your mouths! I am my husband's only wife! That woman was the shameless one! She was the one trying to seduce my husband!"
Her shrill voice echoed throughout the cooperative. But this time no one responded. The silence was far more frightening than arguments. Because everyone had witnessed everything with their own eyes.
It had been Fan Meizhen who lost control. It had been Fan Meizhen who admitted more than she intended.
As Fan Meizhen looked around, the fury in her eyes faded and chill crept down her spine as realisation stuck her. Only then did she realize what she had done.
She had actually allowed a thirteen-year-old village girl to provoke her into exposing the most disgraceful secret of her life. Her breathing became uneven and eyes kept sweaping across the crowd. Although these people were nothing more than ordinary workers and housewives, every one of them possessed a mouth. Today's whispers inside the cooperative would become tomorrow's gossip in every alley of the county.
And once those rumors reached the Steel Factory Family Compound, they would no longer be harmless gossip. They would become political baggage for her husband.
Her fingers secretly dug into her own thigh. The sharp pain instantly forced tears into her eyes. When she looked up again, her expression had completely changed.
She was no longer the furious woman who had lunged at Li Shuying moments earlier.
Instead, she looked utterly wronged.
Her voice trembled, "Little girl, you truly don't understand the difficulties people in our position must face." She wiped away a tear, "In those days, that woman insisted on becoming my husband's concubine. But after Liberation, concubinage was abolished. So isn't that exactly what I meant by calling her a remnant of the old feudal system?"
She looked around helplessly, "Comrades, you all witnessed this. I am an adult. Why would I lower myself to argue with a child unless she repeatedly slandered my family's reputation?"
She sighed heavily before looking toward Li Shuying with disappointment rather than anger, "A child who fabricates lies at such a young age, one can only imagine what sort of upbringing she has received."
Then her tone hardened, "Do you even understand the seriousness of spreading malicious rumors about a cadre's family? Such behavior damages unity among the masses. It harms the Party's efforts to build harmony." She pointed directly at Li Shuying, "I believe your school should hear about today's behavior."
As soon as those words fell... The atmosphere shifted almost imperceptibly. The sympathy that had been gathering around Li Shuying began to waver.
After all, fan Meizhen was no ordinary woman. She was the wife of the deputy director of the steel factory. Invoking politics and cadre discipline immediately made many people instinctively cautious.
Li Shuying noticed every subtle change in their expressions. And she wasn't surprised. From the very beginning, she had known she couldn't keep public opinion on her side forever.
Fan Meizhen had lived among cadres for years. Once she regained her composure, she knew exactly how to seize control of the narrative.
Li Shuying let out a quiet breath. She had never intended to provoke Fan Meizhen this far. But the moment that woman insulted her mother, she simply couldn't remain silent.
The tense silence hanging over the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was suddenly broken by a deep male voice from the rear office, "What is happening here?"
The crowd instinctively parted and a middle-aged man in a neatly pressed Tang suit strode out from the back office. The moment his eyes landed on Fan Meizhen, however, his expression softened considerably.
"Madam Tang." He immediately stepped forward with a courteous smile. "I've been waiting for you. Your younger brother arrived some time ago and has been waiting in my office."
Fan Meizhen barely acknowledged him. Her eyes remained fixed on Li Shuying, a trace of cold resentment still lingering beneath the composure she had painstakingly rebuilt.
Director Liu noticed something was wrong. His brows gradually knitted together as his gaze swept across the unusually crowded condiment counter.
Everyone was gathered in a circle indicating the atmosphere clearly wasn't normal.
He turned toward Sister Mu, "Comrade Mu." His voice became noticeably firmer, "What exactly is going on? Why is everyone standing here instead of working? This is a state-run cooperative, not a county square for idle gossip."
Sister Mu immediately straightened her back. She pointed directly at Li Shuying. "Director Liu, it's all because of that village girl." Her voice carried obvious disdain. "She came here causing trouble. Not only did she disrespect Madam Tang and Comrade Tang Yulan, she even spread malicious rumours to slander Madam Tang's reputation."
She snorted loudly, "I don't believe she came here to buy anything at all. Just look at her clothes. She's obviously here to make trouble."
