Chapter 52: The Storm Under the Big Locust Tree (Part 2)

Wen Yanyan hadn’t expected this.

She had come to this time hoping to live a quiet and peaceful life as a gentle woman, causing no trouble and avoiding conflict. But reality wouldn’t allow it.

As the saying goes, “A tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.”

Fine.

Let’s make a scene, then. She’d been quiet for far too long.

Wen Yanyan pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, a smile playing on her lips as she stood among them.

“So, everyone’s here? It sounds quite lively. I thought I’d come and see what’s going on. Excuse me, ma’am, what is your surname?”

The woman she addressed was the military wife who had been chatting with Huang Shuyin outside the art troupe that morning. She had been the first to start the argument, and her words had been the most offensive.

“Wen Yanyan, don’t play innocent. Everyone knows you’re not as simple as you pretend. You only graduated from primary school, and you ask for my surname? Are you being sarcastic?”

The woman was still munching on sunflower seeds, her thin lips snapping shut, spitting seed husks on the ground.

“Oh, alright. Let me rephrase. What is your humble surname?”

Since she wasn’t being polite, neither would Wen Yanyan.

At the same time, Wen Yanyan was surprised. This woman was no pushover. Gossiping behind someone’s back and then acting so arrogant – it was outrageous.

What? Humble surname?

The woman instantly reacted like a hen whose feathers had been singed by hot water.

She stood up abruptly.

“Wen Yanyan! Don’t think you can get away with it just because you married into the Southern Troupe! What are you? I spit on you!”

She had lost her temper.

The other military wives watching froze, probably not expecting the situation to escalate so quickly. Even the woman knitting stopped, her attention riveted to the unfolding drama.

They had all expected Wen Yanyan to engage in a shouting match, but she remained calm and composed.

“I thought you were a reasonable person, so I spoke to you politely. But since you’re so venomous, I won’t hold back.”

Wen Yanyan straightened her back, her gaze fixed on the woman’s angry face.

“You spread rumors, saying my joining the art troupe was dishonorable. Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, it’s slander. Dare you repeat those words to my face?”

Wen Yanyan wouldn’t resort to the same irrational outburst. She had reason on her side.

“Say it? I’m not afraid of you, you little brat!”

The woman’s eyes held a hint of madness.

“Ma Guihua, let’s go. Don’t say anything, just go.”

The military wife beside her tried to pull her away. Gossiping behind someone’s back was already wrong, but to be so brazen about it…

Huh?

Ma Guihua?

The name mentioned by the peacemaker jogged Wen Yanyan’s memory. She remembered hearing it from Zhang Meimei – she was Zhang Meimei’s cousin. Her husband, Zhang Guofu, was a regimental-level instructor, one rank below Huang Shuyin’s husband, who was a division-level instructor.

Wen Yanyan smiled faintly.

“Oh, so you’re Zhang Meimei’s cousin, Ma Guihua. That explains a lot.”

They were related.

Ma Guihua’s face was contorted with malice.

“Wen Yanyan, stop being so sarcastic. Yes, I am Zhang Meimei’s cousin Ma Guihua! What can you do if you know? What kind of humanity do you have? Meimei helped you so much, but you still bite Lu Dongbin!”

She continued her emotional outburst, throwing the remaining sunflower seeds on the ground.

Wen Yanyan scoffed.

“I bite the hand that feeds you? Fine. I didn’t want to make things worse, but since you’re forcing my hand, I’ll tell everyone everything, and let everyone here judge for themselves!”

Seeing the growing crowd, she decided she couldn’t keep silent any longer.

“What right do you have? Don’t disgrace the Southern Troupe! You’ve only been quiet for a few days, and you’re stirring up trouble again! I told you, you were faking it. Look, your true colors are showing!”

Ma Guihua’s thin lips were flapping again.

“Your cousin Zhang Meimei has a crush on Nan Fangjue!”

Wen Yanyan raised her voice eight octaves.

Her words silenced Ma Guihua, her sharp, thin face turning crimson.

“You’re lying!”

“I’m not.”

Wen Yanyan spoke with unwavering conviction.

“From the day I arrived at the family compound, Zhang Meimei told me that the women here are vicious and like to bully outsiders. The children here are the same – they bully the weak and fear the strong. There was even a military wife who was bullied to the point of suicide! So, you have to be tough if you’re new here, otherwise, they’ll bully you to death! They’ll ride on your neck and defecate! Don’t let them get away with it!

Zhang Meimei also complained constantly about the terrible food in the canteen, saying it was tasteless and oily, and that she had lost weight because she couldn’t eat. That’s why I stole the neighbor’s chicken, cooked it, and gave it to her. And the stolen apples, radishes, roasted potatoes… those little things, I also gave them to Zhang Meimei, because I considered her a good friend.

If it were in the past, I would have been grateful to Zhang Meimei for her clever schemes and that bag of aphrodisiac powder. But this matter isn’t that simple. Because every time Zhang Meimei looked at Nan Fangjue, her eyes were filled with a special look – blushing, shy, and with an unmistakable infatuation.

She gave me the powder, ostensibly for my own good, but actually to make Nan Fangjue hate me, get a divorce, and allow her to take my place!”

Wen Yanyan recounted the past events.

Her words sparked a flurry of discussion among the onlookers.

“Oh my, Zhang Meimei was wrong to do that. How could she say such things? There are no bullying military wives in our compound! Which military wife committed suicide? We never heard of it!”

“Yeah, she deliberately tried to break up someone’s marriage, trying to get Yanzi to put drugs in the water. Nan Tuan would be furious if he knew! He suffered so much.”

“Zhang Meimei is deliberately destroying a military marriage, that’s illegal.”

“She should write a self-criticism and be sent to a re-education class, that’s too light.”

Ma Guihua became even more furious at the discussion.

“You listen to this lunatic’s nonsense! Who would believe you! Meimei didn’t have feelings for Nan Tuan! She made a mistake because she cared about you, but you have a dirty mind and implicate others! You’re a villain who kills the donkey after it’s done its work!”

She was like a duck – her mouth was never still.

“If you don’t believe me, it’s because of your bias! Because Zhang Meimei is your cousin!”

Wen Yanyan saw the crowd growing larger.

“Since everyone’s here, there’s one more thing I need to clarify. Ma Guihua just slandered me, saying I used Nan Tuan’s influence to get into the art troupe. To prove my innocence, I will sing a song for everyone.”

To silence those who didn’t know the facts, she decided to give a live performance.

“Good! Sing a song, let’s hear it. If Ma Guihua is deliberately slandering her, we won’t associate with her anymore.”

Someone in the crowd responded quickly.

“Okay, I’ll sing a well-known song, ‘The Waves of Hong Hu Lake’.”

While studying abroad, Wen Yanyan had developed a fondness for old and revolutionary songs, and now, they proved useful.

“Good!”

Applause erupted from the crowd.