As night fell, Doctor Yang strolled to the Li family's home, intending to inform Tian Jing about Fang Qiuhong's situation.
Tian Jing was surprised. "No wonder she's been going back to her mother's house so often lately. Is her family harming her or loving her?"
Li Zhenguo understood the crux of the matter. "Fang Qiuhong's maternal uncle is the secretary of the Weixing Commune. The commune is about to be disbanded, and personnel transfers are frequent. I heard there's an opening for a deputy town mayor..."
Tian Jing sighed. "Her mother is truly ruthless."
Li Zhenguo nudged his wife. "Ruthless? Her mother is using you. Killing two birds with one stone – both avenging her daughter and helping her brother get rid of his rival."
"I'm talking about the fetus in Fang Qiuhong's womb. Could her mother not know the consequences of misusing medication? She's using it to win over her daughter's heart and coax her into venting her frustrations..."
"After the incident, she can even bring her daughter out as a witness. Even tigers don't eat their cubs."
Tian Jing wasn't worried about being implicated at all. "Doctor Yang, her fetus?"
Doctor Yang shook his head. "Not good. Too much residual medicinal poison in her body, her pulse is weak. If anything goes wrong, it could be a case of one mother, two deaths."
"Is it that serious? Didn't you tell Lin Er Lai about this?"
Doctor Yang sighed. "No, I didn't. Neither of them is calm; they're both fixated on having a male child."
"Whether I tell them or not, the outcome of keeping the fetus is the same. It will only add to their psychological burden, and they might even accuse me of crying wolf."
...
A few days later, a joint investigation team arrived at the production team.
Captain Ou led them on house-to-house visits.
When they reached the Li family's home, Tian Jing simply leaned on her husband's arm, enjoying his meticulous care.
The investigation team first questioned Mother Li, Li Min, and then the three children.
Finally, they asked Tian Jing for her impression of Secretary Ji.
"A good official, dedicated to the people!"
Tian Jing offered only one sentence before showing off her affection for her husband to everyone else.
The investigation team members, overwhelmed by the display, picked up their teacups and drank.
"Li Zhenguo, rumors outside say there are some issues between your wife and Secretary Ji. What do you think?"
Li Zhenguo cast a sidelong glance at the questioner. "Please watch your words. Secretary Ji has visited several times, always accompanied by Captain Ou."
"For the past few years, Captain Ou has always sought our help when he had problems."
"Secretary Ji is about the same age as Captain Ou. Is your line of thinking sound?"
Captain Ou took a moment to understand Li Zhenguo's meaning. He slammed the table and stood up. "Zhenguo, I'm almost old enough to be Comrade Tian Jing's grandfather. You can't just talk nonsense!"
Li Zhenguo gave a cold smile. "So, I ask, is there a problem with their logic?"
"Where are these so-called rumors you speak of? Where is the source? Have you investigated? Are you trying to prove the rumors are true now?"
"The newly established crime of defamation seems applicable to you as well."
The investigators, startled by Captain Ou's outburst, were now shocked by Li Zhenguo.
"Don't get agitated, we're just conducting a routine..."
"We have an important matter to report to the comrades on the inspection team."
A loud voice from outside made the investigators excitedly call out, "Come in, come in quickly."
Lin Si Lai entered, supporting his wife. "Comrades, not long after you left, my wife overheard her cousin and his wife arguing next door."
"My cousin's wife, Fang Qiuhong, said she didn't know her mother would spread her words. We thought this statement might be related to the matter you're investigating, so we came to report."
The investigation team immediately followed Lin Si Lai and his wife.
Half an hour later, they returned to the Li family's home and apologized to Tian Jing and Li Zhenguo.
Li Zhenguo's voice grew colder. "No investigation, no right to speak. Does the rumor-monger's defamation hold up?"
"It does. Rest assured, we guarantee a thorough investigation."
"I'll await the results."
...
The results came quickly. Fang Qiuhong was sentenced to one year in prison, but due to her pregnancy, she would serve her sentence outside prison.
Fang Qiuhong's mother was sentenced to three months of supervised detention.
