Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

Li Aihong was so angry that she paced around the room three times, her chest heaving.

"You little brat, with such a sharp tongue, you'll be unwanted sooner or later!" Li Aihong slammed the sunflower seed shells in her hand onto the ground, and still not satisfied, she stomped on them twice.

She walked to the window and looked at the happy family of three in the neighboring yard. Especially when she saw Gu Changfeng's tall figure, her heart ached as if she had drunk two pounds of aged vinegar.

Why is it that Lin Wanrou, that country bumpkin, can marry so well?

Gu Changfeng is the most promising regimental commander in the entire military region, and her daughter has even recognized the Commander-in-Chief as her godfather. If she were to achieve another merit, Gu Changfeng would be a shoo-in for division commander.

At that time, wouldn't his own father, Lao Zhang, be completely suppressed by him?

"No, we can't let them be so comfortable." Li Aihong's eyes darted around as she recalled the rumors she had overheard at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative.

That old woman has a fine knife.

Li Aihong turned around and went into the kitchen. She rummaged through the drawers and found five leftover white steamed buns from last night. She also reluctantly cut off a piece of pickled vegetable, wrapped it in newspaper, put it in her bosom, and went out the door.

It wasn't completely dark yet. In the shady alley behind the supply and marketing cooperative, Wang Guifen and her family were huddled on a tattered cardboard box, shivering.

They were so busy wailing and complaining all day that they didn't even get a hot meal.

Meng Jianjun clutched his stomach, leaning against the wall and groaning, "Mother, I can't take it anymore, I'm starving to death. That ungrateful bastard Gu Changfeng, he eats and drinks like a king while his family starves, I can't live like this..."

"Shut up! Save your energy for tomorrow!" Although Wang Guifen was stubborn, her stomach was growling. The early spring wind was as hard as a knife, stinging her face.

Just then, footsteps stopped at the entrance of the alley.

Wang Guifen looked up and saw a woman wearing a floral print polyester shirt, with curly hair and a scent of face cream on her body. It was Li Aihong.

"Oh, isn't this Commander Gu's old lady?" Li Aihong pinched her nose and walked over, feigning surprise. "How did you end up like this? Commander Gu is too heartless."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guifen felt as if she had found a kindred spirit. With snot and tears streaming down her face, she was about to launch into another dramatic performance: "Sister, you be the judge..."

"Alright, alright, stop howling, there's no one here." Li Aihong interrupted her, taking out the bag of steamed buns that were still warm from her body. "Eat them, they look so pitiful."

Meng Jingui and Meng Jianjun, who were originally lying on the ground, smelled the aroma of steamed buns and pounced on them with a "whoosh," grabbing the buns and stuffing them into their mouths, choking until their eyes rolled back.

Wang Guifen also grabbed one, wolfed down a couple of bites, and then stared warily at Li Aihong: "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

"I'm Gu Changfeng's neighbor and also a military dependent." Li Aihong squatted down. "I've disliked Lin Wanrou for a long time. Everyone in this courtyard has been fooled by her vixen-like appearance."

Upon hearing that it was Lin Wanrou's rival, Wang Guifen perked up, taking a big bite of her steamed bun: "That little whore! She'll get struck by lightning sooner or later!"

"What's the use of just cursing?" Li Aihong crossed her arms and sneered. "You've been shouting all day in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, saying things like bastards and bastards. Does anyone believe you? Everyone's just listening for fun."

Wang Guifen paused, spitting out crumbs of flour from her mouth: "Why doesn't anyone believe me? I already said it was that little bastard!"

"Then tell me, who is this wild man?" Li Aihong leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"To catch a thief, you need to catch him dirty; to catch an adulterer, you need to catch them in the act. If you just say he's an illegitimate child, people will still have doubts because Meng Yaya looks somewhat like Commander Gu. But if you can name the adulterer, the effect will be completely different."

Wang Guifen was stunned.

She was used to causing trouble in the village and spreading rumors with just her mouth; she never thought of such details.

"This... how would I know who it is? That woman doesn't go out much in the village..." Wang Guifen frowned, deep in thought.

Li Aihong was somewhat exasperated; how could this old hag be so obtuse?

"Think about it, in the village, or on the way to the military region, was there any man who was close to her? Especially one who consistently helped her?"

Li Aihong coaxed, "Lin Wanrou, with her vixen-like appearance, will definitely have no shortage of men fawning over her."

"Help her out..."

Wang Guifen rolled her eyes a few times, then suddenly slapped her thigh.

