Chapter 39: Malicious Rumors

Su Ruo noticed Chen Wei's gaze, but she only gave Chen Wei a cold glance, then turned away to attend to her own business, ignoring her.

Chen Wei felt ignored and immediately said sarcastically, "Just a discarded woman still dragging a dead weight—what's so proud about!"

Su Ruo's expression turned slightly cold as she looked at Chen Wei and asked, "What did you say?"

Chen Wei wanted to continue, but Li Shirou stopped her: "Weiwei, take a look—what are we having for dinner."

Li Shirou said as she pulled Chen Wei toward the house; Chen Wei refused, struggling, "Shi Rou, don't pull me—she dares to act and won't let anyone speak."

Li Shirou whispered something, and only then did Chen Wei stop struggling and follow Li Shirou.

Su Ruo watched their backs as they left, her intuition telling her the two were up to something again, though she didn't yet know what stupid Chen Wei had done.

But Su Ruo wasn't in a hurry; whatever they did, the Fox Tail would eventually be exposed.

The next day, Su Ruo got up early, washed and dressed An'an, changed into new clothes, and prepared to take her to see Lao Zhishu.

After all, adopting a child wasn't a trivial matter; she had to inform the village.

But as soon as Su Ruo stepped out, she noticed the people from Zhiqing Dian giving her strange looks, and passing villagers pointed fingers at her while she walked holding An'an.

Su Ruo furrowed her brows, and at that moment an inquisitive older woman stepped forward, grabbed Su Ruo's hand, and asked:

"Su Zhiqing, I heard you're a child bride who was cast out by your husband's family and came to the countryside because you had nowhere else to go."

"Is this girl your daughter with your ex-husband? Where is your ex-husband? Did he really abandon you and your child?"

After Su Ruo recognized the woman, her face instantly turned cold—Li Cuiping, the village's notorious bigmouth, loved nothing more than spreading gossip; with that mouth, she had to make a story out of everything.

In her previous life, Li Zeyu entered university and returned to the city, then immediately dumped Su Ruo.

When Li Cuiping learned that Su Ruo had been abandoned by Li Zeyu, she never missed a chance to gossip about Su Ruo in the village.

Both overtly and subtly she berated Su Ruo for overreaching, adding that Li Zeyu was now a university student, Su Ruo should examine her own conduct, how could she match him—she deserved to be dumped!

She even spread rumors that Su Ruo had probably slept with Li Zeyu and was a worthless, unwanted "broken shoe."

Li Cuiping used the vilest words to humiliate and berate Su Ruo, wishing she could stomp her into the mud, as if only that could satisfy the secret pleasure in her heart.

Su Ruo was already insecure in her past life, and after the incident the rumors knocked her down, leaving her dazed daily; later she inadvertently fell into Wang Tufu's scheme.

It can be said that Li Cuiping was largely responsible for Su Ruo's fate in her previous life.

Now that the enemies meet, Su Ruo sees unmistakable hatred in Li Cuiping's eyes.

But Li Cuiping seemed unaware of Su Ruo's odd expression, continuing to speak to herself, growing more agitated, as if she had personally witnessed Su Ruo being caught cheating and cast out.

Until Su Ruo, with an icy face, cut her off: "Auntie, who told you that?"

Li Cuiping said indifferently, "It was Chen Wei from your Zhiqing Dian! She gave us concrete details; we didn't believe it until today when we saw you come out holding a child, then I believed it."

"Who would have thought that at such a young age you could have a daughter this big; you weren't pregnant in your teens, were you!"

Su Ruo clenched her teeth in hatred—Chen Wei! Good, really good! It seems her previous blows were too light; that's why these people never learn, repeatedly provoking her.

Since that's the case, this time Su Ruo doesn't mind giving her a painful lesson.

Su Ruo said coldly, "Auntie, you can eat whatever, but you can't speak whatever. An'an is my child, that's true, but I wasn't cast out, and I have no ex-husband." She dropped that line and walked away without looking back.

Li Cuiping, seeing Su Ruo's departing back, assumed she was feeling guilty, spat fiercely, "Pah, just a worthless broken shoe—what's there to be proud of."

Then she turned and, with the women beside her, continued gossiping: "The Wang San family—let me tell you, Su Ruo has a fox-like charm, still dragging a dead weight; anyone who gets involved will be unlucky. I advise you to stop early if you were thinking of making her your daughter-in-law."

The woman who was named quickly waved her hands, "I have no such intention."

This woman originally thought Su Ruo, with money, good looks, and medical skill, was a perfect match for her son and wanted to set them up.

But now, even if Su Ruo were wonderful, she wouldn't take her! Her son is on his first marriage and would never marry a remarried woman with a child.

However, the woman never considered that, given her family's poor conditions and her son's lazy, good-for-nothing demeanor, why Su Ruo would set her sights on him.

Su Ruo originally planned to take An'an to see Lao Zhishu, after all, adopting a child wasn't a trivial matter; she had to inform the village.

But now she changed her mind; since the other side wanted to cause trouble, she decided to amplify the commotion and see who ends up unlucky.

After Chen Wei spread those words, she felt extremely smug; every time she saw Su Ruo, she held her nose aloft, strutting, thinking she could finally step on Su Ruo.

Su Ruo completely ignored her; these past few days she had holed up in her room, bonding with An'an, letting the outside gossip ferment.

Li Shirou, seeing Su Ruo so calm, felt a vague unease, thinking Su Ruo was holding back a big move and wanting to advise Chen Wei to stop.

But the situation had already escalated beyond their control.

The village gossip grew ever more vile, saying anything; eventually rumors claimed Su Ruo was caught cheating by her husband's family and that An'an was a bastard child.

Now the whole village knows Su Ruo committed adultery and was cast out by her husband's family.

Until this day, when officials from the county sent someone to deliver a reward to Su Ruo, the small car rolling into the village caused a stir among everyone.

Li Cuiping, who usually loved joining the excitement, instantly felt the gossip fire flare in her eyes upon seeing a small car arrive in the village.

When the county official stepped out of the car to inquire about Su Ruo's residence,

Li Cuiping immediately pushed through the crowd, moved to the front, sized up the man, and asked excitedly,

"Who are you, and what do you want with Su Ruo?" Li Cuiping assumed Zhou Ganshi was Su Ruo's ex-husband, coming to settle scores.

But the man politely replied, "My surname is Zhou; I'm a county clerk. Comrade Su Ruo performed heroic disaster relief in Qingshui Village, and the higher-ups specifically sent me to deliver her reward."

Li Cuiping's face turned sour, and she shouted sharply, "What? A woman like Su Ruo, who breaks marital virtue, cheats behind her husband's back and is cast out, and you don't punish her but actually reward her?"

Zhou Ganshi, hearing this, instantly changed expression: "Comrade Su hasn't even married; where does a former husband come from?"

Li Cuiping, thinking Zhou Ganshi had been deceived by Su Ruo, declared resolutely, "How could there be no ex-husband? Her child is already so big; we all saw it. That bastard child has had a fox-like charm since childhood, just like his mother—clearly not a decent person."

Zhou Ganshi saw Li Cuiping's certainty, and the surrounding crowd nodded, feeling a few doubts themselves.

Zhou Ganshi's face darkened slightly; he had thought this trip was just a simple task of delivering a medal and a banner, never expecting to encounter such a situation.

If Su Ruo truly were indecent, then the county's medal could no longer be given to her.

If Su Ruo really is immoral, then the county's award cannot be given to her again.