Chapter 2: Making a Scene

　　The Jiang family lives on the second floor. There are more than a dozen families living on this floor. The balcony outside is full of sundries from each household. Some families with smaller houses even cook their meals in the corridor.

　　Although it was only ten o'clock, the hardworking housewives had already started preparing lunch. They gathered in groups of three or five to pick vegetables and chat.

　　Jiang Youtao's shout broke the silence.

　　Old Lady Wang, who was closest to the Jiang family, had already stood up and asked anxiously, "Girl, girl, what are you doing?" As she spoke, she grabbed Jiang Youtao who was running forward.

　　Before running out the door, Jiang Youtao mess her hair and twisted her thighs hard, tears welling up in pain. Now that she was being held back, she recalled the original owner's sadness and grievances, and tears fell like pearls from a broken string.

　　Old Lady Wang watched the original owner grow up. Before the original owner's biological mother died, she had a very good relationship with the original owner's biological mother. In the years since Li Xiuqin came into the family, she has helped the original owner openly and secretly. It can be said that if it weren't for her, the original owner would have gone to heaven to meet the Buddha long ago.

　　"Grandma Wang, please save me! My dad wants to beat me to death because he asked me to go to the countryside to replace Jiang Jiabao. I was not happy and said a few words to him, so he said he would beat me to death!"

　　Jiang Youtao looked like she was crying out of breath, but apart from sounding pitiful, her speech was very coherent and clear.

　　She was born in an orphanage, where there were more people than children. Most of the children were forced to mature early, and each of them had some deep or shallow scheming. Those who were not smart enough would never make it out in the orphanage.

　　Jiang Youtao has known since she was a child that the crying baby gets the milk, and she also knows how to complain in a way that will be more beneficial to herself.

　　It's like in idol dramas where they sob and talk incoherently and never get to the point. Just listening to them makes you impatient, and after they finish filing a complaint, they subconsciously don't want to talk to you anymore.

　　The above are all Jiang Youtao's experiences.

　　Sure enough, when Mrs. Wang heard this, she quickly hid Jiang Youtao behind her. At this time, Jiang Anguo also chased out, holding the belt in his hand. He obviously heard what Jiang Youtao said, and his expression was awkward.

　　The people who were picking vegetables and talking in the corridor stopped picking them. When they saw that something was wrong, they immediately gathered around. Some of them even stood in front of Jiang Youtao and looked at Jiang Anguo with condemning eyes.

　　Old Lady Wang said with a gloomy face: "Xiao Jiang, you have gone too far, haven't you? Youtao is your biological daughter."

　　People these days are simple and honest. When the original owner was bullied, her neighbors often supported her. But every time Jiang Anguo sincerely admitted his mistakes in public and promised with a smile that he would treat his daughter well, he would turn around and close the door. As an adult, he had plenty of ways to torture the little girl. Over time, she became silent and stopped resisting.

　　After a few times, some neighbors really thought that Jiang Anguo treated his daughter well, while others did not think so. However, every family has its own problems. No one in the family supports this child. They can only manage her temporarily, but how can they manage her forever?

　　For example, Old Lady Wang secretly hoped that little Jiang Youtao would grow up quickly, get married early, and stay away from this family.

　　Now, Jiang Youtao revealed that she replaced her stepmother's son and went to the countryside. Everyone was shocked and angry. She didn't love her own child, but loved someone else's child? It's ridiculous!

　　It is easy to imagine how Jiang Youtao, who has no mother to love her, lives in a place where they cannot see her!

　　The people present were all mothers, and the empathy of women at this moment made them feel distressed. A motherless child was bullied by his biological father and stepmother like this, is the Women's Federation of the Factory just a decoration!?

　　When Jiang Anguo saw that he had angered everyone, he quickly put on a kind old father's face and sighed:

　　"Auntie Wang, don't listen to Youtao's nonsense! She is my own daughter, how could I harm her? She said she wanted to go to the countryside two days ago, and now she regrets it. How can I let her do whatever she wants? Educated youth support national construction and go to the countryside to learn from poor and lower-middle peasants. This is a serious matter! How can I let her have a childish temper and be capricious! Besides, the name has been reported, and it can't be changed even if I want to."

　　Jiang Anguo's performance was simply that of a folk performing artist. He portrayed vividly the image of an old father who was helpless with his children but had to educate them cruelly.

