Caught in Adultery

Niu Chunhua and the others' shout startled the two who had been doing... aerobics... into scrambling to pick up the clothes on the ground...

But the more panicked people were, the more likely they were to make mistakes. Hearing layer upon layer of footsteps coming from behind, the two of them shook all over like leaves in the wind and still could not get their clothes on after ages.

Seeing that people were about to reach them, Zhao Jianguo gritted his teeth and made up his mind. "Let's jump into the river! We'll hide underwater and come back up after they leave."

"B-but I can't swim."

Jiang Hongmei was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. Zhao Jianguo grew anxious. "I can! I'll protect you. If we don't run now, we're both done for!"

"B-but I'm still scared."

Jiang Hongmei cried even harder. Zhao Jianguo was speechless and frantic, sincerely wanting to slap her twice. Cry, cry, cry—she cried over everything. Why was she so damn annoying!?

"If you won't go, I'll go by myse—"

"You shameless things! Broad daylight, and you're already fooling around..."

The sudden furious curse made them both shudder again. Just as they were about to turn and flee, Niu Chunhua and the others, who had rushed over first, surrounded them completely. The rest of the villagers followed close behind.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!"

Jiang Hongmei screamed herself hoarse. She hurriedly squatted down and wrapped every piece of clothing scattered on the ground around herself, finally covering up some of her exposed flesh.

But that was just covering one's ears while stealing a bell. When everyone had run over, they had already seen nearly everything they should and should not have seen.

As for Zhao Jianguo, because he had been a step slower, the latecomers got to watch a grand spectacle. He had never been so humiliated in his life. His handsome, rugged face was flushed as red as blood.

He panicked and rushed to snatch back the underwear Jiang Hongmei was clutching to her chest. But she held on to it for dear life and refused to give it to him. Their tugging and pulling made the crowd burst into laughter.

"Oh my! So loving! Educated Youth Jiang still isn't satisfied and can't bear to let go!"

"Tsk tsk! Is she keeping Jianguo's underwear as a memento?"

"Hahahaha! Don't you know it has a smell on it?"

"Hahahahaha..."

The two of them were laughed at so hard they wished they could crawl into a crack in the ground. Jiang Hongmei wailed as though the sky had fallen and the earth had split, while Zhao Jianguo panted heavily as if someone had seized him by the throat, unable to make a sound for a long while.

"Enough! Watch your tongues and let them get dressed before coming over!"

Zhao Gang's furious roar instantly rescued them. The cadre members had enough decency not to go over. They stood outside the Reed Marsh, holding back the others. Otherwise, if the entire brigade's villagers and educated youths watched them, they truly would have no face left to show anyone.

Though it was not much different now, having fewer people see them was still better. Zhao Gang comforted himself on behalf of the two involved.

Since the brigade leader had spoken, Niu Chunhua and the others could only grumble a few more words reluctantly before stepping aside. "Why aren't you getting dressed already? Is it not cool enough over by the Reed Marsh? Do you want to keep going and sunbathe some more?"

"Maybe! They probably got plenty heated up just now, hahaha..."

Village people had always spoken without restraint, especially married ones. They considered these words very euphemistic, but they made all the young people present blush scarlet.

Especially the people from the Educated Youth Station. Lu Xiaoyue and the girls close to her retreated directly to the edge of the crowd and stood with Shen Jianan and the other two.

Yet inwardly, they cursed Jiang Hongmei bloody. Not only had she humiliated herself with this stunt, she had dragged all the girls at the Educated Youth Station down with her. They would probably have to be extra careful whenever they went out from now on.

People in the countryside could be very simple and honest, but naturally, they could also be wicked. After seeing today's scene, some people would likely think the girls at the Educated Youth Station were easy, especially certain old bachelors. Hadn't Advance Production Brigade had an incident last year where a female educated youth was bullied?

Wang Hongbo, Feng Yi, and Song Yichen had apparently thought of this as well. They all stepped out of the crowd and stood protectively beside them.

"Don't be afraid. Wherever you go in the future, we'll have a male comrade accompany you."

