Chapter 72 Lu Cheng Protects His Wife [I]

Unbeknownst to him, rumors were circulating that he was having an affair with Lin Yuexi. This was pure malicious slander, completely baseless and unfounded! Recalling his past prison experience, a period he couldn’t bear to think about, Wang Tiezhu was filled with regret and helplessness. Back then, he was young and naive, unaware of the dangers of the world, and was seduced by Liu Guilan, who lived east of the village. Liu Guilan was known for her loose morals and had a terrible reputation in the village. She was considered a slut by everyone.

She actively pursued Wang Tiezhu, and he, young and innocent, couldn’t resist the temptation and foolishly got caught up in this absurd entanglement. Who would have thought that Liu Guilan’s husband would suddenly catch them? To protect herself, Liu Guilan turned the tables and accused Wang Tiezhu of raping her. In those days, when people’s views were relatively conservative, based solely on Liu Guilan’s word, Wang Tiezhu was sentenced to five years in prison. Fortunately, there was no concrete evidence to prove that he had committed such a heinous crime. Otherwise, he would have been executed. This prison sentence completely changed Wang Tiezhu’s life trajectory. After enduring the painful ordeal, he finally understood the complexity of human nature and the fickleness of fate. From then on, he was wary of romantic relationships and constantly reminded himself to be careful with his words and actions. He didn’t want to get caught in such a quagmire again.

So, the rumors circulating about him and the doctor were probably spread by someone jealous of her. Wang Tiezhu thought long and hard. The only way to protect Lin Yuexi’s reputation was to stop going to the village clinic for his leg. With that in mind, Wang Tiezhu claimed that his leg had healed and stopped seeking treatment from Lin Yuexi.

Lin Yuexi noticed that Wang Tiezhu no longer came to her clinic. She knew that the rumors circulating outside had made him afraid to come back. Just as Lu Cheng received a telegram from the army, asking him to go to the Beijing Military Academy for training, the rumors about Lin Yuexi and Wang Tiezhu spread even more wildly. He knew that if he didn’t clear things up, Lin Yuexi wouldn’t be able to stand her ground in the village after he left.

Lu Cheng found Li Da-captain and told him in detail about the rumors circulating about Lin Yuexi and Wang Tiezhu, emphasizing the serious impact these rumors were having on Lin Yuexi.

Li Da-captain listened, furrowed his brow, and said, “What nonsense is this? How can you spread rumors without any evidence?”

Lu Cheng continued, “Da-captain, you have a lot of influence in the village. Could you help clear things up? I’m going to the Beijing Military Academy for training in a few days. I’m really worried about Yuexi.”

Li Da-captain nodded and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way. I’ll first go and investigate the situation. I need to find out where these rumors originated from.”

Li Da-captain launched an investigation in the village and soon discovered that the source of the rumors was Liu Ermazi, a lazy idler in the village. Liu Ermazi said, “I went to see Lin Yuexi for treatment, but she wouldn’t treat me. She even said I was fine. So I hated her and wanted to teach her a lesson. I made up this rumor and spread it around…”

Li Da-captain told Lin Yuexi and Lu Cheng that Liu Ermazi had admitted to spreading the rumors. He asked them how they wanted to handle it.

Lin Yuexi said, “Li Da-captain, I think something’s not right. When Liu Ermazi came to see me, I only said a couple of things to him. I didn’t say anything bad about him. He shouldn’t have slandered me like this. So, call him to the brigade headquarters. I’ll ask him in person…”

Li Da-captain and Lu Cheng thought Lin Yuexi’s suggestion made sense and, as she requested, called Liu Ermazi to the brigade headquarters.

When Liu Ermazi arrived at the brigade headquarters, Lin Yuexi asked, “Liu Ermazi, did you really spread those rumors about me?”

“Doctor Lin, I’m sorry. I was wrong…” Liu Ermazi replied.

Seeing that Liu Ermazi actually confessed, Lu Cheng said loudly, “Li Da-captain, this Liu Ermazi dared to slander my wife, to smear a military family. Send him to a labor camp for three years!”

What? Just for telling a few lies, he was going to be sent to a labor camp? How was that possible?

Liu Ermazi was terrified. He broke out in a cold sweat. “Lu Yingchang, Da-captain, Doctor Lin, I was wrong. Please forgive me, your magnanimity. I shouldn’t have lied. Someone told me to do it…”

“Who?” Lu Cheng was furious! He roared, his voice booming with authority. Someone had dared to slander Lin Yuexi right under his nose. Didn’t they respect him at all?

Liu Ermazi was so scared by Lu Cheng’s roar that his legs buckled, and he knelt down with a thud. “I’ll tell you. As long as you don’t send me to a labor camp…”

“Who is it?” Lu Cheng was impatient.

“It’s your mother… Liu Cuifang… and Xia Ziying from the town’s supply and marketing cooperative…” Liu Ermazi stammered.

Boom! Lu Cheng couldn’t believe it. What was his mother trying to do? What good did it do her to slander her own daughter-in-law? And that Xia Ziying, she hadn’t been so bad when they were studying together. Why would she do something like this?

“They found me a while ago and asked me to spread these rumors. They said they would give me some money if it worked out. I was stupid and agreed. I didn’t know it was so serious!” Liu Ermazi said with a mournful face.

Lu Cheng’s face was as dark as a storm cloud. He couldn’t believe that the culprits were his own mother and Xia Ziying. His fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. The anger inside him was about to consume him.

Lin Yuexi saw Lu Cheng like this and gently took his hand, signaling him to calm down. Li Da-captain also said from the side, “Lu Cheng, don’t get too worked up. We need to find a way to solve this completely. We can’t let them continue to act so recklessly.”

Lu Cheng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He said, “Li Da-captain, I can’t just let them off. I want them to admit their mistakes publicly and clear Yuexi’s name.”

Li Da-captain nodded and said, “That’s right. But what are you going to do about your mother?”

Lu Cheng gritted his teeth and said, “She’s my mother. I’ll talk to her properly, but she must be held accountable for her actions. As for Xia Ziying, I won’t let her off easily. I’ll make sure she gets the punishment she deserves.”

Then, Lu Cheng and Li Da-captain discussed a plan. They decided to hold a village meeting first, have Liu Ermazi tell the truth at the meeting, and then bring Liu Cuifang and Xia Ziying to the stage to have them publicly admit their mistakes and apologize.

On the day of the meeting, all the men, women, and children in the village came. Everyone wanted to know what was really behind these rumors.

Liu Ermazi stood on the stage, his head bowed, and recounted how Liu Cuifang and Xia Ziying had instructed him to spread the rumors. The villagers in the audience listened and began to criticize Liu Cuifang and Xia Ziying’s actions.

Then, Lu Cheng had people bring Liu Cuifang and Xia Ziying to the stage.