A visibly aged Qi Gang moved to stop Chen Ju from tarnishing her reputation further but was halted by Cui Shaoyuan.
"Comrade Qi Gang, I want to listen to their conversation," said Cui Shaoyuan.
Out of options, Qi Gang stayed put, closely holding his son’s hand to prevent him from stirring up more drama.
Chen Ju asked, "Do you know me? Why don’t I recognize you?"
She was shocked at the revelation made by Cao Hongzhu, and her hand movements paused momentarily. The reduced force made an opportunity for Cao Hongzhu to flip over and reverse the situation, resulting in several slaps on Chen Ju’s face.
Chen Ju was pinned down and slapped by her, her face throbbing from both pain and anger. "Cao Hongzhu!"
Letting out a sneer, Cao Hongzhu responded, "It’s of no use calling out my name. If you were innocent, I’d fear your reprisal. But you aren’t. You don’t belong here. Back in our hometown, you took advantage of your status as Qi’s deputy commander to buy all goods that required grain tickets. Even the butcher always saved the offal for you. You bought goods even when others had tickets and couldn’t buy anything. Don’t think I don’t know about this!"
"Who on earth are you?" The fear began to creep into Chen Ju’s heart.
It’s an uncomfortable feeling for anyone, not just Chen Ju, to be under constant scrutiny. It was as if being watched by a poisonous serpent, ready to strike at any moment.
"You’re a VIP, the wife of the deputy commander, with many people around our town following you everywhere. Of course, you wouldn’t remember someone insignificant like me!" said Cao Hongzhu, sneering at Chen Ju. "Chen Ju, I once envied you for defying traditional shackles, freely marrying whoever you loved. You replaced Qi’s previous wife, rose to greatness overnight and your entire family prospered with you. However, you caused my son to die with regrets. Even if I killed you, it wouldn’t quell my hatred!"
The once skinny and pale Cao Hongzhu now gave off a terrifying aura, her eyes piercing with a cold gaze.
"What exactly did I do to make you hate me this much?" A furious Chen Ju retorted. "I don’t even know you. How could I have caused your son to die with regrets? I don’t even know where you’re from! Were all your previous respects for me just a facade?"
"My respect for you was mere pretense. I’d rather eat your flesh and drink your blood than truly respect you. If it wasn’t for you, my son wouldn’t have died so tragically!" screamed Cao Hongzhu, her eyes turning bloodshot.
"What does it have to do with me? I don’t know you or your son!"
Looking at Chen Ju’s untouched face, Cao Hongzhu continued, "Five years ago, our hometown was suffering a famine. There were countless bodies lying dead from starvation. Many families even resorted to cannibalism. The money and grain tickets we were supposed to receive were intercepted by the officials. My in-laws starved to death. I wished to cut off my own flesh to feed my son so he could survive. However, I was so emaciated that I didn’t even have a knife to harm myself. My son was severely bloated due to starvation. People said that the hospital was distributing Recovery Powder for the disease. I carried my son there to get some, but by the time my turn came, they had run out."