Several sales clerks hurriedly nodded.
"That's right."
"We all heard it."
"She stirred up the entire store."
Director Liu slowly shifted his gaze toward Li Shuying. The little girl looked no older than thirteen or fourteen. Her patched coarse clothes, worn cloth shoes, and sun-tanned complexion clearly marked her as a commune child.
At first glance, Sister Mu's explanation appeared reasonable. Yet decades of working within the state system had taught him one lesson, 'Never judge a situation after hearing only one side.'
He cleared his throat before speaking in a measured tone, "Madam Tang. If what Comrade Mu has said is true, then as director of this cooperative, I apologize for the disturbance."
Before Fan Meizhen could answer...
"Who dare to disrespect my sister?" A rough voice exploded from inside the director's office. Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. A burly man in his early thirties hurried out, his clothes slightly dishevelled as though he had rushed outside the moment he heard the commotion.
His broad face immediately darkened upon seeing Fan Meizhen. "Elder Sister why are you crying? Who did this to you? Who disrespected you?" He than turned to the director and said, "Someone dared to disregard the wife of deputy director of steel factory and you are trying to make do with just an apology?"
Director however was still calm as he said, "Comrade Fan Mingqiang, this matter isn't worth escalating," he pointed at Li Shuying and said, "I'm sure she didn't mean whatever she said."
His eyes instantly fell upon Li Shuying, "So it's this little country brat?"
Director Liu's expression stiffened, "Comrade Fan Mingqiang..." He said stearnly, "She's only a child. There is no need to frighten her."
Fan Mingqiang snorted heavily, "A child?" He jabbed a thick finger toward Li Shuying, "A child can slander my sister in public? A child can destroy another person's reputation? If children aren't taught properly, they'll become unruly when they grow up!"
His booming voice echoed through the cooperative.
Several customers instinctively lowered their heads. No one wished to offend this man, who with only a glance seems like a street thug,
Fan Meizhen finally seemed to recover herself. She secretly inhaled before assuming a sorrowful expression. She even deliberately allowed the redness around her eyes to become more noticeable.
"Director..." She sighed softly, "You are right. She is only a child. I do not wish to argue with someone so young." Her tone paused, "But..." She slowly looked around at everyone present. "What she did today was truly evil, she actually tried to question my integrity, and if someone has believed those rumours and spread outside these walls, what will become of my family's reputation? My husband is a cadre. Our entire household's honour would be questioned."
She looked toward Li Shuying, disappointment filling her eyes. "I simply wish for this child to admit her mistake. If she apologizes sincerely, I shall treat today's matter as though it never happened."
Her words sounded generous.
Several customers who had begun wavering earlier quietly nodded.
"Madam Tang is being reasonable."
"Exactly."
"She only wants an apology."
"Children should apologize after making mistakes."
Even Sister Mu immediately chimed in.
"Director, that's exactly right. She should apologize first. And after that, she should be thrown out of the cooperative. Otherwise everyone will think they can come here and create trouble."
Fan Mingqiang, however, had no intention of letting the matter end so peacefully. He had not heard the earlier argument. Nor did he care who had been right. He only knew one thing, today was an extremely important day.
The position he had coveted for years depended largely upon his sister's connections. Anyone who embarrassed Fan Meizhen was actually trying to block his path to success.
He immediately turned to Fan Meizhen and said, "Elder sister, you don't always have to be magnanimous, let me deal with this brat."
Tang Yulan, still burning with indignation, pointed angrily at Li Shuying, "Mother, she called you the other woman in Father's life. How can you let her go so easily?"
The moment those words left Tang Yulan's mouth, Fan Mingqiang felt a chill race down his spine. He turned sharply toward his niece, "What did you just say?"
His gaze slowly shifted back to Li Shuying. He studied the girl from head to toe, but she didn't seem familiar, so how could this little village girl know about something that had been buried within the their family for years?
Very few people still remembered the truth.
Even among county cadres, everyone only knew the carefully crafted version that Fan Meizhen had repeated for years. Was this girl bluffing? Or... Did she really know something?
