Chapter 150: Enough to Withstand Everything

Chen Ju was full of anticipation, hoping her son would help her once he woke up. However, the following afternoon, after Xiao Jingyao was transferred from the intensive care unit to a regular ward and heard about the incident from his mother, his first reaction was one of sharp questioning.

"Comrade Lin kindly saved my life, not once but twice. Is this how you treat your son's savior?" Xiao Jingyao’s brow furrowed slightly; he was clearly very displeased.

Huang Yaxin’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be true? She rolled her eyes, and before Chen Ju could speak, she feigned a conciliatory tone: "It’s all my fault; I misunderstood. I thought Comrade Lin looked so frail that she couldn't possibly have carried you, Brother Xiao. But I don't understand, Brother Xiao—you were a fine public security officer; why did you go to work as a patrolman at a pig farm? Is it because Comrade Lin is there too?"

Xiao Jingyao glanced at her coldly. "Comrade Huang, you seem to be overstepping. It appears we aren't that close."

Huang Yaxin’s eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, looking aggrieved.

"Son, why are you snapping at Yaxin? She’s only worried about you!" Although Chen Ju didn't particularly care for Huang Yaxin, they were currently on the same side, so she had to back her up. "Just tell us, why did you quit your job to go to that pig farm? Did that Lin Xiaodou seduce you into going?"

Xiao Jingyao pressed a hand to his forehead. "Mom, please don't speak about things you don't understand! I went to the pig farm to capture enemy spies, which is why I had to conceal my identity. Before that, I didn't even know Comrade Lin; she has nothing to do with me. Do not spread rumors and slander her; it’s bad for her reputation."

"You’re scolding me for the sake of an outsider?" Chen Ju’s temper flared. "If you two have nothing to do with each other, why is your reaction so intense?"

Xiao Jingyao took a deep breath. "I said it already: Comrade Lin is my savior. Of course I feel uncomfortable hearing you badmouth her behind her back."

Chen Ju was a woman with a strong need for control, especially when it came to raising her son. Previously, her son had spent years in the military and later transferred to this small county to serve as a public security officer. The two met very rarely, and even then, only for a few days at a time. In the interest of family harmony, Xiao Jingyao had always accommodated her, leading Chen Ju to believe he was still the obedient son of her memories. Seeing him defend a woman so fiercely, she was instantly consumed by jealousy.

"I see, she’s bewitched you, and that’s why you’re talking back to me!"

Xiao Jingyao replied, "Mom, Comrade Lin and I are perfectly innocent. Please stop making baseless accusations! My head is hurting; please leave, I need to rest."

Chen Ju’s eyes widened. "Are you chasing me away? I traveled thousands of miles to see you, and this is how you treat me?"

Huang Yaxin bit her lip. "Brother Xiao, Auntie is only doing this for your own good. Don't be angry with her."

Hearing this, Chen Ju’s anger intensified. "I am his mother! Does he dare to be angry with me? What right does he have to be angry?"

Huang Yaxin quickly stepped forward, gently rubbing her back as she advised, "Auntie, don't be upset. Brother Xiao has just come out of the ICU, and he’s probably only acting this way because he’s physically unwell. Don't take it to heart."

"It’s good that you’re sensible, Yaxin. If only I had given birth to a daughter as well-behaved as you." Chen Ju offered a hypocritical compliment, then turned to see her son looking away. The implication was clear: he didn't want to talk to her. Seeing this, Chen Ju’s rage boiled over: "Xiao Jingyao, what are you doing? I say a few words to you and you give me the cold shoulder? Do you still consider me your mother?"

Xiao Jingyao said, "Mom, can you please stop being so aggressive? I really want to rest!" His mother was stubborn and single-minded; he didn't want to argue, as it would only escalate.

Chen Ju glared at him. "I won't bother you once you give me a straight answer."

Xiao Jingyao said impatiently, "What more do you want me to say? I’ve already made it very clear."

Chen Ju pressed on, "Did you take a bullet for Lin Xiaodou, and is she pestering you?"

Xiao Jingyao replied, "I did not take a bullet for her; she saved me. She is very strong and highly skilled. Finally, I will reiterate: she is not pestering me. She and I are just ordinary friends. Please stop letting your imagination run wild."

"Fine, I’ll take your word for it." Chen Ju pointed to the injury on her face. "She beat me up. How are we going to settle that?"

Xiao Jingyao was speechless. "Mom, if you hadn't gone up to her and started talking nonsense, she wouldn't have hit you. For my sake, just let it go."

