novellhall Chapter 133 She's the joke
Chapter 133 She's the joke
At 2 PM, the loudspeakers hanging high on the utility poles throughout the factory suddenly started making a crackling sound—
"Dear employees, the following is a notice."
In the workshop, the office, and the canteen, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Regarding the recent false rumors circulating within the factory, the factory management hereby officially clarifies as follows: First, Comrade Shen Qing is not the illegitimate daughter of Comrade Cheng Huaiguo; the two are not related by blood. Second, Comrade Cheng Zheng and Comrade Shen Qing are in a normal relationship, which has been approved by their parents. The previous rumors were maliciously spread by a few individuals, seriously damaging the reputations of Comrade Shen Qing and Comrade Cheng Zheng, and also affecting the normal work order of the factory. The factory management has launched an investigation into this matter, and those who maliciously fabricate and spread rumors will be dismissed without exception!
The broadcast was repeated three times.
Simple, crude, but quite effective.
In the face of absolute power, any rumor is a paper tiger.
The rumors that had been circulating in the factory area for only a day came to an abrupt end. Everyone went back to work and ate as usual, and no one dared to continue gossiping. After all, the announcement made it clear that anyone found out would be dealt with, and no one wanted to lose their job for a few idle words.
Furthermore, Lin Shuyao and Cheng Zheng are both irreplaceable talents in the factory.
Lin Shuyao speaks Russian, and she translated most of the technical documents. She also helped obtain a lot of technical information from experts.
Needless to say, Cheng Zheng was in charge of the entire car manufacturing project.
If these two people get into trouble because of the rumors, and the car factory can't deliver the first domestically produced car by next year's National Day, that would be the most serious problem.
Therefore, the factory leaders did not hesitate at all; their first reaction was that even if the rumors were true, they must be false now.
The storm of the rumor incident passed like a gust of wind at Factory 306, but the chain reaction it brought did not end there.
First, Cheng Huazhang was reported for having questionable conduct.
He was summoned for a talk by his superiors, and his work was temporarily suspended. He could only wait at home for the results of the organization's investigation and meeting.
Gao Jie's work was not affected, but as soon as she arrived at the family compound after work today, she was surrounded by several familiar female colleagues who also love crickets.
"Director Gao, I never imagined your husband, Lao Cheng, was that kind of person," said Sister Liu, with her curly hair, her eyes gleaming with gossip. "He always seemed so proper and treated you so well, but it turns out his kids are already the same age as your Tingting. What are your plans now? Divorce or stay together? Don't worry, whatever you choose, I'll be on your side!"
Another woman, Sister Sun, chimed in, clicking her tongue twice: "That vixen mother and daughter are really something! The older one seduced your eldest son, and the younger one is seducing your son. Are they planning to take your whole family down with them? Sister Gao, you'd better stand up straight now! You absolutely can't let that little vixen ruin your son too!"
Others sighed, "Men, you can know a person's face but not their heart. I've heard that if a man is nice to you, one possibility is that he genuinely likes you, and the other is that he's done something wrong outside and is trying to make up for his guilt by being nice to you. Sister Gao, after all these years with Lao Cheng, haven't you noticed anything unusual?"
Gao Jie usually interacted with these people quite a bit, and knew they were just a bit gossipy but not bad-hearted. Just as she was about to explain something, another voice broke in from outside the circle.
"Sister-in-law!"
Zhang Mei hurriedly squeezed through the crowd, her face showing concern, but a hint of schadenfreude lurking in her eyes. "I heard my brother was suspended. Oh dear, I never expected the punishment to be so severe. I rushed over to see you as soon as I got off work. Sister-in-law, are you alright? Has this affected you?"
Before Gao Jie could answer, Zhang Mei sighed and continued, "Big brother too, why can't he control his lower body? And Ah Zheng, of all the people he'd fancy, he had to hook up with that little vixen. He wouldn't have accepted any of the women we introduced him to before, but after all that, he chose his own sister… Tsk, I should have just dated Su Wan, the woman who lost her husband and has a son. At least her family background is clean, don't you think, sister-in-law?"
Yes, it's a load of rubbish!
Gao Jie looked at Zhang Mei's face, which was ostensibly concerned but actually meant to make a fool of herself, and her anger flared up.
