Chapter 43 Tattling

Chapter 43: Filing a Complaint

Xie Xinyi absolutely had to file this complaint, but doing so required some finesse.

She couldn't just blurt out to Xiao Jiang that her husband was cheating and that both she and Ms. Liu had witnessed it. Nor could she directly mention that the other woman was pregnant.

It would be best, like last time at the hospital, to let Xiao Jiang accidentally witness the situation. After all, no matter how much outsiders say, seeing it with one's own eyes is far more convincing.

So, the key now was how to subtly engineer a situation where Xiao Jiang would run into the pregnant Li Xiaofang without arousing suspicion.

The hospital was unlikely—prenatal care wasn't standardized yet in this era. Her previous encounter had been sheer luck. Such an important matter couldn't rely on chance; she needed to take matters into her own hands.

For example, if Xiao Jiang accidentally saw Shang Fushun's mother with Li Xiaofang in a place frequented by pregnant women, she would grow suspicious and investigate. With so many relatives working in hospitals, Xiao Jiang would surely find a way to uncover Shang Fushun’s wrongdoing.

Shang Fushun's mother, who clearly valued the child in Li Xiaofang’s womb, would naturally give her special treatment. In these times when many struggled to eat well, what everyone considered special treatment was having meat at every meal and oil in every dish.

From the look of Li Xiaofang’s belly, she didn't seem to be newly pregnant. Pregnant women tend to eat more during their second trimester. Xie Xinyi recalled how her aunt from a past life, while pregnant with her cousin, could eat a dozen eggs a day and was always either at the hospital or the market.

So, after making her decision, Xie Xinyi spent several days asking Xiao Jiang to accompany her to the produce market to buy food.

She made up an excuse on the spot, saying that Wang Ma had taken sudden leave to care for her daughter who had just given birth. Since Xie Xinyi passed by the produce market on her way home from work, the task of shopping had fallen to her.

Though the excuse was flimsy, Xiao Jiang, who trusted her deeply, didn’t question it.

The two wandered around the produce market for several days, with Xie Xinyi buying piles of groceries each time.

Wang Ma, who was supposedly on leave, was baffled and privately whispered to Grandma Gu about what was going on. Gu Yu, however, quickly guessed Xie Xinyi’s intentions.

“Did that man cheat again?”

“How did you know?”

Xie Xinyi was puzzled. Gu Yu glanced at the kitchen, where Wang Ma had already discarded most of the vegetables she had bought.

He guessed all that from some vegetables?

So, having a clever man wasn’t necessarily a good thing. She had only bought groceries for a few days, and Gu Yu had connected it to the cheating incident she’d mentioned before. He even deliberately added the word “again,” clearly fishing for information.

Knowing she couldn’t hide it—and that there was no need to—Xie Xinyi told him everything she had seen at the hospital and her previous encounters. “...Now that the woman is pregnant, the situation has changed. Xiao Jiang is my friend, and she deserves to know.”

“You certainly care a lot about her affairs.”

Gu Yu didn’t offer any opinion but made a sarcastic remark. Xie Xinyi rolled her eyes at him. “Xiao Jiang has been good to me, so I should return the favor.”

If it weren’t for Xiao Jiang’s kindness, she wouldn’t bother getting involved in this mess.

“Shang Fushun is despicable. Not only did he betray Xiao Jiang emotionally, but now he’s betrayed her physically too. It’s disgusting...”

She shook her head. “...I hate cheating men the most. They’re incompetent yet blame everything on women. I have zero tolerance for infidelity. I want Xiao Jiang to know. What she chooses to do afterward is up to her, but as Shang Fushun’s properly married wife, she has every right to know.”

Even if she didn’t say anything, Shang Fushun's mother and Shang Fushun were being so careless that Xiao Jiang would eventually find out. It was better for her to know early and prepare rather than discover it after the child was born.

Xie Xinyi didn’t expect Gu Yu, as a man, to understand a woman’s perspective. She only lamented that Xiao Jiang had been through enough already and shouldn’t be treated so unfairly.

“You’re not a woman; you wouldn’t understand...”

Copying Gu Yu’s mysterious tone, she concluded without caring how he might react. She continued going to the produce market with Xiao Jiang.

Whether it was luck or fate intervening, they didn’t have to wait long before running into Shang Fushun's mother and Li Xiaofang at the market.