The female educated youths were deeply moved. "Mm! Thank you."

"I-I can help too."

Chen Ming said quietly as he looked at them, then lowered his head. The educated youths froze for a moment before breaking into smiles. Lu Xiaoyue was the first to speak.

"Alright. We definitely won't stand on ceremony when the time comes."

Hearing that, Chen Ming lifted his eyes to look at them. The corners of his mouth rose high, and his eyes seemed to hold stars.

Zheng Lei and Huang Qimei, standing among the crowd, watched him, and the jealousy and hatred in their hearts grew wildly unchecked.

As everyone chatted, a commotion came from up ahead. Looking up, they saw that people from the village across the way had heard the disturbance and come to the opposite riverbank to watch.

Fortunately, they were far away, and the reeds blocked their view. They could not see clearly, only knowing something had happened without understanding what exactly it was. Otherwise, Chaoyang Production Brigade would have lost all its face.

Seeing that the matter could not be delayed any longer, Zhao Gang immediately sent Zhao Hongjun and Zhao Quan to call Zhao Qiancheng. Now that things had blown up like this, he had to come back.

The two knew the situation was serious and left together without another word. Zhao Xiufen, standing nearby, was so anxious that she burst into tears on the spot. Her brother was truly muddle-headed! To make such a mess in broad daylight—how would their family face anyone afterward?

Zhao Gang glanced at her and began sighing as well. The eldest son of the Zhao Household had once been praised by everyone in the brigade, but lately, who knew what had happened? It was as though he had been possessed, doing nothing but foolish things. He was about to disgrace the Brigade Secretary completely.

"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!"

At that moment, Jiang Hongmei and Zhao Jianguo had finally gotten dressed and were dragged over by the villagers.

Zhao Gang saw how disheveled they were, their necks covered in marks, and knew how fierce the battle had been. He found them even more shameless, and his teeth clenched in fury. The sympathy that had just begun to stir in him was instantly crushed. "Take them all to the brigade office. Everyone, gather for a meeting."

"Yes!"

Niu Chunhua and the others excitedly shoved the weeping Jiang Hongmei. "Move it."

Though Zhao Jianguo was also being dragged along, these people were still mindful that his father was the Brigade Secretary, so he did not suffer too much. That gave his still muddled mind another illusion.

He and Jiang Hongmei had not committed any great wrong. At most, they had been discovered in a relationship and had their bodies seen. But they truly loved each other, and neither had forced the other. So long as they were willing, who had the right to interfere?

Thinking this, he relaxed considerably. He unconsciously straightened his back, and the lingering flush on his face took on a trace of arrogance. He even wanted to go help Jiang Hongmei.

But the quick-eyed Niu Chunhua blocked him. Like grabbing a chick, she seized Jiang Hongmei and dragged her several meters away. Zhao Jianguo could not very well chase after her and had no choice but to give up.

In the end, the two were dragged and pulled all the way to the brigade office. Zhao Gang did not go too far; he even had someone bring out a bench for them to sit on while they spoke.

But Jiang Hongmei's crying had not stopped since entering the brigade office. Whatever they asked her, she only shook her head and said she did not know. Everyone was speechless, practically wanting to ask her, "Did you know what you were doing when you were enjoying yourself?"

Still, they could not bring themselves to ask that. No matter how embarrassing what these two had done was, the man was unmarried and the woman unwed, and it had been consensual. So long as they were willing to marry and did not let outsiders know, it was not really such a serious matter.

But if one side had been forced, or if one refused to acknowledge that they were dating, then it would be a different matter entirely.

Fortunately, Zhao Jianguo was willing to take responsibility. As soon as Zhao Gang questioned him, he admitted his relationship with Jiang Hongmei and said they would marry as soon as possible.

The moment he said that, some people breathed a sigh of relief for them, while others were disappointed that they could not send the Zhao family's favored son onto the denunciation stage.

But on second thought, this disgraceful affair would likely be talked about for the rest of their lives, and they would never be able to hold their heads high again. That made them feel much better.