"Absolutely not!" Chen Ju’s voice rose, her eyes wide. "She nearly disfigured me! This cannot just be swept under the rug. You must help me get revenge!"

Xiao Jingyao was stunned, then a bitter smile curled his lips. No matter how many times he explained, she would rather believe the nonsense of outsiders than trust him. This was his mother; it had been this way since he was a child. Such a stubborn and extreme mother had made his childhood miserable.

His father also detested his mother's temperament, and to avoid her, he lived in the military barracks year-round. This had driven his mother nearly insane, and her need to control him grew even stronger. If he hadn't run off to join the army as a teenager to escape that suffocating household, he might not have survived. Over the years, he and his mother had only met a few times in passing, so they hadn't had many direct conflicts. He never expected that upon meeting again, his mother would cause such a scene.

To appease her, he had endured the pain of his wounds while lying in the hospital bed, patiently trying to explain. But what did she do? She continued to scream and make a scene, even going so far as to deliberately provoke him. At this moment, Xiao Jingyao felt both ridiculous and disheartened.

"Mom, go back to Beijing. I don't need you here."

Yes, he no longer needed his mother. He was no longer that poor little boy who begged God for his parents' love. He had grown strong enough to face everything on his own.

Hearing this, Chen Ju looked at him in shock. "Son, what did you just say? Say it again."

Huang Yaxin sensed that the atmosphere was off and wanted to speak, but a cold, sharp gaze suddenly fell upon her. It was Xiao Jingyao; he was displeased with her. Huang Yaxin bit her lip, abandoning the idea of stoking the fire.

Xiao Jingyao said, "Mom, please go back to Beijing. I’ll have my brother see you off."

Chen Ju had initially thought she misheard, but when her son repeated himself, she completely broke down. "Xiao Jingyao, what are you saying? Are you really going to abandon your own mother for the sake of a vixen?!"

"I’ve said it a thousand times: this has nothing to do with Comrade Lin. Can you stop dragging innocent people into this?" Xiao Jingyao said coldly. "If you are truly my mother and really care about me, you should leave now!"

"You unfilial son!..." Chen Ju was so angry she hopped in place, ready to let out a stream of abuse.

A young nurse walked in, looking stern. "Please, no loud noises in the ward! The patient just came out of the ICU and is still very weak. You’re going to disturb him!"

Chen Ju choked. "He’s my son; what’s wrong with me scolding him a little..."

The young nurse looked at her speechless. "Comrade Xiao has barely been pulled back from the brink; he needs rest now. If you hadn't told me you were his mother, I would have thought you were his enemy—are you trying to prevent his recovery on purpose?"

This made Chen Ju’s face flush with embarrassment, and she felt both ashamed and furious. Who did this little nurse think she was to talk to her like that?

"Auntie Chen, the nurse is right. Let's head out first, so we don't affect Brother Xiao." Although Huang Yaxin was interested in Xiao Jingyao’s family background, she did harbor genuine feelings for him. She certainly didn't want him to suffer any further setbacks.

Chen Ju didn't want to leave, her chin tilted up, ready to retort, when a doctor walked in. "Please, family members, step outside. We need to perform an examination." The doctor had arrived with the nurse and had heard the gossip. He felt speechless—such a fine man as Comrade Xiao, how could he have such an unreasonable and meddlesome mother?

Under the repeated eviction orders, Chen Ju could no longer maintain her facade. She flicked her sleeve and turned to leave, with Huang Yaxin following close behind.

Once they reached the stairwell, Huang Yaxin tried to console her: "Auntie, don't be sad. Brother Xiao was just speaking in anger. Don't take it to heart."

Chen Ju looked grim. "Why would he be angry? I’m the one who’s angry! He actually dared to speak to me like that. A son really does grow beyond his mother's reach; he’s getting more and more arrogant!"

Huang Yaxin sighed. "Brother Xiao wasn't like this before. It must be that he’s been influenced by someone at that pig farm..." She had seen how protective Xiao Jingyao was of Lin Xiaodou earlier; it was clear he had feelings for her. She had to sow more discord in front of Chen Ju, ensuring Chen Ju would thoroughly despise Lin Xiaodou and cut off any possibility between her and Xiao Jingyao.

"It must be that dead girl, Lin Xiaodou, who instigated him! My son used to be so sensible!" At the mention of this, Chen Ju’s anger reignited. "No, I must find a way to get rid of Lin Xiaodou. If she stays in this county, she’ll definitely affect the relationship between my son and me."

