Chapter 20.2: Defend

The single dormitory was located in the factory’s family housing area, where people came and went. If the two of them stayed inside for too long, it would further damage Zhao Mian’s reputation.

Considering this, Fang Xu told Zhao Mian to wait outside while he went in to tidy up the room.

Zhao Mian softly agreed and stood at the doorway, her head slightly lowered.

She could feel the increasing number of strange glances directed at her, like needles on her back.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her arm tightly and yanked her.

Zhao Mian stumbled, wincing in pain, as Li Dasheng furiously demanded, “Who was that man? What’s your relationship with him? Are you seeing someone behind my back?”

He had been lurking near the dormitory all day. When he saw Zhao Mian alone with another man, he held back until she was by herself before confronting her.

His grip tightened, his jealousy overwhelming his reason. “Speak clearly!”

“Let go of me! I have nothing to do with you!”

Zhao Mian struggled desperately, but she was too weak to fight against Li Dasheng’s strength.

Many family members in the residential compound came out to watch the two of them.  

The incident involving Zhao Mian yesterday had stirred up a commotion in the factory, and naturally, the residents in the compound had also heard about it. They pointed fingers at the two, but no one stepped forward to help Zhao Mian.  

Zhao Mian was completely isolated. “If you don’t let go, I will call the police for sure!”  

“Go ahead, call them! You’re my fiance. Do they even care about family matters?” Li Dasheng’s face became increasingly vile as he arrogantly and menacingly whispered, “Let me tell you, you’d better behave. Otherwise, your family, your younger siblings—they won’t have peace either…”  

Siblings… no peace…  

Thud!  

It was as though a heavy hammer struck Zhao Mian’s eardrums. In her nightmares, her younger sister’s piercing cries for help echoed once more.  

“Jiejie—”  

Tears streamed from Zhao Mian’s eyes as her body trembled uncontrollably.  

“Jie—”  

“Jie—”  

Li Dasheng grinned smugly. “Scared now? If you don’t want your younger sister to get hurt…”  

Suddenly, Zhao Mian grabbed Li Dasheng’s hand with both of hers and fiercely bit down with all her might!  

Blood immediately gushed out.  

Li Dasheng screamed in pain, “Ah—!”  

The onlookers in the compound widened their eyes in shock, unable to believe that the usually delicate-looking Zhao Mian could suddenly act so ruthless.  

Li Dasheng flung his hand, trying to shake Zhao Mian off, but she held on tightly. Enraged, he cursed “Crazy woman!” and raised his other hand to strike her.  

Fang Xu appeared just in time, grabbing Li Dasheng’s arm and twisting it backward.  

With both arms restrained, Li Dasheng tried to lift his leg to kick.  

Fang Xu landed a kick squarely on the back of his knee, forcing Li Dasheng to kneel on one knee in pain.  

Zhao Mian released Li Dasheng’s now-bloody hand, raised her own, and slapped him hard across the face.  

Li Dasheng grimaced in pain. Though startled by Zhao Mian’s sudden outburst, he remained brazenly defiant, shouting, “You’re my fiance! Getting cozy with this guy—adulterer and whore! I’ll report you to the police!”  

Their mother and son were equally despicable and shameless.  

In Li Village, Zhao Ke stepped forward and demanded, “Li Dasheng and my sister were introduced through a matchmaker. The next day, the matchmaker returned the proposal. Before this, they didn’t even know each other. You claim they were dating—when did they start?”  

Li Dasheng’s mother replied confidently, “Your family didn’t agree, but my son and your sister liked each other. They secretly started dating!”  

Zhao Ke took another step forward and pressed, “When? Where? How many times did they meet?”  

Li Dasheng’s mother retreated two steps, her voice faltering despite her bravado. “Young people dating—how would I know every detail?”  

“If you won’t say, I will!”  

In the residential compound, Zhao Mian, though provoked, was exceptionally clear-headed this time. She spoke firmly and deliberately, “You claim I’m your fiance. Then let’s sort this out!”  

“April 13th—your family brought two sweet potatoes and four ears of corn to my home for a meeting. The next day, the matchmaker returned them. Many in our village and yours saw it.”  

The onlookers murmured: wasn’t it supposed to be three appliances and a hundred yuan?  