Just like at the hospital, Shang Fushun's mother led the way like a mother hen, followed by a timid Li Xiaofang. The older woman chattered loudly, occasionally pushing past others, causing a scene wherever she went. Xie Xinyi spotted them immediately.

Xiao Jiang saw them too.

But she wasn’t quite sure.

After Shang Fushun's mother had caused a scene at their home last time, Shang Fushun had sent her back to their hometown. Before leaving, she had even taken the gifts Xie Xinyi had brought. Xiao Jiang had seen it with her own eyes, so why was Shang Fushun's mother now at a produce market in Beijing?

She pulled Xie Xinyi forward, stopping near the fish stall close to Shang Fushun's mother, and stared intently.

The same short haircut she’d had for decades, the same cable-knit clothing she’d worn since Xiao Jiang married into the family, the same basket she always carried, and the smug smile she only wore when she’d gained some advantage.

Everything was painfully familiar. Xiao Jiang stood frozen for a long moment before turning her gaze to the girl who had brought such joy to Shang Fushun's mother.

Round face, high nose bridge, shifty eyes, and a delicate appearance—Xiao Jiang suddenly remembered the first time she and Shang Fushun visited his hometown after their wedding. The girl had stood before Shang Fushun just like this, tears welling in her bright eyes, looking pitifully at the man wearing a large red wedding flower.

Back then, Xiao Jiang had asked Shang Fushun who the girl was and why she was looking at him that way. He had said she was a distant relative who had lived with his family since childhood and saw him as an older brother.

It seemed natural for a “sister” to be saddened by her “brother’s” marriage, so Xiao Jiang hadn’t thought much of it. But now...

The girl wore a loose dress, one hand clutching Shang Fushun's mother’s clothes, the other gently protecting her abdomen—a curve Xiao Jiang had only ever seen in her dreams.

The girl was pregnant, and Shang Fushun's mother was taking great care of her.

Xiao Jiang was innocent, but she wasn’t foolish.

Seeing the affectionate look in Shang Fushun's mother’s eyes and the unprecedented smile on her aged face, Xiao Jiang’s own smile suddenly froze...

Now that Xiao Jiang knew, what she chose to do next was her own business.

To avoid raising suspicion, Xie Xinyi continued asking Xiao Jiang to accompany her to the produce market in the following days, but Xiao Jiang declined each time with various excuses. Not long after, Xiao Jiang took sick leave. Ms. Liu noticed something was off and asked Xie Xinyi what had happened.

Naturally, Xie Xinyi wouldn’t gossip about Xiao Jiang’s private affairs without her consent. She pretended not to know and even asked Ms. Liu if she could accompany her to the produce market instead.

“I have several elders at home waiting for me to cook. You go on your own.”

Ms. Liu flat-out refused. Xie Xinyi’s grocery trips often took two hours. While Xiao Jiang, being younger, had time to spare, Ms. Liu, with children and her mother to look after, had no time to indulge her.

With neither Xiao Jiang nor Ms. Liu accompanying her, Xie Xinyi saw no reason to keep up the act. That evening, after work, she headed home feeling light.

With the matter resolved, she thought about getting a rise out of Gu Yu when she got back. But as she reached the door, she heard sighs from the living room: “...I thought he had feelings for our little sister. How could he turn around and marry someone else so quickly? And someone so close by?”

The speaker was so direct and loud that even without seeing who it was, Xie Xinyi guessed another unexpected visitor had arrived.

It was the second day since Gu’s father had been discharged from the hospital. Gu Kai hadn’t shown up during the discharge yesterday, claiming he’d been sent on a sudden mission.

Xie Xinyi didn’t know when military missions had become so short, but when she entered and saw Gu Kai sitting on the sofa, she greeted everyone present—except him.

When help was needed, he was absent. Now that everything was settled, he was playing the devoted son. Xie Xinyi wasn’t going to play along. Gu Kai’s nodding gesture froze mid-air.

“Xinyi’s back! Didn’t buy groceries today?”

Grandma Gu joked as Xie Xinyi put down her keys and sat beside her. She didn’t find Xie Xinyi impolite but used the opportunity to change the subject from Gu Kai’s earlier topic.

“I was just guessing with Wang Ma—she said you’d definitely come back with worm-eaten tomatoes for a cold salad.”

Since Xie Xinyi started shopping at the grocery store, the Gu family's dining table was graced either with cucumbers with big bites taken out by insects or leafy greens riddled with wormholes.

