RGL – Chapter 67

Mr. Wu nodded and then turned to Su Wenwen, saying, “Su Wenwen, why did you spread rumors to harm your classmate Su Min?”

“They weren’t rumors, it’s true. She and Wen Heping are very close. I’ve seen them talking at the school gate several times.”

“Hmph, just because I talked to him, we’re automatically dating? What kind of dirty mind do you have? Don’t you ever talk to boys? I’ve seen you having breakfast with male classmates—so does that mean you’re planning to marry them?” Su Min shot back sharply.

“I wasn’t lying,” Su Wenwen insisted stubbornly. Even if she had lied about seeing them in the park, she was sure there was something going on between Su Min and Wen Heping.

Gao Hong added, “Our Wenwen has always been a good child since she was little. She would never lie. But some people, who didn’t receive proper upbringing, it’s only natural for them to behave disgracefully.”

“What do you mean by that, Gao Hong?” Sun Qiufang stood up angrily. “If your family’s so well-raised, why did your Wenwen wrongly accuse my Minzi of stealing money right at New Year’s? And if your father was so well-bred, why did he end up in prison? You’ve got some nerve.”

Hearing her bring up the past, Gao Hong’s face turned red with anger. “That has nothing to do with this.”

Sun Qiufang sneered, “Oh? Then why’d you bring up our time in the countryside? So what if we were from the countryside? Sure, we didn’t have good education resources—so what? My Minzi’s academic achievements are better than your Wenwen’s, and her character’s better too. What are you so proud of?”

Wu Yong, who had been listening while still in the process of transforming, felt dizzy. Wasn’t this supposed to be a disciplinary meeting? How did it turn into a shouting match?

He quickly raised his hand to stop them. “Ladies, now isn’t the time to argue. We’re here to get to the bottom of the situation.” He looked sternly at Su Wenwen. “Su Wenwen, Wen Heping didn’t come to school that day because he had a cold and went to the hospital. He gave me a sick leave note afterward. So, your claim about seeing Su Min and him in the park isn’t true. You lied.”

“Who knows if Wen Heping is just too scared to admit it? Who knows what he was really doing?”

Seeing that she was still trying to argue, Wu Yong shook his head and sighed. “Wen Heping has medical records to prove it. The hospital doesn’t lie. Both he and Su Min have witnesses, but you’re the only one making these claims.”

“I know what I saw,” Su Wenwen said through clenched teeth, refusing to back down.

Hearing Wu Yong’s explanation, even Gao Hong started to waver. She asked Su Wenwen, “Wenwen, is it possible you mistook someone else? It’s normal to misrecognize someone.”

Picking up on Gao Hong’s attempt to guide the narrative, Sun Qiufang frowned. “Mistook someone? Her eyes must be on sideways.”

In fact, the school had already clarified everything. They weren’t going to entertain more excuses from Su Wenwen. The reason for bringing it up again today was because her parents had come, and the school needed their approval for the next step, so they were repeating the matter.

Wu Yong looked at Su Changgui. “Mr. Su, I’ve heard you’re also a teacher, so you should understand that the school wouldn’t wrongly accuse a student without reason. We’ve investigated thoroughly. This all started from your daughter, Su Wenwen, and what she spread in class was very nasty, causing a serious impact. Su Min has been gossiped about behind her back, which has affected her studies. The school believes that under these circumstances, Su Wenwen is no longer suited to remain in school at this time. We hope you can help her apply for a leave of absence, let her rest at home for a while, and then return later.”

Without hesitation, Su Changgui responded, “I agree. We’ll accept whatever decision the school makes.”

Wu Yong had prepared a whole set of arguments, thinking he’d need to persuade the parents. He was caught off guard when they agreed the moment he stated the outcome.

Before he could speak again, Gao Hong interjected, “I don’t agree. My daughter came here to study. The school has no right to deny her that. If this is how you’re handling it, I’ll report you to the education authorities.”

Seeing Gao Hong’s indignant expression, Wu Yong felt a surge of irritation too. But as a teacher, he suppressed his frustration and forced a smile.

“Mrs. Su, as far as I know, this isn’t the first time Su Wenwen has targeted Su Min. Back in seventh grade, she accused Su Min of cheating. Then she pushed to get Su Min transferred to another class. Not long ago, she was also behind Su Min being moved from the advanced class to the regular class. Of course, the school handled those matters fairly. But now, at such a crucial time, she’s spread damaging rumors again. I hope you can consider things from the school’s perspective. If these issues keep happening, it puts us in a very difficult position.”

With a single student turning the whole school environment toxic, Wu Yong felt this was the first time in his career he had encountered something like this. He was immensely relieved that he was no longer Su Wenwen’s homeroom teacher—and didn’t have to deal with her anymore.

Although he had the duty to teach and nurture students, when the rot started from the roots, what could he possibly do?

