Feeling a bit guilty, Granny Lin decided on a preemptive strike. "They’re beating the common folk! WAAAH! My life is so bitter! I can’t even get a full meal all year round, yet these leaders have it so good! Not only do they eat meat and fish every day, but they also make such precious mooncakes! Who knows how many commoners’ rations they’ve exploited!"
The lies just rolled off her tongue.
"Shut up," Bai Jiu scoffed, laughing out of sheer anger. She had seen shameless people before, but never someone *this* brazen. It seemed Granny Lin frequently used this routine to intimidate others. "It’s true that my husband is a leader, but he has never taken a single cent from anyone, let alone exploited people. Granny Lin, I let you off the hook the last time you framed me. But this time, you dare slander a pillar of the state? We are not done here."
Bai Jiu was very familiar with how the police operated. "Could someone run an errand for me and report this to the Security Section?"
The research institute had its own Security Section, and they were far stricter than the local police. Naturally, no one wanted to deal with them unless absolutely necessary. Hearing Bai Jiu’s request, many in the crowd were momentarily startled. The Security Section wasn’t a place you casually summoned.
"I’ll pay ten yuan. Whoever brings them here will get it as a tip for their hard work. Of course, I can trade for goods instead if you prefer," Bai Jiu immediately added when she saw no one moving.
Ten yuan! A regular worker only made thirty or forty yuan a month. Ten yuan was nearly half a month’s wages. Gao Zhijun’s wife was truly generous.
"I’ll go!"
"I’ll go!"
In an instant, several people dashed off.
Seeing this, Granny Lin panicked. "Don’t go! Don’t go! Come back! All of you, get back here!" Rolling off the ground, she scrambled to her feet and immediately bolted toward the exit.
But there was no way Bai Jiu was letting her out of this courtyard. She grabbed the old woman, stopping her in her tracks. "You’re not going anywhere. Until this matter is settled, you aren’t leaving."
"Mind your own damn business! This isn’t your house, so what right do you have to interfere?" Granny Lin snapped. Though she was a little afraid of Bai Jiu, the Security Section had already been alerted—what did she have left to fear? Her only priority now was escaping.
"Oh, and I suppose it’s your house?" Bai Jiu sneered.
Meanwhile, two women helped Aunt Xu up from the ground. They were neighbors who were quite close to her and had rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion. One was Aunt Yu from next door, and the other was Aunt Ning, who lived behind Granny Lin’s house. Aunt Yu lived just over the wall, while the Ning family was a bit further away, but Aunt Ning had happened to step out to buy some soy sauce and stumbled right into the drama.
"What on earth happened? Why is she at your house?" Aunt Yu asked.
"Exactly! Sister Xu, what’s going on?" Aunt Ning asked in confusion. Living right behind Granny Lin, no one knew the old woman’s vile character better than she did.
"How should I know?" Aunt Xu groaned, her body aching terribly. She had tried and failed to stop Granny Lin, getting shoved repeatedly until she stumbled and crashed into her own vegetable garden’s fence. She was even bleeding in a few spots.
"I was just sitting at home steaming mooncakes, minding my own business. Who knew she’d suddenly barge right in?
"When I heard the noise and ran out, she shoved me aside! I didn’t even touch her, but she pushed me again and again until my bones nearly broke!" Aunt Xu cried, her face full of grievance. She always tried to avoid unreasonable people like Granny Lin, yet trouble had still found its way to her door.
"She came in uninvited?" Aunt Yu said indignantly. "What is she trying to do, rob you?"
"I don’t know! The moment she got in, she made a beeline for my kitchen. I don’t even know..." Aunt Xu’s voice trailed off, filled with worry. She had stored a lot of groceries in there.
Listening to Aunt Xu, Bai Jiu formed a theory. Still, she never imagined Granny Lin would be this audacious. Granny Lin’s family wasn’t exactly poor, so why would she do something so reckless?
"Aunt Xu, can you still walk?" Bai Jiu asked. The kitchen had clearly been wrecked. If Aunt Xu could move, she needed to go in and check what had been stolen or damaged.
"I think so," Aunt Xu replied, though parts of her body were numb and tingling.
"Could you two aunties help Aunt Xu inside to check? I’ll stay here and keep an eye on her. This isn’t over," Bai Jiu instructed. She couldn’t go inside herself; if she did, Granny Lin would definitely flee.
"Alright." Though Aunt Yu and Aunt Ning weren’t very familiar with Bai Jiu, they had heard Aunt Xu mention her. Hearing this, they immediately nodded and agreed.
No one knew the state of the kitchen better than Granny Lin.
"Don’t go in there!" Hearing Bai Jiu’s words, she immediately lunged forward to block the three women. "I’ll just clean it up for you! There’s nothing to see! I’ll do it!" Granny Lin’s eyes darted around shiftily.
The more she acted like this, the more suspicious she looked. There was no way Bai Jiu was letting her back in.
"In your dreams. You’re going to stay right here and wait for the Security Section," Bai Jiu said, pinning her down. "Did you really think no one could put you in your place?"
Furious and desperate, Granny Lin exploded. Terrified of her actions being discovered, her panic easily overpowered her fear of Gao Zhijun, leaving her with zero reservations about attacking Bai Jiu.
"Mind your own damn business! You stick your nose into everyone’s affairs! This is between me and the Old Xu family—it has nothing to do with you! Who are you to tell me I can’t go in? Who the hell do you think you are?!
"Or maybe you and the Old Xu family have some dirty little secret! Hmph, I didn’t see it before, but for such a young woman, you sure are greedy. What? Are you hoping to prey on them and steal their wealth since they don’t have an heir?" The more Granny Lin spoke, the more convinced she became of her own wild claims. She began flailing her arms, pointing at Bai Jiu and screaming curses.
"Bullshit! Your family is the one with no heirs! Your whole damn family is going to die off!
"Granny Lin, you old hag! I’ll fight you to the death!"
Before Bai Jiu could even retaliate, someone as gentle and refined as Aunt Xu actually began swearing. Roaring, she charged forward and began grappling with Granny Lin.
Bai Jiu didn’t stop them. Instead, she blatantly favored Aunt Xu, subtly blocking Granny Lin’s counterattacks whenever she could.
The onlookers were too stunned to react at first. By the time they stepped in to break up the fight, Granny Lin’s face was already scratched and bleeding.
"Oh, heavens! I don’t want to live anymore! It’s murder! Murder!" Realizing she was on the losing end, Granny Lin immediately started wailing.
The commotion from the farce grew louder and louder. Since it was nearing the end of the workday, many of the men were heading home. Hearing the racket, they all paused their commute and came over to see what was happening. However, upon seeing it was Granny Lin, they all let out a collective sigh. When it came to her, reasoning was completely useless.
Bai Jiu glanced at Granny Lin sitting on the ground but didn’t say a word. Instead, she supported Aunt Xu, who was now weeping from sheer anger.
"Don’t cry, Aunt Xu. We’ll settle the score with her once the Security Section gets here." Bai Jiu was the type who believed in finishing off her enemies completely. A person like Granny Lin had no business being here. No matter how capable Granny Lin’s husband was, Bai Jiu absolutely wasn’t letting her off the hook today.
"All that food..." Aunt Xu cried, her heart aching.
Even though everyone in her family—aside from herself—had a job, they didn’t have much in the way of savings. She had finally saved up to buy premium groceries for her children’s upcoming visit. How could she not be heartbroken seeing it all ruined?