Huang Yaxin’s eyes glimmered. "Auntie, I have a friend who knows everything; he’s very well-informed. How about I have him investigate Lin Xiaodou’s background? Then we can figure out a way."

"That’s a good idea!" Chen Ju looked at the girl in front of her seriously for the first time and smiled. "Yaxin, if you can pull this off for me, Auntie will grant you one condition—anything you want!"

Compared to the annoying Lin Xiaodou, she preferred the gentle and obedient Huang Yaxin. Since she needed her help right now, a little incentive was worth it.

Hearing this, Huang Yaxin was ecstatic and nodded quickly. "Thank you, Auntie! I will definitely make you satisfied!" She had finally won Chen Ju's approval! She was one step closer to her goal of becoming a daughter-in-law of the Xiao family!

...

After returning, Huang Yaxin immediately found her friend and instructed him carefully: "Remember, find out if Lin Xiaodou has done anything bad, and who she has offended." To smear someone, one had to start with their past scandals. She could join forces with Lin Xiaodou's enemies. At worst, she could hire a few thugs to humiliate her and ruin her reputation.

Huang Yaxin’s plan was sound, but a few days later, upon hearing the details about Lin Xiaodou from her friend, she couldn't help but feel a tremor of shock.

Lin Xiaodou was an educated youth who had come to the countryside from Beijing. She was strong and had a explosive temper, having beaten everyone who opposed her. She had several enemies, but without exception, they were either dead or in prison. For instance, Zhang Lian, Chen Guang, Chu Ling, Han Guoqiang, and Sister-in-law Liu—all had met miserable ends. And then there were Zhu Qingqing and Xu Mo from the pig farm; Zhu Qingqing was in prison, and Xu Mo had been executed.

When she saw the name Zhu Qingqing, Huang Yaxin’s eyes twitched. There was actually an old acquaintance. Before Huang Yaxin arrived at the county cultural troupe, Zhu Qingqing had been the troupe’s star dancer. But Huang Yaxin couldn't stand anyone surpassing her. Even though her dance talent wasn't as high as Zhu Qingqing’s, she used her background to steal the star position. Later, she deliberately spread rumors to force Zhu Qingqing to be dismissed. She had thought she would never see that coward again, yet here she was, hearing news about her.

"What crime did Zhu Qingqing commit to end up in prison?"

Her friend replied, "She was involved with a labor camp inmate named Xu Mo at the pig farm, and that inmate was linked to enemy spies. Oh, by the way, Xiao Jingyao was shot by Xu Mo. That woman, Lin Xiaodou, is truly incredibly strong. She held Xiao Jingyao in one arm and dragged two criminals by her waist, bringing them all out of the mountains."

Huang Yaxin was shocked. "She didn't carry Brother Xiao on her back? She held him?"

Her friend said, "It is said that Xiao Jingyao had a gunshot wound on his back and was losing a lot of blood. He couldn't be jolted, so holding him in her arms was the only way."

Huang Yaxin ground her teeth. "So that’s why Brother Xiao is so protective of Lin Xiaodou—there was this incident."

Lin Xiaodou was truly calculating, deliberately holding him in her arms. Their bodies were pressed together, and with her beauty, even a man with as much willpower as Xiao Jingyao would be tempted.

Huang Yaxin asked, "Is that all? She came from Beijing. What is her family background?"

Her friend shook his head. "I can't investigate the situation in Beijing. It’s too far, and I don't have the connections."

"Fine, thank you."

After dismissing her friend, Huang Yaxin fell into deep thought. It seemed certain that Lin Xiaodou had indeed saved Xiao Jingyao. She had thought this woman would be easy to deal with, but she was a tough nut to crack. Lin Xiaodou was clearly physically formidable. If that was the case, the plan to hire thugs to bully her was out. She would have to find another way.

The information mentioned that Zhu Qingqing had an older sister, Zhu Damei, who was very close to her. This Zhu Damei was described as sturdy and strong, with a short temper and great physical strength. If Zhu Damei found out that Lin Xiaodou was the one who caused her sister to go to prison, surely she wouldn't let Lin Xiaodou off, right?

Huang Yaxin prepared to visit the Zhu family in secret. If she could pull this off, she would tell Chen Ju, and perhaps she would be so pleased that she would welcome her as her daughter-in-law. Thinking of this, Huang Yaxin was full of energy.