　　Everyone looked at Jiang Youtao with disapproval and a little disappointment.

　　Haha, if Jiang Youtao wasn't the person involved, she would have believed it.

　　Isn't it just acting? Who can't do that?

　　At this moment, she cried even more bitterly, which made people feel pity for her. Her voice and expression were full of disbelief: "Dad, I didn't expect that you would do this for Aunt Xiuqin and Brother Jiabao..."

　　Which one?

　　This group of women who often gossip about other people's families seem to have smelled something unusual. Why is Jiang Youtao talking halfway? It makes people so curious!

　　Jiang Anguo's suppressed anger was immediately provoked by Jiang Youtao's teary look. He gasped in anger and gritted his teeth: "What are you talking about! I'm doing this for your own good! Come on, Youtao, stop throwing a tantrum here and wasting everyone's time. Come home with me!"

　　As he said this, he was about to step forward and violently pull Jiang Youtao, but several women stopped him in time and said earnestly, "Comrade Jiang, is there something hidden behind this? Don't wrongly accuse the little girl."

　　While everyone's attention was not on her, Jiang Youtao immediately gave Jiang Anguo a provocative smile. Seeing that his face was gloomy, she sobbed pitifully and said, "From childhood to adulthood, whether at home or outside, I have been like Brother Jiabao's little maid. As long as I don't listen to him, you will scold and beat me when you come back, and say that a girl like me is not worthy to be compared with him. It was not my turn to decide whether to go to the countryside this time. It was you who asked me to go to the countryside for him. You did this because he is the son of you and Aunt Xiuqin, right?"

　　Jiang Youtao's words were like a drop of water dropped into a boiling oil pan. The onlookers exploded in an uproar, and the neighbors talked about it, saying all kinds of things.

　　Aunt Li from the leftmost household spoke the loudest: "Oh! I told you, there is no such a fool. He treats other people's sons as treasures instead of his own daughter. Look carefully, this Jiang Jiabao really looks a bit like Jiang Anguo."

　　"Really? The eyebrows, eyes, and nose are just like they were carved from the same mold. Could Jiang Jiabao really be Jiang Anguo's son?"

　　"You don't know, right? In the past, Li Xiuqin and Jiang Anguo were co-workers in the same workshop. Her husband was a tuberculosis patient who gasped for air every time he spoke. How could he really make a woman pregnant?"

　　No matter when, gossip is the most curious thing, especially the case of Jiang Anguo and Li Xiuqin, who were married for the second time but found out that they had been having an affair for a long time. Everyone discussed it endlessly, and although there was no evidence, they believed that this was true.

　　Jiang Anguo didn't bother to cause trouble to Jiang Youtao. His face was pale and blue, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. Nowadays, the work style is strictly enforced. Even couples have to keep a certain distance when walking on the street to avoid gossip.

　　If this matter gets out, Jiang Anguo's position as workshop director will probably be lost!

　　Li Xiuqin, who was hiding behind the door, was used to being a good person. She would never do such things as beating or cursing her stepdaughter. She would only fan the flames in Jiang Anguo's ears. At this moment, she was also so nervous that her back was wet.

　　People upstairs and downstairs were buzzing here, and they all put down their work to come over to watch the fun, and once they arrived, they joined in the heated discussion with all their mouths shut.

　　Jiang Anguo had not expected the situation to get worse and worse. He was so anxious that his heart was about to break, but he couldn't find an excuse for a while!

　　Things had developed like this, and Li Xiuqin had no choice but to step forward. She opened the door and walked out, looking sad and mournful, and said to everyone: "I admit that I didn't treat Youtao and Jiabao equally. People are all made of flesh and blood. Let me ask you, can you treat all your children equally? There is no difference in the length of five fingers. I didn't expect Youtao to hate me so much, to the point of making up stories."

　　As she spoke the last part, Li Xiuqin covered her face and started crying.

　　Jiang Anguo also came back to his senses and followed Li Xiuqin's words, saying, "Xiuqin's husband passed away early, and her uncles and brothers bullied her and her widowed mother. She and her son were almost forced to death. You all know that."

　　He looked sad, but said frankly, "Although Xiuqin and I were in the same workshop, we were not familiar with each other before we got married. We were introduced to each other by the Women's Federation of the factory. You can check it out."

