A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 22

“Of course I remember you! Even if I only saw your eyes, I’d recognize you, sister!” she said in a familiar tone.

“I saved the chicken you wanted last time. Come on, take a look!”

The woman grabbed Shen Sisi’s arm and pulled her to her stall without a word. Her grip was incredibly strong.

“I’m sorry about the other day. The public order officers suddenly came to crack down, and I didn’t get to do business with you. I’ll give you a discount today, okay?”

Shen Sisi suddenly remembered that her purpose for this trip was to buy a chicken!

She wanted to buy a chicken to make soup for Gu Chengfeng to welcome him back.

The thought that Gu Chengfeng would be returning today made her heart inexplicably flutter.

“Okay, let’s take a look…”

Shen Sisi quickly chose one rooster and two hens, and she asked the woman to deliver them to the military residential compound when she had a chance.

The woman repeatedly said yes. She tied the chickens’ feet with a rope and placed them in a separate cage.

Shen Sisi saw that the woman was quick-witted, sharp-eyed, and had an excellent memory, so she asked her a casual question.

“Sister, do you know where I can find cheaper vegetable oil?”

“Vegetable oil?” The woman paused. “Do you want sesame oil, peanut oil, or rapeseed oil? What do you need it for?”

The woman’s questions were very detailed; she was genuinely trying to help.

Shen Sisi was silent for a moment. “It’s not for eating. It’s to make medicinal oil to rub on the body. I don’t want rapeseed oil; it has a strong smell. Other vegetable oils should work, but I’m mainly looking for something cheap.”

The woman stood still and thought seriously for a moment. Then, her eyes lit up. “Well… does coconut oil count?”

Shen Sisi nodded enthusiastically. Of course it counted!

“Yesterday, I went to deliver chickens to a cargo ship at the pier. I heard the crew members sighing, saying that they had a huge loss on coconut oil. People here aren’t used to eating it, so they want to sell it cheaply. Do you want me to ask for you?”

“Will that be too much trouble?” Shen Sisi wondered. If not, she could just ask for the ship number and go find it herself.

“What trouble? I have to go deliver chickens to them today anyway. It’s just a quick word. When I come to the military residential compound to deliver your chickens, I can bring the oil with me if the price is right.”

No wonder she’s so good at business!

Shen Sisi thanked her repeatedly.

This would make things so much easier and also prevent gossip from the people in the compound.

“Okay, I’ll wait for your news… Oh, and my name is Shen Sisi. I live in the East District, number 26.”

“I’ve got it!”

Shen Sisi finished her shopping. Her basket was bulging, and the cloth was almost too small to cover it.

The smile on her face was also hard to hide.

Niu Niu saw how hard her mother was working, carrying such a heavy basket. She insisted on walking on her own and even offered to help her mother carry a large head of cabbage.

They chatted and laughed, and soon, they arrived at the residential compound.

Just as they entered the gate, Shen Sisi heard a sharp and unfriendly voice.

“Oh, buying so much! It’s different when you’ve got a man to rely on, isn’t it?”

“Who knows which man’s money it is… maybe she’s collecting from two different men!”

“I saw that scoundrel causing a scene at the gate this morning. He was a bald man and looked so fierce. He kept saying he was looking for Gu Chengfeng. But how could Comrade Gu know someone from the criminal underworld? He must have been looking for Shen Sisi!”

“Could it be her lover on the side…”

Shen Sisi couldn’t bear to listen.

She had tolerated them before because she didn’t want to fall into their trap or cause trouble.

She had endured everything they said before, but fabricating her reputation was absolutely unbearable!

She put the basket down and helped Niu Niu onto a chair. She lovingly stroked her bony little face.

“Baby, Mama wants to play the ‘wooden soldier’ game with you. Close your eyes and cover your ears. Mama won’t let you open them, so you can’t move. Understand?”

Niu Niu’s little mouth drooped sadly. Was her mama going into battle again?

Every time her mama went to fight with people, she would make her pretend to be a wooden soldier.

Every time before she closed her eyes, her mama was a beautiful mama.

But when she opened her eyes again, her mama’s hair would be messy, or she would be hurt, looking very disheveled.

She didn’t like this game at all!

Seeing that she was silent and that her eyes were welling up with tears, Shen Sisi managed a small smile. “Be a good girl, listen to me…”

Niu Niu reluctantly closed her eyes and covered her ears with both hands. Her practiced movements were heartbreaking.

Shen Sisi stood up. She took off the red coat Gu Chengfeng had given her and draped it over Niu Niu. Then, she rolled up her sleeves, walked behind Zhang Xiuhong and Yang Qiuxia, and grabbed a handful of each of their hair.

“People with dirty hearts see everything as dirty. They have disgusting things in their minds, so I’m here to shake it out of you…”

Even though Shen Sisi looked delicate and weak, she was very strong. The fights she had been in over the years weren’t for nothing!

Zhang Xiuhong and Yang Qiuxia were in the middle of a lively conversation when their scalps suddenly tightened. By the time they reacted, it was too late. Shen Sisi had them grabbed from behind. They couldn’t even turn around, and when they tried, their scalps pulled painfully, like a thousand needles pricking them.

They could only flail and howl like a couple of chickens with black eyes.

Shen Sisi didn’t seem to be using much force, but she was using her fighting skills to make them feel excruciating pain without actually pulling their hair out.

She had perfect control over her strength!

“You say I’m spending a man’s money? What, have you two never spent a man’s money?”

“And you’re fabricating my reputation… Did you personally see me with a lover, or did the man himself tell you? If you don’t make it clear today, we’ll go to the police station and let the police deal with you!”

Shen Sisi’s voice was low, but her power was absolute.

Zhang Xiuhong was screaming for her parents, and a few choice words slipped out. “I just know! It’s none of your business!”

“How dare you touch me, Shen Sisi? You’re dead…”

“Ow, that hurts! You goddamned used-up woman, you wait. I’ll ruin your reputation!”

“Ruin my reputation?” Shen Sisi’s anger turned into a cold laugh. “Fine. Let’s see who gets their reputation ruined!”

Shen Sisi used a little more force on her wrist, and Zhang Xiuhong and Yang Qiuxia both fell to the ground.

They fell so hard that their internal organs ached. Before they could get up, Shen Sisi knelt, pressing down on the back of both of their necks with one hand each.

“I said that man looked suspicious and came here to settle a score with Gu Chengfeng. Turns out he’s one of your people. Tell me, what do you want to do to Gu Chengfeng?”

What?

Zhang Xiuhong was instantly stunned. They had only fabricated a rumor about Shen Sisi to make her leave the compound.

Shen Sisi was truly vicious! She was putting such a huge label on them!

Yang Qiuxia’s face turned ashen with fear. She turned her head in shock to look at Shen Sisi. “You, you can’t just accuse people without proof.”

The military wives watching were also scared and quickly tried to persuade her.

“You can say what you want, but you can’t just accuse people of things like that. If they’re really trying to seek revenge or are spies, they could go to jail…”

In the early 1980s, the country had just opened up. Many enemy agents had infiltrated, and it was a time of strict crackdowns. No one dared to be associated with that.

“Comrade Shen, please don’t wrongly accuse them…”

“Sister Xiuhong and Sister Qiuxia are a little gossipy sometimes, but they would never harm your Comrade Gu. There must be a misunderstanding…”

“A misunderstanding?” Shen Sisi’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

“When they were fabricating a reputation about me, why didn’t any of you speak up and say it was a misunderstanding?”