Chapter 82.2

Bai Qianzhu was capable of striking back at Commander Xie for Xie Yin, so it was no surprise she could report him.

“The higher-ups just sent someone to investigate. Old Xie…will have to stay in jail for a few more days,” Xu Zhu gave Ruan Mingfu a shot of caution. “Sister-in-law, don’t panic. I know what Old Xie is like. He will be fine.”

“I know.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded, and then thought of Commander Xie, the troublemaker.

“Is Commander Xie awake now?”

Xu Zhu shook his head.

The dim light in the living room cast shadows across his face, making it hard to see his expression.

“Having such a father is truly…”

Although Hu Wanning didn’t finish her thought, her meaning was clear.

“Sister-in-law, since Old Xu has said it, Old Xie will definitely be fine,” she patted Ruan Mingfu’s hand. “You don’t need to worry. Just stay home and wait for news.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded. “Sister-in-law, it’s getting late. You should head home and rest.”

“Let Old Xu leave,” Hu Wanning glanced at him. “I’ll stay with you tonight.”

Xu Zhu was left speechless.

With his wife having made such a decision, what could he say?

Finally, Xu Zhu stood outside in the cold wind, watching the lights dim in the house, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Although Ruan Mingfu was worried, knowing that Xie Yanzhao was only undergoing routine questioning calmed her anxiety. Her days had passed similarly to usual, except that Hu Wanning frequently came by to chat and check on her.

That day, Sister Lin, Sister Wang, Li Xianglan, He Cuixiang, and Li Xiaoyue from next door also came over with their children.

Curious about Li Xiaoyue’s child, Ruan Mingfu leaned in for a closer look.

“She’s grown quite a bit and doesn’t look at all like what I saw in the hospital,” Ruan Mingfu remarked.

“Children change every day,” Sister Lin, the eldest among them and the most experienced, replied. “You’ll understand once you have your own.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Ruan Mingfu thought, ‘Well, that’s one way to nudge me toward having kids.’

“This child is truly adorable,” Sister Wang chimed in, leaning forward to take a peek. “When she grows up, she’ll definitely be a beauty. By then, your doorstep will be worn out from people coming to see her.”

Li Xiaoyue’s smile grew even wider at that.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just want her to be safe and sound,” she said.

“Exactly,” Sister Lin added with a heartfelt tone. “I have two older kids who’ve accomplished a lot, but they’re hardly ever around. I’m always worried about them, afraid they might go hungry or thirsty…”

Sister Wang nodded in agreement. “That’s not too bad. It’s worse if they’re soldiers on the battlefield. You never know if they’re alive or dead, and that really tears at your heart.”

“Let’s stop talking about the kids,” Sister Lin waved her hand dismissively. “I’m afraid I’ll start to overthink things and Old Liu will scold me for making a fuss when I get back.”

At her words, everyone laughed.

Ruan Mingfu leaned back in her chair, noticing for the first time in ages that the sun had come out. She raised her hand to shield her eyes, but the sunlight was still blinding.

“By the way, my spinach has grown quite a bit,” Sister Wang said, glancing at Ruan Mingfu. “I’ll pick some for you to try later.”

“I won’t be polite then,” Ruan Mingfu replied.

Sister Wang laughed. “I appreciate your lack of formality!”

“…My father-in-law has been lying in the hospital for so many days, and she still has the nerve to laugh there!”

An unpleasant voice cut through the air, and everyone turned to see who was speaking. It was a woman from next door, Wang Manman’s yard.

She was older, her hair turning white. Deep lines marked her face, giving her a harsh, unapproachable appearance. Her malicious eyes scanned Ruan Mingfu without restraint.

Hu Wanning frowned at her.

The courtyard was filled with older people, most of them well into their years.

“Commander Xie has been in for two days already, and she is still dressed up beautifully, not looking anxious at all.”

“Look at her face, she doesn’t seem like a decent person,” another remarked.

“If Commander Xie had married Comrade Shao Mingzhu from the arts troupe, she would have been better than her…”

“What nonsense are you all talking about?” Hu Wanning’s brows furrowed tightly as she confronted them. “Believe it or not, I will tear your mouths apart.”

The older women, many of whom could have been Hu Wanning’s mother-in-law, clearly weren’t intimidated.

“Young ones are always so hot-headed. We’re old enough to be your mothers. How dare you talk to us like that?”

“We’re just stating facts…”

“That’s right. What have we said that’s wrong?”

“If she did a good job, how could we possibly find fault with her…”

“Not having any elders around isn’t good. Young people just can’t handle the hardships.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Ruan Mingfu thought to herself, ‘These women are unbearable, just like those aunties dancing at the square in modern times, so annoying.’

“No matter what, I don’t need people like you to lecture me.”

One older lady, neatly groomed and clearly someone of stature, looked disapprovingly at Ruan Mingfu.

“Comrade Ruan, you’ve been educated and were once an educated youth. We are all your elders. How can you speak to us this way?”

“Exactly, who knows what they’re teaching in school these days.”

“If I had encountered a student like you when I was young, I would have set her straight…”

As if she were still a teacher, but with such a poor attitude?

Ruan Mingfu was about to respond when Sister Lin tugged at her sleeve.

“Don’t bother with them,” she shook her head at Ruan Mingfu. “They have their own twisted logic that you can’t reason with.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded, understanding somewhat.

