Chapter 52 : Throwing Dirty Water

“It’s such a wonderful thing, and it’s still brand new. My granddaughter-in-law saw how much I loved listening to it and immediately placed it in my room. Just yesterday, when she went to the supply and marketing cooperative, she remembered that I have a sweet tooth and brought me two pounds of egg cake. Tell me, where else can you find such a thoughtful and caring granddaughter-in-law?”  

Old Lady Qi was as giddy as a child. The radio, a rare commodity, became the center of attention, drawing admiration and envy from the villagers.  

Being generous, the old lady turned up the radio’s volume so that even those sitting in the front row could enjoy the sound.  

Naturally, as people appreciated her generosity, they were full of compliments.  

“Old lady, you’ll live a blessed life! This daughter-in-law of yours is so filial. We’ve never seen something as expensive as this!”  

“It sounds amazing! The voice coming from this little box is so melodic, even better than our teacher’s,” remarked some children, mimicking the Mandarin spoken on the radio.  

The old lady encouraged them, “Then you must study hard so you can become high school students in the future.”  

Chen Xianyun chimed in proudly, “My daughter-in-law is not only beautiful and kind but also well-educated, she graduated from high school.”  

She raised her voice deliberately and added, “I used to worry about my son, Shaoqiang. I never imagined such a wonderful daughter-in-law was waiting for me in the next brigade. It’s like fish go with fish, and shrimp with shrimp. The bad ones aren’t worthy of our children.”  

As she said this, she shot a pointed glance at Chen Qiuxiang, who stood nearby.  

Seeing the villagers gathered around, admiring the radio and enjoying themselves, Chen Qiuxiang’s face twisted with jealousy and resentment.  

‘Bah! That shameless old hag is badmouthing me behind my back. Does she think the Qi family is above reproach?’  

Another villager added with a smile, “That’s right. Your Shaoqiang has a great job and is so handsome. Not just anyone could match him!”  

The hidden meaning was clear: Wu Meiling wasn’t worthy of Qi Shaoqiang.  

Chen Qiuxiang’s blood boiled. She wanted to rip into the man’s smug words and slap Chen Xianyun twice for good measure.  

But since they hadn’t named anyone directly, confronting them would only bring embarrassment.  

Chen Qiuxiang had no choice but to stomp off home, muttering angrily, “What’s there to brag about? It’s just a lousy radio. Jiang Li is obviously a restless woman. It’s only a matter of time before Qi Shaoqiang is cuckolded.”  

—

Jiang Hongmei happened to pass by with buckets of water when she overheard Jiang Li’s name. She stopped in her tracks and stepped in front of Chen Qiuxiang.  

Seeing Jiang Hongmei, Chen Qiuxiang wrinkled her nose in disgust and moved to the side.  

‘Isn’t this the woman rumored to be involved with Zhuang Guoliang?’ she thought. ‘How repulsive. Such an unfaithful woman marrying into Bailutang is a stain on the production team.’  

But Jiang Hongmei stopped her, saying, “Auntie, wait a moment!”  

She blocked Chen Qiuxiang’s way and asked, “I heard you say my cousin Jiang Li is restless. Is that true?”  

Chen Qiuxiang hesitated. She knew Jiang Hongmei was Jiang Li’s cousin and feared she might complain. She quickly denied it. “I didn’t say that. Don’t go making things up.”  

But Jiang Hongmei smiled slyly. “You’re right, Auntie. My cousin is fickle. She used to flirt with other people back in school.”  

Chen Qiuxiang’s eyes lit up with interest. “Is that true?”  

“Of course,” Jiang Hongmei replied. “Her parents are both gone, and she lived with us. I know her better than anyone. Do you think I’d lie about something like that?”  

“It turns out she’s someone with a tough life and bad luck,” Chen Qiuxiang said with a newfound sense of pride.  

“You mentioned she was flirting with guys at school. How exactly was she doing that?”  

Jiang Hongmei rolled her eyes. Jiang Li, that little wretch, had humiliated her before, and she was determined not to let it slide.  

Jiang Li was only basking in her current glory because of Qi Shaoqiang’s favor. But if Qi Shaoqiang discovered her so-called “restless” nature and lost respect for her, could she still hold her head high?  

Even if Qi Shaoqiang didn’t believe the gossip, the whole village would. And surely, her mother-in-law wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it.  

Jiang Hongmei’s ultimate goal was clear: to destroy Jiang Li’s life. Why should Jiang Li, just because she married Qi Shaoqiang, be cherished like a rare treasure? Why?  

Smiling cunningly, Jiang Hongmei began, “She had multiple boyfriends at school. She’d constantly get guys to give her gifts and bring her food. Everyone in the village knows about it.”  

“I knew it! She doesn’t seem like a proper girl! Qi Shaoqiang must be blind to have chosen her over someone decent,” Chen Qiuxiang scoffed.  

“Not just at school,” Jiang Hongmei continued. “She even flirted with men in our village. Old bachelors, widowers, it didn’t matter. As long as someone offered her food, she’d sneak off into the haystack with them.”  

Chen Qiuxiang hesitated for a moment. Jiang Li was undeniably beautiful; it was hard to imagine her being interested in an old widower. But Jiang Hongmei’s confidence and sincerity made her doubts waver.  

“You’re her cousin. What good does it do you to spread such stories?” Chen Qiuxiang asked, still slightly skeptical.  

Jiang Hongmei smiled sweetly. “I’m only telling you because I care. I don’t want anyone to be fooled by her false appearance.”  

Chen Qiuxiang mulled it over, her thoughts clicking into place.  

She knew Jiang Hongmei’s reputation in the village wasn’t great, so perhaps Jiang Hongmei wanted to shift attention away from herself by exposing Jiang Li’s misdeeds.  

“If you’re so righteous as to betray your own cousin, why don’t you go and tell everyone yourself?” Chen Qiuxiang asked, still cautious about being manipulated.  

“Auntie,” Jiang Hongmei said pitifully, “I just got married and don’t know many people here. If I tell them, they might not believe me. But I feel close to you, so I’m sharing my concerns. You’re clearly a respected person in the village, well-dressed, and from a good family. If you tell them, they’ll believe you without a doubt.”  

Flattered by Jiang Hongmei’s words, Chen Qiuxiang relaxed her guard. “Well, if you have time, come by my house. Spend more time with us, and after a while, people will see that you’re not the kind of person they think you are.”  

Jiang Hongmei beamed with satisfaction. “Thank you, Auntie. If you don’t mind, I’ll visit often.”  

Watching Chen Qiuxiang saunter toward the crowd, her hips swaying as she whispered “Jiang Li” here and there, Jiang Hongmei felt triumphant.  

‘Jiang Li, once your reputation is in tatters, let’s see how you survive in Bailutang!’

—

At the department store, Jiang Li carefully selected fabrics she liked: blue and white plaid cotton, white polka-dot cotton, and some white and green gauze.  

The cotton fabric was inexpensive at 60 cents per foot, but the gauze was pricier at 1.3 yuan per foot.  

Jiang Li ordered two feet of each cotton fabric and one foot of the gauze, spending exactly five yuan. She handed over the cash and the required cloth coupons before leaving with her purchase.  

The two women then made their way to the factory’s family quarters. When they arrived, Qin Xiaoting walked into a narrow alley with the confidence of someone who knew the place well.