Lin Zhilan had just come from the island, yet she had already made connections with these people.
And from the looks of it, it seemed they were the ones eager to curry favor with her.
Bai Mei's face flushed red and then turned pale.
She had just accused Lin Zhilan of coveting Jiang Chengzhou's house.
But Lin Zhilan had a high salary and associated with powerful and influential people.
The claim that Lin Zhilan was after Jiang Chengzhou's house clearly didn't hold water; rather, it was them who had dirty minds and saw dirt in everything.
Jiang Jinzhu could no longer sit still.
He stood up, his tone heavy, "Let's leave it at this for today. We will discuss this matter later."
"Wait," Su Lang called out to him with a smile, "Uncle Jiang, you came all the way here today, I can't let you leave empty-handed."
Originally, Su Lang had just wanted to watch a good show.
But since Bai Mei dared to throw dirty water on Zhilan, she couldn't blame him for telling some truths.
Jiang Jinzhu stopped in his tracks, "What else do you want to say?"
Su Lang looked at Bai Mei, "The vice director of the Revolutionary Committee in charge of logistics at the coking plant, Xiang Tao..."
"How do you know!" Bai Mei's face changed drastically as she cried out in alarm.
Su Lang gave a half-smile, "What do I know?"
Bai Mei's face was deathly pale. She shook her head mechanically, "I... I don't know what you're talking about."
Su Lang said, "You really don't know? Then I'll continue."
"Don't say it!" Bai Mei screamed, highly agitated.
Everyone present could see there was something fishy going on, and they couldn't wait for Su Lang to hurry up and speak.
Lin Zhilan's heart was itching with curiosity even more.
She secretly glared at Su Lang.
He had secrets and gossip, yet didn't know to share.
Jiang Yinzhu stared at Bai Mei suspiciously and said, "You said before that Director Xiang wanted to acknowledge Jiang Xiaobao as his godson. What are you keeping from me?"
Bai Mei grabbed his hand, "It's nothing, let's go back quickly."
Jiang Yinzhu shook off her hand, "Let Xiao Lang finish what he's saying."
"He wants to harm me," Bai Mei grabbed his hand as if pleading for help. "He's only been back in the capital for a few days, what could he possibly know? Don't listen to his nonsense!"
"Yes," Su Lang chuckled lightly, "having only been back for a few days, how would I know that the vice director of the coking plant's Revolutionary Committee is named Xiang Tao, and how would I know that Xiang Tao has a relationship with your family?"
The heating was on in the room, and Bai Mei was wearing a recently purchased overcoat.
Yet she felt cold all over; a sudden chill enveloped her.
Su Lang's cat-and-mouse game seemed to push her into a corner. Bai Mei's mind was in total panic, and she only wanted to pull Jiang Yinzhu away quickly.
How could Jiang Yinzhu leave?
Instead, he stepped closer to Su Lang, "Su Lang, tell me, what exactly is going on here?"
Lin Zhilan also couldn't hold back anymore, wishing Su Lang would just spit it out sooner.
Su Lang understood his wife too well.
He cast an amused glance at Lin Zhilan before slowly opening his mouth, "Before getting married, Bai Mei dated Xiang Tao, and they had even reached the point of discussing marriage."
"What?" Jiang Yinzhu's eyes widened. He turned to ask Bai Mei, "Is this true?"
Without waiting for Bai Mei to answer.
Jiang Yinzhu nodded to himself, "It must be true. Su Lang would never stoop to telling such a lie."
This was the power of reputation.
Su Lang indeed disdained lying, and he disdained spreading rumors even more.
Of course, this wasn't the most explosive news.
Su Lang continued, "I went to the hospital to check. Bai Mei has type O blood, and you also have type O blood. But Jiang Xiaobao's blood type is A.
Tell me, how is it such a coincidence? Xiang Tao's blood type happens to be A as well."
Paternity testing technology was not yet widespread at this time, so the only available method was blood type testing.