Wang Ma had to check the vegetables carefully every day before cooking to ensure no "extra protein" made an unwanted appearance on the table. Yet Xie Xinyi insisted that such produce was healthier to eat.

As someone from the future who had suffered from the harms of advanced technology and harsh chemicals, Xie Xinyi believed that the good-looking vegetables on the market were all drenched in pesticides and chemical fertilizers—not only tasteless but also harmful to health. So when she saw the imperfect, bug-nibbled vegetables at the store, her first thought was: if even insects would eat them, they must be free of pesticides and healthy.

Xie Xinyi had always thought she was getting quality produce, and since Wang Ma never said anything about it, she didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until Grandma Gu joked about it today that she realized pesticides and fertilizers were more expensive than the vegetables themselves.

Xie Xinyi smiled awkwardly. Just then, Pei Nana, who had been sitting quietly beside Gu Kai, suddenly spoke up with a sarcastic tone, "Grandma, don’t scare our sister-in-law. You know she doesn’t know how to cook, and Mom has said before that she wasn’t married into the family to do such chores."

This was Xie Xinyi’s first time meeting the legendary sister-in-law since her marriage.

She had heard from Gu Ying before that their eldest sister-in-law was no ordinary person. Not only did she come from a top-tier family, but she was also strikingly beautiful. Back in the day, her suitors lined up from one end of the city to the other, but she didn't fancy a single one of them.

She looked down on those who pursued her and scorned the matches her family arranged for her. When others said she had high standards, she openly admitted it, even boldly declaring that she would marry the most capable man in the world while mingling with different men every day.

Just when everyone was waiting to see who she would end up with, she suddenly accepted Gu Kai’s proposal after a period of disappearance.

As one of Pei Nana’s many suitors at the time, Gu Kai came from a good family, but his mother had passed away long ago, and his father had remarried. Although no one said it out loud, everyone knew perfectly well his standing in the Gu family wasn’t high.

He was no match for the widely admired Pei Nana who had everyone fawning over her, so when news of their engagement broke, everyone was in an uproar.

Among Pei Nana’s many suitors, Gu Kai wasn’t the best choice. Why would she marry someone with no strong backing? People speculated wildly.

Some thought Pei Nana had lost her mind, others suspected Gu Kai had forced her into it, and some even speculated that something unspeakable must have happened during her disappearance—like being assaulted or needing to recover from an abortion.

Scandalous rumors always make people lose their sense of proportion. Once such rumors started, public sentiment shifted from pitying Pei Nana for marrying beneath her to sympathizing with Gu Kai for being cuckolded.

Gu Kai wore the cuckold's hat steadfastly and willingly. No matter how others talked about Pei Nana, he remained her most loyal follower.

He didn’t care, and Pei Nana, standing at the center of the storm, paid no attention to the gossip either. She continued to do as she pleased, looking down on everyone around her with equal disdain.

This was also why she didn’t bother to attend Xie Xinyi and Gu Yu’s wedding, even though she had nothing else to do at home.

She looked down on Wen Shuhua, who married into the family as a stepmother in her first marriage, and disliked Gu Yu and Gu Ying, who always clashed with her. So she rarely visited the Gu family.

Even though Xie Xinyi had been married into the family for some time, this was her first time meeting the legendary Pei Nana.

From the moment Xie Xinyi entered, the woman had been focused on fixing her hair. She wore the latest ready-made clothes, had slightly permed wavy hair, and sported a pair of brightly colored high heels that clearly cost a fortune.

At a time when Hong Kong-style fashion hadn’t yet become popular on the mainland, Pei Nana’s permed hair and high heels might not have been the trend, but they were certainly flashy.

Someone like her would never look up to Xie Xinyi, who came from a small town. She didn’t even glance at Xie Xinyi the entire time. If Grandma Gu hadn’t brought up Xie Xinyi’s amusing blunder, Xie Xinyi was sure Pei Nana would have continued ignoring her.

Even now, while her words seemed to defend Xie Xinyi on the surface, anyone with a brain could hear the underlying mockery and disdain.

Mocking her for not knowing how to cook, mocking the Gu family for treating this country bumpkin like a treasure.

If someone looks down on you, there’s no need to save face for her. Just as Xie Xinyi was about to retort sharply, Gu Yu, sitting across from her, spoke up first, "She married into this family to enjoy life. What, you just realized?"

