Chapter 13: The Wealthy and Beautiful Young Lady of a Capitalist Family  

Just like that, Jiang Rou’s slender figure stood under the sunlight, bending over again and again.  

With each motion, the hoe in her hands pried into the dark soil.  

Thud, thud, thud…  

The heavy sound of the hoe striking the ground immediately caught the attention of two children.  

Zhou Xiaohua blinked her big eyes, curiously watching Jiang Rou’s actions.  

She reached out with her small hands and nudged her older brother, signaling for Zhou Xiaochuan to watch as well.  

However, Zhou Xiaochuan stubbornly turned his back to Jiang Rou, refusing to spare her even a glance.  

Not only that, but he even cupped Zhou Xiaohua’s face with both hands and turned her head away.  

“Xiaohua, you shouldn’t look either.”  

Zhou Xiaohua obediently listened to her brother, turning away from Jiang Rou and continuing to play with her little sandbag.  

But—  

A few minutes later…  

Those big, glistening eyes once again peeked secretly at Jiang Rou in the courtyard.  

Curious and confused.  

Ten minutes later, Jiang Rou finally stopped her work, looking up for a brief rest—only to meet the little girl’s sparkling gaze.  

Zhou Xiaohua gave her a small, gentle smile.  

A wave of sweetness welled up in Jiang Rou’s heart.  

Indeed, girls were the most adorable beings in the world~  

…

While Jiang Rou was working enthusiastically in the courtyard, rumors about her had already spread like wildfire throughout the military family compound.  

“Have you heard? The fiancée of Regiment Commander Zhou, the one who arrived yesterday—her background is problematic! She’s a capitalist’s daughter from the city! Her family exploited the poor peasants!”  

“Who told you that? Is the information accurate? Don’t wrong an innocent person.”  

“I clearly heard before that Regiment Commander Zhou’s fiancée was from the same village as him, just another poor peasant. How did she suddenly become a capitalist’s daughter?”  

“Who said I was wronging her? Didn’t you see what happened at the dock yesterday?”  

“I saw it! I saw it! When that woman got off the boat, she was wearing a bulaji dress, white high heels, and carrying a handbag. Just look at her outfit—it’s obvious she’s a capitalist’s daughter. What ordinary farmer dresses like that?”  

“Exactly! Exactly! I was at the dock too, and I saw it!”  

“When you put it that way… it does make sense… She must be a capitalist’s daughter!”  

Among all the rumors, the phrase “capitalist’s daughter” was the most striking.  

As the gossip spread, those who were more cautious began to worry.  

“If she really marries Regiment Commander Zhou, she’ll be living here in our compound! Imagine that—a capitalist’s daughter in our military family courtyard! What kind of situation is this?”  

“Exactly! And that’s not all. Her capitalist background might even affect Regiment Commander Zhou’s status. He could end up being dismissed.”  

“Is it really that serious?”  

“I’m already understating it. Go ask around if you don’t believe me—anyone with a questionable background these days gets investigated over and over again.”  

“This… this… Will having her here affect us? We’ve only just started living a stable life—I don’t want to be forced to move again.”  

“The more you say, the more uneasy I feel. My heart is pounding with anxiety. No! We can’t just let a capitalist’s daughter stay in our compound!”  

“We can’t let her marry Regiment Commander Zhou! She must be driven out!”  

The women in the courtyard gathered together, discussing the matter.  

As they talked, their concerns grew, their emotions becoming more and more agitated.  

But such a serious issue wasn’t something they could resolve on their own.  

Amidst the clamor, someone suddenly suggested,  

“Let’s find Sister Hong! Sister Hong is the women’s director of our military family compound. She’s the one to handle this!”  

“That’s right, we should go find Sister Hong. We must have Sister Hong remind Regiment Commander Zhou of the seriousness of this matter.”  

“Let’s go, let’s go, we’ll go find Sister Hong right now.”  

The “Sister Hong” they spoke of was Yang Hongping.  

Yang Hongping was not only the women’s director of the military family compound but also the wife of Political Commissar Liu Weiguo.  

Liu Weiguo and Yang Hongping were veteran revolutionaries who had emerged from the turmoil of war.  

The couple had supported each other through most of their lives.  

After the victory of the War of Resistance, when the country prospered, they did not choose to stay in the capital to enjoy a comfortable life. Instead, they volunteered to come to this remote and underdeveloped island.  

