“What business does a grown man have asking to enter a single woman’s home? What exactly are you up to?”
There was no way Xiao Mandong would let them inside. Just looking at that man’s eyes made her sick.
“Doctor Xiao, don’t be so ungrateful.” Auntie Ma lowered her voice. “Someone saw a man leaving your home in the middle of the night. If word gets out, it won’t look good for you. People will say you’re carrying on an illicit affair. I’m only thinking of your reputation, which is why I wanted to go inside and talk.”
Xiao Mandong’s heart gave a jolt. So that was what Wang Dani had been talking about. She didn’t even know what time Gu Jianghan had left that night, and hadn’t thought much of it.
Xiao Mandong looked at Auntie Ma and curled her lips into a faint smile. “Auntie Ma, you should have evidence before making accusations. Did you see it with your own eyes? What, were you awake in the middle of the night, squatting outside my door?”
There was no way Xiao Mandong would admit to anything. No one would believe everything a person like Wang Dani said anyway. As for Auntie Ma, Xiao Mandong was determined to teach her a proper lesson today. Had she acted too meekly since moving into the residential compound? Everyone seemed to think they could push her around.
Auntie Ma planted her hands on her hips and pointed at Xiao Mandong.
“Of course someone saw it! I’m only trying to protect your reputation by talking to you inside. You really don’t know what’s good for you. If this gets out, don’t come crying to me later…”
The man standing behind Auntie Ma felt his heart tremble when he saw Xiao Mandong. He had never seen such a captivating woman. Her damp hair hung loosely around her face, her skin was fair and delicate. His eyes traveled from her face to her chest, then from her chest down to her waist. His throat bobbed as he swallowed repeatedly.
Xiao Mandong noticed his gaze, and her expression turned cold. Keeping one hand behind her back, she took a pair of pliers out of her storage space.
The man stepped forward and interrupted Auntie Ma, putting on a concerned expression.
“Doctor Xiao, you’d better come inside and talk. If people find out you’ve been carrying on an illicit affair, how will you ever show your face again?”
He pretended to push the door open, but in reality reached out to touch Xiao Mandong’s arm. He was thinking that if he could force this woman inside, he could do whatever he wanted to her.
But in the next second, Xiao Mandong raised her hand and brought the pliers down hard.
“Help! Someone’s being indecent! Come quickly! Someone’s trying to assault me! Help!”
She had already made up her mind. If she caused a commotion first and seized the initiative, then even if they brought up Gu Jianghan later, some people would assume they were only making up accusations out of shame and anger.
A howl of pain tore through the corridor. The man felt as if the bones in his hand had been shattered. Clutching it, he crouched down, his face deathly pale.
“Someone’s being indecent! Come help!” Xiao Mandong threw down the pliers and ran outside, shouting as she went.
“You’re talking nonsense! Shut up!” Auntie Ma’s other brother-in-law instinctively chased after her, wanting to stop Xiao Mandong from spreading such wild accusations.
Gao Huizhi was the first to open her door across the hall. Seeing what was happening, she grabbed a broom and, limping after the man, chased him while swatting at him.
“Come quick! Catch the pervert!”
The corridor instantly descended into chaos. Wang Dani, who had been waiting nearby to serve as a witness, was completely dumbfounded. Auntie Ma had promised to give her five yuan for testifying, but what was going on now?
Doors along the corridor opened one after another, and more and more people came out to watch. Even in the freezing snow, some people carried steaming bowls outside to see what the commotion was about.
“Xiao Mandong, you… What are you trying to do? How can you make up such nonsense?”
Auntie Ma had never imagined that this woman could be so crazy. Normally, even if a woman was harassed by a man, she would pretend nothing had happened to avoid embarrassment. When a man had pressed himself against Auntie Ma from behind on the bus, she had simply acted as if she hadn’t noticed. How dare this woman make such a scene? Wasn’t she afraid of ruining her own reputation?
And Auntie Ma still had evidence against her. This was infuriating!
When Li Yuehua heard the commotion, she rushed out without even putting on her shoes properly and stood in front of Xiao Mandong.
“Third Brother Bai, what are you doing? How dare you chase after a woman and hit her in broad daylight? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Only then did Third Brother Bai come to his senses. He had been blinded by anger.
“Sister Li, it’s not like that… She injured my second brother.”
Xiao Mandong hid behind Li Yuehua, trembling. Even her voice shook as she spoke.
“I… I did hit that man, but only because he was trying to assault me. Boo-hoo… Yes, I’m divorced, but so what? Does being divorced mean I deserve to be bullied by all of you?”
At that moment, Auntie Ma helped Second Brother Bai out of the corridor. When everyone saw his hand, they couldn’t help drawing in a sharp breath.
The back of his hand was swollen grotesquely, with the flesh mangled and bloody.
The lecherous look in Second Brother Bai’s eyes had been replaced by hatred. He glared at Xiao Mandong, grinding his teeth.
“How was I trying to assault you? I only thought that making you talk about the shameful things you’ve done out here in the corridor would embarrass you, so I wanted you to come inside and talk. Who could’ve known you’d be so vicious? The moment we disagreed, you raised your hand and hit me.”
Xiao Mandong let out a cold laugh. “You’re a grown man insisting on entering my home to talk. Don’t you have any shame? Who do you think you are? What right do you have to interfere in my affairs? I had no idea the women’s business in the hospital residential compound required a man’s supervision.”
Gao Huizhi stood beside her, one hand on her hip and the other pointing her broom at Second Brother Bai.
“Doctor Xiao is absolutely right. Whatever she may or may not have done, it’s none of your business. There’s a women’s director, the neighborhood office, and if things are serious, the police station. Who do you think you are?”
Auntie Ma knew their actions were indefensible. She wanted to bring up the fact that a strange man had been entering Xiao Mandong’s home so that everyone’s attention would be diverted. But just as she opened her mouth, Xiao Mandong cut her off.
With tears and snot streaming down her face, Xiao Mandong began complaining to everyone around her.
“Auntie Ma came to introduce me to someone today. She said he was her younger brother-in-law—and that he even has six fingers. I refused, so she brought both of her younger brothers-in-law to my home. They said a strange man had been coming in and out of my house in the middle of the night. They were talking about the man who helped me shovel snow a few days ago. We grew up together—we’re just friends—but Auntie Ma used that to threaten me.”
“I even swore that I wouldn’t tell anyone about what happened that morning, so she could rest easy. But…”
Xiao Mandong pointed at Second Brother Bai. “This man said that only by sleeping with me could he keep me quiet. Then he lunged at me. I happened to be repairing something at home, so I hit him with whatever was in my hand. Isn’t that a perfectly normal reaction?”
The crowd watching let out a collective gasp. What kind of outrageous thing was this? The man looked respectable enough, yet he could actually say something so vile. Even those who had been eating stopped with their chopsticks halfway to their mouths.
