A while later, Qi Chengyan came downstairs, his face as cold as ever.
"Finished?" Cheng You asked.
"Mm, let's go home." He extended his hand to Cheng You.
Cheng You took his hand and they walked out together, ignoring the curses from Song Qinglan upstairs.
As soon as they stepped out of the Qi family's residence, they saw an old lady leading her grandson.
If Cheng You remembered correctly, this old lady should be Zhang Fuqiang's mother, whom they had met on the train.
Cheng You hadn't paid much attention then, but she recalled it now.
Zhang Fuqiang and Qi Chengyan did not have a good relationship.
She turned her head to look at him and asked, "Has that Deputy Regiment Leader Zhang caused you any trouble?"
Qi Chengyan shook his head without changing his expression, "Youyou, this is the army. There are military regulations."
Cheng You didn't believe him.
Zhang Fuqiang was his superior now, and their statuses were worlds apart.
If he truly wanted to make trouble for Qi Chengyan, he had plenty of ways to do so without lifting a finger himself.
"If there's anything, you must not hide it from me."
"Okay, if there's anything, I'll tell you right away, so you can make the decision for me." Qi Chengyan said with a smile.
Cheng You was then satisfied.
As they passed by the old lady, Cheng You initially intended to ignore her.
Unexpectedly, the old lady spoke first, "Girl, we meet again. What a coincidence."
A military wife nearby overheard and couldn't help but look over.
"Auntie, you know each other?"
Qi Chengyan was a well-known figure in the military district; everyone recognized him.
Old Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "We took the train to Yancheng together. I only bought one ticket, and I couldn't hold my grandson. This girl had a spacious seat, so I asked her to help. Who knew she refused."
She put on a look of disdain, as if condemning Cheng You for lacking compassion.
Cheng You couldn't be bothered to argue with an old lady; it wasn't proper.
Unexpectedly, the old lady started gossiping, "Her man isn't a good person either. I heard it all from my son. Her man..."
Cheng You suddenly stopped, her expression darkening.
Qi Chengyan didn't take it to heart and rubbed her small hand.
"Let's go home, I'll cook for you."
There were so many people like this in the military district; he had long been able to shrug off such things.
He could, but Cheng You couldn't.
She pulled Qi Chengyan back and stood beside the old lady.
"Tell us what Deputy Regiment Leader Zhang told you. I'd like to know what my man did to make you think he's not a good person."
The old lady's face stiffened, and she clasped her hands together.
She only intended to gossip a little, thinking Cheng You wouldn't dare argue with an old woman like her.
Who knew she would turn back.
"I'm telling the truth. The entire military district knows. What are you pretending to be foolish for?"
Cheng You retorted, "What truth? Speak clearly. I want to know how Deputy Regiment Leader Zhang told you."
The old lady cleared her throat, lifted her chin, and spoke with disgust.
"My son said your man got another woman pregnant and didn't take responsibility. And this woman is the widow of his comrade. He's worse than an animal."
Cheng You nodded and looked at the military wives nearby, giving a slight smile.
"Sisters, did you hear what she just said?"
They nodded, not understanding why she was asking.
"I won't make things difficult for you. I just hope you can bear witness that these words came from her mouth. I run a pharmacy; I'll send you two creams to try later. They have excellent effects for whitening and fading spots."
The women's eyes lit up. Such a good opportunity.
It was just bearing witness, with no loss to them, so of course, they agreed.
"Okay, we all heard it."
Cheng You turned to Qi Chengyan, "Can you take me to your disciplinary inspection department? Of course, if you want to let this matter go, I won't make a fuss."
But she couldn't swallow this insult.
Qi Chengyan looked at her intently, his jaw tightening.
"I'll take you."
The two left, leaving the old lady stunned for a moment.
She thought the brat would do something, but she just left like that.
She felt even more confident in her son; he was worthy of being a deputy regiment leader.
...
Qi Chengyan's face was recognizable wherever he went.
As soon as he walked in, someone stood up.
"Camp Commander Qi..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the person felt awkward.
He wasn't a camp commander anymore.
"I'm looking for Uncle Yang."
"Is there something you need? You can tell me first."
Cheng You glanced at the badge on his chest; he was Shen Tong, the disciplinary committee member.
"Hello comrade, I wish to report Deputy Regiment Leader Zhang Fuqiang of the 861 Regiment for condoning his family in spreading rumors and causing trouble, thereby disrupting military unity."
Shen Tong was taken aback and asked her to elaborate.
Cheng You recited verbatim what the old lady had said earlier.
Shen Tong's expression was somewhat complex. This was indeed something everyone knew.
"This..."
Cheng You saw his hesitation and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Of course, there was a problem, Shen Tong thought.
The matter between Qi Chengyan and Wang Fang had been widely publicized, and everyone knew about it.
"May I ask if the disciplinary committee announced the results of the party discipline investigation into Wang Fang's case?"
Shen Tong shook his head. Wang Fang had an abortion and then left.
To protect the reputation of the unit, they insisted on suppressing the matter. Coupled with the lack of evidence, the investigation could only be suspended.
Cheng You then asked, "Was it handed over to the military prosecutor's office? Did it go to court? Did Qi Chengyan plead guilty? Did you issue a disciplinary notice?"
None of the above!
"Comrade Shen Tong, as the disciplinary committee, please tell me, what is required to convict someone? Evidence! You had no evidence, so you didn't convict him. Then, on what grounds are you crucifying my husband!"
Shen Tong felt guilty under her questioning.
That was true, but everyone already knew.
"If rumors could convict someone, what would be the point of your disciplinary department? What would be the point of the military court? You might as well have the families in the compound replace you!"
Shen Tong's face turned green; he was left speechless by her retort.
With Qi Chengyan's reserved personality, how did he find such a sharp-tongued woman as his wife?
He suddenly saw a figure emerging from the back and couldn't help but call out, "Secretary Yang."
Yang Shucai gestured to him from afar, "You're not as clear-thinking as this female comrade. Since she has explained the whole situation to you, what you should do now is summon Zhang Fuqiang for questioning. Regardless of their position, everyone should lead by example. This is the army, and you are all warriors charging into battle, not the bound feet of old ladies!"
Shen Tong straightened his chest, saluted, and said, "Yes! I will notify Deputy Regiment Leader Zhang immediately to cooperate with the investigation."
Cheng You looked at Yang Shucai and nodded slightly, "Thank you, Secretary Yang."
Yang Shucai waved his hand, "I'm not helping you. I'm just following procedure."