Chapter 137: The Woman Under State Protection

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When Sister-in-Law Sun came over to share the latest gossip, Tang Banxia obligingly asked, “Why were they arrested?”

Sister-in-Law Sun lowered her voice mysteriously. “I heard the three of them were carrying on an illicit affair. And apparently, they were pretty wild.”

Dusk was drawing near, and Tang Banxia had to prepare dinner. The night before, Wen Mubai had brought home three whole baskets of rare supplies. She had been utterly stunned when she went down to the cellar that day.

When she asked Wen Mubai about it, he said he had bought everything with his own money.

And when she asked where he had gotten the money, he said it was the dowry money his mother had given him—the savings she had kept hidden for him.

Tang Banxia was somewhat suspicious, but she had no intention of prying.

Now, as she kneaded dough, she listened to the gossip. “Those three don’t seem to have any connection at all, do they?”

Sister-in-Law Sun gave her a look that plainly said, You’re so inexperienced. “That’s exactly why there’s something fishy going on.”

“They’re all from the same village, and Xu and Sheng are both educated youths. How could they possibly have no dealings with one another? They’re just trying to avoid suspicion.”

Tang Banxia: “…”

“That makes sense!”

Sure enough, there was never any shortage of imaginative people. Give everyone the slightest hint, and they could return an entire story to you.

Before long, Wen Mubai came back. Having thoroughly enjoyed the gossip, Sister-in-Law Sun took her leave and went home to cook.

Only after she had gone did Tang Banxia turn to Wen Mubai. “What happened?”

Wen Mubai sat down and helped tend the fire. “Sheng Qianqian and Xu Guiming conspired to ruin your reputation.

“Hu Caoya’s family lives next door to ours. The two of them bribed her to keep watch on our house and pass information to Sheng Qianqian. Then Sheng Qianqian relayed it to Xu Guiming.”

In a calm, matter-of-fact tone, he recounted the whole sequence of events.

What he did not mention was that Sheng Qianqian had originally intended for Xu Guiming to take on the roles played by Hu Baozhu and Chen Damao. Xu Guiming was no fool, however, and immediately turned around and revealed the plan to Hu Baozhu and Chen Damao.

The two men had already been worrying about how to make a fortune. The moment they received the news, they fixed their sights on Tang Banxia.

What they had not expected was that even with Wen Mubai away from home, Tang Banxia was still not someone to be trifled with.

The previous night, Hu Caoya had been waiting nearby, planning to call for help as soon as the two men succeeded. That way, Tang Banxia’s reputation would be ruined in the most natural way possible.

But before Hu Caoya could make a sound, she heard Tang Banxia’s voice and hurriedly hid back in her own home in fright. Later, she came out with the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle.

The moment she saw what had happened at Tang Banxia’s house, her heart turned cold.

Fortunately, she had not actually done anything. She had merely kept watch on Tang Banxia’s home. Hu Caoya used that thought to convince herself, and only then did she manage to calm down a little.

But less than a day after the incident, she was taken away.

Along with Educated Youth Sheng and Educated Youth Xu, she was locked up in the town’s Revolutionary Committee office. She kept her head bowed, trembling all over, her heart filled with icy despair.

She was finished!

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Hu Caoya understood this with dreadful clarity. Even if she were eventually released, her reputation would be ruined.

She would never be able to marry into a good family.

At the thought, tears burst from her eyes.

Inside the cramped detention room, Hu Caoya huddled in a corner in despair, while Xu Guiming crouched pale-faced in the opposite corner.

He had never imagined that, after finding someone else to do the deed, he would still end up being implicated. All he had wanted was to teach Tang Banxia a lesson.

Who told that wretched woman to look down on him, and to join forces with that kept man Wen Mubai to humiliate him? He had merely wanted to make them regret it. If Tang Banxia lost her virtue, would that pretty-boy Wen Mubai still want her?

Besides, he cast a glance at Sheng Qianqian. He had also wanted to curry favor with her. The family backing her was no ordinary one.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He crouched beside Sheng Qianqian and said, “Qianqian, when they come to question us, put everything on me. Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

He looked deeply earnest.