After hearing what Wu Yong said, Sun Qiufang’s expression grew increasingly tense.

So this wasn’t even the first time.

She glared at her daughter. “You silly child, why didn’t you tell us about any of this? They’ve already bullied you to your face!”

“Mom, didn’t it all turn out fine in the end?” In reality, Su Wenwen never got the upper hand in any of those incidents. The last time, she even dragged her grandfather down with her.

Sun Qiufang turned her fierce gaze to Gao Hong. “Well, well, Gao Hong! You think we’re easy to bully just because we’re from the countryside, huh? You let your daughter bully mine like this. With a family like yours, no wonder your father ended up in jail—he deserved it!”

“Sun Qiufang, say that again?” Gao Hong was agitated the moment she heard Sun Qiufang bring up Gao Long’s imprisonment.

“I will say it again! There’s not a single decent person in your family. When the elder is crooked, the younger ones follow. No wonder your daughter turned out so rotten!”

Su Changrong also turned to Su Changgui and said, “Changgui, even if we’re not as close as we used to be, we’re still brothers, not enemies. What are you trying to do to our Minzi with all this?”

Su Changgui kept his lips tightly sealed, as if the whole matter had nothing to do with him.

Gao Hong was furious and frustrated, especially seeing how Sun Qiufang and her husband now looked at her like she was their enemy. A wave of helplessness washed over her.

Seeing a brief pause in the argument, Mr. Wu quickly jumped in. “Alright, alright. Let’s remember why we’re here today. We’re not here to fight, but to sort out what happened with the kids. As for Su Wenwen, the school’s decision stands: she’ll take a year off to rest at home. Once Su Min graduates, she can come back to continue her studies. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll stir up next.”

Gao Hong’s palms were cold and sweaty. She understood clearly—her daughter was being expelled.

She looked at Su Changgui, unmoved as ever, and then at Sun Qiufang and her husband, who were practically glaring daggers at her. Bitterness swelled in her chest. Why had she been so blind back then, to marry a man like this and end up with these relatives?

The matter was settled. Gao Hong wanted to argue, but Su Wenwen had done too much, and the issue had even dragged in Gao Long’s past. She had no reasonable defense. In the end, she could only grit her teeth and drag Su Wenwen out of the office.

Su Changgui followed them out. Once outside, he looked at Gao Hong and their daughter, and his cold expression curled into a scornful sneer. “I knew you couldn’t do anything right—always bringing shame to this family. You’ve ruined our family’s reputation!”

With that, he gave a cold laugh, brushed past them, and walked away.

Stung by Su Changgui’s ridicule, Su Wenwen pouted and threw herself into Gao Hong’s arms, sobbing. “Mom, why does Dad treat me like this? Why is he so cruel to me?”

Gao Hong held her daughter tightly, her eyes turning red too.

She wondered what wrongs she had done in her life to deserve this kind of retribution.

After Su Wenwen left the school, the situation finally calmed down. The teachers all breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was unfortunate for someone so young to be expelled, a pitiful person often has their own hateful qualities.

When Su Min returned to class, a few girls came over to comfort her.

“Thanks, it’s all been taken care of now.” Su Min smiled and chatted with them briefly.

When she returned to her seat, Wen Heping looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t know about all this. By the time I came back, it had already happened.”

Su Min smiled politely. “I didn’t know beforehand either. It’s alright now—the school looked into it and handled everything.”

Wen Heping nodded, lips pressed together, his thoughts buried even deeper. He hadn’t expected a rumor to cause such a mess. If it had been true…

He didn’t dare to think any further.

After all this, Sun Qiufang repeatedly instructed Su Changrong: from now on, even if they cut ties with the third branch of the family, that was fine—no need to greet them again, even if they met.

Though Su Changrong still felt a bit sentimental about his brotherly bond with Su Changgui, it clearly couldn’t outweigh his love for his daughter. Thinking of how Minzi had been wronged at school, and of Gao Hong’s attitude, he also felt there was no need to maintain contact. Even if they bumped into each other back in their hometown, no need to say hello.

“Ah, Wenwen,” Gao Hong’s mother sighed, watching Su Wenwen lie on the sofa. “Why did you have to keep targeting that Su Min? Even if you don’t like her, you shouldn’t have done something like this.”

Back when Old Gao was still around, this would’ve been just a minor issue. But now the family was already in disarray, and this child had only made things worse. Now she couldn’t even go to school.

Sigh… what are we supposed to do from here?

Gao Hong sat to the side, staring blankly at the coffee table.

The three of them—mother and children—remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Gao Hong narrowed her eyes and looked at her mother. “Mom, I want to divorce Su Changgui.”

“What?” Her mother looked at her in astonishment. When she saw that her daughter’s expression was serious, she realized she meant it. She quickly said, “What nonsense are you talking about? How can you divorce Changgui? If you get divorced, where will you live?”

