“What’s going on here?” Xu Qiqi asked curiously as she pulled Cheng Fangqiu toward the crowd.
In the open space at the center, two people were tugging at each other. More precisely, a middle-aged woman was forcibly pulling on a young girl, refusing to let her leave, while wailing loudly, “You heartless thing! Your younger brother is already so sick, and you don’t even care! It’s bad enough that you ignore it, but you won’t even give a bit of money!”
“I already told you, I don’t have money.” The young girl glanced at the surrounding onlookers, her face flushed red, but she still stubbornly repeated herself.
“Bullshit! The factory just paid wages two days ago, and you dare to lie to your own mother?”
Tian Cui’e knew that the girl had a thin skin, which was exactly why she dared to shamelessly demand money from her at the factory gate. Every time she did this, the girl would quickly surrender the money without resistance.
“No matter how many times you say it, I don’t have money. No means no.”
After saying that, the young girl tried to leave, but she was being forcefully dragged and had no way to break free.
Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t very interested in gossip and was just about to pull Xu Qiqi away when she suddenly felt that the young girl looked familiar. Taking a closer look, she finally remembered who she was.
Wasn’t she the girl she had met in the telephone room the first time she called Father Zhou and Mother Zhou?
Her name seemed to be Wang Yueyi?
Thinking of the girl’s miserable circumstances and connecting it to the current scene, how could Cheng Fangqiu not understand what was happening? This was Wang Yueyi’s vampire of a mother coming to extort money from her again!
With that realization, Cheng Fangqiu turned her head and whispered a few words into Xu Qiqi’s ear. The latter frowned before quickly running off.
“Everyone, judge for yourselves! How could a daughter behave like this? When her father died, if I hadn’t given her my job, would she even have the good life she has now?” Tian Cui’e slapped her thigh, crying with snot and tears.
“And besides, I’m asking for money to treat her own younger brother’s illness! It’s not like I’m using it for anything else!”
Some uninformed bystanders couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
“She’s still your mother, and it’s your younger brother who’s sick. No matter what, you should at least give something.”
“That’s right, the factory just handed out wages a couple of days ago. How could you already have no money? I think your mother looks pretty pitiful. Your father is gone, and she raised you and your brother all on her own. That must have been really tough.”
“You’re still young, but how can you be so unfilial? When you’re old, if your own children treat you like this, won’t you feel the pain?”
Wang Yueyi was trembling with anger at their words. These people knew nothing, yet they stood on their moral high ground and criticized her. They were even more shameless than Tian Cui’e!
But she had always been soft-tempered. At this moment, asking her to argue against a crowd was something she found hard to do.
However, remembering the words that had once strengthened her resolve to cut ties with Tian Cui’e, she suddenly shut her eyes tightly, clenched her teeth, and shouted:
“Even before my father died, she was already with this man! The moment my father passed away, she abandoned me and remarried, giving birth to this so-called younger brother. When she left, she didn’t leave me a single penny. If it weren’t for the neighbors helping me, I probably would have starved to death long ago!”
“The job wasn’t something she gave me either. It was the factory that took pity on me. My father’s position could only be passed down to me. She couldn’t inherit it herself, nor could she sell it off!”
“My monthly salary is thirty-two yuan, and over the years, she has taken a total of six hundred and eight yuan from me! Ever since I started working, almost all of my wages have gone to her. Haven’t I been filial enough?”
“She keeps saying she’s my mother, but apart from asking for money, she has never once come to see me or cared about me!”
“She says it’s for my so-called younger brother’s treatment, but I specifically went to check a few days ago. That younger brother of mine is doing just fine—he’s been raised chubby and well-fed! Does that look like someone who needs that much money for treatment? Compared to him, I’m the one who looks more like a sick person!”
Finishing in one breath, Wang Yueyi felt an unprecedented sense of relief. It was the first time in her life she had experienced this kind of release. She couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile as she slowly opened her eyes.
The crowd was stunned. No one had expected there to be such hidden truths behind this situation. In an instant, the way they looked at Tian Cui’e changed. Some who knew Wang Yueyi even stepped forward.
“If anyone’s pitiful, it’s this girl. Losing her father is one thing, but it’s as if she lost her mother too. Look how thin she is—there’s barely any flesh on her. And look at her so-called mother, with that big round face and belly. Does she look like someone who has no money?”
“I spit on that! What good can come from a woman who cheats? If you ask me, even though he’s called her younger brother, they don’t share the same father. No one would blame her for not giving money. And besides, she’s already given over six hundred yuan—she’s done more than enough!”
“Exactly! I’ve never seen a situation where the older sister has to pay for everything when the younger brother gets sick.”
Seeing the tide of public opinion shift against her, Tian Cui’e panicked. Her eyes darted around before landing on Wang Yueyi. When had this wretched girl grown so bold, daring to talk back to her in front of so many people?
“I’m doing this for your own good! You’re just a girl—what do you need so much money for? I, your mother, am helping you keep it safe. When you get married, I’ll return it to you.”