There was not the slightest trace of fear on Sheng Qianqian’s face. Her father was the deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee in Jiang Province. What did she have to fear?

Still, when she heard Xu Guiming say that, warmth rose in her heart. “What is there to fear? These people wouldn’t dare touch me!” She lifted her chin, looking immensely proud.

Xu Guiming was delighted and pressed on. “But—but Banxia’s older sister…”

“She’s merely the director of the Revolutionary Committee in a small county. What does she amount to?” Sheng Qianqian said scornfully, shooting Xu Guiming a glance. “Don’t worry. My father will hear about this soon and come rescue me.”

“That’s good. Then I can finally rest easy.” Xu Guiming looked as though a heavy burden had been lifted from him. “As long as you’re safe, I’m willing to do anything.”

Sheng Qianqian blushed. “Seeing how devoted you’ve been to me, I won’t abandon you.”

Only then did Xu Guiming truly relax. “Qianqian, you’re so good to me.”

Hu Caoya was unmoved by their exchange. Even if she were released, what would it change?

Her parents would only sell her off anyway. If that was what awaited her, she would rather stay here.

At least she would not have to work or endure beatings. She could even eat her fill.

The three people in the detention room each harbored their own thoughts, completely unaware of the storm raging outside.

The first to be affected was the father Sheng Qianqian constantly boasted about. Accustomed to throwing her weight around, she had invoked her father to intimidate people the moment she was arrested.

She had even declared that her father would never let them off.

How could Tang Xinyi tolerate that? When she heard what had happened, she let out two cold laughs and reported the matter to her superiors.

Sheng Qianqian’s father was then brought down.

He had been working peacefully when his immediate superior raided his home. The entire family, young and old alike, was sent to the national borderlands to labor for the country.

Even after arriving at the border, he still had no idea which great power he had offended to bring such a fate upon himself.

Meanwhile, Sheng Qianqian was still waiting for her father to come and bail her out.

The next day.

Just as dawn was breaking, the door to the detention room opened.

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Sheng Qianqian stood there arrogantly, waiting for them to apologize and politely escort her home.

She swore that once she returned to the village, she would make Tang Banxia pay.

She would teach her that some people were simply beyond her reach.

She was still imagining all the things she would do to Tang Banxia when the newcomers seized her.

Smack!

Her beautiful dream shattered.

“What are you doing? How dare you treat me like this! Do you know who my father is?” Sheng Qianqian shrieked, her voice echoing through the entire detention room.

On the other side, Xu Guiming and Hu Caoya were also taken into custody.

The man in charge ignored Sheng Qianqian’s howls completely. “Take them away.”

Sheng Qianqian was stunned. Xu Guiming panicked as well…but by then, it was too late. Waiting for them was grueling labor reform.

Only after Sheng Qianqian had crossed mountains and rivers and reunited with her family did she learn that her proud father had arrived even before she had.

After hearing what his daughter had done, Father Sheng did not hesitate to give her a vicious slap.

“You ungrateful wretch! You provoked someone you should never have touched!”

That was what had dragged the entire family into ruin.

He had not climbed to his current position by being stupid. The moment he heard the story, he knew that Tang Banxia’s identity was probably far from ordinary.

She likely had considerable influence even in the capital. A family like that, even if temporarily fallen on hard times, was still not someone they could afford to offend.

If he had encountered such a family, he would have been scrambling to build ties with them. Yet his wretched daughter had gone out of her way to antagonize them.

Father Sheng’s regret was so profound that his intestines turned green. He bitterly regretted having indulged his foolish daughter until she no longer knew the limits of heaven and earth.

But by then, nothing he said could change anything.

And his guess was still a hundred thousand miles from the truth.

The reason the Sheng family had fallen so swiftly this time was that the state itself had intervened.

Tang Banxia’s talent was plain for all to see. A person of such ability would naturally receive the nation’s full protection. Everything that might threaten her had to be strangled in the cradle.

In other words, Tang Banxia was a woman protected by the state, and the power backing her was stronger than anyone could imagine.

Of course, Tang Banxia knew nothing about any of this. At that moment, she was simply enjoying the quiet, peaceful days in the village…

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