The spearhead suddenly turned to Yuan He, making his heart skip a beat.
He had merely made a couple of casual remarks, speaking in an ordinary tone, without any personal emotion attached.
Everything else was entirely in Jiang Wanrou's imagination.
"No... I was just saying it casually, not speaking ill of him. Everyone knows that."
Cheng You sneered, "Everyone knows? Then find all the people who know, and have them say it to my face."
Yuan He chuckled sheepishly, not daring to pursue the matter further.
Cheng You rolled her eyes, "Control your wife, don't let her come to me again in a fit of madness."
Hearing her heartless words, Yuan He finally gave up, knowing that this path with Cheng You was definitely not going to work.
He had initially thought that marrying Jiang Wanrou would lead to smooth sailing from then on.
He hadn't expected her to be so useless.
He hurriedly pulled Jiang Wanrou away, afraid she would cause any more trouble.
Cheng You's eyes were still red with anger.
The things Jiang Wanrou had said must have been echoed by many others behind her back.
They wouldn't care if there was evidence, nor would they care if Qi Chengyan had actually done it.
As long as they could satisfy their own gossip, what did it matter if it was just hearsay?
The more she thought about it, the uglier her expression became, and she turned back into the house.
A moment later, Sun Xiaowan and Duan Liping arrived.
"I heard you got into a fight with your cousin. What's going on?"
Cheng You briefly explained the situation.
"We didn't fight, just argued a bit. Yuan He was there to stop her, he wouldn't let her fight me."
Yuan He was a fence-sitter, always leaning whichever way the wind blew.
Cheng You currently had good momentum in the village; people needed her for work at the pharmaceutical factory, so no one dared to offend her.
Sun Xiaowan spat, "Birds of a feather flock together. Neither of them are good people!"
Cheng You knitted her brows tightly and asked, "How much do you know about Qi Chengyan's situation?"
Sun Xiaowan chuckled, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
"He's very resistant to talking about the matters in Yancheng. I don't want to bring up his unpleasant memories."
Sun Xiaowan and Duan Liping exchanged glances and sat down beside Cheng You.
She took a sip of the brown sugar water and said, "I heard it from my dad. That woman was named Wang Fang, the wife of Chengyan's comrade-in-arms. She suddenly wrote a letter of accusation, claiming Chengyan got her pregnant. The timing was very sensitive because Chengyan's comrade-in-arms had just died on a mission. And your husband happened to take over, not only completing the mission but also being promoted to deputy regiment commander.
Before everyone could even congratulate Qi Chengyan, Wang Fang threw mud at him.
"What happened next?" Cheng You asked.
Sun Xiaowan shook her head, "This matter was difficult to investigate. At best, they could wait until the child was born and compare blood types or appearances. But Wang Fang had an abortion.
Even as she had the abortion, she righteously accused, 'Even if I die, I won't keep this child. I find it dirty!'
Wang Fang was a martyr's widow. Her husband had just passed away, and the military couldn't do anything to her.
Since it was impossible to prove the child was Qi Chengyan's, and equally impossible to prove it wasn't, the military decided to sweep the matter under the rug and let it be.
Duan Liping said wistfully, "A rumor takes but a moment to spread, but it takes a long time to refute. From the moment Wang Fang wrote that accusation letter, unless there was irrefutable evidence proving that your husband did not do it, this stain would follow him forever."
Just like now, the villagers didn't dare to say anything to their faces, but they still believed what Zhou Qi had said.
Cheng You felt a pang of melancholy.
Did she have to let Qi Chengyan hide in the countryside forever, unable to return to Yancheng?
"Cheng You, don't overthink it. These things aren't something we can interfere with."
Cheng You gave a faint smile. Of course, she knew that.
She hadn't reached a high enough position, so she naturally had no say.
What was so remarkable about a country girl who could only make two jars of medicine? Who would listen to her vindicate her husband?
She smiled, "I'm fine, I was just curious, so I came to you to understand more."
After seeing Sun Xiaowan and Duan Liping off, Qi Chengyan also returned.
He immediately asked about her and Jiang Wanrou.
He didn't care that Jiang Wanrou had been hit, but he was worried about Cheng You getting hurt.
He held her small hands and looked, indeed seeing a patch of red on her palm.
Perhaps it had gone numb from the impact.
He gently rubbed it a couple of times and sighed.
"Next time you want to hit someone, it's best to find a tool."
So that you don't have to suffer yourself.
Cheng You pouted and said sweetly, "I don't usually hit people."
"I know, so why did you hit her this time?"
"She insulted you, and I couldn't help myself."
Qi Chengyan's broad shoulders stiffened; it was because of him again.
Cheng You's small hands climbed onto his shoulders, she hugged him tightly, her small face pressed against his neck, gently nuzzling.
"One day, I will make those who have wronged you bow their heads and apologize to you."
Qi Chengyan's heart warmed, his sharp features visibly softening.
He said in a husky voice, "Okay."
He had intended to explain that he wasn't that wronged.
But the feeling of being cared for by his wife was too good, so he might as well let her continue to misunderstand.
"What do you want to eat today? I'll cook for you."
He stroked Cheng You's head.
Cheng You thought for a moment, "How about we have hot pot?"
With a spicy broth.
Qi Chengyan glanced at the sky outside and said, "I'll go up the mountain to check."
It would be best if there was some meat.
Cheng You nodded, "Alright. If there's nothing, I'll go to Grandma Liu's to buy a chicken."
Now that she had money, Cheng You wasn't going to skimp on herself. She had to have meat every meal, otherwise her hard work wouldn't be meaningful.
Qi Chengyan went up the mountain to check the traps for prey, while Cheng You stayed home to stir-fry the broth base and prepare some vegetables.
As she was busy in the kitchen, she suddenly heard a sneeze from outside.
She turned to look outside and saw Qi Yang.
"Sister!"
Qi Yang walked in with a smile, sniffing.
It was a bit ticklish, and she couldn't help but sneeze.
"Little Youzi, is A'yan home?"
Cheng You quickly put down her work, wiped her hands, and walked out.
"He just left, he'll be back later. Sister, why didn't you say anything before coming? We could have picked you up."
Qi Yang waved her hand, "I decided to come on a whim, didn't have time to write to you beforehand."
She had also brought many things. If she hadn't managed to hail a bullock cart on the way, she probably wouldn't have arrived at Wujing Village by now.
Cheng You led her inside to sit down, helped her move her things in, and poured her a glass of water.
"Sister, aren't you going to spend the New Year in Yancheng?"
Qi Yang waved her hand, "I just found out about Zhou Qi's situation and had a bit of a disagreement with Mom and Dad. I came over in a fit of pique. By the way, I still haven't asked you, what's going on with Zhou Qi?"
Mentioning Zhou Qi made Cheng You angry.
"If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be so much gossip in the village now. If he dares to come to my Wujing Village again, I'll make him regret it!"
Qi Yang suddenly burst out laughing, finding her sister-in-law incredibly endearing.
Someone like Zhou Qi needed Cheng You to deal with him.
Qi Chengyan and she were both not good at talking or coaxing people. Ever since Zhou Qi arrived, they, the siblings, had suffered so much.