“April 15th and 16th—my younger sister was working on transferring her job for me. We were at home persuading our parents. My entire family and the Team Leader of our Production Team can testify. Where were you?”  

“April 19th—I was… Where were you?”  

“April 20th…”  

…  

“April 21st—my sister and I went to the commune in the afternoon. Many in the dormitory saw us and can testify.”  

“The next day…”  

In Li Village—  

“April 22nd—my sister started working at the bearing factory. The employees at the factory can testify.”  

Zhao Ke meticulously recounted Zhao Mian’s movements day by day. After each account, someone from Zhao Village corroborated.  

She relentlessly interrogated Li Dasheng’s parents: “Where was Li Dasheng? What was he doing?”  

Li Dasheng’s parents were speechless under her barrage of questions.  

Separated under the same sky, one sister stood up for the other, and neither would allow anyone to harm their family.  

They recounted every day, up to the day before, before finally delivering the decisive blow:  

Zhao Mian: “The Production Team has work records. How could we possibly be dating?”  

Zhao Ke: “The Production Team has work records. How could your son possibly be dating my sister?”  

Back in the residential compound, the blood on Zhao Mian’s lips tinted them a deep crimson.  

Li Dasheng stared at her blood-red lips moving, a chilling fear creeping over him. He couldn’t utter a word.  

The onlookers exchanged uneasy glances.  

The logic was clear, and the confrontation was powerful. Could Zhao Mian really have been falsely accused?  

Thinking back on their prior assumptions about her, some of the onlookers felt a pang of embarrassment.  

Even Fang Xu, who had thought Zhao Mian was frail, found himself unable to look away from this earth-shattering transformation.  

In Li Village, some Production Team members knew exactly whether Li Dasheng had been in the village on any given day.  

Moreover, the work records had to be truthful. So, Li Dasheng really had gone to harass the girl from Zhao Village and smeared her reputation.  

The conduct of Accountant Li ’s family was utterly disgraceful. 

“Treating a young woman like this—it’s just too despicable. No wonder the people from Zhao Village came over to settle the score.”

The members of the Li Village Production Team looked at Accountant Li  and his wife with disdain.  

Li Dasheng’s mother, lacking Zhao Ke’s clear logic, couldn’t withstand the judgmental stares of the villagers. Flustered, she blurted out the worst possible excuse: “Maybe the two of them were writing letters…”  

Even the Li Village Team Leader felt embarrassed on their behalf, shooting a scornful look at the couple, as if wishing he could slap them himself.  

“Slap!”  

Accountant Li  actually struck his wife across the face, his anger uncontrollable. “I thought Dasheng was really feeling unwell! You must have egged him on to do this nonsense! Are you trying to ruin his life?”  

Stunned, Li Dasheng’s mother clutched her face. Under his furious glare, she lowered her head and tacitly admitted to it.  

Zhao Ke and the others looked on coldly.  

Accountant Li  turned to Yu Xiulan and Zhao Jianguo, his face full of regret. “It’s all my fault for not keeping my family in line. Director Yu, how about I compensate you for your losses?”  

Yu Xiulan’s anger showed no sign of abating. “How is my daughter supposed to hold her head up in the bearing factory after this? Can you compensate for that?”  

Accountant Li  lowered his posture even further. “Yes, Dasheng’s actions have caused harm to your daughter. How about this—I’ll compensate you 300 yuan. Will that work?”  

Li Dasheng’s mother immediately snapped her head up. “What?! 300 yuan!”  

Zhao Ernai, standing nearby, exclaimed as well, “300 yuan!”  

Zhao Wunai, caught off guard, relaxed for a moment, giving Zhao Ernai a chance to speak. She quickly covered her mouth again.  

The Li Village Team Leader gave Accountant Li  a look, and Accountant Li  tugged at his wife, signaling her to stay silent.  

The Team Leader then tried to mediate. “Indeed, it’s their fault. But 300 yuan is their family’s entire savings. Could you consider letting this go?”  

Yu Xiulan refused. “Let it go? No way!”  

The Team Leader, knowing the couple was still angry, turned to Zhao Xinshan. “Team Leader Zhao, what do you think?”  

