Lin Xiaoyue was stunned when she heard her words. Their conversations used to be mostly about things in the compound. Today, Chen Lishu specifically asked about Xiao Hui, making her wonder if Xiao Hui had a problem. Lin Xiaoyue suddenly remembered that Lin Xiaohui had been acting quite strangely lately. She always found excuses to go to the city whenever she had time off, and then she would always return on the last bus. Lin Xiaoyue had mentioned it twice, but Xiao Hui continued to do as she pleased.
"Sister-in-law, do you know something?" Lin Xiaoyue asked tentatively. Chen Lishu was in the city, so she might know something.
Chen Lishu smiled, "I happened to run into Xiao Hui on the street a few days ago. The man she was with, I actually know him. He was a sent-down youth from our area. He's quite good-looking and returned to the city after getting married. I didn't expect them to know each other."
Although Chen Lishu didn't explicitly state their relationship, Lin Xiaoyue immediately sensed something was wrong.
A man and a woman going shopping together – what else could they be but boyfriend and girlfriend? If they were just friends, Lin Xiaoyue wouldn't be unreasonable. But the man was married. If Lin Xiaohui didn't know, then she was being deceived. If Lin Xiaohui knew...
Lin Xiaoyue dared not think further. She tried to suppress her panic, forced a smile, and said, "I'm exhausted from taking care of the children every day. Thank you for reminding me, sister-in-law."
Chen Lishu didn't point it out directly, giving Lin Xiaohui face. If this matter got out, their family would likely be gossiped about by everyone in the military dependents' area.
"It's getting late, I should go home and cook. Sister-in-law, I'll be going now."
After forcing herself to sit for a while longer, Lin Xiaoyue got up, took Xiao Wu Yan from Chen Lishu's arms, and went home with a heavy heart.
In the evening, a fierce argument erupted in the Wu family home.
"You believe everything that surnamed Chen says. Are you my sister or is she? How can you suspect your own sister like this?"
"I have ears, eyes, and a mouth. I can hear, see, and ask for myself. I don't need her to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. Cheng Ming is so much more outstanding than others. Sister, Cheng Ming has a city hukou, and if I marry him, I'll be a city person. Do you know how generous he is? He bought me a pair of leather shoes for forty-five yuan without batting an eye."
Lin Xiaoyue was so angry listening to Lin Xiaohui's subtly boastful words that she couldn't speak for a long time, pointing at her.
"Xiao Hui, when did you become so short-sighted? Your brother-in-law and I save diligently, and we've never let you spend a penny. Your monthly salary is all for you. Are you short of that little bit of money? Is it considered treating you well if he buys you a few clothes and shoes? Your sister Lishu has no grudge against you, why would she slander that surnamed Lu? If it weren't for my face and your brother-in-law's face, do you think she would be willing to bother with your mess?" Da Feng Novel Network.
"Calm down, you'll scare the child. Besides, our son is still nursing. Don't upset his milk supply." Wu Zheng patted Lin Xiaoyue's shoulder, signaling her to remain calm.
After pacifying Lin Xiaoyue, Wu Zheng looked at Lin Xiaohui with a serious expression and said, "Where does that surnamed Lu live? Where does he work? I'll take leave from the unit tomorrow and investigate in the city, then I'll know."
Hearing Wu Zheng's words, Lin Xiaohui immediately bristled, "Investigate what? He's not a criminal! That bitch Chen is behind all this. I think you just can't stand to see me doing well!"
"Slap!"
Lin Xiaoyue finally lost her patience and slapped her hard across the face.
"I think you're infatuated. Starting tomorrow, you are not allowed to contact that surnamed Lu anymore. If I find out even once, I'll send you back to our hometown immediately!"
Lin Xiaohui stuck out her neck defiantly, "My legs are my own, why do you get to control me?"
"Because I am your sister. I'm telling you, from now on, I won't do anything else but keep an eye on you. By the time your brother-in-law finds out the truth, you'll completely give up."
Lin Xiaohui refused to listen and went straight back into the house, followed by a loud "bang" as she slammed the door shut.
The sound startled Wu Yan, who immediately puckered his lips and began to cry loudly.
Wu Zheng was very efficient. As a former scout, he quickly found out everything about Lu Chengming.
When they returned home, both husband and wife had grim expressions.
"Fortunately, your relationship is not too deep yet, and no one else knows. Break it off early. After a while, I'll have your brother-in-law introduce you to a suitable person in the camp, and you can live a peaceful life from now on."
"What's so good about those stinky soldiers? You just can't stand to see me doing well. I'm telling you, I will not compromise!"
Faced with Lin Xiaohui's stubbornness, Lin Xiaoyue had to take drastic measures. She locked her at home and took a long leave of absence from kindergarten.
Seeing the situation, Lin Xiaohui had no choice but to secretly write a letter, detailing everything to Lu Chengming.
Lu Chengming comforted Lin Xiaohui while planning to teach Chen Lishu a lesson.
...
One day, Chen Lishu had no classes in the afternoon and decided to visit Wang Aixiang to check on the fabric sales.
If most of the stock had been sold, they could go to the textile factory to get more.
The bus stop to Wang Aixiang's house was a few hundred meters away from the school gate. When Chen Lishu arrived, there were already a few people waiting at the bus stop. Among them were two men with slicked-back hair, wearing loose navy blue jackets and pants, their eyes darting around.
Chen Lishu paid them no mind. Seeing the bus she was supposed to take approaching, she was about to get on when she felt something press against her waist. A man's flirty voice came from behind her, "Little sister, it's best to behave. The knife in my hand has no eyes."
Chen Lishu's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly forced herself to calm down. She obediently stood still as instructed, her mind racing for a solution.
They dared to do this in broad daylight, so they were clearly not good people. Usually, they did this for one of two reasons: robbery or assault. Robbery was fine; it was best to avert disaster by paying. But if it was assault...
"Is anyone else getting on? If not, we're leaving!"
Just as Chen Lishu was thinking of a plan, everyone else had boarded the bus. The ticket seller shouted loudly towards the half-open window.
Now Chen Lishu had two choices: either remain silent as instructed and act according to the situation, or shout for help.
There might be kindhearted people on the bus who would come to her rescue, but she might also be stabbed a few times by the enraged perpetrators, suffer serious injuries, or even die due to a failed rescue attempt.
The risk was too great, and she couldn't afford to gamble.
Seeing that the two men were standing stiffly without making a sound, their faces showed satisfied smiles.
The ticket seller shouted a couple more times. Seeing that the three of them were standing like wooden stakes, he lost his patience, pulled the glass window shut, and the bus drove away.