Duan Liping looked at Sun Xiaowan, hinting that she shouldn't go.
She had just said Cheng Tao was a bad person, and coming over now wouldn't be good.
Sun Xiaowan, however, was curious about Cheng Tao's purpose for coming and nodded, "If you have something to say, just say it."
Cheng Tao pointed outside, "Let's talk outside."
Sun Xiaowan followed her out, her arms crossed, "Speak."
"Zhiqing Sun, I know you like Zhiqing Qi, right?"
Sun Xiaowan was disdainful of Cheng Tao's self-righteousness and rolled her eyes.
"If you have something to say, say it. Don't beat around the bush."
"Then do you know that Zhiqing Qi likes Cheng You?"
Sun Xiaowan sneered, "How do you know? Did Qi Chengan tell you?"
"Everyone can see it. A few days ago, Cheng You was injured, and Qi Chengan specifically went to catch fish for her to eat. Only you didn't know!"
Sun Xiaowan was furious, "That's because Cheng You saved him. The whole Wujing Village knows about it. Why don't you mention that?"
Cheng Tao scoffed, "Then Qi Chengan also saved Cheng You. At most, it's even. Why would he need to remember any favors? Cheng You is helping Uncle Li at his house, and Zhiqing Qi is always going to Uncle Li's house. He must be going to see Cheng You!"
Sun Xiaowan suppressed her anger and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm not doing anything. I just can't stand Cheng You having a fiancé and still flirting around and being unvirtuous," Cheng Tao pouted.
Seeing Sun Xiaowan's ashen face, she added fuel to the fire, "Zhiqing Qi is also really bad at judging people. Cheng You is already engaged, and he's still chasing after her. From this, you can see what kind of person she is. Do all men only look at faces?"
Sun Xiaowan already had a poor impression of Cheng Tao from Duan Liping.
Hearing her speak like this now, her anger flared up.
When she heard her mention Qi Chengan, she couldn't control herself any longer.
She raised her hand and couldn't help but slap her.
"If a tiger doesn't show its might, you think I'm a sickly cat? You think I'm an idiot, trying to sow discord in front of me and use me as a pawn! I'll teach you to gossip!"
Sun Xiaowan, still fuming, slapped her a few more times.
If Duan Liping hadn't been secretly observing the situation, Cheng Tao would have been beaten to the ground.
"Xiaowan, calm down. She's the captain's daughter, after all."
Her words reminded Sun Xiaowan.
Sun Xiaowan was an only child at home, and had been spoiled into a willful nature since childhood. She didn't care if she was the captain's daughter or not.
She directly grabbed Cheng Tao's hair and pulled her forward. Cheng Tao let out a pained scream, her scalp threatening to tear off.
"Help! Help, it hurts so much!"
Duan Liping, worried that something would happen, urged from the side, "Xiaowan, calm down."
Sun Xiaowan's reason returned somewhat, and she reluctantly let go, switching to grabbing her arm.
"Even if your dad is the production captain, you must give me an explanation for this today!"
Cheng Tao grimaced in pain, but sneered inwardly.
She had already been beaten like this, what explanation did Cheng Tianhua need to give her?
A shrew! She was simply a shrew!
The fact that Sun Xiaowan beat Cheng Tao couldn't be hidden. She dragged Cheng Tao all the way to find Cheng Tianhua, making it impossible for anyone not to know.
Song Yulian saw Cheng Tao's face, which was almost a palette of colors, and her eyes widened with rage. She forcefully pushed Sun Xiaowan away.
"How can you just hit people! You've gone too far!"
Saying that, she reached out to scratch Sun Xiaowan's head.
There was no reason to watch Cheng Tao get beaten and not retaliate.
But there were people from the educated youth point nearby, and they couldn't just watch Sun Xiaowan get beaten.
These educated youths who had gone down to the countryside were helpless here and stuck together.
Occasional internal conflicts were resolved behind closed doors. At this time, of course, they had to unite against outsiders.
"Auntie, the matter needs to be clarified first. Our Zhiqing Sun wouldn't hit someone for no reason."
Song Yulian's face was contorted, "Then tell me, what did my daughter do to deserve such a brutal beating?"
Someone shouted, "The captain is here!"
Song Yulian felt more confident, her back straight, as if she saw her support arriving.
Even so, Sun Xiaowan was not afraid.
"You ask me why I hit her! Then I'll tell you properly today, so everyone can see who is right and who is wrong! Cheng Tao inexplicably came to me today and said Zhiqing Qi likes Cheng You, and that these two were hooking up, trying to provoke me into troubling Cheng You. I know you're not biological sisters, but how you quarrel is your own business. Don't try to use me as a pawn, no way!"
Zhang Yunmei immediately chimed in, "When we went to the supply and marketing cooperative today, Cheng Tao already caused a scene! Cheng You hadn't even gotten on the tractor yet, and she grabbed someone near Zhiqing Qi and said it was Cheng You, wishing she could tie Zhiqing Qi and Cheng You together."
Cheng Tao's face changed drastically, and she retorted, "You're talking nonsense!"
Cheng Tianhua shot a stern look, "Zhang Yunmei, what are you interfering in this for!"
Zhang Yunmei shrank back, "I'm just stating the facts. Everyone heard it. Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you can ask."
Sun Xiaowan, relying on the protection of the educated youth point, had a very arrogant attitude, "I said, Zhiqing Qi never had any interaction with Cheng You before. Since he saved her once, there have been rumors in the village. Did you start them?"
"Sun Xiaowan, don't slander me! Cheng You is my sister. What benefit would I get from doing this?"
Sun Xiaowan said sarcastically, "What benefit? This way you can legitimately marry Zhao Yunlin!"
Cheng Tao's face was streaked with tears, her hair disheveled, looking pathetic.
"You! You're trying to force me to death! I don't want to live anymore!"
Cheng Tao forcefully pushed Song Yulian away and ran towards the side, about to jump into the river, but was stopped by Zhao Yunlin, who arrived late.
"Cheng Tao, what are you doing!"
Cheng Tao sobbed, pointing at Sun Xiaowan, heartbroken.
"Cheng You... they... they're trying to force me to death!"
Duan Liping's face turned pale with fright, "Xiaowan, I told you not to cause trouble like this!"
Sun Xiaowan snorted, "What am I afraid of? It's not me who did something wrong. Does finding death and living make you able to erase what you've done?"
Cheng Tianhua said sternly, "The reason Cheng Tao said those words was out of a sister's care for her sister! She couldn't bear to see Cheng You go astray, not to sow discord in front of you. If Cheng You conducts herself properly, she wouldn't need to worry so much."
"Oh, so all these things that happened are because of me?" Cheng You, who had been watching the show, accidentally overheard Cheng Tianhua blaming her.
This was extreme favoritism. To protect Cheng Tao, he didn't hesitate to ruin her reputation.
Sun Xiaowan, who had hated Cheng You immensely, now felt some sympathy for her.
She glanced disdainfully at Cheng Tao and pouted.
"You're all holding each other, and you can't bear to let go after so long. Is this still considered no relationship?"