"I’m going to sue her! I’ll sue her for slandering our reputation as a married couple," Bai Jiu declared, tilting her chin up. If Zhuo Hongling wanted to hit back, there was no way in hell she’d let her.
"Call the police." Who was afraid of who?
At the word "police," everyone fell silent. This wasn’t really a massive issue, and there was no need to escalate things to this extent.
"Those who dedicate themselves to the country should not be slandered or questioned," Bai Jiu said, refusing to yield an inch.
Zhuo Hongling had never seen anyone make such a fuss. In the past, her arguments had always remained private matters; no one had ever threatened to involve the police. Now, she was genuinely scared.
She had enjoyed quite a few privileges thanks to her husband’s status, so she knew better than anyone how important that status was. If Bai Jiu really called the police, she would likely be the one to suffer the consequences. But making her apologize? No way. Bai Jiu had hit her, after all!
"You attacked first," Zhuo Hongling retorted.
Minister Wu sighed. "Can you two sisters-in-law listen to me for a moment?" If he had a choice, he really wouldn’t have come today.
"This isn’t exactly a huge issue, so let’s forget about the police. Escalating it won’t do your husbands any good. Besides, look at where we are. If word of this gets out, we’ll be laughed to death.
"If you ask me, let’s just drop the matter, alright?" Minister Wu’s head was throbbing.
"Then what about her hitting me?" Zhuo Hongling stubbornly latched onto this point. That slap and those two kicks had really hurt. She was still aching right now.
"Sister-in-law Song, you really can’t blame Sister-in-law Gao for this. You have to understand, those things you said severely damaged Mr. Gao’s reputation. If things go wrong, he could be penalized because of your words. Losing his job would be the least of it; it could cost him his life." Minister Wu truly couldn’t fathom how Researcher Mr. Song had married such a piece of work. If it were him, he would have divorced her ages ago.
"Engaging in improper relations between men and women is a serious crime," Minister Wu added.
Zhuo Hongling was getting scared. She had accused others like this before, but no one had ever taken it to that extreme; it had always just been verbal sparring. Now that she had run into someone who took it seriously, she was truly intimidated.
"Sister-in-law Song, you also need to think about Comrade Song Yong," Minister Wu said. He knew exactly what these military wives’ Achilles’ heels were. Their ultimate weakness was always their husbands.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zhuo Hongling lost her previous bluster.
"Then she has to apologize to me." This was her last shred of pride. But making her apologize to Bai Jiu? Not a chance.
"In your dreams! Even if apologies are in order, you need to apologize to me first. You were the one who insulted me," Bai Jiu shot back, completely unafraid of her. No matter who they took this to, she was in the right. Even if she were to be disciplined, Zhuo Hongzhen would have to suffer it right alongside her.
"How about... you two sisters-in-law both apologize at the same time?" Minister Wu asked cautiously, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
As if that were possible. Neither Bai Jiu nor Zhuo Hongling was willing to do so.
"No way," they replied in unison.
"How about we just forget it then?" Minister Wu suggested with difficulty.
The two women scoffed and turned their heads away from each other. Zhuo Hongling had marched over with her head held high, but now she hurried back with her head hung low, like a defeated rooster.
Bai Jiu, on the other hand, had truly opened the eyes of everyone around her. They had assumed she was gentle and mild-mannered, but who would have thought she had this side to her?
"You’re amazing, Sister-in-law Gao," Chi said, giving Bai Jiu a thumbs-up instead.
Bai Jiu didn’t care what he was really thinking; she just took it as a compliment. As for Gao Zhijun’s thoughts? They didn’t matter. She had money and wasn’t afraid of being unable to support herself. She could survive anywhere.
"Alright, let’s go look at the houses," Bai Jiu said. Having stretched her limbs in a fight, she was currently full of energy.
Gao Zhijun held the two children by the hand, trailing behind Bai Jiu like an obedient little wife. Meanwhile, Minister Wu, afraid she might actually file a complaint, personally escorted them to see the housing.
The new complex consisted of just one building. It was four stories high, with eight households on each floor. It was quite densely packed. There were some empty plots nearby, presumably for future construction, making the surroundings a chaotic mess. The environment wasn’t nearly as nice as the residential complexes in her own world.
Before even going upstairs, Bai Jiu already disliked it. Once they climbed the stairs, she completely gave up on the place.
