"It’s not absolutely necessary to wait until the child turns one before arranging a family for Comrade Xiao Wei. The marriage can be set first, and once the child is old enough for kindergarten, they can marry."
"Ah, this Zhao Dongxiu really is something else. Comrade Xiao Wei helps her look after the child, and not only is she ungrateful, she also torments Comrade Xiao Wei. I heard Comrade Xiao Wei is quite cherished at home. If her parents knew she didn’t even have enough to eat at her brother and sister-in-law’s house, they would be heartbroken."
"Exactly, you shouldn’t treat someone like that."
"Does the union department at the factory know about this? They should definitely have a talk with Zhao Dongxiu."
"Ha, in these matters, if the people don’t complain, the officials don’t investigate. Unless Comrade Xiao Wei goes to the union to report it, who in the union would bother with this?"
...
Hearing everyone’s discussion, Zhao Dongxiu was brought to tears.
"I didn’t torment Wei Yuanchun, nor did I slander her. It was really her who hit my mom, even swelled up her face. And I didn’t stop her from eating. If you don’t believe me, ask my neighbors. Has there been a day when I didn’t let her make her own food in the kitchen?"
"Oh, oh, how can you accuse me based on a few of Wei Yuanchun’s words, saying I tormented her, when it was clearly her who hit me? My stomach still hurts."
Some people couldn’t bear it any longer. "Zhao Dongxiu, you say you didn’t bully Yuan Chun, but wasn’t it your mom chasing her to hit her just now?"
"You and your mom bullying a young girl and chasing her to hit her, how dare you say you didn’t bully Comrade Xiao Wei?"
"Everyone here is not blind. Everyone saw clearly the menacing look on your mom’s face when she wanted to beat Comrade Xiao Wei to death just now."
"Zhao Dongxiu, just stop trying to defend yourself."
Furious, Zhao Dongxiu stomped her foot. "Everything I said is the truth. If my mom and I weren’t beaten by Wei Yuanchun, then let me choke on my food or get hit by a car when I step outside."
Although people kept saying they weren’t superstitious at this time, the older generation still believed in it.
People with a guilty conscience didn’t dare swear a curse, for fear of it coming true and ending up dying an unlucky death.
Someone looked at Yuan Chun, skeptically asking, "Comrade Xiao Wei, did you really hit your sister-in-law and her mom?"
"No, I didn’t hit them." Yuan Chun’s eyes were filled with tears, and she looked incredulously at Zhao Dongxiu, "Sister-in-law, I didn’t expect you to go so far as to make me leave... Sob, sister-in-law, please don’t curse yourself, I’ll leave, I’ll leave right now... sob..."
Yuan Chun cried as she ran back home.
Someone couldn’t stand it anymore, caught up to her, and tried to comfort her, "Comrade Xiao Wei, if you’re going to leave, you should at least wait for your brother to return."
"Comrade Xiao Wei, if you leave, what about your nephew, who will take care of him?"
"Comrade Xiao Wei, don’t worry about your sister-in-law. This house is your brother’s, you’re his biological sister, you have every right to live here, and your sister-in-law has no right to drive you away."
Factory’s temporary workers weren’t allotted houses, only a bed in a dormitory. This apartment was specially granted to Wei Yuanfang because he made a significant contribution.
Otherwise, with Wei Yuanfang’s seniority, he wouldn’t be entitled to such a large apartment with one room and a living room; at most, he’d be assigned a single room.
"Pretty sister, don’t go. If your sister-in-law won’t let you live here, come stay at my house. My sister’s bed is empty, you can sleep there."
The little simpleton also chased up, pitifully holding onto Yuan Chun, not letting her leave.