His heart suddenly became uneasy. Almost instinctively, he glanced toward Director Liu. His entire future depended on today's meeting. A cadre's position did not rely solely on ability. Political background and family history were equally important. If Director Liu began to suspect anything about his sister's past, today's opportunity might disappear before it had even begun.
Fortunately... Director Liu merely frowned with confusion. His expression showed annoyance rather than suspicion.
Only then did Fan Mingqiang secretly release the breath he had been holding. Good, the director hadn't taken her words seriously. The uneasiness in his heart immediately transformed into anger.
This little brat had nearly frightened him. He strode directly toward Li Shuying. Stopping less than a pace away, he looked down at the young girl with open contempt.
"So..." His voice was low and threatening, "You're the filthy little brat who insulted my sister?" A cold sneer spread across his face, "You've got quite the nerve."
He leaned forward deliberately. The thick smell of stale tobacco, cheap liquor and sweat, assaulted Li Shuying's nose. Her brows immediately knitted together. Without thinking, she took half a step backward.
Not because she was afraid, but she simply could not bear the pungent odor.
Unfortunately... Fan Mingqiang misunderstood her reaction. A cruel smile slowly appeared on his face, "Hmph, so you do know fear." He pointed toward Fan Meizhen, "Apologize immediately and then crawl back to your muddy village where you belong. And remember this well, if I ever see you wandering around the county again, don't blame me when I teach you what it means to respect your elders."
The entire Supply and Marketing Cooperative fell silent. Even the sales clerks unconsciously stopped breathing.
No one dared interrupt. Everyone knew Fan Mingqiang was a man who relied on his sister's influence to act arrogantly throughout the county. Although he held no official position yet, few ordinary people were willing to provoke him.
Li Shuying slowly clenched her fists. Just as she was about to speak...
A calm, indifferent voice echoed through the store, "Director, it was Madam Tang's daughter who started the trouble."
Everyone froze and their eyes instantly turned toward the speaker. Han Meifang stood quietly behind the condiment counter, her expression as cold as ever, "This little girl came here simply to buy groceries. It was Madam Tang and her daughter who walked over first and began insulting both her and her mother."
Fan Meizhen's pupils contracted, "You..." She whipped around toward Sister Mu.
Sister Mu nearly jumped in fright and immediately shouted, "Han Meifang, what nonsense are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? You actually dare lie in front of Director Liu and speak against Madam Tang?" As she spoke, she repeatedly shot meaningful glances at Han Meifang, desperately signaling her to stop.
Unfortunately Han Meifang acted as though she hadn't seen them. Her voice remained calm, "Am I saying anything untrue? Everyone here witnessed it. Madam Tang's daughter insulted this girl's family first and instead of stopping her daughter, Madam Tang added even harsher words."
She turned toward Director Liu, "Director, I'm only stating the facts."
Director Liu narrowed his eyes. He had already sensed something wasn't quite right. Now, hearing two completely different accounts, he wisely remained silent instead of making a hasty judgment.
Before he could ask another question...
Tang Yulan suddenly shouted, "What did I say that was wrong? It was her own cousin who told me! She said this girl's father doesn't even live at home! She spends all day hanging around boys. Who knows what kind of shameless little vixen she is?"
Hearing this, Fan Mingqiang immediately seized the opportunity, "Oh? So that's your background." He looked at Li Shuying with open disdain "No wonder, a girl from such a filthy family dares throw filth at others? You little—"
"Enough!" Li Shuying's clear voice suddenly rang through the cooperative. The sharp rebuke startled everyone. She looked directly into Fan Mingqiang's eyes, "If you dare say another word, I will immediately report this matter to the People's Armed Forces Department."
Her voice remained steady, "Then we'll see whether your family's influence or your so-called elder sister can protect you. I believe the consequences will be far more serious than what you're imagining."
Both Fan Meizhen and Fan Mingqiang froze. Their expressions changed dramatically, "The... People's Armed Forces Department?" The siblings repeated almost simultaneously.
This time, there was unmistakable panic in their voices.
Li Shuying nodded calmly, "My father does not live with us because he serves in the People's Liberation Army. My mother, my brothers, and I are all registered military dependents. So, tell me. Do you still wish to continue insulting the family of an active serviceman?"
The words landed like a heavy hammer.
Even Director Liu's expression changed.