Bai Mei supposedly had a fall back then, which caused a premature birth.
During the C-section, the hospital checked her blood type.
The couple had also done an admission physical examination for Jiang Xiaobao so he could attend the military dependents' school, which coincidentally included a blood type check.
When Su Lang investigated their background, he naturally found more than just this.
But it was this tiny detail of blood types that led him to discover Bai Mei's biggest secret.
Jiang Xiaobao was actually not Jiang Yinzhu's biological son!
When Su Lang found out, he originally hadn't planned to say anything.
Jiang Yinzhu wearing a green hat and raising someone else's child for a lifetime—Su Lang kind of wanted to see how he would end up.
If Bai Mei hadn't made such a scene today.
He might have even helped her keep this secret.
What a pity.
Jiang Yinzhu stood frozen in place, "What, what does this prove?"
He had already vaguely guessed it, but subconsciously didn't want to think in that direction.
Qian Changling helpfully chimed in, "This proves that the child isn't your biological son. Look on the bright side, maybe he isn't this female comrade's biological son either."
Lin Zhilan quietly walked behind Su Lang.
Her previously stifled heart finally felt at ease.
Factory Manager Qian was also quite skilled at twisting the knife. Lin Zhilan broke her composure and had to hide behind Su Lang to snicker.
For Jiang Yinzhu, it was like a bolt from the blue.
He had waited outside the operating room when this child was born; how could he not be Bai Mei's biological son?
Then... who was the child's real father?
Bai Mei's face was already as white as paper, and her voice pitched into a shrill shriek, "You're talking nonsense! This is a rumor, a slander!"
Su Lang stood with his hands behind his back, playing with his wife's hand, his face completely calm.
"I accept your accusation. Let's cooperate with an investigation and see if I'm spreading rumors and slander."
Su Lang had investigated very thoroughly.
Bai Mei's family background was poor.
Her family had introduced her to several blind dates, but she wasn't satisfied with any of them.
Coincidentally, at that time, Xiang Tao's wife had passed away, leaving behind three children, and he was looking for a new wife.
Xiang Tao was even older than Jiang Yinzhu, but he was already a director at the coking plant back then.
Bai Mei tried every possible means to get close to Xiang Tao.
Xiang Tao originally hadn't wanted to develop a relationship with her.
Because Bai Mei was too young, and Xiang Tao was looking for a wife to take care of his children; whether he liked her or not was secondary.
But under Bai Mei's persistent pursuit, coupled with her promise to take good care of the three children in the future, Xiang Tao was eventually moved.
The two soon met each other's parents.
Bai Mei's family had no objections, as they were still counting on Bai Mei to help pull the family up.
Xiang Tao's family situation, however, was indeed very troublesome.
He had three children, and the oldest at the time was only six years younger than Bai Mei.
Their father was suddenly marrying such a young stepmother.
Naturally, the children didn't agree.
Moreover, Xiang Tao's mother-in-law was still alive and kept instigating the children to make a fuss.
Unexpectedly, this fuss only made Xiang Tao more determined, and he declared resolutely that he would marry Bai Mei.
But Bai Mei no longer had the patience to deal with this drama.
She had set her sights on a new prey.
Jiang Yinzhu.
He only had a terminally ill wife at home who was said to be on her deathbed.
Jiang Yinzhu was younger and better-looking than Xiang Tao.
More importantly, Jiang Yinzhu came from a good family background, with his father living in the military compound.
Obviously, the clothes and accessories Jiang Yinzhu wore were a cut above the rest.
Bai Mei felt very lucky; just as she wanted to shift her target, Jiang Yinzhu's wife sensibly died.
She left behind a child who was still too young to understand anything, which posed no threat at all.
Things developed very smoothly.
Jiang Yinzhu was easy to seduce; Bai Mei only used a few little tricks, and Jiang Yinzhu agreed to marry her.
Unfortunately, Bai Mei discovered she was pregnant.