Zhao Xinshan’s gaze swept past Yu Xiulan and Zhao Jianguo, landing on Zhao Ke. “What about you?”  

Everyone turned their eyes to Zhao Ke.  

The people from Zhao Village didn’t find this unusual, but those from Li Village were puzzled—why was this young woman being consulted?  

Zhao Ke barely hesitated. “500 yuan. And there must be a signed statement and guarantee. The statement will confirm that Li Dasheng has no relationship whatsoever with my sister Zhao Mian and that the accusations are false. The guarantee will promise that your entire family will never approach or disturb my sister’s life again.”  

Five hundred yuan… That would truly empty their savings.  

But to resolve the matter quickly, Accountant Li  gritted his teeth. “Fine, 500 yuan. You won’t pursue Dasheng anymore?”  

As for signing a statement and guarantee, he didn’t take it seriously.  

Zhao Ke said calmly, “I won’t pursue it.”  

Yu Xiulan widened her eyes. “No—”  

Zhao Jianguo, understanding Zhao Xinshan’s stance, held her back. “Let our daughter decide.”  

Yu Xiulan, unwilling to let Li Dasheng off so easily, fumed silently.  

The Li Village Team Leader, worried they might change their minds and escalate the situation, quickly interjected, “Then it’s settled. We’ll prepare the statement and guarantee and hand over the compensation later.”  

“Sign it now.”  

Zhao Ke pulled paper and a pen from her bag and handed them to Zhao Xinshan. “Uncle?”  

The Zhao family: “…”  

Why was she carrying paper and a pen?  

Zhao Xinshan took them, walked over to the ox cart, and used it as a makeshift desk to start writing.  

Once he finished, he capped the pen and handed the document to Accountant Li .  

Accountant Li  stared at it for a long moment. Under pressure from the Zhao villagers, his trembling hand finally signed his name.  

When it was Li Dasheng’s mother’s turn, she stiffly said, “I don’t know how to write.”  

Zhao Ke took out a box of ink from her satchel. “Then leave a fingerprint.”  

The people of Li Village: “…”  

She came fully prepared.  

The people of Zhao Village: “…”  

When did she manage to swipe the ink pad from the village committee office?  

Left with no choice, Li Dasheng’s mother reluctantly pressed her fingerprint onto the document. The thought of losing 500 yuan made her chest ache.  

But Zhao Ke wasn’t done. She looked at the Li Village Team Leader. “I need your signature on this as well, and the team’s official seal.”  

The Team Leader gave Zhao Ke a long, hard look but had no choice but to agree. “Fine, we’ll head back now.”  

The Zhao family glared at Accountant Li  and his wife, forcing them to immediately return to fetch the money.  

Accountant Li  and his wife could only drag their now-weakened legs and follow the Zhao family back to the village.  

Meanwhile, the other members of the Li Village Production Team stood by the fields, watching with zero sympathy for Accountant Li . 

Accountant Li’s family didn’t have 500 yuan in cash, so they ended up using their newly purchased bicycle to cover part of the compensation. Zhao Ke insisted that everything be documented in writing.  

Afterward, Zhao Ke carefully put away the thin sheets of paper and said, “I’ll hand the evidence and compensation to my sister. It’ll be up to her to decide whether to pursue the matter further.”  

Accountant Li and his wife panicked immediately. “How can you go back on your word?”  

Even the people from Zhao Village were surprised and looked at Zhao Ke.  

Zhao Ke feigned helplessness. “I agreed, and I agree now. I’ll agree tomorrow and the day after. No matter when you ask, I’ll still agree. But what does that have to do with me? What right do I have to decide on behalf of the victim not to pursue the matter?”  

Yu Xiulan, upon hearing this, felt completely at ease. Exactly—who had the right to decide on behalf of the victim?  

Zhao Ke looked at the couple’s resentful and unwilling expressions and calmly said, “It’s easy for you to spread rumors, but we have to keep producing solid evidence again and again to prove that they are lies. And no matter how strong the evidence to refute the rumors, the harm and impact are irreversible. There will always be nosy people maliciously speculating, mocking, and scrutinizing my sister…”  

Naturally, selfish people like Accountant Li and his wife couldn’t empathize.  