The apartments were separated by mere walls, meaning every word spoken could be heard crystal clear next door. Not to mention the pots and pans each family had piled out in the corridors, leaving barely any room to turn around. No, absolutely not. She did not want to live here.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, a blast of hot air hit them, making Bai Jiu find it even more repulsive. It would be stifling in the summer and freezing in the winter, and she certainly wasn’t a masochist.
Minister Wu opened the door. Inside were just three simple rooms, and one of them was the bathroom. So much for a two-bedroom apartment—it was just one bedroom and a living room. Good grief!
"What do you think?" Gao Zhijun asked as he showed the kids around the place. He seemed quite satisfied with it.
After stepping inside, Bai Jiu hadn’t moved an inch.
"Is something wrong, Sister-in-law Gao?" Chi stood not far away. He noticed the disgust on Sister-in-law Gao’s face, and thinking he might have seen wrong, he spoke up to ask.
Bai Jiu shook her head. "It’s nothing. How about we go take a look at the old courtyards?"
She wouldn’t live here even if it killed her. Frying up a single dish would send the smell through the entire building. How was she supposed to eat and drink in peace? No, definitely not.
"You don’t like it, Sister-in-law Gao?" Chi wasn’t stupid. Hearing her words, it was obvious what she meant.
Bai Jiu didn’t hide it; she genuinely disliked the place. "I don’t like it."
Just as she said this, Gao Zhijun walked over. "You don’t like it?" He thought it was actually pretty nice and quite bright.
"No, it’s too small. We won’t fit." She didn’t elaborate further, solely blaming it on the size.
Gao Zhijun knew the Bai Family’s situation and understood what she meant. "Then let’s go look at the other place."
He respected her opinion. She would be the one spending the most time at home, so naturally, she should make the final decision.
"Okay."
Seeing that the couple turned their noses up at the new apartment, Minister Wu wasn’t sure how to feel. He then thought of the apartment on the third floor. If they didn’t like this one, they probably wouldn’t have liked that one either. That whole argument just now had been for nothing! It was a good thing Sister-in-law Song didn’t know, or she wouldn’t even have a place to cry about it. She’d taken a beating for nothing and suffered the humiliation to boot.
The group made their way downstairs. The neighboring tenants began poking their heads out, murmuring among themselves about who knows what. It seemed they were quite eager for gossip.
When they arrived at the old courtyard area, it was obvious that the landscaping was much better than at the new building. Not only was it shaded by lush trees, but the greenery was meticulously maintained. A path wide enough for four people to walk abreast was neatly paved with gravel. Even in the middle of the day, only a few rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, and stepping into the area made one’s entire body relax. It was incredibly comfortable.
Bai Jiu fell in love with the place before she even laid eyes on the house. She wondered what those who had moved away from here had been thinking. How short-sighted.
They walked to the very end of the path before Minister Wu stopped. He pulled out a key and unlocked a courtyard gate.
The yard was enclosed by a red brick wall. The sections flanking the gate alone were nearly five or six meters wide, let alone the expansive interior. This was infinitely more comfortable than the new building.
The moment she stepped through the gate, Bai Jiu was sold. "Let’s go with this one. There’s no need to look further."
Only an absolute idiot wouldn’t like this place. Though it couldn’t compare to the Bai Family’s estate, it certainly wasn’t bad. The house was U-shaped, with four additional rooms serving as kitchens flanking the left and right sides. There was also a well with a clean, smoothly paved concrete slab beside it. It was a space that made you fall in love at first sight. She really didn’t know who could be so foolish as to move out of here.
Perhaps Bai Jiu’s gaze was too revealing, because Minister Wu couldn’t help but explain. "The previous occupant was a chief engineer. However, he was transferred elsewhere, so the courtyard was left vacant."
It just so happened to coincide with the allocation of the new apartments, so the other families had made the new building their first choice. After all, it was a modern, multi-story building.
Bai Jiu understood. Just as she had thought, a courtyard with such character hardly seemed like a place for ordinary people. The upkeep alone wasn’t something the average person could afford.
"Thank you so much for today, Minister Wu. Our family will choose this place," Bai Jiu said with a smile.
The rest of the logistics could be left to Gao Zhijun. All she had to worry about was decorating the courtyard. Taking the two children with her, Bai Jiu went inside to inspect the rooms.