Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Talking behind someone’s back without an apology and wanting to leave? Hu Honglian wouldn’t allow it.

The two young girls exchanged glances, almost in tears.

At that moment, Tian Xiang and Tian Chenhui arrived.

Tian Xiang: "Mom, she’s from the textile factory, and these two are from the pharmaceutical factory. They’re all from our district."

Hu Honglian didn’t need to ask anyone else; Tian Xiang answered directly.

Normally, if people spoke ill of her privately and she didn’t hear it, she’d let it go. But now she caught them red-handed, she couldn’t just let it slide.

Hu Honglian, seeing her children arrive, pulled Tian Chenhui over and pointed at her son, who looked somewhat similar to Tian Xiang and was just as handsome, but less well-behaved, and said: "And this isn’t the man my daughter is involved with; this is her own brother!"

Hu Honglian said the last sentence through gritted teeth.

She had just heard these people talking not only about her daughter but also dragging her son into it.

They knew nothing and just made things up, even lower in quality than those gossiping women who blow things out of proportion in the courtyard.

Those gossiping women at least pick up some hints before gossiping, but these young girls just create things from thin air.

Tian Chenhui helplessly looked at the three.

On the way here, Hu Honglian had scolded him in the car, telling him to see how the fine workers of various factories handled things.

The onlookers, hearing this, also felt that Chu Yun and the others had gone too far, and started speaking up to support Hu Honglian.

The two girls from the pharmaceutical factory were so ashamed they wanted to hide; now that Tian Xiang had exposed them, and recalling Hu Honglian’s earlier threat to report them, they fearfully started to cry, apologizing continuously to Hu Honglian and Tian Xiang.

They didn’t do it on purpose; they just heard some gossip and had to say it was Chu Yun who started it, leaving them no choice.

Chu Yun, seeing the blame being shifted solely onto her shoulders by those cowardly ones, was shaking with anger.

"Weren’t you two talking behind their back before anything happened too? Now when they hear it, why is all the responsibility on me? Didn’t you say anything? Didn’t you realize you could walk away if you didn’t want to listen?"

The two from the pharmaceutical factory said: "You started it; how were we supposed to know those things? You kept talking about this and that, and if we didn’t join in we’d be isolated, what else could we do but agree?"

The three quickly fell into an internal quarrel, almost coming to blows.

Soon enough, the teacher arrived, assessed the situation, and instructed the three to apologize to Tian Xiang and later to make a public reflection in front of the entire class.

The two girls from the pharmaceutical factory weren’t the main offenders and just wanted to minimize the impact of the matter, not wanting it leaked to their factory, so they obediently apologized to Tian Xiang and Hu Honglian.

Chu Yun was aggrieved beyond belief, furious inside, but seeing the teacher supporting them, she too hung her head.

The school teacher told Hu Honglian that it was the first offense for the three young girls, this time they’d do the reflection at school and next time, if anything similar occurred, they’d contact the factory directly and send them back.

Hu Honglian looked at her daughter, Tian Xiang nodded.

She still had classes here; since the teacher had handled it, that was the end of it. She didn’t want to be labeled someone who refused to let go.

The three gossip girls cried this time; it was quite a lesson for them and something they’d probably remember for life.

Since her daughter said to let it go, Hu Honglian chose not to pursue it further.

The school teacher chuckled, telling the onlookers to disperse.

Seizing this opportunity, the three gossip girls slinked away.

The Tian family trio still hadn’t eaten their meal, and once the crowd dispersed, Tian Xiang and Tian Chenhui finally went to fetch their dumplings.

Being able to eat dumplings once in a while, but due to the delay, they had become a bit dry.

Hu Honglian was still angry, feeling a bit too upset to eat.

Tian Xiang advised her not to get angry over those kinds of people.

Thinking about it, it really made sense.

Hu Honglian sighed, letting it go.

After finishing the meal, the mother and son prepared to head back.

Tian Xiang accompanied them for a bit, exchanging a few words along the way, mostly with Hu Honglian concerned about her daughter’s studies and life.

This time, Hu Honglian had come over specifically with the thought of finding a son-in-law, but now she wasn’t feeling up to it.

It seemed that even factory leaders could be blind sometimes; good work didn’t equate to personal character, just like Lu Feng, nobody could have guessed he had a relationship with a widow before those things were revealed.

Hu Honglian thought finding a son-in-law still required a matchmaker; knowing the roots and background made things easier. Just searching randomly wasn’t the way.

In the afternoon, Chu Yun and the two girls from the pharmaceutical factory publicly reflected in front of the entire class.

The matter quickly spread around privately.

Originally, it was just gossip about speaking bad of people behind their backs, but some sensed something different in the incident.

From Hu Honglian’s words, it seemed Tian Xiang didn’t have a boyfriend!

Chen Yong was once again being pestered, with a few persistent ones determined to figure out whether Tian Xiang really had a boyfriend or not.

Chen Yong was annoyed with being hounded, saying nothing and instructing them to find out on their own.

Ten days of advanced studying quickly passed.

On the day of completion, the school organized a celebratory meal in the cafeteria at noon, allowing everyone to enjoy themselves before gathering their things and heading home.

Tian Xiang and Chen Yong agreed to ride together.

When she took her two bags to rendezvous at the entrance, she found Chen Yong surrounded by several male classmates, each with hearts or infatuated expressions literally plastered on their foreheads, clearly all there for her.

Chen Yong helplessly spread his hands; he couldn’t do anything with these guys who insisted on following.

As soon as they saw Tian Xiang, they rushed to offer to carry her bags.

Tian Xiang: "No need, no need, it’s just some clothes, not heavy, no need for you to carry them."

Tian Xiang didn’t want to have contact with them, fearing things might get misconstrued and create unnecessary trouble down the line.

"Tian Xiang, don’t be polite, it’s on the way anyway."

Someone persistently wanted to help and started fighting to take her luggage.

Tian Xiang was speechless, noticing her luggage was about to be taken, when suddenly a tall figure stepped forward and directly took the luggage away.

Tian Xiang turned her head and saw Meng Cheng’an.

Today, Meng Cheng’an had specially come over to pick Tian Xiang up, and had dressed up, wearing a dark gray coat paired with leather shoes, without a hat or scarf, with a black turtleneck sweater underneath, making him not only handsome but exuding great charisma.

Tian Xiang was stunned, a bit taken aback.

The few men feeling a handsome guy appeared out of nowhere and took Tian Xiang’s luggage, were suddenly filled with vigilance.

Who was this person? Too good-looking.

Tian Xiang’s big brother? Or perhaps...

If this was a competitor, they felt they had little chance.

Each of them had their own thoughts.

During this pause, Meng Cheng’an had already picked up both pieces of luggage from Tian Xiang’s hands, and then smiled in greeting to Chen Yong and the others.

Meng Cheng’an’s arrival certainly helped Tian Xiang out of an awkward spot.

She smiled and said to Chen Yong: "We’ll head out first."

Once Tian Xiang and Meng Cheng’an left, the admirers asked Chen Yong, "Is he her boyfriend?"

Chen Yong nodded, "I told you before, she already has one." And he’s a handsome guy.

"What did Tian Xiang’s mom mean earlier then?"

Chen Yong: "Ah, don’t worry about small stuff like that; in any case, you guys have no chance."

The last one to leave, Zhou Ming, didn’t seem to think so.

He knew this person: Meng Cheng’an, the grandson of the Meng Family in the settlement area.

He finally understood why the Tian mother and daughter one said there was none, the other said there was.