"Ah! You old hag! Do you know how hard it is to get these little leather shoes of mine? You couldn’t afford them even with months of your wages, and you dare splash dirty water on them? No wonder Qin Nian hired you as a maid—you’re just as awful as she is! Listen here, you’re paying for this—thirty yuan! You think this is some backwater village you can mess around in? If you don’t pay up, I’ll have security drag you to the police station!"
Yi Mengling hopped around angrily, only to splash more water on herself.
Yang Yufen set down the basin and just stared at her. The commotion drew Aunt Liu and Aunt Zhang from next door, who rushed over immediately.
"What’s going on? What’s happening? Sister Yang, isn’t this Comrade Yi Mengling? What are you doing here?" Aunt Liu recognized Yi Mengling at once.
"Aunt Liu, it’s this maid! I heard Qin Nian’s mother-in-law had arrived, so I came to pay a visit. But this maid deliberately splashed dirty water on my shoes! How outrageous!"
Yi Mengling recognized Aunt Liu too—her husband held a high position at the research institute, and many people fought to join his projects.
When Aunt Liu heard Yi Mengling call Yang Yufen a maid, and after the shrill shouting she’d just overheard, she wasn’t about to take Yi Mengling’s side.
"I didn’t know Qin Nian had already hired a maid right after marrying that officer. I must’ve mistaken her for someone else."
"Ha! What a load of nonsense! Talking out of both sides of your mouth, aren’t you? My yard was filthy, so I was just washing it down. Who invited you in? Were you trying to steal something? My daughter-in-law works a serious job—this isn’t some place you can just barge into! Trying to smear her reputation, are you? Think people can’t see through your act? Get out!"
Yang Yufen’s tirade was scathing, and if she hadn’t been holding back for Qin Nian’s sake, she would’ve cursed even worse. She grabbed a broom, ready to chase Yi Mengling out if she didn’t leave on her own.
Yi Mengling hadn’t expected the woman in front of her to be Qin Nian’s mother-in-law.
"You said your name wasn’t ‘Aunt Shen’! Qin Nian married a man surnamed Shen!"
Her face flushed with anger.
"Does your father being a bastard mean your mother is too? I’ll go by whatever name I please! If you’ve got so much to say, why don’t you go pick worms in the fields?"
Yang Yufen raised the broom threateningly. Yi Mengling, in her pristine white dress, stumbled back in fear and was unceremoniously driven out the gate.
Aunt Liu and Aunt Zhang exchanged a glance. At their age, they could tell Yi Mengling had come looking for trouble with Qin Nian. They pretended not to notice and went back to their own homes—after all, Sister Yang hadn’t lost out.
Yi Mengling stared at the door slammed shut in her face, too stunned to react at first. When she finally remembered her ruined shoes, she thought about knocking again, but seeing the neighboring houses still open, she stomped off in frustration back to the dormitory building.
The closer she got, the angrier she became. Spotting a group of researchers’ wives gathered around the water tap, washing clothes and chatting, an idea sparked in her mind.
"Sister-in-law Wang, Sister-in-law Li, busy with the washing as always! No one keeps their home as tidy as you two."
"Yi Mengling? Back so early? Oh my, that dress is lovely—wait, why the mud stains? It hasn’t rained lately."
Sister-in-law Wang smiled as she replied.
"Oh, it’s nothing. Just got a little dirty when I went to visit Qin Nian’s mother-in-law. Honestly, out of everyone in the dormitory, Qin Nian’s the luckiest."
"Researcher Qin? Her mother-in-law’s here? But I heard her husband’s away on assignment."
Sister-in-law Li paused her washing, curiosity piqued. The other women nearby also perked up, ears straining.
"Yes, she even hired someone to take care of her. When I arrived, Qin Nian’s mother-in-law was washing her clothes! Oh dear, I might’ve spoken out of turn. Please, don’t repeat this—pretend you didn’t hear anything. I should go change. I’ve got things to do."
Yi Mengling acted as if she’d slipped up, waving her hands nervously before hurrying off.
The wives in the dormitory were stunned. Some of the older women frowned disapprovingly.
"Researcher Qin always seemed so gentle—who knew she’d turn her mother-in-law into a servant right after marriage? Washing her clothes, cooking her meals… never would’ve guessed."
"Of course, she’s pretty. Men dote on women like her. We’re just old and worn-out—how could we compare? Especially when she’s the institute director’s prized student."
The younger wives grumbled, jealousy simmering.
"Where’s the respect a daughter-in-law should show? Making an elder wash her clothes—how unfilial! With her husband away, she’s probably bossing her country-bumpkin mother-in-law around, looking down on her."
Yi Mengling’s room was on the fifth floor—still unmarried, she lived in a single dorm. On her way up, she "accidentally" bumped into three people.
When asked why she was in such a rush, she sighed about having misspoken. Pressed further, she hesitated dramatically, stoking curiosity before finally "reluctantly" admitting:
"I just saw Qin Nian’s mother-in-law washing her clothes. Maybe she’s just… very diligent. Please don’t misunderstand. I really shouldn’t have said anything—I need to go."
By evening, the news that Qin Nian was making her mother-in-law do her laundry had spread through the entire dormitory.
After work, people returned home to gossip. Some listened intently; others dozed off mid-conversation, snoring loudly.
A few doubted the story, but the next day, their eyes lingered on Qin Nian a little longer than usual.
Qin Nian, oblivious, was lost in calculations, barely stopping to eat lunch.
She returned home late every night to find freshly washed clothes, warm meals on the stove, and hot water ready. Exhausted, she’d collapse into bed.
Three days passed like this before she finally had time to visit the cafeteria. Wanting to bring her mother-in-law some meat—ration coupons were scarce, and she knew Yang Yufen would save the best for her—she filled her lunchbox.
"Qin Nian, come here a moment."
"Professor Wen."
She hurried over.
"Sit and eat with me."
Professor Wen’s wife also worked at the institute, though in a different field.
"Of course. I got extra today—let’s share."
Unaware of the rumors swirling around her, Qin Nian sat down without a second thought.
