Chapter 19

The Ke family lived in a newly built six-story apartment block within the meat processing factory area. Surrounding it were older, smaller homes where other factory workers and ordinary citizens lived. These homes were cramped, often just a dozen square meters, with several generations living together. Furniture and belongings were often stored outside in alleys or corridors, forcing people like Yang Qiujin and her family to carefully navigate past them, afraid of stepping on other people’s pots and pans.

“Mom, these places are so messy.” Chen Tianyou, held by his father, Chen Shengqing, looked around at the crowded houses and muttered, “They’re not as spacious as our countryside.”

“Yes.” Yang Qiujin agreed.

There’s a housing shortage in cities, and it’s tied to employment. If you have a job, your company or factory will provide housing.

These houses are typically very small. If a family is large, there may not even be enough room to sleep. In some cases, couples have to sneak around to be intimate when the rest of the family is asleep, which is inconvenient.

But even with such small living spaces, city dwellers prefer them over rural areas. Cities offer jobs and urban registration. Even though the living conditions are cramped, they offer wages and access to food. The country people, in contrast, often struggle with hunger and difficult conditions. As a result, city dwellers often look down on those from the countryside.

The staff dormitory where the Ke family lived was the most impressive building in the area, amidst the rundown structures.

Yang Qiuyue led her sister and brother-in-law’s family to the Ke household. As they got closer to the staff dormitory, someone who knew them alerted the Ke family.

Soon, a middle-aged woman stepped over a pile of pots and pans, rushing over from an alley. She raised her arm and slapped Yang Qiuyue in the face. “You bitch, how dare you come back!”

“Where did this shrew come from, rushing to hit people?” Chen Shengqing, standing next to Yang Qiuyue, saw the woman advancing and quickly kicked Jiang Damei in the chest with his long legs. Jiang Damei’s large body was sent flying, knocking over some of the family’s pots and pans.

“The People’s Liberation Army is beating people!” Someone watching the scene yelled, not realizing the gravity of the situation.

“Ridiculous! Which eye of yours saw my husband hit anyone?” Yang Qiujin, hands on her hips, scolded back. “It was this fat woman who came to hit my sister, and my husband stepped in to protect her. How does it become the People’s Liberation Army beating people? If you slander the army again, I’ll have you reported to the Revolutionary Committee as a bad element!”

The military’s duty is to protect the people and the country. Soldiers are bound by strict rules to never take anything from civilians.

The man, scolded by Yang Qiujin, flushed with embarrassment and wanted to retort. But those who witnessed the scene spoke up: “Liu family, stop spreading lies. Look at him! He’s in a military uniform. Do you really think he’d just hit someone for no reason?”

“Yes, it was Jiang Damei who struck her daughter-in-law unprovoked, and her brother-in-law stepped in. This is a personal issue, and you can’t slander people to curry favor with Jiang Damei.”

Jiang Damei is Yang Qiuyue’s mother-in-law, the workshop director of a meat processing factory. She’s well-off and makes a lot of money. During a time when people often went hungry, she ate to excess, becoming large and bloated. Her husband is the deputy director of the factory, so no one dares to confront her, and many people try to win her favor.

After being scolded, the wife of the Liu family helped Jiang Damei up and asked, “Director Jiang, are you alright?”

Jiang Damei, her heart aching, struggled to stand. Shaking with anger, she extended her arm and pointed at Yang Qiuyue. “You slut! You didn’t come back all night and were out sleeping with someone else? I’m just doing you a favor by hitting you, and you have the nerve to fight back!”

“What nonsense are you saying?” Yang Qiuyue trembled with anger. “I just slept in the factory’s women’s dormitory for one night. Why do you insult me like this?”

“Everyone knows you were having an affair with that man Zhou before you even married my son. You slut, why else would you be out late at night? If it wasn’t for sex, what else would you be doing?” Jiang Damei, still clutching her chest in pain, tried to attack Yang Qiuyue again but stopped, intimidated by the man in military uniform. She could only spit in Yang Qiuyue’s face, her face twisted in fury.

Yang Qiuyue, not good at arguing, was stunned as the spit hit her face. Tears welled up in her eyes. “The women in the printing factory can vouch for me. I stayed in the factory last night. I didn’t go anywhere. Mom, I’ve told Ke Jian many times that I married him with a clean conscience, and that Zhou Shihuai and I never had any inappropriate relationship.”

“Who would believe this?” Jiang Damei wasn’t afraid of the family scandal being exposed. She shouted loudly, “There was no blood on the wedding night, and you say you’re innocent? You’re lying to a child! You’re a shameless girl, born by a father but raised by no mother! For a woman like you, the Ke family deserves to beat you to death!”

“Pa–” A loud slap landed on Jiang Damei’s chubby face, and five distinct claw marks appeared immediately.

“Mr. Jiang, I slapped you on behalf of my parents!” Yang Qiujin swung her arm. As Jiang Damei covered her face in shock, she slapped her again on the other side. “This one is on behalf of my sister!”

“Yang Qiujin, how dare you hit my mom?” A man, dressed in a dirty blue work uniform, rushed over, trying to protect his mother, who was howling in pain.

“I’ll hit your mom, what’s the matter with that?” Yang Qiujin set her packages down and rolled up her sleeves. “Ke Jian, my sister is an innocent girl who married into your Ke family. Just because she didn’t bleed on the wedding night, you’re slandering her. Let me ask you, do you know that many women don’t bleed the first time? Every woman’s body is different, and it’s completely normal for some not to bleed! That membrane is just there to protect the body, not to prove it’s your first time! It’s one thing if your ignorant, fat-bellied mom doesn’t get it, but you, a man who went to junior high school, don’t know this?! Even if you don’t understand, at least ask a doctor! But you don’t. Instead, you accuse her, rallying your family to bully my sister. Do you really think my Yang family is powerless?!”

Yang Qiuyue, humiliated and exposed, squatted down, crying with her face covered in shame.

“Don’t cry, Auntie. Mom and I will protect you.” Chen Tianyou, like a little adult, gently patted Yang Qiuyue’s head. He turned and threw a punch at Ke Jian. “I’ll beat you! You bully my aunt, I’ll beat you to death!”

“Tianyou, come here.”

Ke Jian’s face turned pale, his breath quickening in anger. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Chen Shengqing pulled Chen Tianyou away and glared at Ke Jian. “Women are meant to be loved in marriage, not suspected and manipulated. If you’re so suspicious, why don’t you divorce her and marry someone else?”

“Why should I leave?” Ke Jian sneered. “What will you do, shoot me?”

“I won’t shoot you, but I’ll make you wish for death,” Chen Shengqing pointed toward the Revolutionary Committee ^[1]which refers to a government body in charge of investigations.. “We’ll see.”

He turned and signaled Yang Qiujin to take Yang Qiuyue with her. The group swiftly left.

Ke Jian felt uneasy as his eyelids twitched. Something felt off.

“We can’t let them go!” Jiang Damei came back to her senses, her face burning with anger. She couldn’t stand this humiliation, so she started chasing them.

“Mom, stop,” Ke Jian warned, his face grim. “Yang Qiuyue’s brother-in-law is a military officer. He doesn’t seem harmless. Go home and clean up, get rid of anything suspicious. I’ll go talk to Dad.”

Realizing something was wrong, Jiang Damei muttered, “I don’t believe that a local military officer can mess with our family.”

Chen Shengqing led Yang Qiujin and the others to the County Public Security Bureau, asking them to wait outside. Yang Qiuyue, anxious, asked, “Brother-in-law, what are we doing at the Public Security Bureau?”

“Just meeting an old friend,” Chen Shengqing replied calmly.