The courtyard was buzzing with excitement. Those who usually mingled with Huo Jinlan stood by, watching with cold eyes. Some even whispered that she got what she deserved, given that she received the highest salary every month and always put on a show.
The uproar in the courtyard escalated, eventually alerting the boss. A rotund middle-aged man, he arrived at the scene with his belly first. Seeing the boss, Huo Jinlan began to weep even more pitifully, a sight hard to ignore.
"What's going on here? What's happened?"
Tian Yuegui, seething with rage, grabbed the boss and roared, "You heartless wretch! I bore your children, served your parents, and you dare to frolic with a mistress."
"Indeed! Even a rabbit does not eat the grass at its nest!" someone whispered softly, though the words were loud and clear.
The beaten and disheveled Huo Jinlan looked up, her eyes dark as she glanced at Nan Fei, before lowering her head and gritting her teeth in fury.
"I didn't, I didn't." The boss, afraid of his wife, was only brave enough to misbehave in secret. Faced with allegations in broad daylight, he vehemently denied, "She seduced me! I didn't do anything."
Thus, the chaos on the scene escalated, with the scorn of the crowd, Tian Yuegui's fury, and the boss's accusations. Unable to remain calm, Huo Jinlan broke down crying loudly.
She had planned things against Jiang Nanfei, how could it turn out this way?
*****
The commotion continued till sunset. Jiang Nanfei counted her salary twice, making sure each penny was there before putting it in her handmade pouch.
As for Huo Jinlan, she was taken away by her family. From then on, she couldn't shake the label of a 'homewrecker.'
Leaving the garment factory, Jiang Nanfei heaved a sigh of relief, her palms soaked in sweat. She was not one to argue, perhaps because she used to attend church with her grandmother who never argued with anyone due to her Christian beliefs.
She was brought up to avoid conflicts. And what did she get in return? Slanderous accusations of being a gold-digger, seducing a married man, and being forced into marriage,
In the end, she was completely manipulated.
Now she understood, there was nothing wrong with being fiercely assertive, as long as she didn't suffer losses.
The setting summer sun was late, and the western sky was ablaze with a magnificent sunset, against a clear blue sky. Jiang Nanfei stood in the middle of the road, lost in thought, her mind filled with the final images before she died.
The face of Huo Beijiang, whether in pain, affectionate, suppressed, or heartbroken...
He was all that was on her mind.
Jiang Nanfei squatted on the ground, her hands hugging her knees, her expression stern and filled with brewing storm.
She couldn't forgive her own stupidity, as if her heart was being blocked by something. It was so uncomfortable she could barely breathe, turning her pale face red, and her peach-like lips turned abnormally bluish-black.
*****
As the factory's closing time arrived, a group of people came out. Mostly from the same town, just different villages. Among them was a girl from Nan Fei's village named Qi Qin.
Nan Fei usually walked home with Huo Jinlan, so Qi Qin would return home alone. But after today's incident, Qi Qin quickly caught up with her as she saw her squatting by the roadside.
"Nan Fei, why aren't you going to continue working? It clearly wasn't your fault, you could have kept working," Qi Qin said.
"I don't want to work anymore." Jiang Nanfei stood up from the ground.
She had impulsively hit Tian Yuegui today, and if she continued to stay, she was sure to get blamed. Luckily, she had collected all her wages, and with this money, she didn't have to drop out of school.
Qi Qin was a thin, dark-skinned girl a year younger than Nan Fei. The two were related and came from similar family backgrounds. They should have been good friends, but since Huo Jinlan didn't like Qi Qin, Nan Fei had also kept her distance.
Looking back now, that must have been part of her scheme!
"Nan Fei, why are you looking at me like that?" Qi Qin asked cautiously.
"It's nothing, let's go home," Nan Fei replied.
"Sure!" Qi Qin was so happy she almost jumped. Great, she usually went home alone, and by the time she got there it was dark. She was a bit scared of going back alone!