Zhao Ke sneered, “There’s no point reasoning with people like you. Let’s talk about something you can understand.”  

She stood between Zhao Feng and another strong cousin, with a group of sturdy farmers holding tools behind her.  

“Don’t mess with me.”  

Accountant Li and his wife’s expressions shifted. Being lectured like this by a young woman was a hard pill to swallow.  

After her show of strength, Zhao Ke glanced at her watch, casually left with an impolite “We’re leaving,” and turned to ride off on the bicycle that had originally belonged to Accountant Li’s family.  

Watching the bicycle grow smaller in the distance, Accountant Li and his wife felt as if their hearts were bleeding.  

A step behind, Yu Xiulan turned to the Li Village Team Leader and said, “Oh, by the way, don’t call me Director Yu anymore. The new women’s director of Zhao Village is my daughter.”  

A few minutes later, the proud figures of the Zhao villagers disappeared from the Li Village committee office.  

The Li Village Team Leader, who felt utterly humiliated by Accountant Li and his wife, snapped at them, “What are you still standing around for? Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?”  

The couple slunk away, but as soon as they reached the main road, they started fighting again, providing yet another spectacle for the villagers.  

Zhao Ke planned to visit the commune to check on her sister. Since it was getting late and it wasn’t safe for her to ride alone, she called Zhao Feng to join her on another bicycle.  

Normally, Zhao Feng would show off whenever he rode a bike, but today he pedaled quickly, his thoughts focused entirely on his eldest sister at the commune.  

The two arrived at the commune before dark.  

Zhao Ke went to the dormitory but didn’t find her elder sister there. She soon learned that Zhao Mian had another run-in with Li Dasheng at the residential compound that afternoon.  

Li Dasheng had been detained.  

Served him right.  

Zhao Ke and Zhao Feng were more concerned about Zhao Mian’s condition and rushed to Master Yu’s dormitory.  

When Zhao Mian saw them suddenly appear, she was surprised. “Why are you two here?”  

“Jie, are you okay?”  

Zhao Ke studied her sister’s expression and noticed that while her face looked a bit pale, her overall spirit was unexpectedly good.  

Zhao Mian smiled gently. “I’m fine.”  

Zhao Feng examined his sister from head to toe and noticed a small bruise on the back of her hand. He immediately flared up. “Jie, why is your hand bruised? Did that Li Dasheng hit you?!”  

Master Yu, carrying two cups of water, placed them on the table and explained, “My son didn’t let him lay a hand on her. That’s from the injection she got this morning when she had a fever.”  

Facing the unfamiliar Master Yu, Zhao Feng scratched his head awkwardly. “Oh, I see…”  

Master Yu studied Zhao Feng and found him to be a simple and honest young man.  

In a family where parents didn’t favor sons over daughters and brothers protected and valued their sisters, the Zhao family clearly had an excellent family ethos.  

After recounting their visit to Li Village, Zhao Ke took out the money from her pocket and handed it to Zhao Mian. “I also left a bicycle for you. You can use it to get around the commune, but don’t ride it back to the Production Team. We’ll come to pick you up.” 

“You all take the bicycles back; I don’t need them. And keep the money, no need to give it to me.” Zhao Mian pushed the money back, her mood low. “I’ve made the family worry about me.”  

“We’re family, Jie. You don’t need to overthink it.”  

Zhao Mian looked at her and suddenly asked, “Do you remember when I almost caused you to drown when we were little?”  

“Caused me to drown?” Zhao Ke was confused for a few seconds before replying, “Wasn’t it you who saved me?”  

“What?”  

Zhao Mian was taken aback. “I only remember you being swept away, and the village said it was someone else who saved you. Isn’t that right?”  

Zhao Ke didn’t clearly remember everything that happened back then, but she was sure of one thing. “I grabbed onto your tree branch.”  

With just that one sentence, the memories Zhao Mian had forgotten due to her illness began to resurface.  

She had chased after her younger sister along the riverbank, crying her heart out, and picked up a tree branch, desperately extending it to Zhao Ke. Several times, she nearly fell into the river herself.  

