Chapter 8: I, Xia Zhi, Will Not Take the Blame!

Xia Zhi pushed Lu Beiting to the front of the Gu family's house and looked at Zhang Xiao. "Auntie Zhang, you promised to return my money yesterday. Is it ready?"

Seeing Lu Beiting, Zhang Xiao felt a flicker of fear in her heart. Gu Chonglin, standing beside her, gave her an annoyed glare—fear my ass!

In the next second, she bowed her waist and stepped forward with a beaming smile, hurriedly saying

"Battalion Commander Lu, you've been deceived by this little girl Xia Zhi! This matter isn't at all what she says it is!"

Lu Beiting raised his eyes. "Oh? Then what is it like?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of a triumphant smile flashed in Gu Chonglin's eyes.

He then looked at him with a troubled expression. "Battalion Commander Lu, you've been in the army all this time, so you certainly don't understand the affairs of our compound.

As for this Xia Zhi, regarding her character—ever since she got engaged to Yun Shen, her hands and feet haven't been clean.

We had no choice but to let her work off her debts. If you don't believe me, if you don't believe me, just ask everyone!"

After Gu Chonglin finished speaking, he winked at the people beside him.

"Oh, exactly! Battalion Commander Lu, Xia Zhi has no parents and no upbringing. Her character is poor. If it weren't for the fact that she is the orphan of a hero, we would have reported her to the higher-ups long ago."

"Battalion Commander Lu, we thought about how we all live in the same compound yesterday and felt there was no need to make things so ugly, so we didn't say anything.

Who knew Xia Zhi would take advantage of being a 'weakling' and push her luck?"

"We only saw her as pitiful and often gave her relief. Who knew this little girl was so greedy and wanted to extort us again? Truly, an ungrateful wolf!"

This group of old foxes lied without even a blush or a skip of their hearts; one by one, they opened their mouths to paint Xia Zhi as a heartless and ungrateful person.

The Gu family matriarch, Liu Guifang, propped herself up with a cane and stepped forward with teary eyes, nose running and tears streaming.

"Battalion Commander Lu, this Xia Zhi is so cruel. When I discovered she was stealing money, she saw that she was caught and pushed me to the ground.

You know that at my age, I can't handle a fall. I had to go to the military hospital for treatment. If you don't believe me, you can certainly go and check!"

...

Seeing this, Chen Xiuping's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected that after just one night, everyone would become so united.

If things continued like this, who would still believe Xia Zhi?

"Battalion Commander Lu, regarding the Liping matter, we were in the wrong. We sincerely apologize to you. You are an upright person; you shouldn't be led by the nose by Xia Zhi."

Listening to these words, Xia Zhi didn't feel much anger in her heart, but rather a profound sense of chilling disappointment.

The original owner was an orphan living in the compound; every move she made was cautious. Who among the people here had not received kindness from the original owner?

Now, they were actually turning the tables on her because of a few eggs. Was the original owner's contribution over these past few years worth less than a few eggs?

Xia Zhi composed her emotions, let out a cold snort, and began to settle old scores with the first woman who had stepped forward.

"Auntie Zhang Min, look at what you're saying. Last year when your family harvested potatoes, every household in the compound was busy.

Wasn't it me who went to help you harvest? I spent three whole days harvesting. And those rotten vegetables eaten by insects—wasn't it because you were afraid of losses that you shamelessly insisted I harvest them to sell in town?

I'm afraid it wasn't just that much, right? Besides, I helped you—did I take your things or eat your food?

To be so heartless, aren't you afraid of divine retribution!"

A look of shame crossed Zhang Min's face, and then her voice became as thin as a mosquito's: "It... it wasn't like I asked you to help, and besides, it's not like I didn't give you compensation."

Hearing this, Xia Zhi refused to indulge her and raised her voice loudly, "Oh! So that stuff that was so sour it was almost moldy was your compensation!

How about I bring you two pieces tomorrow instead?"

The crowd was stunned by Xia Zhi's loud voice, and even the people from the neighboring compound couldn't help but come out to see what the commotion was about.

Seeing that things were escalating, the remaining few turned around to retreat into their houses out of guilt.

Xia Zhi's sharp eyes quickly called them back. "Hey, hey, hey! Isn't this Wang Chunhua, who almost had a miscarriage a few years ago?

Oh my, who is the ungrateful wolf after all! When you miscarried, your husband wasn't around and your mother-in-law didn't care—wasn't it me who carried you to the hospital on my back?

I'm asking you, is it or is it not!"

Xia Zhi raised her volume and roared, her small face turning bright red with rage.

It was the dead of winter back then, with snow covering the entire path. The original owner had carried her without daring to rest, marking every step in the snow to get her to the hospital.

She had nearly lost half her life back then; how does she have the face to call her an ungrateful wolf now? Where does she get the nerve!

Wang Chunhua's legs trembled in fear, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"The hospital has the records. Do you want me to go find them? I, Xia Zhi, will not take this blame today!"

The guilty few turned pale, and their calves couldn't help but start shivering.

"No, no need, I was wrong. Xia Zhi, I was wrong!"

Wang Chunhua cried as she stepped forward to grab Xia Zhi's leg. But her child was still small and needed nutrition.

She... she... she had no choice.

Xia Zhi looked at Liu Guifang, her eyes filled with coldness. This old hag was the most poisonous; she had no real problems, yet every day she claimed to have this pain or that ache.

She found every way possible to torment the original owner, saying that because she was a daughter-in-law of the Gu family, she had to act like a proper daughter-in-law.

For some reason, Liu Guifang was actually intimidated by Xia Zhi's gaze.

"I stole your money? How much money does your family have? Is it worth my stealing?"

"Xia Zhi, you truly have no respect for your elders!"

Gu Chonglin hadn't believed his wife when she told him yesterday, but seeing it now, he hadn't expected that Xia Zhi was truly mad.

"Didn't you say I have no parents and no upbringing?

Oh, so you do know I have no parents. A bunch of shameless old people bullying a young girl.

Touch your consciences and ask yourselves: in all these years, have you really not gained a single benefit from me, Xia Zhi?"

One by one, their eyes darted around, looking as if they were about to speak.

Xia Zhi let out a cold snort. The original owner had worked harder than men for all these years; her lung capacity was no joke!

The people from the neighboring compound pointed and whispered about them.

"How can these people be like this? They probably saw that Xia Zhi has no family and teamed up to bully her. Truly shameless."

"If it were me, I wouldn't have the face to say such things."

The people in the compound wished they could find a hole to crawl into.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiao grew anxious. "Battalion Commander Lu, Xia Zhi, if there's something to discuss, let's go back inside. Let's talk it out properly inside."

Xia Zhi crossed her arms and turned her body, nearly knocking her over.

"I'm not even afraid of losing face, so what are you afraid of?"

Now you care about losing face? Where were you before?

Looking at Xia Zhi's fierce manner, Zhang Yi didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried for his Battalion Commander.

This combat power... even the Battalion Commander couldn't match it.

Lu Beiting was also stunned. In his twenty-four years of life, this was the first time he had seen such a scene.

But then again, if she wasn't fierce, she would just be bullied. There was nothing wrong with that.

Gu Yun Shen had been reading at home, but hearing Xia Zhi's shrew-like cursing, he couldn't focus on his book at all.

He stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out. "Enough, Xia Zhi. You're making this scene only because you feel resentful that the person I like is Liping.

Stop making a fuss. I'll marry you, alright?"

After saying this, his face wore an expression of humiliation.

(End of Chapter)