When the rumors first started, her first suspect was Zhang Mei.
Because only a few people knew about this, Cheng Huazhang and Cheng Zheng would not expose it themselves, and Shen Qing would not do something that would ruin her reputation, so the only one left was Zhang Mei.
Gao Jie originally wanted to get Cheng Hao to be by Shen Qing's side, since Cheng Hao's flirtatious nature would definitely lead him to fall for Shen Qing.
Since Zhang Mei mocked her son for falling in love with an illegitimate daughter, she would make Zhang Mei suffer the same pain. Besides, Cheng Hao and Shen Qing were the real siblings. When Zhang Mei found out the truth, she would definitely be in more pain than she was!
But she never intended to reveal Shen Qing's identity to anyone.
Family scandals should not be aired in public.
Although Shen Qing is her brother-in-law's illegitimate daughter, her brother-in-law is also a member of the Cheng family. If this matter is exposed, it will damage the reputation of the entire family.
But despite all her calculations, she never expected that Zhang Mei would expose the whole thing in order to get revenge on her.
It also implicated her husband and son.
Can this be tolerated?
Gao Jie sneered at Zhang Mei: "Sister-in-law, we're all family. The matter hasn't even been investigated properly, and you're already rushing to kick us when we're down. Do you really want to see our family make a fool of ourselves? I treated you like a sister before, always thinking of you, and this is how you repay me?"
Zhang Mei knew Gao Jie would definitely guess that she was behind it, and that things had basically come to a head. She didn't bother pretending anymore and replied evasively, "I was just concerned about you, sister-in-law. Why are you being so rude? Well, with something like this happening at home, it's understandable that you're upset and your words are barbed. I won't hold it against you."
"hehe."
Gao Jie gave a forced smile and said meaningfully, "Indeed, sister-in-law, who can be in a good mood when such a disgraceful thing happens to the family? Especially since our family is taking the blame for certain people."
These words had a hidden meaning, immediately arousing the curiosity of those around them.
"Take the blame? Take the blame for whom, Sister Gao?" Sister Liu quickly asked.
Gao Jie glanced casually at Zhang Mei, who was visibly taken aback before smirking, "Sister-in-law, you're really kind. Even after how my brother treated you, you're still trying to excuse him, saying he's taking the blame for someone else. If Shen Qing isn't my brother's illegitimate daughter, why is he still keeping the letters with that Shen Qing's mother? And why is he raising that little vixen around, introducing her to jobs and even his own son?"
"If I were you, I would have already caused a huge uproar at your brother's workplace, instead of staying here cleaning up his mess. Are you kind-hearted or just stupid? Well, you're not stupid. If your brother falls from grace, your good days are over. You might even lose your director position. Of course you'd have to speak up for him!"
"You!" Gao Jie trembled with anger at Zhang Mei's sharp tongue. Zhang Mei laughed sarcastically and then pulled out a stack of things from her handbag: "Oh right, speaking of which, I brought you the things you asked me to keep safe."
When Zhang Mei handed the things to Gao Jie, she deliberately made her hand tremble, and the letters in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, could you guys please help me pick these up?"
Zhang Mei made the request with a smile.
Several women nearby bent down to pick it up.
Zhang Mei had already torn off all the envelopes, leaving only the letter paper, which was folded backwards with the writing side facing outwards.
Once everyone started picking them up, they discovered the problem.
"Oh my god, is this a love letter?"
"Could it be that Comrade Cheng wrote this to that vixen?"
Upon hearing this, someone immediately picked it up and read a couple more lines, then couldn't help rubbing their arm: "Ugh...it's so cheesy...I never would have guessed that Brother Cheng was quite the '…' in his younger days."
Slutty.
Several people nearby also gathered around to look, marveling, "The way he uses those words, like 'my darling,' 'I can't sleep thinking about you'... My goodness, Brother Cheng usually has such a serious face when he speaks in meetings, but it turns out he can really crack a bunch of flirtatious lines in private!"
Zhang Mei chuckled, her eyes filled with smug satisfaction as she looked at Gao Jie: "Sister-in-law, you used to always complain that my brother was unromantic, only cared about work, and never said anything intimate. Look at these love letters! He's been saving all his 'secretly passionate' side for those vixens outside! He's just a cold-faced guy with you all the time, tsk tsk..."