As she said this, a flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes. But then, as if recalling something, she quickly recovered her self-righteous demeanor. “Your father’s family is gone. Besides me and your brother, who else do you have to rely on? Without your maiden family backing you up, how do you expect to have a good life at your husband’s house? Won’t they just walk all over you?”
Fearing that Wang Yueyi would say something even more shocking, Tian Cui’e reached over and pinched her waist hard. Wang Yueyi’s face instantly turned pale from the pain, unable to get a single word out.
Seeing that Tian Cui’e dared to resort to underhanded tricks even in front of so many people, Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t bear to watch any longer. If she managed to drag Wang Yueyi away to some deserted place, who knew what she would do?
With a cold voice, she spoke up.
“A maiden family like this is better off nonexistent! We don’t know whether her in-laws will bully her in the future, but you, as her mother, sure know how to trample all over her! Is she really your own daughter? What kind of mother treats their child like this?”
“A single thread can’t make a rope, and a single tree can’t make a forest. Unity is strength! We are all workers of the machinery factory. You, an outsider, come to our turf to bully one of our own—do you really think we’ll just stand by and let it happen?”
“Isn’t that right, everyone?”
People these days valued unity and collective strength. A factory was like a large family—if one person prospered, they all prospered, and if one suffered, they all suffered. Behind closed doors, all kinds of disputes might occur, but if they allowed an outsider to push one of their own around, wouldn’t that mean anyone could come and step on them in the future?
“That’s right! Let go of her, or we’ll call the security office!”
Tian Cui’e found herself in an awkward position—she couldn’t let go, but she also couldn’t keep holding on. Her eyes swept over the crowd before finally landing on the one she thought was easiest to intimidate—Cheng Fangqiu. She glared at her viciously.
“What the hell does this have to do with you? You nosy little girl, mind your own damn business!”
“It has nothing to do with me, but these days, everyone is encouraged to follow Lei Feng’s example and do good deeds. I saw injustice and decided to help—what’s wrong with that?” Cheng Fangqiu shrugged and gave a slight smile.
Tian Cui’e was so enraged she nearly jumped up in frustration. But before she could say anything, someone in the crowd recognized Cheng Fangqiu.
“Wait a second—isn’t this the wife of Supervisor Zhou?”
“Heh, that’s me.”
Taking advantage of Zhou Yinghuai’s status was something Cheng Fangqiu was quite adept at.
Hearing her confirmation, the bystanders immediately perked up. Supervisor Zhou was currently one of the most influential figures in the factory—who wouldn’t want to curry favor with him?
Unfortunately, both Supervisor Zhou and his wife were usually too busy to be seen. Even those who wanted to establish connections had no way to do so.
Now that Supervisor Zhou’s wife was standing right in front of them, they naturally wouldn’t let such a good opportunity slip away. Seeing that she was standing up for Wang Yueyi, they quickly followed suit, taking turns berating Tian Cui’e.
Just as Tian Cui’e was being scolded to the point of turning red in the face, things went from bad to worse for her. Xu Qiqi, who had left earlier, returned—this time with a mediator and security officers.
Now, even if she didn’t want to let go of Wang Yueyi, she had no choice.
Finally free, Wang Yueyi immediately scrambled away from Tian Cui’e’s grasp. Once she had steadied herself, she bowed deeply to everyone in gratitude before turning to Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi, her eyes red. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank us.”
Seeing that Wang Yueyi had clearly recognized her, Cheng Fangqiu waved her hand dismissively. Her gaze then swept over Tian Cui’e, who was now being restrained by security, and she lowered her voice in warning.
“For your situation, the best thing to do is to go directly to the Public Security Bureau and make a big deal out of this. That way, they won’t dare try to extort you again under any pretense.”
Standing under the sunlight, the woman before her wore a light pink coat, her long, inky-black hair loosely braided and draped over her chest. Her delicate features were enchanting yet not gaudy, and her skin, illuminated by the light, appeared smooth and flawless like porcelain.
The entire person exuded an almost unreal gentleness.
Just like that night, when she had descended like a deity from the heavens, giving her the courage to resist.
Wang Yueyi felt warmth spreading through her entire body, her heart pounding wildly. The expression on her face gradually became resolute. “I understand. Thank you.”
The frail girl bent at a ninety-degree angle, making it impossible for anyone to look at her without feeling heartache.
How much suffering had she endured to become like this…
But Cheng Fangqiu had already done all she could. The rest was up to Wang Yueyi herself.
The mediator and security personnel began dispersing the crowd, and Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi took the opportunity to leave.
“I’ve really seen it all now. I can’t believe there are people like that in this world,” Xu Qiqi muttered through gritted teeth after hearing a rough summary from Cheng Fangqiu. “If you can’t take responsibility as a parent, then don’t have children.”
Cheng Fangqiu completely agreed with this sentiment and echoed it with a few words. Then, as if remembering something, she changed the subject. “My parents sent me some homemade goods during Mid-Autumn Festival. Take some back with you.”