Chapter 2: Sent to the Police Station

The original host’s parents had always treated the neighbors in the courtyard well. After the couple passed away, the neighbors came to offer their condolences. But ever since Old Lady Yu and Uncle Yu arrived, claiming they would take care of the original host, they stopped the neighbors from coming around.

The original host was mourning the loss of her parents, and her mood was gloomy. She hadn’t gone out for days, so the neighbors didn’t know what had happened between her and her grandmother’s family.

“Auntie, n-no, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.”

Li Ailing scolded Zhao Jinyu, “How could you be so heartless? It was Team Leader Yu who got you jobs at the pharmaceutical factory. The couple treated you so well, yet you repay kindness with cruelty! It wasn’t Jingjing trying to kill you—it was you trying to kill her!”

“We didn’t! We care about this girl—we wouldn’t hurt her!”

“Then how did she get that injury on the back of her head? Do you think we’re all blind?”

“T-That was from her bumping into something by accident. It has nothing to do with us. What she said isn’t true, none of it happened.”

“Uncle, you’re lying! When you pushed me, you said you wanted me dead—if I died, the house would be yours, and no one could talk about the shameless things between you and that Li Dana!”

“I never said that! I only pushed you onto the coffee table! I don’t even know who Li Dana is!”

Zhao Jinyu was now visibly flustered.

“So you admit you pushed me, Uncle?”

Only then did Zhao Jinyu realize she’d slipped up and told the truth. Gritting her teeth, she said, “No, I didn’t push you! I didn’t!”

But the neighbors had already heard everything.

“Don’t deny it! You pushed her, plain and simple—we all heard it! Your whole family bullies Jingjing, you’re disgusting!”

“No! No, I really didn’t push her. I misspoke just now!”

Yu Jingjing took advantage of her panic and added, “Uncles, aunties, grandpas, grandmas—you all heard her, right? She deliberately pushed me, trying to kill me! And she’s having an affair with someone else! Can someone please report this to the police? Let the police handle it and decide who’s right or wrong!”

“That’s right. Zhao Jinyu just said herself to let the police settle it.”

“N-No! I don’t want the police involved!”

She’d said it in the heat of the moment, but now that things were spiraling, if the police came, who knew who’d end up getting arrested.

“I’ll call the police!” someone in the crowd shouted. It was Auntie Li’s husband, Hu Jianguo. He hopped on his bike and dashed off to find the authorities.

Not long after, two police officers arrived. They first examined Yu Jingjing’s injury—it was a serious bump.

Zhao Jinyu stubbornly denied pushing Yu Jingjing or having an affair. “That girl hit her head on the coffee table herself. I didn’t touch her! And there’s no affair!”

But the neighbors could all testify. Zhao Jinyu had no way to defend herself, and just as the police were about to take her away, she still tried to accuse Yu Jingjing: “Officer, Yu Jingjing also hit me and my daughter! Please seek justice for us!”

“I didn’t hit them—they’re slandering me!” said Yu Jingjing.

“At a time like this, you’re still trying to frame Jingjing? You really are rotten to the core,” said an older woman.

“I’m not lying!” Zhao Jinyu felt wronged. She was telling the truth, but no one believed her.

“If Jingjing hit you, then show us where! You both look fine to me—no signs of injury at all.”

“Yu Jingjing hit me…” But at that point, Zhao Jinyu didn’t know how to continue.

When Yu Jingjing had fought back in the house, she grabbed at their soft flesh or kicked them in sensitive areas. How could she say that out loud?

“Show the police your injuries. If you have none, then you’re making false accusations.”

“Exactly—she’s just the thief crying thief.”

Zhao Jinyu couldn’t say anything and certainly couldn’t show where she’d been hit. She could only swallow her anger in silence.

Yu Yanjiao, a grown girl, was too embarrassed to mention those places. Even if she told the police, they might not charge Yu Jingjing. So she kept quiet.

Plus, she now realized she looked a lot like Li Dana. If her father found out… what would she do?

She noticed neighbors pointing fingers at her—it turned out she was an illegitimate child, the daughter of Zhao Jinyu and that other man.

Zhao Jinyu was now slapped with the charge of false accusation and taken away by the police. Li Dana would also be investigated.

Yu Jingjing watched her get taken away and secretly smirked—one down, and the rest wouldn’t get off easy either.

Just then, Auntie Li spoke gently, “Jingjing, let me take you to the hospital to treat your wound.”

Yu Jingjing could have handled such a minor injury herself, but if she just went home, people might think she was fine. “Okay, Auntie Li, thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Li Ailing pushed her bicycle forward, letting Yu Jingjing sit on the back seat.

Since she was about to go to the countryside, Yu Jingjing needed to take care of the two job positions. She remembered that Auntie Li’s youngest daughter was about to graduate and asked if she wanted a job.

Her parents used to be military doctors before transferring to local pharmaceutical research. If it hadn’t been for that lab explosion, they wouldn’t have died.

After the explosion came a massive fire. In the end, not even their remains were found.

So the two job slots were offered by the pharmaceutical factory.

“Auntie Li, your Xiao Kui is almost done with high school, right? Will she go to a workers-peasants-soldiers university, or start working after graduation?”

Li Ailing sighed. “Those universities aren’t easy to get into. And there’s no job assignment waiting for her. She’ll probably be sent to the countryside too.”

“Auntie Li, I have two work slots. I can transfer one to Xiao Kui. Do you want it?”

Only then did Li Ailing remember Jingjing still had two job quotas, but she was more concerned about Jingjing going to the countryside.

“Jingjing, are you really going to the countryside? It’s tough out there. Your parents were factory martyrs. Why don’t I go talk to the factory leadership, see if they can talk to the youth department and cancel your name? Then you won’t have to suffer.”

But Yu Jingjing didn’t want to stay in the city.

She had no attachments left here. Staying would mean working every day like the rest of the urban workforce. There weren’t weekends yet—being an office worker was like being a beast of burden. Though she had her parents’ compensation and didn’t have to worry about food or clothing, if she stayed home all day, someone would report her for living in bourgeois comfort, accuse her of laziness, label her.

Her aunt had thought she was punishing her by sending her to freezing Northeast China. Little did she know—it was exactly where she wanted to go.

In the northeast, crops were harvested only once a year. You only needed to work half the year. During the long winter—maodong season—you could enjoy months of doing absolutely nothing.

She had studied and worked her whole life. Now that she had a chance to lie flat, she wasn’t about to pass it up.

“Auntie, I’ve already decided to go. Don’t trouble the factory leaders anymore. One of the jobs is accounting in the office, the other is quality inspection in the workshop. Ask Xiao Kui which one she prefers.”

Li Ailing was deeply grateful. “Alright, I’ll ask her when she gets home.”

Their family had been worrying about finding a job for the younger daughter. Now, two jobs were dropped in their lap—and they could even choose.

At the hospital, the doctor examined and cleaned Yu Jingjing’s wound and applied medicine. Li Ailing offered to pay the bill, but Yu Jingjing refused.

“Auntie Li, you’ve already done so much—no need to spend your money.”

“You sweet child, always so polite.”

Back at the residential compound, Li Ailing said, “Jingjing, come to my place for a while.”

She was afraid the others at home might bully her again.

“Auntie, I’m okay. Don’t worry.”

She was exhausted and hungry. She just wanted to go home, eat, rest, and then clean up the remaining scumbags. Everything those parasites had taken—she’d get it all back.

“I understand. But if anything else happens, be sure to tell me.”

“I will, Auntie.”