Dapang’s mother had brought a whole gaggle of women to the Gu family’s doorstep to stir up trouble, her voice booming through the air. “Liu Fen! Drag that little brat of yours out here!” She heard her mother-in-law, Liu Fen, steeling herself as she went outside. Liu Fen was a kind-hearted soul—otherwise, she never would have indulged Lin Qingping’s wild ways in her past life. But a woman like that was no match for a pack of shrews. Lin Qingping had to put Zhiyuan’s issue on hold. Without a moment’s hesitation, she threw open the door. Behind her, Zhiyuan’s small voice pleaded, “Don’t…” But the door swinging shut cut off the rest of his words. There was surely more to the story behind the fight, but now wasn’t the time for questions. First, she had to deal with this mob. Outside, the commotion had escalated. A crowd of women swarmed Liu Fen, their voices a cacophony of accusations that left her overwhelmed. “You think a little money makes this go away? Get that little brat out here!” “Make him come out and apologize! On his knees!” Liu Fen was still trying to placate them. “The boy knows he was wrong. He’s thinking about what he did. Juncheng will be home soon, and he’ll deal with him properly.” But they weren’t having it. They demanded Li Zhiyuan come out. Lin Qingping surged forward, shoving her way through the women to pull her mother-in-law from the fray. Shielding Liu Fen behind her, she said, “If you have something to say, say it. If we’re at fault, we won’t run from it. My mother-in-law already said we’ll compensate you and discipline the boy. We’re all from the same village; we see each other every day. The kids will have to play together again. Why make things so ugly?” Dapang’s mother stomped her foot. “Who’d want their kids playing with a stray? Our good, decent children won’t be playing with some fatherless, motherless brat—” A sharp *crack* echoed through the air. Dapang’s mother staggered back, a fresh handprint blooming on her cheek. The one who had slapped her was Lin Qingping. Lin Qingping had wanted to reason with them, but it was clear that reasoning was off the table. *Stray.* In her past life, that was the one word Zhiyuan couldn’t bear to hear. Now, even at five, he was precocious and sensitive. For a boy living under someone else’s roof, those words were a dagger to the heart. Lin Qingping stood ramrod straight, her imposing aura an exact echo of Gu Juncheng’s. She even narrowed her eyes as he often did, her voice ringing with fury. “A stray? You listen to me, Dapang’s mother! Zhiyuan’s father gave his life for this country! A hero’s sacrifice! The reason you can stand here safely on your land, gossiping about your neighbors, is because of thousands upon thousands of soldiers like Zhiyuan’s father—soldiers who faced death without fear to protect our peace! To protect this good life we have! And you dare call his son a stray? Do you have any respect for the soldiers who sacrificed everything? Do you have any respect for those still standing guard to protect our homes? Let me tell you something! Our Zhiyuan is not a stray! He is a hero’s son! Every soldier in Juncheng’s company is his father! And every army wife is his mother!” Lin Qingping’s righteous speech stunned Dapang’s mother. The Gu family had taken in a child, but they’d never said he was the son of a martyr. Knowing this, she didn’t dare insult Zhiyuan again, but humiliation and rage boiled over. “So you’re his mother now?” she shrieked. “A tramp like you? What right do you have to be the mother of a martyr’s son?” At those words, the color drained from Liu Fen’s face. She gripped Lin Qingping’s arm, her voice trembling as she begged Dapang’s mother, “Please, stop. I’ll apologize to you. I’ll come to your house later to apologize. Just please… stop…” The word “tramp” hit Lin Qingping like a physical blow. But from the sound of it… did her mother-in-law know something? A shout erupted from behind them. “Don’t apologize! I did nothing wrong!” A small figure shot past them, planting himself in front of Lin Qingping and Liu Fen. Zhiyuan had actually run out. Lin Qingping snatched him back, pulling him into her arms and holding him tight to protect him from the crowd. But the boy was completely consumed by fury, shrieking, “I did it, so I’ll take the blame! If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me! Don’t you dare bully my grandma!” And then: “Kill me! Do whatever you want! I’m telling you, I wasn’t wrong!” But for all his fierce bravado, his heroic stand was cut short. Gu Juncheng had returned at some point, and now he hoisted Zhiyuan into the air by the collar of his shirt. The little boy kicked his legs wildly in the air. “Put me down! You coward! Don’t you hear what they’re saying about your wife in the village? You’re not going to defend her? What kind of man are you?!” Lin Qingping froze. *Gu Juncheng’s wife? Is he talking about me? What does any of this have to do with me?* Gu Juncheng tossed Li Zhiyuan back inside the house. His tall frame became a barrier, shielding Lin Qingping and Liu Fen from the crowd. “Both of you, go back inside. Stay there,” he said. His low voice, carrying a strangely calming power, cut through the noise and resonated in Lin Qingping’s ears. Lin Qingping shook her head. “No…” She had to know what Dapang’s mother was going to say. That word, “tramp,” was too heavy a burden for any woman in the countryside to bear. “Inside!” Gu Juncheng’s voice sharpened, taking on the tone of a commander giving an order. His gaze grew stern. Lin Qingping hesitated, and Gu Juncheng’s brow furrowed. “Do I need to throw you inside, too?” Lin Qingping flinched. Finally, she turned and went back into the house. Gu Juncheng shut the door behind her, leaving Lin Qingping, her mother-in-law, and Li Zhiyuan all sealed inside. From within the house, Li Zhiyuan was still shouting at the people outside. “Don’t apologize! Nobody apologize! If I hear anyone talking nonsense again, I’ll hit them again!” He was a completely different child from the quiet, timid boy she knew. It was as if a seal had been broken, and a tiger had been let loose. Outside, Gu Juncheng stood tall, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. The entire group instinctively took a step back. His presence was just that intimidating. But Dapang’s mother wouldn’t back down. She puffed out her chest and sneered, “What’s the matter, Juncheng? Hit a nerve? Are you going to hit a woman now? Can’t stand to hear about your wife’s dirty laundry?” There was an unwritten rule in the village: men didn’t get involved in women’s fights, or they’d be shamed for it. This was precisely why they’d dared to cause a scene, knowing he was home. Bolstered by her words, the other women, who had been shrinking back, found their courage and chimed in with jeers. “That’s right! Why can’t we talk about it? Is it not the truth? Everyone knows Lin Qingping’s been fooling around with Goudan!” “Goudan told everyone! She’s got a mole on her chest! Hey, Lin Qingping, why don’t you show us! Prove him wrong!” “Don’t you pull that soldier act on us, Juncheng! Your wife can be a tramp, but no one’s allowed to say a word?” “How’s that green hat feel, Juncheng?” Lin Qingping stood, stunned. Goudan was the village loafer. Just yesterday morning, she’d had a craving for the wild fruit that grew on the mountain and had gone to pick some. But she’d run into Goudan, who started getting handsy with her. Terrified, she had bolted, tripping and tumbling down a slope. A tree had broken her fall; otherwise, she would have rolled all the way to the bottom. In the fall, she’d lost her handkerchief, and her clothes must have ridden up as she tumbled. She hadn't paid it any mind at the time. She never imagined it would spawn a rumor like this. In a closed-off village in this era, for a woman to be caught in such a scandal… the consequences were unthinkable.