No niceties, no titles—just a direct defense of his wife. It had to be said, Gu Yu was always excellent at protecting his pride.

Pei Nana was taken aback. She had never seen the usually cold and detached Gu Yu stand up for anyone, especially not a woman.

From the time she married into the Gu family, she had never seen him smile at anyone, particularly women. Whether familiar or stranger, if you were female, he kept his distance respectfully. For the longest time, Pei Nana had wondered if he preferred men.

This idea was so ingrained in her mind that seeing Gu Yu suddenly defend his wife left her not just surprised but utterly incredulous.

And the way he looked at Xie Xinyi after his retort...

My God, was this still the guy with the permanent scowl she knew?

It was like pigs flying!

Pei Nana sat there, stunned. Gu Kai quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Your sister-in-law rarely comes home and hasn’t met our sister-in-law before. It’s normal she wouldn’t know."

Gu Kai smiled obsequiously at his wife and then changed the subject to the recent happy news from the Zhang family next door. "By the way, Dad, I heard Uncle Zhang is being promoted to deputy division commander. Is that true?"

"Yes, it should happen next month," Gu Haoyi nodded, not asking how Gu Kai knew.

"Will he be transferred?" Gu Kai asked again.

This time, Gu Haoyi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Gu Kai and asked, "Why are you asking about this?"

After all, they held different ranks and belonged to different units. What was Gu Kai trying to achieve by probing into the Zhang family’s affairs?

Seeing Gu Haoyi’s suspicion, Gu Kai quickly explained with a smile, "I just think Gao He’s change of heart was too sudden. I wondered if it had something to do with Uncle Zhang’s promotion."

Gao He shifting his attention from Gu Ying to Zhang Juan because of Uncle Zhang’s promotion?

Everyone’s attention was caught by Gu Kai’s words. With this reminder, previously puzzling details suddenly became clear.

Zhang Juan’s father was indeed being promoted to deputy division commander next month and would be transferred to Shanghai. Zhang Xin, the big mouth, had already told Gu Yu about this a month ago.

But at the time, Gu Yu and Xie Xinyi hadn’t connected this to Gao He’s sudden interest in Zhang Juan. They had simply assumed Gao He was a fickle person, never imagining he could be so calculating.

Before Zhang Juan’s father was promoted, he was only a brigade commander, hardly comparable to Gu Ying, whose father was a deputy division commander.

Gao He, working in the military factory, was well-informed about the First Military District.

He knew Gu Ying had a deputy division commander for a father and came from a well-off family. So when Gu Ying first went to the military factory to interview him, he seized the chance to escort her home, hoping to leave a good impression on the Gu family.

Later, he coincidentally saved Gu Ying and, understanding the anxiety of families with unmarried daughters, repeatedly signaled to the Gu family that he was an eligible bachelor. He even visited several times to create the illusion that he and Gu Ying were dating.

His actions not only misled the Gu family but also fueled rumors. Even Xie Xinyi, as a time traveler, had been wary of him, never expecting him to suddenly change targets.

Zhang Juan, Zhang Xin’s sister, had a father who enlisted in the same batch as Gu Haoyi. However, due to his blunt personality and often spoke without thinking, his promotions had always lagged behind Gu Haoyi’s.

Moreover, it had been ten years since his last promotion to brigade commander. Who would have thought a man over fifty years old would suddenly leap to such a high rank?

Not even the Gu family had seen it coming. Even Zhang Xin was stunned when he heard the news.

Although Uncle Zhang’s promotion to deputy division commander put him on par with Gu Haoyi, he was being transferred to Shanghai.

If Gu Kai’s speculation was correct—that Gao He switched from Gu Ying to Zhang Juan because of this—then how did Gao He learn about Uncle Zhang’s promotion, and so early at that?

Xie Xinyi was puzzled, and Gu Yu glanced at Wen Shuhua.

Wen Shuhua had been the most enthusiastic about matchmaking Gao He and Gu Ying.

As a mother, she worried both about her daughter remaining unmarried and about her marrying the wrong person. She thought she had found an ideal son-in-law, only to discover how "exceptional" he truly was.

Seeing that Gu Ying wasn't interested in him, and learning that Zhang Juan’s father was being transferred to Shanghai as a deputy division commander, this "ideal" man immediately abandoned Gu Ying and turned his attention to Zhang Juan.

