Chapter 54 Where Is Your Shame?

“Xiaozhuo? Why are you back?”
Xia Yan walked over and gently wiped the tear stains from his face.

To her surprise, the little boy pushed her hand away. “Xia Yan, is what they said true?”

“What are you asking about?”

“You and Doctor Zhang—they said you’re a vixen, seducing other men. Is it true?” Lin Hongzhuo pointed at her nose, demanding an answer.

“Lin Hongzhuo!” Lin You slammed his hand on the table, his voice thunderous.

The boy was startled but kept his eyes fixed on Xia Yan, waiting for her reply.

“Xiaozhuo, do you really think your aunt is that kind of person?”
Squatting down, Xia Yan playfully tapped his nose and smiled, though she was inwardly shocked—she hadn’t expected this rumor to have reached even the school.

Lin Hongzhuo immediately shook his head. “I want to trust you, but they all say you’re a vixen, that seducing my father wasn’t enough, and last night you tried to seduce Doctor Zhang.”

“As long as you believe your aunt, that’s enough.”

“So, it’s all a lie?”
He sniffled, his voice choked as he sought reassurance.

“Of course it’s a lie. Alright, don’t cry. Go wash your face and head back to school, or Teacher Yuan will come looking for me again.” Xia Yan stood and patted his head.

Still uneasy, Lin Hongzhuo kept glancing back at Xia Yan as he left.

Lin You came over. “Let me handle this. I promise to give you an answer today.”

“Why are you getting involved? Doesn’t the army have other things to do?”
Xia Yan felt a warmth in her heart, but she didn’t want to trouble Lin You with every little thing. There was plenty of idle time on this mountain—she’d handle this herself and consider it a bit of amusement.

After washing up, Xia Yan lay on the bed, her mind swirling with recent events. The piglet business wasn’t even settled, and yet trouble kept piling on—first Liu Xiuying, then one rumor after another. It seemed endless.

She slept for a good half day.

When Xia Yan woke, the fatigue from the night before had entirely vanished. She went to the backyard to check on the twenty piglets she’d just bought—Sparks whined at her side.

Sparks was the name Xia Yan had given her husky.

After feeding the pigs and walking the dog, Xia Yan finally had time to properly spend with her daughter.

“Auntie Wang, I’m troubling you again.”

“Not at all. But you really have a calm disposition, Xia. This morning, I almost got into a fight with those women at the laundry.”

Wang Guilan observed how Xia Yan had napped and fed pigs without showing the slightest sign of being affected.

“Auntie Wang, there’s no need to quarrel with them. It’s not a big deal. As long as our conscience is clear, that’s enough. Come on, Nuannuan, say goodbye to Granny Wang.”

“Goodbye, Granny Wang.”

That afternoon, Xia Yan took Nuannuan to the river and netted two fish to make fish soup for Lin Hongzhe. She remembered how the little boy had actually smiled the last time he had fish soup.

While the soup was simmering, a sudden, urgent knocking sounded at the gate.

Xia Yan wiped her hands on her apron. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Zhao Ming—Xia, it’s me.”

“Political Instructor Zhao? What brings you here?”
She opened the door to see Zhao Ming, his face full of anxiety.

“Xia, you need to come with me quickly.”

“What’s going on?”
Xia Yan was puzzled, but guessed it had something to do with Liu Xiuying. Sure enough, Zhao Ming’s next words confirmed her suspicion.

“Xia, I know Xiuying was in the wrong. Now the police are here, and unless we agree to a settlement, they’ll have to take her away.”

When Zhao Ming got home, he had a huge argument with Liu Xiuying, even threatened divorce. But Liu Xiuying threw a tantrum, rolling on the floor and threatening to use their child against him, saying if he divorced her, he’d never see the child again.

Zhao Ming’s resolve crumbled, and he dropped the idea of divorce. But that afternoon, several officers came, ready to take Liu Xiuying to the station for investigation.

He pleaded with them, but the lead officer said if Lin You’s family didn’t press charges, they wouldn’t have to take her. Hearing this, Zhao Ming immediately sought out Lin You, but Lin You, face dark as thunder, refused outright; Jiang Weiguo stood beside him, agreeing that Zhao Ming should show some decisiveness.

With no other option, Zhao Ming came to Xia Yan, hoping she could persuade Lin You.

Xia Yan guessed as much, and calmly asked, “Political Instructor Zhao, I suppose you went to Lin You first? And when he refused, you came to me.”

“That’s exactly why I came to ask for your help.”

“Zhao Ming, you’re an instructor—shouldn’t you know right from wrong? You know better than I do what kind of person Liu Xiuying is. Last time I helped her sell the pork, I practically saved her life. But what did she do? Kept my money, stole pork, and when trouble arose, blamed me.”

Xia Yan gave a cold laugh. “I could overlook being falsely accused, but she came to my house and hit my child. That’s something I’ll never forgive. We’re all parents—you rushed to my house to accuse me the moment you heard your child had been poisoned. Now my child’s been beaten, and you come begging.”

“If Lin You refuses and I agree, won’t that cause a huge quarrel between us? We’re not even married yet—if he gets angry and sends me back to my hometown, will you take responsibility?”

“Political Instructor, this isn’t how things should be done. Liu Xiuying is an adult—she should be accountable for her actions. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I still have to bring soup to my son, so I won’t see you out.”

With that, Xia Yan didn’t wait for Zhao Ming to reply. She simply turned and went back into the yard, closing the door with a bang.

Zhao Ming stood there, stunned by her words, unable to lift his head. At last, he could only sigh and trudge home.

When the soup was done, Xia Yan took Lin Nuannuan by the hand and headed to the infirmary. As Wang Guilan had said, everywhere she passed, she could hear whispers and gossip.

But did she care? Not in the slightest. As long as one’s character is upright, the shadow will never lean. Let them talk—would she really spend her days tearing out their tongues? She’d be far too busy.

Upon reaching the infirmary, Zhu Yan immediately pulled her aside and demanded, “What’s going on with you?”

Xia Yan looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean, what’s going on? Don’t tell me you believe I was seducing Zhang Jun?”

“Of course I don’t believe it, but there’s no smoke without fire! I’m telling you, if you really did something to betray Lin You, don’t blame me for turning hostile.” Zhu Yan warned in a low voice. In the past, she might have been pleased to hear such rumors, but after yesterday, she realized she didn’t dislike Xia Yan as much as she thought—she just resented her for winning Lin You’s heart.

“Yesterday, I went to pour hot water. Turning the corner, I bumped into Zhang Jun. I was lost in thought and got startled—the kettle nearly fell, but he caught it. Later, seeing my sleeve was torn, he grabbed my arm.”

“What! So you really…”