Everyone shook their heads and sighed, their eyes filled with sympathy and pity as they looked at Gao Jie.
"Sister Gao, don't be too sad. Men are all the same; they think even shit outside smells good."
"That's true, but who wouldn't feel bad in that situation? After twenty years of marriage, I discovered that my husband was giving all his tenderness to another woman. If it were me, I'm afraid I would have collapsed on the spot."
Sister Liu stepped forward and took Gao Jie's hand with a look of heartache: "Gao Jie, if you're feeling down, just cry it out. Don't hold it in. We're all here for you."
Sister Sun sighed as well: "Sister Gao, you've really had it so tough these past years. We had no idea you'd carried so much on your own."
Gao Jie was surrounded by people, her face deathly pale.
Seeing her like this, Zhang Mei couldn't help but smile.
If there weren't other people around, she would have wanted to laugh out loud!
God knows how long she had been waiting for this day!
Over the years, Gao Jie has been the center of attention in the family compound!
The couple is loving, their son is outstanding, their daughter is well-behaved, and their career is thriving. Everyone calls him Director Gao all the time.
And what about Zhang Mei?
She thought that marrying the son of a high-ranking official would give her a life of luxury, but she never expected that her husband wasn't his biological son at all.
Not only that, her husband is unambitious and incompetent, and her son is also a disappointment, always philandering.
She tried to use her in-laws' connections to take shortcuts in her career, but was refused.
When outsiders talk about married women, they always praise Gao Jie, and Zhang Mei is always overshadowed.
This time, she was finally able to trample Gao Jie under her feet!
No matter how bad her husband was, he never cheated on her; no matter how useless her son was, he never had an affair with his own sister.
Zhang Mei's face was practically overflowing with smugness.
Gao Jie truly hadn't expected Zhang Mei to dislike her to this extent.
However, she didn't say anything and just quietly watched Zhang Mei.
Let's see what other trouble she'll cause.
Zhang Mei continued smugly, "Sister-in-law, I was originally planning to destroy this evidence for you. Then my brother could just tell his workplace it was a misunderstanding, and the matter would be over."
"But now everyone has seen the love letters between my brother and that vixen, so even if I wanted to help you, there's nothing I can do..."
"Are you done talking?" Gao Jie finally spoke, her gaze falling on Zhang Mei's gloating face.
Zhang Mei was taken aback.
Gao Jie slowly curved her lips into a meaningful smile: "Now that you've finished speaking, it's my turn to speak."
Everyone's attention shifted from the letter to Gao Jie, and Zhang Mei also looked at Gao Jie.
Gao Jie said slowly, "Sister-in-law, I originally wanted to save you some face, but you produced this evidence yourself."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Mei suddenly felt uneasy.
Gao Jie ignored her, turned to the crowd, and said, word by word:
"My husband is innocent!"
"My brother-in-law's scandal has made us the scapegoats? That's outrageous! At this point, I can't care about family scandals anymore. There are some things I need to clarify: Shen Qing is indeed the illegitimate daughter of the Cheng family, but she's not my husband's daughter, she's my brother-in-law Cheng Huaiguo's!"
What?!
Upon hearing this, everyone froze as if struck by a magic acupuncture point.
Zhang Mei was struck dumb, staring wide-eyed at Gao Jie.
Gao Jie patted her shoulder and sighed, "Back then, my brother-in-law went on a business trip to Yuncheng and got involved with a woman from a bar, and she got pregnant. At that time, he had been married to you for six months, and you had just become pregnant with Chenghao. He had feelings for that woman and couldn't bear to let her abort the child, so he kept her as a mistress. But he knew you had a strong personality, and if you found out, you would definitely make a huge scene, so he begged my husband to clean up this mess for him."
She paused, then pointed to the letters on the ground: "Every time my brother-in-law corresponded with that woman, he asked my husband to mail them, and he didn't dare to write his name at the end. Over the years, my husband has also sent money to that illegitimate daughter every month, and when she grew up, he even helped bring her to Beijing..."
"No, impossible!"
