Zhang Xiaohui looked smug. She frowned as she looked at the crowd around her. Only then did she vaguely sense that all was not well.
However, this was not enough to suppress her delight over having so many nice things.
“My… my friend gave them to me. Brigade leader, I didn’t steal or rob anyone. Surely, it’s none of your business if I buy some things? There are so many people in the brigade. Can all of them explain where everything in their house came from?”
Wang Mingtao was a very fair and capable man. Under his leadership, the Qing River Brigade had done fairly well, in fact, much better than the neighboring brigades where many had starved to death.
So Wang Mingtao’s standing in the brigade was very high, and everyone looked up to him.
There was almost no one, especially not a woman, who dared to speak to Wang Mingtao like that.
Wang Mingtao grunted coldly. “That depends on the things. In your case, it has clearly gone beyond the bounds of what is normal!”
Zhang Xiaohui said angrily, “What? Am I not permitted to have a few rich friends?”
Wang Mingtao was filled with scorn when faced with someone as stupid as Zhang Xiaohui.
But he saw that they were surrounded by a crowd, and he did not want to make an ugly scene in front of so many people. He said to everyone, “Alright, it’s late. Go home, everyone! Sleep early. We still have work to do tomorrow!”
When Wang Mingtao said that, everyone exchanged glances. They did not dare to disobey, but they hesitated before they finally left.
But everyone had seen Zhang Xiaohui’s situation with their own eyes.
After everyone left, Wang Mingtao entered the Gu house with Gu Conghua, Wen Ruyu and Zhang Xiaohui.
Wang Mingtao would not permit a child like Gu Qingyao to participate, so he did not allow her to enter with them. Gu Qingyao went to her own room.
Actually, she could guess what Wang Mingtao planned to do.
Zhang Xiaohui had grown up in the brigade. Wang Mingtao could not possibly be ignorant of her conduct.
The situation showed that something had clearly gone awry with Zhang Xiaohui. But he did not want to blow the matter up because, in these times, relationships between men and women were very strictly governed. If the situation escalated out of hand, someone might even lose their life.
He hoped to avoid such a precedent in the brigade. If the matter was noised abroad, it would greatly affect the brigade’s image.
Gu Qingyao did not care about these matters. She would be satisfied as long as Zhang Xiaohui divorced her father without anyone blaming the Gu family.
Everything else could wait until Zhang Xiaohui left the Gu family and had no more connection with them.
The adults entered the house. Gu Ruoqing was naturally left outside. She looked at Gu Qingyao smugly, her eyes filled with contempt. She ran back to her room without even bothering to acknowledge Gu Qingyao.
Gu Qingyao raised her brows. It was just as well Gu Ruoqing was ignoring her! She also could not be bothered with Gu Ruoqing.
Gu Qingyao returned to her room, but could still vaguely hear voices from the main room. She could not hear her grandparents’ voices, but Wang Mingtao was clearly suppressing his anger. On her part, Zhang Xiaohui was even more aggressive.
Her voice was the loudest!
She kept emphasizing that a friend had given her these things and that she had many capable friends. When Wang Mingtao asked exactly who this friend was, she refused to say.
At last, Wang Mingtao left in a rage!
Gu Qingyao could guess what they had said, so she was not in the least curious. When she came out of her room, Zhang Xiaohui was emerging from the house. When she saw Gu Qingyao, she gave her a baleful glare!
“It’s so late. Hurry up and cook!”