Apart from Cheng Qianmin, who wished Zhao Jianguo dead, the cadre members did not harbor much malice. Since he was willing to marry Jiang Hongmei, they had no intention of pursuing the matter further.

After all, whether considering the collective's interests or the two people's circumstances, this was the best solution. Besides, they were not the sort of people who liked to kick someone when they were down.

"Since that's the case, when your father returns, sit down and discuss the marriage properly."

Zhao Gang said with a grim face, "I hope nothing like this happens again. The people of our brigade are kind enough to bear this for you."

He raised his eyes and swept his gaze over everyone present. The warning in his eyes made quite a few people shrink back. Only then did he continue in satisfaction. "If you two are dating, date openly and properly. Stop doing all those crooked tricks and leading others astray."

His words made everyone involuntarily recall the scene they had just witnessed. They looked the two over again with contempt and excitement.

Jiang Hongmei and Zhao Jianguo lowered their heads in shame, their bodies burning red as they did not dare make a sound. The other cadre members were annoyed at the sight and added a few reprimands of their own. They even forced the pair to apologize to everyone and promise never again to fool around out in the open...

The two refused. Who would be willing to admit before so many people that they had been having wild sex outdoors? Zhao Xiufen, standing to the side, was also mortified and cried until her eyes turned red.

After something like this happened, it was not only her grandparents and parents who would lose face. Even she and her younger brother would have people pointing at their backs whenever they went out, much less have any hope of finding a good marriage match in the future.

And even now, the little sisters who usually played with her would not go near her. They looked at her as though she were some slut or prostitute. It was not her who had been fooling around outside, so why were they treating her like this?

When Zhao Gang saw that the two would not yield to pressure or persuasion, his expression darkened again. "Fine. If you two won't admit your mistake, then we'll lock you up and wait for the secretary to come back and deal with it. We're done."

Jiang Hongmei immediately panicked. If Zhao Qiancheng came back in a bad mood and used some other method to torment her, directly ruining the marriage, then not only would she have been humiliated for nothing, her grand plan to get rich would also be affected. Trembling, she tugged Zhao Jianguo and asked him through tear-filled eyes.

"Jianguo, I'm already yours. Can you bear to let others laugh at me? If you don't want me, then I can only go die..."

The moment she said that, Shen Jianan and Gu Yu, sitting in the corner, nearly laughed out loud. They felt that this woman was truly skilled at exploiting her advantages and blurring the issue.

The cadre members were asking the two of them to state their position and admit their mistake, yet she twisted it into Zhao Jianguo abandoning her, when he had just said he would marry her.

But this tactic truly worked on Zhao Jianguo. Hearing his beloved ask such a heartbroken question, he immediately felt sorry for her. He no longer cared about losing face and promptly admitted his mistake. "Sorry, everyone. Hongmei and I really should not have done that in broad daylight..."

He mumbled vaguely, then quickly concluded, "Starting today, we will certainly face up to our mistake and correct it properly."

Jiang Hongmei was full of little schemes, so she hurriedly followed him. "Yes, yes. We'll certainly face up to our mistake and correct it properly."

The cadre members felt some contempt at her little trick, but they did not want to make things too difficult for them. So they all pretended not to notice and considered them to have passed.

Afterward, they instructed everyone present not to talk nonsense outside before finally dismissing the crowd.

The moment Zhao Jianguo heard that, he immediately stood up, grabbed Jiang Hongmei, and ran off without looking back. The crowd burst into laughter, all saying they were rushing home to continue with a second round.

Zhao Xiufen stamped her feet in fury. "What nonsense are you all talking about? Can't you watch your tongues!?"

Niu Chunhua sneered back, "Xiufen, if you want us to watch our tongues, your brother and sister-in-law ought to behave themselves first, shouldn't they? Isn't that right, everyone?"

Everyone nodded. "Of course, hahahahahaha..."

"You people..."

Zhao Xiufen's eyes reddened with anger. As a young girl, how could she outtalk these married women? She shot the crowd a wronged glare, then turned and ran away.