Zhang Mei realized what was happening, her voice changing drastically, "Gao Jie, you're trying to pin this on my man? No way! These letters aren't signed at all, but the address is my brother's workplace. What makes you think my man wrote them?!"
"On what grounds?" Gao Jie sneered, casually picking up the letter and pointing to the words on it. "On the handwriting! Take a good look, these letters don't even resemble my Hua Zhang's handwriting; they're practically identical to my brother-in-law's!"
When Gao Jie first discovered these letters, she was so caught up in her husband's infidelity that she didn't even consider this possibility. It wasn't until the truth came out that her husband mentioned the detail about her handwriting.
The same goes for Zhang Mei.
She had kept these letters for so long, preoccupied with watching Gao Jie make a fool of herself, that she hadn't noticed the handwriting at all. Now, upon closer inspection, it really was identical to her man's handwriting!
She couldn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it: "Impossible! My man would never do such a thing! It must be that my older brother was afraid you'd find out, so he had my man write it for him! Unless you can produce other evidence!"
"You want evidence?" Gao Jie calmly took an envelope from her bag, poured out a few photos, and said, "I actually do have some."
The photos were scattered in her palm. Everyone looked at the photos and saw that they were photos of Cheng Huaiguo with a strange woman!
One of the photos shows Cheng Huaiguo with his arm around the other person's shoulder, their intimacy is self-evident.
"What do these photos prove?" Zhang Mei trembled, her face deathly pale, but her voice still strained. "Since my brother is having an affair with this woman, it's not surprising that my Huaiguo knows her!"
"Then take a look at this." Gao Jie pulled two more letters out of her bag.
These two letters were written by Cheng Huaiguo to that woman back then.
In the letter, Cheng Huaiguo directly told the other party that from now on, all letters should be sent to his elder brother's workplace, and the money sent to the child should also come from his elder brother's account.
The words clearly confirm the affair between Cheng Huaiguo and Shen Yuehong.
Cheng Huazhang was the one who cleaned up his mess.
The photograph, along with the letter bearing handwriting consistent with Cheng Huaiguo's, provides irrefutable evidence!
Zhang Mei was completely dumbfounded.
Her lips trembled violently. She looked at the letter on the ground, then at the photos, her face changing rapidly like a traffic light. She still couldn't believe it. She snatched the letter and photos from Gao Jie's hand and examined them carefully, bit by bit.
"Impossible...this is impossible..."
But those handwritings cannot be faked.
The timeline in the letter also matches.
All those scattered pieces of information from the past were strung together like loose threads.
Zhang Mei finally confirmed it.
"You bastard! ...You've lied to me for twenty years!!!!"
She screamed and tore the photos and letters to shreds, throwing them forcefully into the air—
"Liar! Liar!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Amidst the falling rain of shredded paper, Zhang Mei's eyes were bloodshot, she clutched her head with both hands, and screamed in agony.
The onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment.
"My God, so it turns out she's her brother-in-law's illegitimate daughter? They hid her so well, even making her older brother take the blame. Shameless!"
"And there's more! A couple of days ago, I was eating at the Red House restaurant and saw Cheng Hao harassing a waitress. I think the girl's name was Shen Qing! It seems Cheng Hao is the one who's bewitched by this little vixen!"
"Cheng Hao and Shen Qing? Doesn't that mean the brother has fallen in love with his own sister?! Good heavens... this is too confusing!"
"And it turns out that the love letter was written by Cheng Huaiguo. Zhang Mei was so smug just now, happy for someone else's shameful affair for so long."
……
Those words were like knives, stabbing Zhang Mei again and again.
The color drained from her face, and she slumped to the ground, her face deathly pale, her teeth clenched tightly around her lips.
So, she was the joke all along.
Gao Jie looked down at her without a trace of sympathy and added insult to injury: "Sister-in-law, get up quickly, don't sit here and become a laughing stock."
A few suppressed laughs echoed from all around.
Everyone stared at Zhang Mei.
As if remembering something, Zhang Mei suddenly stood up, glared at Gao Jie, then staggered out of the crowd and disappeared at the entrance of the family compound.
"Oh, look at Zhang Mei, your brother-in-law is in for a rough time tonight..."
"Tsk tsk, this is going to be interesting."