She walked straight inside, and the older women felt even more triumphant.

“We should have taught her some basic manners earlier.”

“Right? Just look at how she handles her father-in-law’s situation. She’s ruining our family compound’s reputation. If this gets out, how can I show my face outside?”

“Hah, if it weren’t for Commander Xie’s high rank, I would suggest moving her out to the logistics side!”

“Hey—AH!!!”

Suddenly, a large basin of water poured down from above, drenching the gossiping women.

Ruan Mingfu threw the empty basin onto the ground.

“Go on, keep talking!”

Sister Lin and Sister Wang were stunned.

These women loved to gossip, but their age meant they simply swallowed their pride when confronted. Aside from Aunt Liu, they were the biggest nuisances in the neighborhood.

Everyone was fed up with these women, yet they still carried an air of superiority.

Because they were teachers, they always regarded themselves as above others, looking down on everyone.

In a compound with hundreds of families, there wasn’t a single one they thought worthy of their attention.

The well-dressed older lady looked disheveled, her face turning ashen with anger. She pointed at Ruan Mingfu as if she had Parkinson’s.

“You… you…”

Hu Wanning quickly rushed over, alarmed.

“Are you okay?”

Ruan Mingfu lifted her delicate chin defiantly.

The older women glared at her, their fury only intensifying.

“Has your family never taught you how to respect the elderly?”

“I’ve been taught that,” Ruan Mingfu looked at the embarrassed old ladies, “My mother said that we should respect the elderly and treat them with respect. We don’t need to be polite to those old people who don’t have good manners and point fingers at others.”

After hearing this, several hot-tempered old ladies almost exploded with anger.

Hu Wanning secretly gave Ruan Mingfu a thumbs-up.

“You… you!” one elderly lady stammered in outrage.

Seeing the woman’s face turn a deep shade of anger, Ruan Mingfu felt a twinge of worry that she might lose her temper. If that happened, it would be hard to escape blame.

“Everyone can witness that I haven’t done anything to you,” she stated.

“That’s right. How could someone as kind as her do anything to an elder?” He Cuixiang added with a malicious smile. “She hasn’t even touched anyone!”

Who isn’t annoyed by these old women?

When He Cuixiang first joined the army, she accidentally bumped into one of them. Just a light brush, and the old woman wouldn’t let it go. Since she was new and wanted to keep the peace, He Cuixiang went to apologize.

But the old lady just became more aggressive.

He Cuixiang was holding back her anger, secretly enjoying watching these old women get what they deserved.

“You… you’re talking nonsense…” the elderly woman fumed, her face growing even more ashen as she noticed the water stains on her clothes.

With a dramatic roll of her eyes, she plopped down on the ground and started wailing.

“This world is so unfair! At my age, I still have to be bullied by a young girl… What a disgrace…”

Soon, one woman started, and the others joined in.

“Cursed child, why doesn’t lightning strike her dead!” one exclaimed.

“Don’t you have any elders in your family? You think it’s okay to bully us? Don’t you fear that someone will do the same to your family one day?” another chimed in.

Ruan Mingfu thought to herself, These people are unbelievable!

They couldn’t do anything right, but they were experts at making a scene.

The ones who truly deserved a lightning strike were these old hags!

Ruan Mingfu’s hands itched to retaliate, but Hu Wanning grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t be impulsive, sister-in-law,” she said, glancing at the sobbing old women. “Think about Old Xie… At this critical moment, let’s not escalate things.”

Sister Lin also chimed in, “Wanning is right.”

“Come on, Sister…” Li Xianglan added her voice of reason.

Ruan Mingfu took a deep breath, trying to suppress her frustration.

She just hoped these old ladies wouldn’t ruin her day!

As she turned to leave, Wang Manman heard the commotion from her yard and rushed over. Seeing her mother sitting on the ground, looking disheveled and wronged, ignited her anger.

“Stop right there!” Wang Manman glared fiercely at Ruan Mingfu. “Did you do this?”

Now Ruan Mingfu understood why Wang Manman had moved to this neighborhood.

Who wouldn’t find it unbearable to deal with these troublemakers?

“Yes, it was me,” Ruan Mingfu declared, shaking off Hu Wanning’s hand and lifting her chin defiantly. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Go to hell!” Wang Manman shouted, her jealousy flaring as she glared at Ruan Mingfu’s strikingly beautiful face.

Seething, she picked up her bag and threw it at Ruan Mingfu.

Fortunately, Ruan Mingfu reacted quickly and pulled pregnant Li Xianglan to the side. The bag landed on the grass with a dull thud, but Ruan Mingfu was now furious.

She grabbed the basin she had thrown earlier and hurled it at Wang Manman.

Wang Manman, however, wasn’t so lucky. The metal basin hit her squarely on the head with a loud clang. She momentarily froze, and the elderly women gasped in shock.

“Are you okay?” one of the old ladies quickly asked, grabbing Wang Manman’s hand.

Wang Manman clutched her head, her face darkened with anger as she glared at Ruan Mingfu.

“You filthy bitch, how dare you hit me!”

“I hit you, so what?” Ruan Mingfu shot back defiantly.

Wang Manman was furious, especially since her head throbbed painfully. This humiliation only intensified her anger toward Ruan Mingfu.

Ruan Mingfu’s defiance only further fueled Wang Manman’s rage.

She had been struck. She had actually been struck!

“I’m going to fight you!”