Chapter 47

Shi Tingyu didn’t know that the rumors were spread by Lu’s mother.

Now that the rumors had spread widely, she couldn’t explain to everyone individually; she could only pretend not to hear them.

Lu Weiguo also heard the rumors, but no one dared to talk about them in front of him.

Seeing Shi Tingyu’s daily routine unchanged, he hesitated several times, worried that if he mentioned it and she hadn’t heard the rumors, she would find out from him later, which would upset her.

Taking a day off, Lu Weiguo decided to take his wife to town for a stroll and buy some meat on the way back.

As soon as the two got on the supply vehicle, the voices around them quieted down, and people occasionally glanced at them.

Seeing Lu Weiguo still caring for Shi Tingyu, many felt a bit sour inside.

Lu Weiguo may look tough, but when it comes to his wife, he is extremely considerate, much better than their own husbands who act like lords as soon as they’re home.

After settling Shi Tingyu down, Lu Weiguo sat in the driver’s seat as usual.

With Lu Weiguo not around, the women in the car began to whisper.

Once gossip starts, the volume naturally rises.

[“Captain Lu’s wife actually has the nerve to come out. If her man can’t get promoted, that’s one thing, but she even needs him to support her when she gets on a vehicle.”]

[“What do you know? Men like pretty women. We can’t compare to her in that aspect.”]

[“Bah, what’s there to compare? Where we come from is better than being a daughter of an old ninth.”]

[“I heard their whole family came back from abroad.”]

[“That’s why I say there’s a problem with her mindset.”]

With the conversation approaching, Shi Tingyu couldn’t pretend not to have heard. She slammed the water kettle she was holding onto the car and scanned the faces of those who had just spoken the most offensive words.

She didn’t retort to the crowd because she was alone against many.

If she rebutted haphazardly, she might become the target of everyone and be attacked in groups.

What she needed to do now was to pick them off one by one.

Shi Tingyu’s gaze fell on the woman who had said she had the nerve to come out.

“I remember you. You’re from Captain Wang’s family, right? You just said I have the nerve to come out. Why wouldn’t I? Whose promotion is decided above is their business. My husband takes care of me because I’m his wife. When we got married, I passed the political review. Do you have a problem with the leader in charge of political review?”

“You’re talking nonsense! When did I ever have an issue with a leader?” The woman from Captain Wang’s family turned pale when her identity was revealed.

Shi Tingyu sneered coldly, “Then do you have an issue with our Captain Lu? Or is it Captain Wang who has an issue with us?”

Dragged into a discussion about her own husband, the woman from Captain Wang’s family dared not act rashly.

She had just spoken in the heat of the moment and didn’t expect Shi Tingyu to call her out. She was momentarily at a loss for words. “I, I…”

Shi Tingyu looked at her coldly. When she didn’t smile, she was naturally cold. Now her aura was fully unleashed. “If any of you have any grievances against us, don’t hide in the crowd and talk. Come to me and explain it clearly, I’m always ready to listen.”

Shocked by Shi Tingyu’s reaction, everyone was intimidated.

They thought that speaking gossip together wouldn’t get them into trouble, but they didn’t expect to be singled out first.

The few who had spoken most excessively immediately shrunk their necks.

Most of their husbands didn’t have positions as high as Captain Lu’s, so they were a bit scared now.

However, Shi Tingyu didn’t stop there.

Her gaze locked onto a woman with a flat face wearing a gray-blue short-sleeved shirt.

She didn’t know who this woman was, but that didn’t stop her from confronting her.

Shi Tingyu pointed in the direction of the woman, ensuring everyone could see clearly who she was about to address next.

“It’s you. You just said men like beautiful women. It seems you understand men quite well. While I’m not sure if all men prefer beauty, I do agree with one thing you said: compared to my appearance, you indeed can’t compare.”

As this woman spoke, she deliberately steered the conversation in an inappropriate direction. If labeled in such a manner, it would be hard to shake off. Shi Tingyu was the first to tear into her.

The woman with the flat face flushed red but couldn’t find words to retort.

“And you,” Shi Tingyu pointed at another woman with a slightly dark complexion, “Yes, my family returned from overseas. So what? Years ago, we were sent soldiers by the country, expending great effort to bring us back!”

“The salary and benefits my family received overseas were more than ten times what my parents received at the research institute! Yet without hesitation, we returned. For this, I gave up my career, my brother went to the battlefield in Yue, and my parents immersed themselves in the institute. All of this is because we love this country! I have to ask, where is the problem in our thinking?”

The crowd was left speechless by her questioning.

Thinking back to Shi Tingyu’s earlier remarks about the overseas salaries, some were genuinely shocked.

Objectively speaking, faced with the same conditions, they might not have been able to give up such favorable terms to return.

Shi Tingyu’s words rang with strength and conviction, permeating the atmosphere in the driver’s cabin.

Lu Weiguo’s face was stern, his fists clenched tightly, jaw set firm.

The air inside the cabin seemed to freeze.

Driver Xiao Meng stared straight ahead, stiffening his posture, not daring to say a word.

Since Captain Wang’s wife had spoken about Lu’s wife earlier, they had heard everything clearly.

Those sisters-in-law were too loud; Xiao Meng broke into a cold sweat. These women were daring; Captain Lu was still present.

Seeing the crowd silenced, Shi Tingyu scanned them all, “I don’t know who started these rumors, but if they continue, I will report to the military district leadership for a thorough investigation. I believe our military district has the capability to handle this.”

Upon hearing this, those who had spread rumors earlier felt a pang of guilt.

Although they hadn’t started the rumors, they had certainly contributed to them.

Initially, it wasn’t about harming Lu’s wife; it was merely a habit of gossip. But as it continued, the tone changed.

Especially with Shi Tingyu’s paintings receiving widespread acclaim outside the school walls, they felt a sense of unspoken disparity and resentment.

What made it worse was that their husbands often praised her, intensifying their sense of injustice.

They hadn’t expected Shi Tingyu to be so forthright, let alone call them out by name.

Due to Shi Tingyu’s forceful manner, no one dared to speak inside the supply truck as they headed into town.

When the supply truck stopped in town, before anyone could get off the truck, Lu Weiguo was the first to step out.

As the door slammed shut, everyone felt a jolt.

There was clearly some anger in that slam.

Inside the driver’s cabin, Xiao Meng trembled with the sound.

He thought to himself, “Captain Lu is upset.”