When Zhao Ke was bobbing up and down, almost sinking, and she was on the verge of collapse, a miracle happened—Zhao Ke stretched out her little hand and grabbed the branch…  

Zhao Mian didn’t have the strength to pull her up, so she clung tightly to the branch, refusing to let go, until an adult heard the commotion and jumped into the river to save them both.  

Such an important memory… how could she have forgotten it?  

It must be because her little sister didn’t want her to live her entire life trapped in the shadows of that incident.  

Zhao Ke noticed her elder sister’s mood wasn’t bad and nudged Zhao Feng with her elbow.  

Zhao Feng, both hands full with jars of meat sauce and fruit that Master Yu had insisted they take, suddenly remembered there was something else they needed to do.  

Zhao Ke stood up. “Jie, get a good night’s rest. I’m taking Zhao Feng to find a place to stay.”  

Master Yu said, “Why don’t you two stay here and let Zhao Feng bunk with my son at the guesthouse?”  

Zhao Ke quickly waved her hands, refusing. “I know the commune well. Besides, it’s fine for the two of us to stick together.”  

With that, she grabbed Zhao Feng and left in a hurry.  

Master Yu couldn’t stop them, so she returned to the dormitory and advised Zhao Mian, “You’re still recovering. Rest early.”  

Zhao Mian felt her heart swell. Lying on the top bunk, she calmed her emotions and drifted into a peaceful sleep with a smile on her face.  

—

The next morning, Zhao Mian waited at Master Yu’s dormitory but didn’t see Zhao Ke or Zhao Feng.  

Master Yu had planned to fetch breakfast from the cafeteria, but she came back empty-handed and encouraged her, “Why don’t you go back to your dormitory, change into something else, and eat in the cafeteria?”  

Without overthinking, Zhao Mian obediently agreed. However, as she stepped out of Master Yu’s dormitory, she clenched her hands tightly, taking several deep breaths. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to take the next step.  

Master Yu pretended not to notice and busied herself at the table to avoid rushing her.  

Zhao Mian spent a long time mentally preparing herself. When she finally walked out, she instinctively lowered her head, ready to face the strange looks from others.  

But there were none.  

Master Yu’s neighbor, a workshop foreman, greeted her warmly. “Hey, Zhao Mian, how’s your health?”  

Zhao Mian blinked, stunned, and stammered, “I-it’s fine. Much better.”  

“That’s good. Hurry to the cafeteria for breakfast.”  

“Okay, okay.”  

From the residential compound to the dormitory, everyone she passed smiled at her and greeted her warmly.  

Feeling overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness, Zhao Mian responded timidly.  

When she reached the dormitory, she thought of her roommates’ usual disdain for frivolous women. It would be normal for them to look at her with strange eyes.  

The door opened from the inside, and two female coworkers, walking together, exclaimed in surprise, “Zhao Mian, you’re back! You didn’t return to the dormitory yesterday, and we were worried about you.”  

The coworkers pulled her inside. The others greeted her warmly, chatting about the latest happenings as usual.  

While changing her clothes, Zhao Mian listened to their chatter, a small smile tugging at her lips.  

When she finished changing, the others linked arms with her, laughing and talking as they left the dormitory together.  

The cafeteria would be much busier than the dormitory, and almost everyone who left work two days ago had passed the gate, meaning they had seen her disheveled state…  

But with her arms held tightly by her coworkers, there was no room for hesitation as they headed straight for the cafeteria.  

Among the crowd, people who recognized her smiled as they passed.  

Those who were familiar greeted her with a smile and joked, “Why are you so late? There’s almost no food left in the cafeteria!”  

Her coworkers dragged her along, laughing, as they hurried to the cafeteria.  

No one pointed fingers at her. Instead, every smile eased her uneasiness.  

Cui Da Jie, holding a ladle, stirred the bottom of the soup pot and scooped out a full serving of meat and vegetables for her. She cheerfully said, “Eat more. There’s nothing to worry about.”  

Zhao Mian’s eyes stung with emotion. “Okay.”  

Nearly everyone at the factory had welcomed two young visitors the day before. The siblings had earnestly asked them to do just one thing for Zhao Mian: smile at her, just smile.  

Meanwhile, after running around from sunset to moonrise, Zhao Ke and Zhao Feng were sound asleep in the guesthouse.