Chen Fu's mother stood with pride, head held high. Many of those who supported her were acquainted with her.
Her respectable job, even after divorcing, made even the handsome young men in town eager to marry her. She was quite successful.
Apologize publicly to these rural women and children? That would be humiliating! She would never apologize.
Someone whispered to Gu Zi, "Young lady, let it go. She's the saleswoman at Xinghua Department Store's pork section. It's better not to make things unpleasant. You might need to buy pork or something in the future."
Gu Zi found it amusing. If it were someone else, perhaps it would have bothered them more.
But, she thought, she couldn't help it. Her husband was remarkable; they always had an abundance of pork at home.
Gu Zi expressed gratitude, "Thank you for the reminder, but we don't fancy pork at home."
Chen Fu's mother shrugged, her weighty figure shaking a little, "Don't like it? Looks like you can't afford it. You look all dressed up but maybe you're just living in some rundown rural shack."
Gu Zi smiled calmly, "Perhaps pork might not be affordable, but I find Xinghua Department Store quite commendable. They're inclusive, hiring even people with disabilities."
Su Bing and Su Li couldn't help but admire Gu Zi inwardly. Their mother was so cool, always so articulate!
On the other hand, Chen Fu's mother was unable to see reason and blinded to the truth. Didn't that imply that she was both blind and deaf?
The onlookers were surprised; this seemingly gentle young woman had a sharp tongue when it came to verbal sparring.
Yet, they didn't find her harsh. Clearly, this older woman must have pushed her over the edge.
No wonder the older woman was so arrogant. Apparently, she was an official employee at the department store, a decent job indeed.
Chen Fu's mother clenched her teeth and retorted, "Are you just jealous of me? I won't stoop to your level. You won't be buying pork at Xinghua Department Store anymore. People like you, rural folks, will never belong in a place of such sophistication."
Gu Zi raised an eyebrow, "With an employee like you who can't discern right from wrong and argues unreasonably, that place will lose its class."
The surrounding rural parents found Gu Zi's words relieving. What's wrong with city folk? It's not like they had three heads and six hands. They were just as human with one head and a pair of hands.
Suddenly, Cai Jian remembered something and addressed Chen Fu's mother, "Why not apologize to her children? There's no shame in admitting your mistake. The pork section at Xinghua Department Store partners with Su Shen's pig farm. She has no reason to be jealous of you."
What Cai Jian didn't mention was that the head of the meat department at Xinghua Department Store was his wife's brother, so he was privy to many details about the Su family.
As an educator, he disliked getting involved in such connections and rarely disclosed his network.
But he knew that if Chen Fu's mother understood the Su family's background, she would think twice, hastening the resolution of this issue.
Chen Fu's mother was left stunned. How could Xinghua Department Store's supplier be based in a rural area?
Was the teacher deceiving her?
How could a pig farm be so influential, and directly connected to such a large department store? But the teacher's tone didn't seem deceptive.
She was just a mere salesperson. If the Su family was indeed a supplier of pork, wouldn't the woman in front of her be the supplier's boss?
If this matter escalated, her job could be at risk.
Onlookers were also astonished. Their children were attending the same school as the children of Xinghua Department Store's pork supplier? What a stroke of luck!
Initially, many believed that someone like Gu Zi, a stepmother, must have had ulterior motives. They assumed she insisted on an apology to set up a good image for herself.
Looking at how thin and weak these two children were, who knew if this stepmother was abusing them behind the scenes.
However, upon closer inspection, Mrs. Su was young and attractive, while Mr. Su was affluent and influential – a perfect match. As for the children, they might naturally have a frail constitution.
There seemed to be no dark, hidden connections; This was simply the most compatible husband and wife combination.
The crowd turned against Chen Fu's mother and son, demanding an apology. "We all witnessed your son deliberately snatching and maliciously damaging the other child's pencil case."
"Yeah, he deliberately dropped it when the other kid was coming. What a malicious child!"
The sudden turn against them left Chen Fu in tears. Why were they all suddenly siding against him and calling him a bad kid?
Although he enjoyed bullying others, he didn't want to be labeled as a bad child..
...