At that moment, Auntie Gao realized her chance had come and hurried out of the crowd.
“I’ll testify for Doctor Xiao. When Sister Ma was trying to set Doctor Xiao up with someone, I was standing right there listening. She even gave Wang Dani thirty cents. Who knows what the two of them were plotting?”
Another auntie quickly asked, “Doctor Xiao, what did you see that morning?”
“That’s right. What did you see that made them go to such lengths to shut you up?”
“You little slut, say one more word of nonsense and I’ll tear your mouth apart! When did I ever threaten you? It was Wang Dani who said she saw a man come out of your house at three in the morning the night before last. He didn’t even dare leave through the gate of the compound—he climbed over the wall. I only went to persuade you after hearing about it!”
Ma Xiu’e had truly never imagined anyone could fabricate such a disgusting story about her. They had even accused her of sleeping with someone. Shameless!
“See? See? That’s exactly how she threatened me just now.”
Xiao Mandong’s wet hair had begun to freeze. Her entire body was trembling, and her little face was deathly pale. She looked utterly pitiful.
“Tsk, tsk… Auntie Ma, can Wang Dani’s words really be trusted? Besides, even if it were true, what business would a building representative have bringing two younger brothers-in-law to a single woman’s home?” Zou Yan struck while the iron was hot, and everyone else chimed in.
“That’s right. You’re the building representative, but you can’t bring two of your younger brothers-in-law to a single woman’s home. Isn’t that going too far?”
“Exactly. Doctor Xiao, hurry up and tell us what you saw that morning.”
“I…I… My stomach hurt that morning, and the toilet nearby smelled terrible. It must have been around four in the morning when I went to the public restroom by the compound’s north gate. It was cleaner there. Who would have thought…”
Before Xiao Mandong could finish, Ma Xiu’e’s expression changed drastically.
“You little slut, shut up! If you dare to spout any more nonsense, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Xiao Mandong shuddered. It really was freezing. Just then, Gao Huizhi brought out a padded coat from the house and draped it over her shoulders.
“Auntie Ma, why won’t you let Doctor Xiao speak? Could it be that you really have some unspeakable secret?” Zou Yan loved watching a good show. Whenever there was gossip in the neighborhood, she was always the first to rush over. How could she miss something this juicy? She had to make Doctor Xiao tell the whole story so she could go home and recount it to her grandmother later.
Xiao Mandong lowered her head, her voice trembling as if she had summoned all her courage to speak.
“That morning, I went to the public restroom by the north gate and saw Auntie Ma with this man.” Xiao Mandong pointed at Second Brother Bai. “They were doing that sort of thing…”
The people surrounding them fell silent in an instant, all turning inquisitive eyes on the pair. Then the crowd erupted.
“No way, Ma Xiu’e! Second Brother Bai isn’t even thirty, while you’re already in your forties. And they say you don’t even have a mother-in-law.”
“‘An elder sister-in-law is like a mother.’ You really taught him thoroughly, didn’t you?”
“Second Brother Bai, your brother got married when you were only eighteen, right?”
“How many years have you two been together?”
“Holy crap! Then whose child is that?”
By now, Auntie Ma had completely lost control. She lunged straight at Xiao Mandong.
“Xiao Mandong, you’re talking nonsense! How dare you make up stories about me? I’ll fight you today!”
Xiao Mandong seized her outstretched wrist and flung her away with force.
“How am I making things up? Second Brother Bai even said that he liked you more and more, and that his wife was as cold as a dead fish. Which part of that did I get wrong?”
Third Brother Bai stared at his second brother and sister-in-law in disbelief. Images flashed repeatedly through his mind.
Several times, whenever his eldest brother was away, his second brother would remain in his sister-in-law’s room until very late. And whenever his sister-in-law went to the bathroom at night, it was always his second brother who accompanied her…
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t believe it was true.
Xiao Mandong had decided to expose this matter today.
Ma Xiu’e’s actions today had been intended to drive her to her death. If the accusation of illicit relations with a man stuck, both her job and her life would be ruined. Since Ma Xiu’e wanted to destroy her, Xiao Mandong would make her taste the consequences herself.
Second Brother Bai fixed Xiao Mandong with a dark, penetrating stare.
“Doctor Xiao, you’re slandering us. Just because we discovered what you were doing with that man, you think you can falsely accuse me and my sister-in-law? Everyone knows that I was raised by my sister-in-law.”
“How could I possibly do something like that?”
“It doesn’t matter if Doctor Xiao refuses to admit it. Everyone entering or leaving the compound has to sign in. We can check the records and see exactly when that man left after he arrived that day.”
“You’re spreading vicious lies about us. I’m going to report you to the police. You injured me, and now you’re slandering me just to cover up your own illicit affair. You’re truly vicious.”
“You need evidence to catch a thief and both parties to catch adulterers. You can’t simply make things up. Do you have evidence? Do you have witnesses or physical proof? You don’t. But I have a witness—the woman standing right here.”
Second Brother Bai pointed at Wang Dani.
“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. I can testify,” Wang Dani declared.
She straightened her back. Once she finished testifying, she would receive five yuan.
Xiao Mandong hadn’t expected Second Brother Bai’s reasoning to be so clear. But even if Gu Jianghan hadn’t signed in, it didn’t matter. People often forgot to register.
“Of course I have evidence. I heard every word you said. For example, you said you liked…”
“Your sister-in-law’s… that little mole. The aunties can help check it, because no one would know about such a private place unless they had seen it. You also said…”
“You slut, shut up!”
Second Brother Bai had never imagined that she had listened so carefully. How had he failed to notice her nearby at the time? Only now did he truly begin to panic. Wasn’t this woman ashamed? How could she say such things in front of so many people?
Just as he finished speaking, a woman’s voice came from the back of the crowd.
“There’s no need to check. I can testify.”
Everyone turned around. A woman stood there wearing an old padded coat, her face red from the cold and her eyes swollen like peaches.
Zou Yan quietly told Xiao Mandong that the woman was Second Brother Bai’s wife, Wang Fang.
“Xiaofang, what are you doing here?” Second Brother Bai asked, putting on an expression of concern.
Wang Fang shook off his reaching hand.
“Bai Zhiwei, I’ve had enough. I don’t want to endure this anymore. I want a divorce.”
Second Brother Bai’s expression changed instantly.
“Wang Fang, stop talking nonsense. The child is only four years old. Think of the child.”
Wang Fang let out a deep breath, as if she had finally made up her mind.
“I’m talking nonsense?” Wang Fang stared fixedly at Bai Zhiwei, tears streaming down her face. “You think I don’t know about your affair with Ma Xiu’e? Ever since I gave birth four years ago, I haven’t let you touch me. Do you know why? Because I find you disgusting.”
“Ma Xiu’e, you really are shameless. From the day I married into the Bai family, you started causing trouble—even on my wedding night. The moment Second Brother Bai took off his pants, you called out to him from the outer room…”
