Chapter 39

“Mommy, Mommy, we love you the most. Come home with us, okay?”

Four-year-old Li Jinyan held the hand of three-year-old Li Shenxing, each grabbing one of Zhan Xinyue’s arms. They looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

“Aren’t these Li’s two boys? Why are you calling her Mom?” The crowd gathered to watch, and someone asked in confusion.

“Because, because she was supposed to marry Dad. She’s my Dad’s wife, so she’s our Mom,” Li Jinyan said pitifully.

“Who told you that?” Zhan Xinyue spun around, her eyes scanning the surroundings like a radar. Finally, she saw a blue sandal sticking out from under a large tree.

The foot was white, and the sandal was spotless. It was Liu Ruyuan’s foot.

She didn’t work in the fields and stayed home to take care of the children. She rarely went out in the sun, so her skin was fair. And Liu Ruyuan was meticulous and clean. If there was any dirt on her shoes, she would clean them immediately.

“Did your aunt tell you to come here?” Zhan Xinyue knew the two kids wouldn’t speak, so she answered for them.

“No,” Li Jinyan wanted to refute. When they left, Liu Ruyuan had repeatedly instructed them that if anyone asked who told them to come, they should say they came on their own and that they liked Xinyue Mom.

Four-year-old children couldn’t speak very well. Li Jinyan was still trying to find the right words when Zhan Xinyue interrupted him. “Little liars will be eaten by monsters at night.”

“Waaaa,” the younger Li Shenxing, hearing that he would be eaten, started to cry loudly. He and his brother had both lied. They didn’t like Zhan Xinyue. They only liked their father and Liu Ruyuan Mom.

This was their Li family secret. They could only call Liu Ruyuan “Mom” at home. Outside, they had to call her “Aunt.”

If they called her by the wrong name, they would be kicked out of the brigade and wouldn’t have food to eat.

Three-year-old Li Shenxing didn’t understand why he couldn’t call Liu Ruyuan “Mom” outside, but when he heard that they wouldn’t have food to eat, he and his brother kept the secret well.

“I, I don’t want to be eaten. I’m not tasty,” Li Shenxing cried, tears and snot running into his mouth, making his words unclear.

“Comrade Xinyue, you’re going too far. Even if you’ve broken off your engagement with Li Jian and are about to marry a high-ranking official, you shouldn’t scare children.”

The “saintly father” appeared. He was a man in his forties named Yao Xiangyang. His son and Sheng Tunan had joined the army at the same time. Now, Sheng Tunan had become a regiment commander, while his son was still a soldier. He had no position and had already been discharged from the army and returned home.

Jealousy is not just a woman’s emotion. Men can be even more jealous.

Yao Xiangyang watched Sheng Tunan rise through the ranks, while his own son was demobilized and working as a farmer. He was green with envy. He didn’t dare to confront Sheng Tunan directly, so he could only take advantage of Sheng Tunan’s absence in the army and find an excuse to belittle and lecture his fiancée.

Zhan Xinyue asked coldly, “You know my fiancé is Sheng Tunan. Why did these two kids come here and call me ‘Mom,’ a single girl? What about my reputation?”

“I believe that the people’s eyes are sharp. Everyone, tell me, have you seen me interact with these two children? Have I ever met Li Jian alone?”

“No, these two kids were brought by their aunt. They rarely go out. Let alone Zhan Xinyue, I haven’t even seen these two kids play with other children.” The onlookers answered truthfully.

“Yes, and Li Jian, he’s from out of town. He’s tall and doesn’t talk much. He looks fierce and doesn’t interact much with us. He goes home after work. I’ve seen him take his elder sister, Liu Ruyuan, and the two children for walks. I’ve never seen Li Jian and Zhan Xinyue together.”

In the 1970s, most people were simple and honest. They wouldn’t spread rumors. Everyone spoke the truth.

Zhan Xinyue looked at Yao Xiangyang. “These two kids rarely see me. How could they love me the most? They must have been instructed. I didn’t hit them. I just said a few words, and they cried. Can you blame me?”

“Even so, you shouldn’t scare them. They’re just children.” Yao Xiangyang said stubbornly.

“Heh, just children? Because they’re just children, they need to be educated even more.”

Zhan Xinyue asked back, “Comrade Yao Xiangyang, didn’t you just come from the execution ground? Didn’t you see the fate of Zhan Hongyan and Huang Jianjun? They also grew up from childhood. They just weren’t properly educated when they were young, so they committed crimes when they grew up.”

“You’re defending these unruly children. You’re paving the way for them to commit crimes in the future. You’re making them think that if they do something wrong, someone will always speak for them.”

A big hat was thrown down. Yao Xiangyang was speechless and walked away with a red face.

Zhan Xinyue squatted down, her face cold. She continued to question, “You, stop crying. Tell me honestly, who told you to come here? Who taught you to call me ‘Mom’ and trick me into going home?”

The two children were scared by the stranger and turned pale. Li Jinyan, the older one, could still remember what Liu Ruyuan said. He covered his mouth and didn’t speak.

Li Shenxing was already scared to pee. He trembled and said, “Mom told me to come. Mom taught me to call you ‘Mom’ and trick you into going home!”