Winter Aunt felt a jolt of shock, sensing that Cheng You was about to say something earth-shattering.
She suddenly regretted not pulling Tang Jing over; it would have been much more dramatic.
Cheng You smiled at Winter Aunt. "Do you have anything else to say? If not, it's my turn."
Winter Aunt shook her head. "Go ahead, I'd like to see what wonders you can conjure up."
The documents in Cheng You's hand were receipts. Over the years, Meng Xin's maternal uncle had accumulated a thick stack of oral contraceptives from the hospital.
In an era where large families were considered a blessing, contraceptives were rarely used.
Even the free condoms were seldom claimed.
Despite the nation's gradual promotion of fewer, better births, few people paid it any mind.
"Birth control pills? What does that prove? Can't he just eat them himself?" Winter Aunt dismissed it.
Cheng You chuckled. "Birth control pills are for women. So if he bought these, they certainly weren't for himself."
"Then for his wife, of course."
Cheng You asked, "Meng Xin's maternal uncle has been married for five years and has four children – three daughters and one son. Do you think they could have had children if she was taking birth control pills?"
Winter Aunt was speechless. Then what was he doing with so many birth control pills?
Ruan Xianglian's expression grew solemn, and her voice became firm. "These birth control pills, they were for Meng Xin, weren't they?"
Cheng You nodded. "This is our preliminary guess. Because the last time he went to the hospital, he bought abortion pills. We also found that over the years, he would send Meng Xin a package every so often, and nine out of ten times, it contained medicine."
The crowd erupted in chatter.
Women, with their innate sense of gossip, had already guessed the truth.
"So Meng Xin aborted her own children?"
"She and Song Jingye haven't had children for so many years, not because they're infertile, but because Meng Xin was preventing pregnancies!"
"Good heavens, she's trying to make the Song family childless!"
"Not entirely, the Song family still has Jing Tang. She just wants Song Jingye to be childless, right?"
"..."
Ruan Xianglian stood up and said, "Quiet, please. Let Comrade Cheng You continue."
Cheng You nodded and continued, "I don't jump to conclusions. We'll know the specifics when we confront Meng Xin directly. I wouldn't have dug into this if the Song family hadn't gone too far, trying to ruin the reputation of my Zhen Shan Tang. Many of you, my sisters and aunts, have used my Zhen Shan Tang's medicine. You all know the quality of our products."
Ruan Xianglian wholeheartedly agreed. "That's right. I used Zhen Shan Tang's Qizi Gao, and the age spots on my face have faded considerably."
"Yes, I also used the Zhixuesan. I only used a little, and the bleeding stopped."
"And that burn ointment, it's very effective too!"
The crowd began to discuss amongst themselves. Winter Aunt, who had wanted to retort, found Cheng You's words impeccable.
She couldn't find a single crack in her argument.
To say Cheng You's medicine was ineffective would be going against her conscience.
"Furthermore, Meng Xin has accepted bribes totaling over two thousand yuan over the years, most of which she used to support her maternal family. My husband has already submitted the list to the Disciplinary Inspection Department. They will investigate the truth."
Cheng You calmly dropped another bombshell.
She slowly closed the file bag and smiled faintly.
"Then I'll be going back now. Meeting adjourned."
Before the crowd could fully recover from their shock, Cheng You had already left the classroom.
Only Ruan Xianglian followed her out.
"Cheng You, is everything you just said true?"
Cheng You nodded. "Cheng Yan has been investigating these past few days. Thanks to Meng Xin, we wouldn't have found a breakthrough in the Song family's affairs."
Meng Xin had most likely taken things and money behind Song Jingye's back, but no matter what, the Song family would be implicated.
Ruan Xianglian's expression was complex. The Song family had indeed run into a hard wall this time.
Cheng You had initially intended to give Song Jingtang some face and let the matter pass.
But Meng Xin, with her mother, had come to cause a scene yesterday, which had utterly annoyed her.
The military families in the compound had little to do and were the most gossipy.
The news of Meng Xin taking birth control pills and abortion pills spread like wildfire throughout the compound.
At that time, Tang Jing was still unaware. Without Winter Aunt to gossip with, she had moved to another group.
It wasn't until someone returned from the lecture and heard her words that they nearly spat in her face.
"Bah! You should go back and ask your daughter-in-law what she's been doing! Taking birth control pills and abortion pills for so many years, and she doesn't even want to bear your Song family's child!"
Tang Jing was completely ignorant of what had happened at the lecture and had no idea what the person was talking about.
It took her a while to realize.
Something must have happened that she didn't know about!
Tang Jing rushed home in a panic, only to find the house in chaos.
The entire compound knew about Meng Xin taking medication, and Song Jingye was no exception.
Anger surged through him, but it was overshadowed by a chilling coldness.
Meng Xin's family background was actually worse than Sun Xiaowan's. She grew up in a crowded alley courtyard.
If she hadn't saved his life, he wouldn't have married a woman of her background.
From the moment she entered his home, she didn't need to go out to work, only doing housework.
He also supported her maternal family from time to time.
After so many years without children, he had never blamed her.
Song Jingye couldn't understand it. He couldn't comprehend why she would do this!
"Tell me, why? Why on earth?"
Meng Xin wept uncontrollably, unable to utter a coherent sentence.
When Tang Jing heard his words, she understood everything.
She hadn't had a grandchild for so many years, and it was all because of Meng Xin!
"What a sin!" she lunged forward, pushing Meng Xin down, and slapped her several times.
"What grievances do we Song family have with you, that you would treat us like this! If you didn't want children, you should have said so! I would have had Jingye divorce you, but you said nothing, silently dooming the Song family to be childless!"
Meng Xin, battered, offered no resistance. Song Jingye watched coldly as she was beaten black and blue.
It wasn't until Song Jianyang returned that he managed to pull the frenzied Tang Jing away.
His face was grim, and he said coldly, "Taking pills is a small matter. You should focus on how to deal with her bribery issue!"
Song Jianyang ferociously threw the items in his hand onto Song Jingye's face.
The sharp edges of the paper scratched his face, leaving tiny red marks.
Song Jingye's ears buzzed as if he were deaf.
His mind went blank.
Tang Jing frantically picked up the papers from the ground. They clearly stated when and where Meng Xin had received how much money and goods, and from whom.
Even the names and addresses of the bribe-givers were clearly listed, making it impossible to claim they were fake.
"How could this happen... We knew nothing about this, it has nothing to do with us!" Tang Jing looked up at Song Jianyang, her expression pleading.
Song Jianyang sneered. "Do you have proof?"
How could he not know that Meng Xin had done this behind everyone's backs?
But what use was it if he believed it? The organization and superiors had to believe it!