　　Everyone looked at each other, feeling awkward and embarrassed for a moment, and no one knew how much they believed it in their hearts.

　　Seeing this, Li Xiuqin breathed a sigh of relief. Although she still looked sad, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.

　　Just when the couple was secretly feeling proud and thinking that Jiang Youtao was a little girl who couldn't do anything wrong, the wife of Director Zhang from the Youth Office came back from outside. Seeing Jiang Anguo, she said happily, "Old Jiang, you two are really conscious and are good role models for everyone. Last time you went to the Youth Office to register for Youtao in person, and yesterday you asked Youtao to register for her brother, and everything was approved! The neighborhood office is also going to give you certificates of honor."

　　"What?!" Li Xiuqin couldn't believe it. She was staggering and staring at Director Zhang's lover.

　　"Are you so happy that you're silly? It's true, I said that both of your children can go to the countryside to work in the production team. Youtao is going to the Northeast. You know this. You have to prepare well for the early morning train tonight. It's very cold there. Jiabao's is also going. He is going to the Northwest to work in the production team. Did you hear that clearly?" Director Zhang's wife explained happily.

　　Li Xiuqin fell backwards with a thud. Jiang Anguo's eyes were bloodshot and he looked at Jiang Youtao with an almost murderous look.

　　He was just about to teach Jiang Youtao a lesson when Peng Donglai, director of the factory's Revolutionary Committee, arrived with his men.

　　"Jiang Anguo, someone just reported that you and your wife Li Xiuqin had an improper relationship before you got married. Now please come with us and accept the investigation."

　　The factory revolutionary committee had great power. If they wanted to investigate someone, even the factory director had to shut up and follow them.

　　Peng Donglai is a ruthless man, but he is also reasonable. If there is really nothing wrong, he can stay in the interrogation room of the Revolutionary Committee for one night and then come back. There will be no changes in his work in the factory afterwards.

　　But it's a different story if something really happens. You'll be seriously injured if you don't die.

　　There was no one in the factory who was not afraid of him, and the originally noisy corridor became silent.

　　Jiang Anguo's legs suddenly went limp, but he pretended to be calm, "Okay, black can't be made white, I have a clear conscience."

　　Before leaving, Jiang Anguo glanced at Jiang Youtao, his eyes full of suppressed cruelty.

　　Jiang Youtao looked back at him calmly. Her heart was colder than the uncle who had been slaughtering fish in the market for ten years. It was impossible for her to feel guilty about this.

　　Since they wanted her to go to the countryside to replace Jiang Jiabao, the fool who had bullied the original owner for more than six years, she can't be blamed for setting them up. It's impossible for them to do it on the first day and not let others do it on the fifteenth day, right?

　　Therefore, she went to the Youth League Office yesterday afternoon to register for Jiang Jiabao. They are all Jiang Anguo's children, so how can they be so partial to one over the other? It's so unfair.

　　The original owner used to be Jiang Jiabao's punching bag and maid. Whenever Jiang Jiabao was unhappy, he would arrest her and lock her up in the small dark room of the Revolutionary Committee. It was dark and small, and the original owner felt hungry, scared and cold inside.

　　Jiang Anguo knew exactly what had happened to the original owner, but not only did he have no intention of holding Jiang Jiabao accountable, he also asked the original owner to reflect on herself, saying that flies don't bite eggs without cracks.

　　"My brother is going to the countryside. Aunt Xiuqin was so happy that she fainted. Please help in sending her to the infirmary." Jiang Youtao choked up, playing the role of a pitiful, helpless yet kind-hearted little girl.

　　After hearing this, everyone thought that Jiang Youtao was a sensible girl who did not bear grudges, so they rushed Li Xiuqin to the infirmary.

　　Now, the people from the Revolutionary Society walked away, and those who came to watch the fun also dispersed.

　　The place Jiang Anguo found for the original owner to go to was a remote town in Harbin Province, and the train would leave at 2 a.m. tonight. After today, she would sit on the train, and the world would be far away. What could Jiang Anguo do to her?

　　Standing in the living room and looking around, Jiang Youtao went straight to Li Xiuqin and Jiang Anguo's room.

　　These days, everything requires tickets. Having money but no tickets means nothing. There is no way the original owner would give the pension left by her mother to that couple.