"Yes! There really is one!"

With his mouth full of steamed buns, Meng Jianjun mumbled, "Mom, you mean that stinking intellectual in the cowshed?"

"Yes! It's that old codger surnamed Sun!" Wang Guifen slapped her thigh excitedly, her face crinkling into a wide smile.

"That Sun Shouzhen! He's a bad element sent down for reformation. He's a hypocrite, always pretending to be high and mighty, ignoring everyone, but he loves sending herbs to Lin Wanrou's wife! He does whatever that brat Meng Yaya says!"

Wang Guifen thought about it more and more and felt that this matter could be fabricated.

"That's right! Back when the family was divided and ties were severed, it was that old geezer who was there to settle scores and support those two!"

Li Aihong's eyes lit up.

Bad elements, stinking intellectuals, and a marriage between an older man and a younger woman.

These three words together constitute a huge scandal! In this day and age, it's enough to nail Lin Wanrou to the pillar of shame, and she might even be paraded through the streets!

"And that old bastard is rich!" Wang Guifen spat on the ground. "I heard he used to be a high-ranking doctor in the capital, and he has a secret stash of money at home! Who knows, he might be using that money to support Lin Wanrou and her daughter!"

"That makes sense now." Li Aihong's lips curled into a sinister smile. "A young widow (who thought Gu Changfeng was dead at the time), and a wealthy old man, a lone man and woman traveling all the way from their hometown to Beiping—how could things have been clean?"

Li Aihong took out five yuan from her pocket and stuffed it into Wang Guifen's hand.

"Auntie, take this money and buy yourself some hot food. You'll need the energy to keep shouting tomorrow."

Li Aihong leaned close to Wang Guifen's ear, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue:

"Tomorrow you go to the main gate of the military region, and don't just cry foul. Tell them that Lin Wanrou is having an affair with that bad element Sun Shouzheng who was sent down to the countryside, and that she's using Commander Gu's allowance to support a lover!"

Even the child is that old man's! Commander Gu only did it to save face, becoming a scapegoat!

Wang Guifen held the five yuan in her hand, beaming with joy.

The women in this city are even more ruthless than her!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but ask, "Why do you hate them so much? What grudge do you have against them?"

"Gu Changfeng is hindering my man's promotion, now you can finally rest assured, right?!" Li Aihong revealed the truth to avoid being distrusted.

Wang Guifen was delighted to hear this; the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and I could be sure to listen to her.

"Don't worry, little sister!" Wang Guifen stuffed the money into her waistband.

"I'm a pro at making things up! Tomorrow I'll ruin Lin Wanrou's reputation so she'll never be able to show her face in public again!"

"Where is Sun Shouzhen now?" Li Aihong asked another question.

"Who knows? He might be dead, or he might still be in the cowshed." Wang Guifen waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever he is, the mess has been made, and he can't get away with it."

Li Aihong nodded in satisfaction.

It's better if the dead can't testify.

If Lin Wanrou is ruined, Gu Changfeng definitely won't be able to stand this humiliation. Then, once that mother and daughter are kicked out of the military region, who will be in charge of Compound No. 6? Won't it be Li Aihong herself?

"Okay, then I'll wait for your good news."

Li Aihong straightened up, patted the wrinkles on her sleeves, and walked away with a clattering sound in her high heels.

In the alley, Wang Guifen's family finished dividing up the remaining steamed buns, their faces glistening with oil.

"Mother, will this trick work?" Meng Jingui was a little hesitant. "That old man Sun may be a lowly intellectual, but he always looks at people with a sinister air. If we make up stories about him..."

"What are you afraid of!" Wang Guifen had eaten her fill and regained her strength. She slapped her son on the forehead.

"He's a bad element, he can barely protect himself, what can he possibly do to us? Tomorrow morning, we'll block the gate! I don't believe Gu Changfeng can stay holed up in his shell forever!"

The night wind howled, swirling the withered leaves on the ground.

This family of scoundrels, under the cover of night, harbored wicked schemes and dreamt of getting rich.

Little did they know, in courtyard number six...

Meng Yaya, who was grooming Heifeng, suddenly sneezed.

"Achoo!"

The little girl rubbed her nose, and the rosewood spear in her hand clattered loudly on the table.

"Someone's talking about me behind my back." Meng Yaya narrowed her eyes, casually grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from the table, and handed them to the large wolfhound wagging its tail beside her.

"Black Wind, looks like there's going to be a good show. These guys don't seem to mind their exhaustion, so let's play along."