Huang Qimei, hiding in the corner, found it immensely satisfying. How wonderful! Jiang Hongmei and Zhao Jianguo had both become drowned dogs everyone wanted to beat. Zhao Xiufen had been implicated and her reputation ruined; Gu Yu definitely would not want her now. That gave Huang Qimei an even better chance.

Excitedly, she turned to gaze at the man who stood head and shoulders above the crowd. Her eyes gradually became entranced. Gu Yu, I will definitely marry you.

Gu Yu, who had been speaking with Shen Jianan, keenly sensed a gaze different from all the others. He abruptly looked up and met her eyes.

Huang Qimei, who had been staring at him in a daze, hastily looked away in fright and lowered her head, not daring to speak. Gu Yu glanced at her, his eyes filled with disgust. This woman was even more hateful than Jiang Hongmei.

Back when Shen Jianan was at the Educated Youth Station, Huang Qimei had often stirred up trouble out of jealousy over Shen Jianan's good family background. She provoked conflicts between the other educated youths and him, making everyone isolate Jianan.

Later, she had even egged Zheng Lei and Chen Ming into stealing his things. When the matter blew up, she pretended to be a good person and tried to mediate between both sides, taking every advantage for herself.

And now, she was even dreaming of what she had no right to dream of. Gu Yu gave a cold snort, thinking to himself, That stupid woman probably still doesn't know disaster is about to descend upon her.

Just as he had expected, Zhao Jianguo and Jiang Hongmei ran all the way back to the Zhao Household. After shutting the door and lamenting their narrow escape from disaster, they gradually regained their reason.

At that moment, the two remembered that their performance in the Reed Marsh had been meant to lure Huang Qimei into a trap. They had simply failed to restrain themselves later, turning the act into something unspeakable. And she was the only one who had seen all of it.

That meant she was the one who had led the brigade people there. How vicious of her—she actually dared to harm them!?

"That bitch! I won't let her off easy."

Zhao Jianguo furiously punched the edge of the kang. Jiang Hongmei was equally enraged, her eyes full of venom. "She dared to scheme against us, so I'll let her taste what it feels like to be worse off than dead."

Hearing that, Zhao Jianguo knew she had thought of a way and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Jiang Hongmei sneered, her gaze shooting toward her beloved like a venomous snake. "Doesn't she want to marry Gu Yu? Then I'll personally shatter her dream and give her a nightmare instead!"

Zhao Jianguo instantly laughed. "Good. Let her have a proper taste of what it means to be worse off than dead."

Although the cadre members repeatedly warned everyone not to gossip in private after what happened at the brigade, they could not stop every mouth. Besides, they had not named anyone when warning them and had spoken vaguely. Zhao Gang and the other grown men were anxious, but it was awkward for them to say much more.

In a place like the countryside, controlling people too tightly could easily stir up public resentment. As long as people did not go too far, there was nothing wrong with turning a blind eye. So long as the matter was not loudly spread outside, that was enough.

Fortunately, as the delivery date drew nearer, after talking about it for two days, everyone stopped mentioning it. After all, making money was more important than gossiping.

But while things quieted down on their side, the Zhao Household was in utter chaos, all because of Zhao Jianguo and Jiang Hongmei's affair.

After Zhao Qiancheng received the call from Zhao Hongjun and Zhao Quan, he nearly fainted from rage. That very day, after informing Old Master Zhao and the old madam, he hurried back to Chaoyang Production Brigade with his wife, hoping to get their son's story straight and extricate him from the matter.

When the couple received the call, Zhao Hongjun had been too embarrassed to explain too clearly. He had only told them that Zhao Jianguo and Jiang Hongmei had been sleeping in the Reed Marsh and had been caught red-handed by everyone.

As for their later apology and everything else, neither he nor Zhao Quan had been there, so they did not mention it. Zhao Qiancheng and Qin Fengying had incomplete information and only assumed their son had been seduced into doing such a thing.

But when the two rushed home and saw Jiang Hongmei sitting in the seat of honor, lovingly feeding each other with their son, they were dumbfounded on the spot. Then fury surged up, and they both charged forward to deal with them.