Everyone who had opposed Tian Jing had been sentenced?
The villagers in Koushan began to discuss. It was good to know the law; one could defend their rights.
In secret, they repeatedly warned their own children using Fang Qiuhong's case, saying that while freedom of speech was important, it shouldn't include malicious speculation.
Tian Jing sighed. She truly hadn't intended to label all the women who had offended her as criminals.
...
A month passed. In the first month of the new year, the commune was dissolved, and the brigades and their affiliated production teams all converted to village systems.
Secretary Ji was appointed deputy town mayor in charge of agriculture.
Tian Jing asked her husband, "Zheng ge, what about Fang Qiuhong's maternal uncle?"
"He's the town mayor of Tingkou."
Tingkou was the former Weixing Commune. Tian Jing was disappointed. "He wasn't removed or demoted?"
"He claims to know nothing about the actions of his elder sister and niece."
"Do you believe that? Why was his elder sister's penalty lighter than his niece's?"
Li Zhenguo helped his wife up. "Let's go for a walk. Let's not concern ourselves with these matters."
The couple strolled to Lin Si Lai's home. It was time to use 'inner strength' to nourish Le Xia's fetus.
Le Xia pouted. "Sister Tian, the warming tonic you gave me was stolen."
Stolen?
Tian Jing was suspicious. "Lin Si Lai didn't notice?"
"He noticed, he..."
"Let me tell you," Lin Si Lai said, standing at the doorway. "Great hero Tian, I'm sorry. Lin Er Lai stole it. I let him go, and there was only enough in the bottle for one dose."
Tian Jing waved her hand. "Go ask Li Zhenguo about the situation with Lin Er Lai's wife..."
"Yes."
Lin Er Lai turned and left.
Le Xia asked curiously, "What situation?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "You're working hard to prevent it, and she's working hard to cause trouble..."
Le Xia worried. "She..."
"She'll reap what she sows. Don't overthink it, for the sake of your baby."
"I understand."
...
When Tian Jing gave Le Xia more tonic, she gave her two bottles. "This bottle is apple juice. Mix it with boiled water and drink it, and use it to hide the medicinal tonic. This is the last bottle of tonic. For the rest, leave it to fate."
"Mmm-hmm, thank you, Sister Tian."
The apple juice became the favorite drink of the adults and children in the Li family.
Le Xia also came to ask for it often, as she felt that drinking the apple juice improved her appetite and gave her peace of mind.
Ouyang Meihua drank it undiluted, saying it wasn't sour enough.
Mother Li took her to see Doctor Yang.
Doctor Yang had moved to a brighter new consultation room.
After taking her pulse, he congratulated Mother Li. "Congratulations, congratulations! You're going to be a grandmother again."
The grandmother was so happy she couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you, thank you."
Da Mai heard that she was going to be an older sister again and was even more concerned than her grandmother, constantly reminding her mother to be careful about this and that.
Ouyang Meihua sighed. The days of being in prison were coming again.
With the New Year approaching, Mother Li was incredibly busy, with three pregnant women in the household, she wished she had three pairs of hands.
Da Mai and her sister helped with the New Year's preparations.
Li Weihao took his three younger brothers and taught them to care for their soon-to-arrive baby sister.
The New Year arrived amidst Mother Li's busyness and departed in the same manner.
Time flew by, and it was March. Spring plowing was imminent, but the youngest daughter-in-law still showed no signs of labor.
Just as things were finally starting to happen, a stern-faced middle-aged man arrived, stating he was there to take his young lady home.
The refined and polite Mother Li swore. "Bullshit! Who is your young lady?"
"Hussy." The man glanced dismissively at Mother Li. "My young lady is called Chen Jing."
"There is no such person. Get out quickly. My daughter-in-law is giving birth, and you, a grown man, don't know to keep your distance?"
The man's stern face showed no embarrassment. "My master said to take the young lady home immediately..."
*Bang*
Before the man could finish, he was kicked out of the courtyard.
*Bang bang*
The courtyard gate was bolted.