Although this meant nothing to Gu Ying, who had never been interested in Gao He, his previous closeness to the family and his vague attitude, neither confirming nor denying, had led many to believe he and Gu Ying were involved.

For Gao He, being a man, it didn’t matter much. But Gu Ying was still unmarried, and a young woman's reputation being tarnished was no small matter. Wen Shuhua felt vexed and couldn’t meet her son’s gaze when he looked at her. "How could he be like this..."

He seems so gentle and refined, but he's actually quite calculating.

Fortunately, Gu Ying has the ability to distinguish good from bad and has always kept him at arm's length. If she had been like Zhang Juan next door, who blindly follows her parents' words as if they were sacred decrees, then...

Recalling Gao He's past actions and words, Wen Shuhua shuddered.

Gao He's behavior served as a lesson for her. From that day on, Wen Shuhua no longer pushed so hard to get her daughter married and began to screen potential matches more carefully.

Zhang Juan's father's transfer order came through at the First Military District in early August. Since Zhang Juan and Zhang Xin's jobs were still in Beijing, only Luo Jinxia accompanied her husband to Shanghai.

On the day of their departure, Wen Shuhua brought Gu Yu and the others to help, and Gao He was also there.

"After Old Zhang and I leave, please keep an eye on my two troublesome children for me, especially Zhang Xin. He’s a little naive—please watch over him and make sure he doesn’t get too close to those shady friends of his."

Luo Jinxia packed her belongings into a suitcase while instructing Wen Shuhua beside her, "To be honest, you’re the only one in the military housing complex I trust. The kids listen to you too—just treat them as your own. Scold them when needed, even hit them if necessary. Don’t worry, I won’t make excuses for them."

Wen Shuhua smiled and agreed, "I understand, don’t worry."

This time, there was no arguing or tension between them—only the reluctance and concern between good friends and sisters before parting. It felt strange to Xie Xinyi, who was used to seeing them at odds.

Xie Xinyi had never quite understood the nature of Wen Shuhua and Luo Jinxia’s relationship.

On one hand, if you called them enemies, Luo Jinxia would always be the first to share rare or delicious treats with Aunt Wen.

On the other hand, if you called them close friends, whenever they met, they would bicker, compete, and often say things that hit where it hurt.

Xie Xinyi couldn’t make sense of this complicated relationship. All she knew was that Aunt Luo was actually all bark and no bite—much like Uncle Zhang, she spoke without thinking but never meant any harm.

For instance, regarding Gao He setting his sights on her daughter, Aunt Luo never once mentioned it in front of Wen Shuhua. In the past, she would have boasted about even the smallest achievements, like buying a ready-made outfit before anyone else.

When it came to her daughter’s relationship, one would expect her to make a big production—if not with drums and gongs, at least with some fanfare. But after all this time, not only had she not brought it up in front of Wen Shuhua, but even now, with Gao He acting like part of the family, Luo Jinxia didn’t bother to introduce him.

Not only did she not introduce him, but Luo Jinxia herself paid little attention to Gao He. Only after everything was loaded into the car did she offer him a formal, distant thank-you.

Why did Xie Xinyi find it distant? Because when Aunt Luo turned to them, she didn’t say a word of thanks but instead hugged each of them with tear-filled eyes.

Gu Yu noticed the clear difference in treatment too. Back home, Xie Xinyi couldn’t help expressing her confusion, to which Wen Shuhua simply said, "Luo Jinxia isn’t foolish."

Exactly—someone who dared to go alone to join the military troupe, someone who recognized Uncle Zhang’s potential—she might speak without thinking, but she was too smart to miss someone’s bad intentions.

No one knew exactly what Gao He was up to, but Luo Jinxia wasn’t stupid. She knew what was up but kept quiet, waiting for time to reveal his true colors.

Having known Luo Jinxia for decades, Wen Shuhua understood her intentions perfectly. She told her son to keep an eye on Zhang Xin these days, so they could respond quickly if Gao He made any moves.

Luo Jinxia saw things clearly, and Wen Shuhua was well aware of it. Seeing that both of them were clear about where they stood toward Gao He, Xie Xinyi felt reassured.

With no movement from Gao He’s side, there was no need for her to borrow trouble. The next day, she went to the workshop early as usual, but before she even reached the entrance, she saw Ms. Liu standing there, looking around as if waiting for someone.