Xu Ying’s hands instinctively clenched Huo Chen’s collar, her entire body pressing against him. She could feel the rapid rhythm of his heart, mirroring the frantic beat of her own. Her cheeks burned with a deepening blush. As soon as she regained her footing, she swiftly pushed away the man who had caught her, her face now the color of cooked shrimp.
Huo Chen was no less flustered. He took a ragged breath, trying to quell the wild currents stirring within him, and his voice came out hoarse, “Be careful when you walk.”
Xu Ying, her eyes wide and blurry like a startled deer, nodded quickly. She turned and followed Mrs. Xu, retreating towards the safety of the Zhao’s house.
“I will find you tomorrow,” Huo Chen’s voice called out, following her like a whispered promise in the snow. “We’ll bring down the Wu family together.”
Xu Ying turned, her gaze now edged with a strange, defensive distance. “I can do it myself,” she asserted.
Huo Chen said nothing more. He simply turned, and his broad back, a silhouette against the falling snow, disappeared into the swirling white.
Xu Ying stood for a moment, the black umbrella still clutched in her hand. Only then did she remember she hadn’t returned it to him.
[Host, Huo Chen is so handsome and kind to you. Why are you waiting if you don’t agree? Besides, your heartbeat was so fast just now, you must be tempted.]
A sudden pang of pain shot through Xu Ying’s heart. “Shut up,” she snapped, her voice laced with anger.
[Shut up, shut up, you are so weird. You obviously like Him but you still stay away from him.]
Xu Ying forcefully shut down the system. Yet, despite her anger, the system’s words resonated with an uncomfortable truth. Deep down, she knew. She fought desperately against her emotions, not wanting to fall in love, not wanting to marry. But Huo Chen had, unknowingly, walked into her heart.
“Little sister, are you okay?” Mrs. Xu’s voice, soft with concern, broke through Xu Ying’s thoughts. She had been observing her sister-in-law’s increasingly flustered expression.
Xu Ying shook her head. “It’s okay.”
Back at the Zhao’s house, Xu Ying began to subtly steer the conversation towards the Wu family. Women, she knew, were the custodians of gossip, especially when gathered together.
Xu Ying generously offered sunflower seeds and candies, then placed a radio in the yard, its soft hum a backdrop to their gathering. Soon, a small crowd had formed. While most in the compound had jobs, not everyone owned a television. Their seemingly glamorous city lives often masked a harsh reality; city wages rarely stretched far enough. Vegetables were expensive, and feeding growing children three meals a day was a constant struggle. For many families, life in the city was harder than in the countryside. In the villages, despite the lack of fancy clothes, one could at least fill their stomach if they were willing to work. City dwellers had various tickets—for cloth, for meat—allowing them to buy goods, but food itself was scarce. When essentials were lacking, other things naturally became secondary, leading to a miserable existence.
Xu Ying’s striking looks also drew attention, and those with an inquisitive nature couldn’t resist approaching her. Her generosity with sunflower seeds and candies quickly became known throughout the yard. Soon, everyone who had heard of the “freebies” flocked over, eager to partake. Xu Ying listened to the radio, casually interjecting with questions about Xiang County affairs. As an outsider, she feigned surprise at every new piece of information.
Seizing the opportune moment, Xu Ying casually asked, “I heard that the deputy director of the meat processing factory is the real boss there, and even the director has to obey him? Is this true, or just a rumor?”
The question sparked immediate whispers. “It’s true,” someone confided. “The director’s wife is his sister, and she’s a very powerful woman, the head of their family. So, naturally, the director has to listen to the deputy director.”
Xu Ying’s eyes widened in feigned shock, as if consuming a huge piece of gossip. Without hesitation, she handed the eldest sister a generous handful of sunflower seeds. Everyone began to realize that despite her youth, this girl had a knack for gossip.
Among a group of talkative women, there were always a few who spoke without prompting. Even without incentive, their mouths would run. And so, the topic of conversation truly opened up.
“That’s not even the biggest deal,” one woman chimed in. “The Wu family’s son, Wu Zhengyi, leads a truly chaotic life. I heard that his first daughter-in-law was driven to her death by him. In ancient times, this boy would have been treated like a prince, ruining anyone he fancied.”
Xu Ying’s eyes darkened, a cold anger simmering beneath the surface. “Those people didn’t resist? Didn’t call the police?”
“Resist what? Their lives were already ruined. How could they resist? They had no reputation left to protect. Besides, most of those girls’ families favored boys over girls, so the Wu family simply suppressed the matter with some money.”
“At first, there were some brave souls who wanted to go to the police, but after they went, the police claimed there was no evidence and the case couldn’t be established. As a result, the girl caused a lot of trouble. Everyone said she was just trying to climb the social ladder by slandering the Wu family to become a phoenix.”
“Yes, we don’t know if that’s true or not, but considering what that boy, Wu Zhengyi, has done, we believe what the girl said was right. But the Wu family is powerful, and no one dares to speak out. I heard the girl eventually committed suicide by drowning herself in the river. The Wu family doesn’t live a good life.”
Xu Ying listened to the aunts’ discussions, piecing together a grim picture of how many girls had been victimized by the Wu family. She began to mentally categorize the cases of those who had suffered the most serious harm.
“Are you really going to confront the Wu family?” Zhao’s mother’s face was etched with worry. They were just ordinary employees; how could they possibly stand against the deputy factory director?
But Zhao’s father looked supportive. “The Wu family should be punished for their harmful actions. Yingying, don’t worry, your brother Zhao and I will help you with this.”
Xu Ying thanked Father Zhao, though she hadn’t expected much tangible help.
However, by noon the next day, Father Zhao and his son brought Xu Ying promising news.
“Yingying,” Father Zhao began, “my friends helped me find someone who might be very helpful to you. There was a girl named Myolie Zhang. She had been bullied by Wu Zhengyi before, and she and her good friend called the police. But the matter was silenced, likely because the Wu family made threats. Since she wasn’t afraid at first and wanted to sue Wu Zhengyi for ruining her reputation, she must be a courageous person. If you can find her, you will likely have an extra helper.”
“Yes, Sister Yingying,” Zhao Shubo added. “I also found someone. My classmate’s sister was bullied by Wu Zhengyi before. Although his sister is married now, her husband’s family when get to know that she wasn’t the virgin before weeding and has always disliked his sister. My classmate has long hated the Wu family. But he’s afraid of their power and has never dared to retaliate. If he can work with you, he will definitely be able to bring down the Wu family.”
Zhao Shubo’s brother also spoke up, “I also found someone who was insulted by Wu Zhengyi…”
Suddenly, Zhao’s mother appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. “I found one too,” she declared.
Father Zhao looked surprised. “Weren’t you unwilling to go against the factory director?”
A hint of embarrassment colored Zhao’s mother’s face. “I am afraid of the factory director, but the reputations of those girls are also very important. If the Wu family is allowed to continue, many more girls may be harmed. Besides, this is our family’s business, so I definitely have to help.”
Xu Ying thanked everyone, her heart swelling with an unexpected surge of hope.
Just then, Mrs. Xu rushed over, finding Xu Ying. “Yingying,” she said breathlessly, “Huo Chen came just now. He said he would help find all those people. He also said that the reason the Wu family is so rampant is because he used money to support many people to help him. But how can he, a factory director, have so much money?” An answer suddenly crystallized in Mrs. Xu’s mind: corruption.