“I’ll rent a place. I don’t want to be with him anymore. Mom, you don’t know—when his brother and sister-in-law were blaming me today, he just acted like nothing happened. My daughter and I were being bullied, and he didn’t even lift a finger. What kind of man is that?”

As Gao Hong spoke, she covered her face and began to cry.

Back then, she had married Su Changgui because she genuinely liked him. Sure, she had a bit of a temper, but she had treated him with all her heart. And if a man loved his wife, wasn’t he supposed to dote on her and tolerate her? What had she done wrong? But Su Changgui… he was ungrateful, cold, and heartless. And now, he was even getting involved with Shao Yun—likely planning to bring her into the house sooner or later. Rather than wait for him to initiate the divorce and be humiliated again, she might as well take the initiative.

Gao Hong’s mother had never thought highly of Su Changgui as a son-in-law. In the past, she might have considered agreeing. But with the way things were now, she didn’t need to consider anything—there was no way they could divorce.

She sat down beside Gao Hong. “You and Changgui have been married for so many years. No matter how bad he is, he’s still Wenwen’s biological father and your husband. If you divorce him, who are you going to find that’s better? And what about Wenwen? Would she stay with Changgui or with you? If she stays with him, you know a stepmother will definitely bully her. If she stays with you, you can’t support her alone. And if you remarry, who’s going to accept a child that old?”

Gao Hong had been resolute, but after hearing her mother’s reasoning, she realized—divorce wasn’t an option. Even if she didn’t want to live with Su Changgui anymore, she and her daughter still needed a home.

Just like her mother said, even if she found a new family, it might not be better than this one.

However, after this whole incident, Su Changgui came home even less often. When he got his paycheck, he stopped handing over any money—not a single cent went to Gao Hong or her daughter. Instead, he was constantly buying things for Shao Yun.

Su Changrong saw it a few times but acted like he hadn’t.

As for Su Min, she no longer concerned herself with the mess in her third uncle’s household. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Su Wenwen’s relentless harassment earlier, she wouldn’t have had anything to do with them at all. Now that the issue was resolved, she focused entirely on her own matters.

After school, she deliberately walked around the county mall and saw that some shops had indeed begun selling designs she had previously sketched—yet none of them were made by Sanye. That told her the fish had taken the bait.

And clearly, those clothes weren’t attracting any attention from customers.

After checking in with Su Changrong and the others on the first floor, she took a bus to the factory to see Ye Yongfu.

When she arrived, Director Ye was in a meeting, so she went to the workshop to chat with Sun Yan instead.

Although Sun Yan had only been learning for a few months, she was already operating the machines. She was hardworking and quick to pick things up—she could now make garments on her own, though her skill still didn’t match the master workers with years of experience.

“We’ve all been idle lately. There’s not much to do,” Sun Yan said. “Director Xiao has checked in a few times already, but said the factory head’s materials haven’t arrived yet, so we can’t start work.”

Su Min smiled. “Then take the chance to rest a bit.”

Sun Yan replied, “That’s what I think too, but the other workers are worried about the factory’s performance. They’re saying maybe they won’t need as many people in the future.” As she said this, a hint of worry appeared on her face. Even though she’d only been learning for a short time, she realized she really liked the job. Seeing beautiful clothes take shape in her hands, knowing someone would wear what she made—it gave her a deep sense of accomplishment.

Seeing her concerned expression, Su Min smiled and said, “Don’t listen to rumors. Director Ye just took over—how could the factory not perform well? Just focus on your work.”

“Mm.” Hearing Su Min say that, Sun Yan felt reassured. She knew Su Min was capable—even the factory head respected her. Besides, all those beautiful clothes had come from Su Min’s designs. Just how talented did one have to be to do all that?

So if Su Min said it would be fine, then it would be fine. She would focus on doing her job well. One day, when she became a master herself, she’d be able to create even more beautiful garments.

After finishing her exams on Friday, Su Min went to the factory to check in. It had already been a week since she handed her designs to Director Ye—by now, there should be some developments.

When Director Ye saw her arrive, his furrowed brow relaxed. After someone poured tea for her, he smiled and said, “We’ll be making some personnel changes soon. I’m preparing to open up the sales director position.”

Hearing this, Su Min was surprised. “You mean that person?”

Director Ye’s expression turned a bit grim. “Mm.”

Upon hearing the truth, Su Min thought back to her impression of Li Hua. That man had always seemed to resent her—every time she proposed something, he was the first to object. Even though he would comply after Director Ye made a decision, it was clear he was unwilling in his heart.

Su Min didn’t dwell on that and instead brought up the new product launch. “I saw today that the designs I drew earlier have already been released to market. That means some factory is producing them. We need to get our clothes out there quickly too.”