During dinner, Lu Xiao mentioned that he had received a mission and would have to leave the next morning, likely not returning until a week later.  

Hearing this, Su Tang broke off half of a coarse grain bun. “So sudden?”  

Lu Xiao gave a quiet “Mm” in response. “Missions wait for no one. I’ve already spoken to Director Li and asked him to look after you.”  

Truthfully, Su Tang could handle most things on her own just fine.  

But Lu Xiao was worried that her background might bring her unnecessary trouble.  

So he had made a special trip to visit Director Li, asking him to step in if needed.  

“I’m not a child. Still… thank you—”  

Before she could finish her thanks, Lu Xiao looked up at her.  

His gaze seemed to say he didn’t want to hear it.  

“Lu Xiao, you’re so kind.”  

Su Tang rephrased her words. The soft, sweet porridge in her mouth suddenly made Lu Xiao think it tasted like her voice.  

Was this how all southerners spoke?  

Always so quick to say thank you.  

“If you run into any trouble you can’t handle, just bear with it until I get back.”  

After giving his reminder, Lu Xiao looked at Su Tang, still a little uneasy.  

Su Tang nudged him to go wash the dishes while she packed his things for the trip.  

She didn’t know what kind of mission he was going on—was it dangerous?  

With Lu Xiao away on assignment, Su Tang felt a bit out of sorts being alone at home.  

But after her shifts at the hospital, she busied herself preparing the chili peppers she needed.  

She had traded the gifts from the wives for some excellent local peppers with the elderly farmers.  

Once the sauce was ready, Su Tang delivered jars of it to each household.  

She didn’t think much of it, assuming everyone simply appreciated her cooking.  

But within a couple of days, an undercurrent of gossip began swirling through the military family compound.  

First, there were whispers behind her back.  

“Tsk, have you heard? Dr. Su’s chili sauce isn’t free—you have to trade something for it!”  

“Goodness, isn’t that just doing business under the table? Trading things like it’s some kind of market?”  

“Exactly! She’s a capitalist’s daughter from Shanghai through and through. Her bones are wired for profit!”  

“How disgraceful! This is a military family compound—we’re supposed to be about sacrifice and mutual support, not running a marketplace!”  

Su Tang was at the hospital all day and didn’t hear any of this. Zhang Cui, not wanting to add to her stress, kept it from her.  

But the rumors only grew louder, even gaining exaggerated details.  

“I heard she got all kinds of good stuff in exchange—eggs, duck eggs, fine grains!”  

“Right? And how much could that chili sauce possibly cost? She’s just taking advantage!”  

Schadenfreude soon joined the mix, especially from those who had always resented Su Tang—envious of her beauty and growing popularity.  

“Hmph, I knew it! That’s just how capitalist girls are—they always slip up eventually.”  

“Acting all high and mighty, but really just scheming for benefits!”  

“Now we’ll see how she handles this. She’s in for a reprimand!”  

“Serves her right! Let her show off now!”  

Sure enough, that afternoon, during Su Tang’s day off, someone knocked on her courtyard gate.  

They carried a small notebook—clearly acting on a report.  

As the door opened, even more onlookers craned their necks to watch.  

“Comrade Su Tang.”  

Comrade Zhao’s tone was measured but carried an air of official seriousness.  

“We’ve received reports from residents stating that you’ve been exchanging homemade chili sauce for goods within the family compound, engaging in quasi-commercial activity. Is this true?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings instantly fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Su Tang.  

Faced with this sudden interrogation, Su Tang glanced at the expressions around her but said nothing at first.  

She only frowned slightly, yet not a trace of panic showed on her face.  

She didn’t even rush to defend herself. Instead, she calmly invited Comrade Zhao and the security personnel inside.  

“Hello, Comrade Zhao, Comrade Wang.”  

“Yes, that’s true. Some people did bring me their extra vegetables, eggs, or duck eggs in exchange for my homemade chili sauce.”  

