Chapter 116: The Incident
Liu Guifen, hearing what the team leader said, backed up a few steps and shouted, “Who is it? Coming, coming, wait a second!”
Before the door even opened, a young man had already jumped into the courtyard. Liu Guifen had no choice but to open the door.
“Team leader, why are you here?” she asked, pretending not to know, blocking the doorway with a confused look. “Huh? Why are there so many people here? What are you all doing at my house? I don’t have any extra food to cook for you.”
“Move aside.” Aunt Yang Liu shoved her out of the way and walked straight in.
The group of people behind her followed in a noisy crowd.
Liu Guifen shouted anxiously, “Hey! What are you all doing? Team leader…”
A nosy villager sneered, “Guifen, stop pretending. You really don’t know what your Wang Mazi did?”
“Hahaha, I wonder if she was involved too.”
“Guifen, let me tell you the truth — your Wang Mazi is probably in big trouble.”
One of the young men who had first jumped into the courtyard pointed at a room to the right and said, “Team leader, that room should be Wang Mazi’s.”
Liu Guifen blocked their way. “Wait, my Mazi is still sleeping. If you barge in like this and wake him up, he’ll lose his temper.”
Just then, sounds from inside the room grew louder, exposing Liu Guifen’s lie.
Li Cuihua let out a mocking laugh. “Liu Guifen, stop trying to block us. Anyone can tell from the sounds inside what’s going on. Do you know why we’re here? Your son is probably getting hot and heavy in there with Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu from the educated youth dormitory.”
“Li Cuihua, shut your mouth!” Aunt Yang Liu roared. “Say one more word and I’ll tear it apart!”
Aunt Qiuju glared at Li Cuihua and scolded her sharply, “Li Cuihua, if you haven’t seen the facts, don’t speak nonsense. Destroying team unity — as the women’s committee director, I’ll be the first not to forgive you.”
Li Cuihua backed off slightly, her voice quieter. “It’s not nonsense. It’s written clearly on this note. Otherwise, why else would you all be here?”
“Enough. Everyone, be quiet.” Zhang Dawei, who had remained silent, barked, his face dark. This kind of thing was disgraceful no matter who was involved. His cold gaze turned to Liu Guifen. “Liu Guifen, open the door.”
Liu Guifen shuddered in fear and shuffled slowly toward the door, growing more confused about what Li Cuihua had said.
“Just watch — I bet they’re inside,” Li Cuihua said smugly, crossing her arms as she listened to the sounds from inside.
“Stop dawdling, hurry up.”
Seeing how slowly Liu Guifen was moving, Zhang Dawei ordered the people nearest the door, “You few, open the door.”
One of the aunts volunteered. She removed the latch, and with a creak, the door swung open with a push.
Those at the door craned their necks eagerly, then rushed in, jostling to see.
Liu Guifen stood to the side, panicking. What do I do? What do I do?
“Ha! It’s true!”
“Impressive — that educated youth is so fair-skinned.”
“Ah! Why are you in my room?” Wang Mazi cried out in alarm, hastily pulling the bedsheet over the person beside him.
Li Cuihua, who was still outside and hadn’t squeezed in yet, yelled excitedly when she heard that, “Is it Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu? Is it them?”
Ning Xiyue suddenly popped out from behind Li Cuihua, responding in confusion, “Auntie, I’m right here. Do you need something from me?”
“Exactly, Aunt Li,” Chen Yechu followed calmly with the other educated youths from the dorm. “You’ve been yelling both my and Xiyue’s names from far away.”
When Li Cuihua saw the two people she was so sure were inside walk out fully dressed from behind, she looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Unable to accept it, she screamed, “Why are you two here? Then who’s in there?”
Ning Xiyue rolled her eyes and shot Li Cuihua a sharp look. “Auntie, since you’re here and we’re here, where else could we possibly be? What a strange question. Unless… unless you wanted it to be us? I have to say, you’re acting awfully suspicious. Could it be…”
Chen Yechu played along. “Could it be what?”
“Could it be that this whole thing is related to you?”
“Pah! What’s it got to do with me?”
“Li Cuihua, shut up!” Aunt Qiuju glared daggers at her.
“Xiyue, thank goodness you’re fine — thank goodness,” Aunt Yang Liu said as she rushed over, holding Ning Xiyue’s hands, finally relieved when she saw she was unharmed.
Ning Xiyue gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Auntie, I’m fine. I just came along to see the commotion.”
The aunts who cared about Ning Xiyue all breathed sighs of relief. Even the team leader, who hadn’t gone inside yet, relaxed a little. His wife could also stop worrying now.
Those who still hadn’t managed to push inside started speculating, “Since Educated Youth Ning and Educated Youth Chen are both here, then who’s in there?”
“Who’s in there?” someone shouted.
Another person inside answered, “We don’t know — Wang Mazi’s covering the person with a blanket, so we can’t see their face.”
The team leader’s expression darkened upon hearing that. He walked in to take charge. “Everyone, step back.”
The crowd parted to make way for him. Seizing the opportunity, Ning Xiyue quickly stepped forward and followed him inside.
Close behind were an excited Chen Yechu, Li Xiuxiu, and Liu Yao, and the ever-exasperated Yu Zhiyu, shaking his head.
As soon as Ning Xiyue entered, she saw that the table in Wang Mazi’s room had been smashed apart. Wang Mazi and the woman beside him, Ning Xiaoxiao, were both covered in countless marks.
Looks like things got intense… she thought. The table had still been intact just last night.
Wang Mazi was actually quite pleased to see the people around him. His future wife had come so soon. He wasn’t the least bit afraid or embarrassed about being caught — he was confident his wish would come true.
He looked up at the team leader who had just entered and said, “Team leader, we’re truly in love.”
The team leader frowned and gave him a cold look. “Wake her up.”
Wang Mazi, still a little intimidated by the leader, obediently pulled the blanket back slightly to reveal Ning Xiaoxiao’s head and gently patted her.
That was enough for the crowd on tiptoe to see the female protagonist of this scandal.
An uproar broke out.
“Wow! It’s Ning Xiaoxiao — who would’ve thought?”
“Seriously, I didn’t expect that. She always seemed so delicate and pitiable. I didn’t think she was into Wang Mazi’s type. What a shame — she could’ve chosen me instead.”
One aunt who’d always disliked Ning Xiaoxiao spat, “Pah! That Ning Xiaoxiao is so shameless — what a tramp.”
Ning Xiaoxiao was still half-dazed. Ning Xiyue quietly crushed a pill in her hand and patted her clothes as if brushing off dust. “Huh? Where did all this dust come from?” she muttered. The powder scattered into the air.
No one was paying attention to Ning Xiyue — all eyes were on Ning Xiaoxiao.
After about a minute, Ning Xiaoxiao, who was leaning against the wall, slowly regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to see countless pairs of eyes staring at her and asked in confusion:
“Who are you people?”
Everyone continued to stare at her with keen interest — especially Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu, who should have been in bed with Wang Mazi according to the rumors, now standing there smiling.
A sharp scream broke the silence. “Ah! Why are you here…?”
Ning Xiyue smiled. Ning Xiaoxiao still hadn’t realized her situation or processed what was happening — Ning Xiyue couldn’t wait to see her reaction.
At that moment, Wang Mazi, now dressed, moved closer to Ning Xiaoxiao and gently patted her shoulder with a tender smile.
“Xiaoxiao, did you forget? Last night you came to me and insisted on staying here, saying you wanted to be my wife and have my children.”
