Refusing to marry a widower, I went on a crazy spree of sending my children to the army.

Lu Yifeng was unaware of what had happened inside the house. He glanced around, saw no one, closed the door, and chased after them.

The three hurried to the lakeside, only to find a large crowd already gathered there.

Li Chuncao stood in the center of the crowd, crying as she said, "I didn't lie. I saw Manman fall into the water with my own eyes. Could something have happened to her?"

After saying that, his expression turned somewhat frightened: "Could it be that someone rescued her? When I went to call for help, I saw Uncle Tiger coming this way!"

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the implication is clear upon reflection.

The people in the front row exchanged incomprehensible glances, thinking that if Zhao Dahu really rescued the person, he might actually take him home for some fun.

When the brigade leader, Wang Defa, saw the commune members whispering and talking in an increasingly lewd manner, he frowned and stopped them: "Don't talk nonsense. Nobody saw the truth of the matter. Don't ruin the girl's reputation."

The gossipy Zhao Cuifen didn't take it seriously and said in a shrill voice, "Does this even need to be looked at? If there was no such thing, would Chuncao dare to talk nonsense? Isn't she afraid of being torn apart by the Qiao family?"

Li Chuncao wasn't afraid at all. After all, everyone in Qingshan Brigade knew that the third branch of the Qiao family was disliked by Old Madam Qiao, and even Qiao Manman, that little girl, was looked down upon.

Zhao Cuifen continued to chatter: "I think our Qingshan Brigade is going to have another happy event. I just don't know if Man'er's little arms and legs can withstand Zhao Dahu's antics!"

The people inside burst into laughter, while the few standing on the periphery had different expressions.

"Come on, make way!" Qiao Manman pushed through the crowd to squeeze in. The uncles and aunts who were pushed aside were just about to get angry when they saw the person in question coming from behind.

While everyone was shocked, they quietly made way for each other and waited to watch the show.

Li Chuncao, unaware of what had happened, wiped away her tears, saying, "Manman is so pitiful, Uncle Dahu is even older than Uncle Qiao..."

Qiao Manman sneered and slapped Li Chuncao's head to the side: "What nonsense are you spouting, Chuncao? You're ruining my reputation, and you're so proud of it?"

Li Chuncao stared wide-eyed in shock: "You, you, you, weren't you dragged away by Zhao Dahu? What are you doing here?"

"Why do you say that, Chuncao? I just got home to relieve myself and rushed over after hearing about the incident. How did it become that I was dragged away by Zhao Dahu?"

Is Chuncao blind, or is she just spouting nonsense?

"Impossible! I clearly saw you fall into the water and be rescued by Zhao Dahu!" In her panic, Li Chuncao completely failed to notice Qiao Manman's change.

Then Qiao Manman asked, "Are you sure Chuncao saw it with her own eyes and that it's not a lie?"

Li Chuncao nodded eagerly: "I'm sure, I really saw you fall into the water and then Zhao Dahu rescue you!"

After all, she was the one who pushed him, and she was the one who found Zhao Dahu. There was no one else by the lake at the time, so it's impossible for someone else to intercept him.

Qiao Manman thought to herself, "How could such an idiot have ruined the original owner's life? His intelligence is simply appalling!"

Qiao Manman immediately became aggrieved and looked at the captain with teary eyes: "Uncle Captain, look, my clothes and hair are dry, how could I have just fallen into the water and been rescued!"

Li Chuncao dared to talk badly about me in front of everyone; who knows how she'll ruin my reputation behind my back!

Captain, you must do me a favor!

Everyone took a look and realized it was true. Their gazes towards Li Chuncao turned contemptuous.

Even Zhao Cuifen looked embarrassed and hurriedly came out to criticize, trying to save face.

"Chuncao, you're so young, how can you talk nonsense? You're so immature!"

Li Chuncao looked at Qiao Manman in disbelief, thinking to herself, "She clearly pushed the person into the water herself, so how come her clothes and hair are dry?"

"She must have gone home and changed into clean clothes, she must have!"

Qiao Manman rolled her eyes: "Everyone, look at me, isn't this the same outfit I wore to work just now?"

Several women around looked closely and nodded: "Yes, I remember Man'er was wearing a blue and white checkered shirt, black pants, and black cloth shoes today. Look, the patches haven't changed position!"

Qiao Manman pouted: "I treated you like my best friend, and this is how you try to smear me!"

"It seems what you told me before—that Aunt Guilan and Uncle Shuanzhu were hiding in haystacks, that Sister Erhua's son was Zhao Yong's, and that Accountant Liu was arbitrarily deducting work points—was all nonsense!"

The things Qiao Manman mentioned are all true. Many people in the team gossiped about them privately, but no one ever confronted the parties involved.

Qiao Manman pointed it out for two reasons: first, to muddy the waters and divert everyone's attention.

Secondly, naturally, the dirty water should be poured back on, so that a bunch of men and women, whose own hands are not clean, don't keep spouting nonsense.

After all, in the novel, the original owner's tragic fate was inseparable from the help of these people.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the group of people erupted in anger.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Li Guilan's voice was unusually loud: "You little slut, how dare you talk about me like that! I'll tear your stinking mouth apart!"

After saying that, he started slapping Li Chuncao's face repeatedly.

Qin Erhua sat on the ground, slapping her thigh and crying, "Oh my God, at my age, I'm being slandered by a junior. Our Tiewazi looks exactly like Zhao Zhong, how could that bitch Li Chuncao call him a bastard?"

"God, please take me away! If word gets out that I'm a philanderer, how am I supposed to live?!"

Accountant Liu was also furious: "I, Liu Yun, have always been dedicated to the Qingshan Brigade. How did you come to call me a petty person who doesn't know right from wrong?"

If I were truly as incompetent as you describe, how could I have served as the accountant in Qingshan Brigade for over a decade?

Qiao Manman thought to herself, "Of course it's because you have a good wife!"

Without relying on your family connections, with your level of education (only a third-grade elementary school graduate), how could you possibly understand the accounts of Qingshan Brigade?

"Isn't it because the brigade leader turns a blind eye that you have a county-level leader father-in-law?"

Of course, she didn't say these words aloud, but instead stood by and watched the show.

Seeing this, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she thought to herself, "With this kind of fighting power, I really don't need to use a Truth Talisman!"

Fearing someone might die, Captain Wang Defa called for the women to come forward and pull the people apart. However, Zhao Cuifen kept talking, which only made Qin Erhua and the others even angrier.

Even the other onlookers were eager to try it out, fearing that Li Chuncao might spread similar rumors about them behind their backs.

The captain was furious: "You've all grown so capable, haven't you? Trying to get your work points deducted?"

Once the trump card was played, the scene fell silent.

Li Chuncao struggled to lift her head, a flash of hatred in her eyes: "Manman, even if I misjudged you and wronged you, it was out of concern for your safety, and out of kindness. Why do you have to say such baseless things to wrong me?"

I don't mind suffering a little injustice, but you've tarnished my aunts' reputation; that's truly unacceptable!