Her frank admission surprised both Comrade Zhao and the security officer, as well as those outside who had been waiting to see her squirm.  

“But I don’t consider this ‘quasi-commercial activity’ or ‘engaging in capitalism.'”  

Su Tang swept her gaze over the crowd outside before settling on Comrade Zhao.  

“The chili sauce was something I made in my free time—using peppers I traded for with local farmers, oil I rendered myself, and spices I blended. It was a labor of love. If people enjoy it and want to try it, that’s a compliment to my skills.”  

“What they brought me were just things they grew in their own gardens or eggs their chickens and ducks laid—things they either couldn’t finish or had extra of. At its core, this is just neighbors sharing what they have, helping each other out. You give me some vegetables, I give you some sauce—it’s about building bonds and making meals more enjoyable.”  

“How is this any different from villagers exchanging fruits and vegetables in the past?”  

“If this counts as ‘engaging in capitalism,’ then does sharing homemade food with neighbors in our compound also count as ‘profiteering’?”  

Su Tang’s tone carried just the right amount of pointedness—not sharp, but enough to highlight the absurdity of the accusation.  

As she spoke, she caught sight of a blue figure lingering at the edge of the crowd. Now she knew exactly where this baseless trouble had come from.  

She met Comrade Zhao’s gaze squarely. “Comrade Zhao, the ingredients for my chili sauce are just peppers, oil, salt, and some spices. I only made a small batch—it’s purely a personal hobby. I never intended to profit from it.”  

“What people brought me in return was of minimal value, just tokens of neighborly goodwill. If even this kind of simple sharing is going to be labeled as something sinister, doesn’t that discourage people from helping each other out?”  

After taking a deep breath, Su Tang added with a hint of sadness, “I don’t know who reported me, but I never expected that mutual aid between neighbors would be twisted into something wrong.”  

“Prejudice in people’s hearts really is an immovable mountain.”  

Seeing Su Tang’s distress, Auntie Wang stepped forward to comfort her. “Xiao Su, don’t think like that. Whoever reported you just had ulterior motives.”  

“Exactly, Su Tang. If you’ve done nothing wrong, there’s nothing to fear. I’d like to see which shameless person actually filed that report.”  

Zhang Cui arrived with Sister Li in tow, scanning the crowd and cutting off the whispers with a sharp glare.  

“Comrade Zhao, we have rules, but we can’t just slap labels on people recklessly, can we?”  

“Whoever reported her should step forward, and we’ll settle this face-to-face.”  

Picking on Su Tang again and again—when will it end?

Comrade Zhao and the security officer’s stern expressions softened slightly. They exchanged a glance.  

“Where’s the chili sauce? And the items people gave you?”  

They needed to see for themselves whether things were truly as Su Tang described before making a judgment.  

They couldn’t let anyone off if they were guilty—but they also couldn’t wrong an innocent comrade.  

“Right here.”  

While heading to the kitchen, Su Tang discreetly grabbed half an onion.  

When she returned, her eyes were brimming with unstoppable tears.  

Today, I’m going to change their minds once and for all.

If I don’t settle this now, the trouble will never end.

Comrade Zhao cleared his throat, his tone noticeably gentler now.  

“Comrade Su Tang, we understand your situation. Sharing homemade food among neighbors to strengthen bonds is a good thing in itself.”  

“But you should be mindful of the method and scale to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. As for the report, we’ll investigate further. We won’t wrong a good comrade.”  

With that, Comrade Zhao and the others left.  

Su Tang’s tears continued to flow, making Zhang Cui’s heart ache.  

“Which cowardly bastard reported her? Too scared to show yourself, huh? If you don’t come forward now, just wait till I find out—you’ll regret it!”  

Zhang Cui planted her hands on her hips, glaring at the crowd until people began to scatter under her gaze.  

Just as everyone was about to leave, Su Tang suddenly strode forward and grabbed someone’s arm.  

“Hu Jianjun, it was you who reported me, wasn’t it?”