They continued to contribute in their own ways.  

As a result, not only did the couple hold high military ranks within the unit, but their prestige among the people was also considerable.  

Especially Yang Hongping.  

She was in her fifties this year. Though she had reached a certain age, she was not old-fashioned in the slightest.  

Many young newlyweds often encountered conflicts in life and marriage. Whenever that happened, Yang Hongping would step in to mediate and offer the most suitable solution.  

Therefore, whenever the military wives in the compound faced any issues, they would seek out Yang Hongping.  

That was how the name “Sister Hong” came to be.  

After all, in this era, not just anyone could be casually addressed as “Sister.”  

With that, the group of wives, full of urgency, rushed to Yang Hongping’s house.  

A chorus of voices filled the air as they all spoke at once, each one eager to explain the situation.  

Yang Hongping was dressed in a simple blue work uniform, wearing a pair of reading glasses. Her short, neatly trimmed hair framed her face, exuding the aura of a seasoned cadre from the 1970s.  

After listening to their words, she did not immediately draw a conclusion.  

Instead, she asked the crowd: “I’ve heard everything you’ve said, but all I hear is ‘I heard this’ and ‘I heard that.’ Do any of you have actual evidence proving that Regiment Commander Zhou’s wife might be the daughter of a capitalist? We are military family members—such accusations cannot be made recklessly.”

Yang Hongping was indeed a seasoned revolutionary who believed in “practice brings true knowledge.”  

With just one sentence, she left the chattering crowd momentarily speechless.  

When it came to evidence, apart from what they had seen—Jiang Rou’s attire and the circulating rumors—they truly had nothing substantial.  

The military wives exchanged glances, eyes widening as they looked at one another, uncertain and hesitant.  

However, since this matter involved the issue of “class background.” it could not simply be brushed aside.  

What if it actually affected them? What would they do then?  

So while they were anxious, they had no idea what their next step should be.  

Yang Hongping had long seen through their thoughts. Adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose, she continued,  

“Now that we have newcomers in the compound, shouldn’t we pay them a visit, get to know them, and extend our greetings? What do you all think?”  

The moment they heard this, their eyes lit up.  

Though they lacked evidence at the moment, once they met Jiang Rou in person, they might just find some!  

“Sister Hong, we’ll follow your lead. Let’s go find evi—go meet her and get acquainted.”  

With unanimous nods, they reached a silent agreement.  

And so, the next scene unfolded.  

A mighty crowd surged forward, with Yang Hongping leading at the front, and the others closely following behind.  

They all made their way toward Zhou Chongshan’s residence.  

Because Yang Hongping was present, no one dared to openly shout things like “drive the capitalist’s daughter away.”  

However, in the minds of many of the wives, Jiang Rou had already been convicted.  

All that was left was to catch her in the act!  

So, when they reached Zhou Chongshan’s door, just as Yang Hongping was about to knock, someone, unable to contain their impatience, suddenly pushed the door open.  

“Sister Hong, we should catch her off guard! We can’t give her the chance to destroy the evidence!”  

With a loud bang, the door was flung open abruptly.  

The military wives, crowding around Yang Hongping, stormed inside with an aggressive momentum!  

However—

In the next second—  

What they saw was a scene that completely defied their expectations.  

In the spacious courtyard, patches of black soil had already been turned over in small sections on both sides.  

Amidst this barren landscape stood a slender woman.  

She held a hoe in her hands, a tattered straw hat on her head, and a blue scarf wrapped around her face.  

She wore an old, patched-up military uniform.  

Her lower half was clad in the most ordinary labor pants, faded and worn.  

The uniform was clearly designed for men, ill-fitting on her small frame.  

The only thing on her that seemed relatively new was the pair of rubber-soled shoes on her feet.  

However, having stepped through the muddy ground, even those shoes were now covered in dirt, looking grimy and well-worn.  

The sudden noise of the door bursting open startled the woman.  

Her thin shoulders trembled slightly.  

Instinctively, she turned her head.  

Revealing a delicate, fair-skinned face, glistening with sweat.  

The military wives, who had rushed inside with such urgency, were instantly frozen in place.  

They stood there, wide-eyed, utterly dumbfounded.  

Yang Hongping looked Jiang Rou up and down before turning to the stunned crowd behind her and asking,  

“This is the so-called capitalist’s daughter you were talking about?”