Chapter 21: Rumors End with the Loudspeaker

Sun Xiulan’s eyes grew red as she watched.

As a mother herself, she could not bear to see such things.

“This… this is…”

“This is An’an’s biological father, Zhao Weiguo’s, only legacy left for his daughter,” Zhou Susu’s voice was hoarse and heavy with pain.

“This money is the compensation he earned with his life, combined with the hard-earned savings from a lifetime of frugality. His sole wish was for his daughter to have a glorious wedding in the future.”

Tears streamed down Zhou Susu’s face once more.

“But… but my own mother!” She clenched her teeth, her voice filled with anger and helplessness. “She wanted money from me, and when she couldn’t get it, she dared to slander me like this!”

“She not only defamed me but also tried to destroy my little family!”

“Sister-in-law, what do you think I should do? I can’t very well prove my innocence by making the martyr’s letter public for everyone to see, can I? That would be such a disrespect to the martyr!”

“I really have no way to defend myself! Wuwuwu…”

Zhou Susu buried her face on the table, sobbing uncontrollably, portraying the image of a young daughter-in-law driven to despair by her own mother’s cruelty, overwhelmed with grievance and helplessness.

“Bang!”

Sun Xiulan slammed her hand on the table in fury and stood up immediately.

She resembled a mother hen ready to fight, her anger bristling like a storm.

“This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!”

Wang Cuifen’s shameless actions had completely enraged her.

Since marrying into the compound, she often witnessed the soldiers defending the nation, training rigorously.

Sun Xiulan held the utmost respect for soldiers, especially fallen heroes.

And now, someone dared to sully the reputation of a martyr’s family for money?

That was intolerable!

“This is beyond a simple family dispute! It’s a matter of conscience! A moral decay!” Sun Xiulan was furious to the point of gnashing her teeth.

She looked at the tear-streaked Zhou Susu, grasped her hand, and said with heartfelt sympathy:

“Susu, don’t worry!”

“You don’t have to handle this anymore! Sister-in-law will take care of it for you!”

“I want to see who dares to gossip behind our backs and spread such filth!”

“I’m going out now! I’ll set things straight with them!”

Without even taking off her apron, Sun Xiulan rushed out the door in a whirlwind.

---

Sun Xiulan’s fighting spirit was terrifyingly formidable.

She was like a walking “military district broadcast station,” complete with surround sound and real-time commentary.

The moment she stepped outside, she zeroed in on the “epicenters of rumors” in the courtyard—Sister Li, Zhang Cuihua, and the others.

Hands on her hips, she unleashed her full force.

“Oh my, what do you all do with your time? Gossiping nonstop, your mouths looser than a waistband on old trousers!”

“Spreading rumors about Zhou Susu’s character, saying her money’s source is shady? Pfft! You don’t know a thing!”

Clearing her throat, Sun Xiulan began to vividly recount the “tragic” tale.

She embellished the contents of the martyr’s letter, painting Zhao Weiguo as a great hero who sacrificed himself for the country and cared deeply for his orphaned daughter;

She portrayed Zhou Susu as a noble, long-suffering woman silently bearing slander to protect the honor of the martyr’s orphaned child.

As for Wang Cuifen, she naturally became the greedy, heartless “wicked mother-in-law,” who would prey on both her own daughter and the martyr’s family for money.

This story had heroes, orphans, villains, and a virtuous heroine enduring hardship—a perfect mix to tug at the heartstrings.

In that simple era, most army wives in the compound knew right from wrong.

Sun Xiulan’s compelling narration made the whole story sound stirring and heart-rending.

“Oh my goodness! So that’s what happened! That’s utterly inhumane!”

“To sell out your own daughter’s reputation for money? Is that even a mother?”

“The worst part is slandering a martyr’s family! If the troops find out, they’ll skin her alive!”

Sister Li, Zhang Cuihua, and the others exchanged glances, their faces turning pale and flushed.

They hadn’t expected such a story behind it all!

Now, they had instantly transformed from “righteous bystanders” into “accomplices of the rumor.”

The neighbors around looked at them with disdain and contempt.

“Some people just can’t stand to see others do well; they believe every whisper!”

“Exactly, their own homes are a mess, so they hope others’ lives fall apart too.”

Sister Li and Zhang Cuihua flushed with embarrassment, wishing they could disappear into the ground; unwilling to linger another second, they slunk back to their homes.

The rumors spread by Wang Cuifen were swiftly and thoroughly quashed by Sister Sun’s “megaphone” assault.

Wang Cuifen became infamous overnight.

From a “pitiful old mother” deserving sympathy, she became the most despised “worst mother-in-law” in the entire military compound—more foul and unyielding than a stone in a latrine.

She also became a top focus for the compound’s gate guards, effectively cutting off any chance for her to cause more trouble.

---

Finally, Zhou Susu’s days grew peaceful.

With no more harassment from the worst neighbors or schemes from her own mother, she devoted all her energy to raising her child and planning for the future.

Under her careful care, An’an grew livelier and more cheerful by the day.

The little one now not only clearly called out “Mom” and “Dad” but could also say simple sentences.

“Mom… hug…”

“Dad… lift me high…”

“An’an… want meat…”

Like a sapling nurtured by sunlight and rain, the child was growing strong and healthy.

The home was filled daily with her soft, sweet childish words and bright laughter.

Zhou Susu felt that this was the happiness she had long dreamed of in a past life.

…

That afternoon, the sunlight was just right.

Zhou Susu was out in the yard drying bedding, while An’an squatted on the ground, holding a small twig, carefully drawing.

She had sketched a crooked sun, a square house, and three little figures holding hands.

“Mom, look,” she proudly pointed at her masterpiece, “this is Mom, this is Dad, and this is An’an.”

“An’an did such a great job!” Zhou Susu smiled warmly.

At that moment, a commotion arose at the compound gate.

Zhou Susu paid it little mind, thinking it was probably relatives visiting.

But soon the noise drew closer, mixed with the sound of someone throwing a tantrum and crying.

That voice sounded somewhat familiar.

She stood and looked toward the gate.

A few plainly dressed figures were pulling and tugging at the gate guard, led by an elderly woman with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles, sitting on the ground, pounding her thighs and wailing loudly.

Zhou Susu squinted, feeling she recognized the old woman.