Pei's Mother's sudden outburst of cursing was like a violent storm, carrying a vibrant, street-smart vitality and fierce life force that completely shocked Lei Mingyuan inside the room and Shen Nanchu outside the window.

They had never seen the usually gentle and amiable Pei's Mother, who always spoke in a slow, soft voice, display such a fierce, domineering, and overwhelmingly combative side!

Looking at Pei's Mother, who had torn off all her gentle disguises to protect him and turned into a fierce, protective lioness, Lei Mingyuan felt a scalding surge of emotion well up in his chest. His throat choked up, and his heart filled with an indescribable, surging tide of warmth and deep emotion.

In this moment, he realized more clearly than ever who his true family was.

Shen Nanchu raised her eyebrows slightly, a flash of surprise in her eyes that quickly melted into deep amusement and admiration.

Her mother-in-law usually kept a low profile, but at a critical moment, she was truly fierce and dependable!

Her fighting power was comparable to a small army!

Pei's Mother's earth-shattering scolding instantly caught the attention of the neighbors.

In those days, there was little entertainment in the tube-shaped apartment buildings. Every household loved to watch a good scene, especially such a dramatically charged conflict.

Soon, the corridors and stairwells were crowded with neighbors poking their heads around. Adults and children alike pointed and gossiped, their faces filled with curiosity and inquiry.

Seeing the growing crowd, Pei's Mother was not afraid of losing face; rather, it played right into her hands.

She immediately changed her strategy, shifting from mere cursing to a highly emotional airing of grievances and a mobilization of public opinion.

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍grabbed a kind-faced older woman standing nearby, who usually liked to uphold justice. Pointing at the pale-faced Lei Zhenhua inside the room—who was trying to argue back but couldn't find a gap in her tirade—Pei's Mother's eyes turned red on cue. With a tearful voice, she began her theatrical performance, her tone brimming with grievance and righteous indignation.

Neighbors, please come and judge for me!

Look and listen, everyone! This old scoundrel is named Lei Zhenhua, and he is my child's adoptive father.

His whole family has been running amok out there, committed a major crime, and are about to face a disaster, so they ran here to pressure my son.

They want my son to risk his future and his principles, even begging others to protect them!

My son is an honest boy and refuses to do anything against his conscience, so they are threatening him right here in this room!

You all heard it just now, right? Saying that if he doesn't agree, they will perish together! Listen to that, is that something a human would say? They are trying to drive our child to his death!

Pei's Mother's highly inflammatory complaint instantly ignited the simple sense of justice among the onlookers.

In this era, people generally abhorred evil and especially despised such shameless scoundrels who bullied honest youngsters and threatened people.

Furthermore, Lei Mingyuan was known in the building as a promising and polite young man. In contrast, the behavior of the three Lei family men appeared even more detestable.

Suddenly, the corridor exploded into chaos. The righteous neighbors chimed in one after another, hurling spittle-flecked condemnations at the three Lei family men inside the room, their voices rising wave upon wave.

What a piece of trash! Is there really such a father in this world?

Exactly! Look at their shifty, rat-like faces, they don't look like good people at all! And they dare to threaten others?

Bullying an honest kid is no skill! Get out of our apartment building!

Don't be afraid, Lei Mingyuan, we have your back! Let's see what they dare to do!

Amidst the public outrage, Shen Nanchu quietly made a gesture to Lei Mingyuan inside, pointing to the door and mimicking the motion of unlocking it.

Lei Mingyuan immediately understood. Taking advantage of the fact that Lei Zhenhua and his sons were flustered and distracted, he silently moved to the door and opened it.

Seeing the door crack open, Shen Nanchu's lips curled into a calculating smile.

She knew the timing was just right; it was time to drop the final bombshell that would completely detonate the scene.

She cleared her throat and spoke loudly, her clear voice carrying over the noise so everyone could hear her perfectly.

Uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, please quiet down for a moment! Let me say a few words!

Waiting until everyone's eyes were focused on her, she pointed at the ashen-faced Lei Zhenhua and his sons, who were already breaking into cold sweats, and spoke every word with absolute clarity.

Everyone probably doesn't know the true identities of these three and the good deeds they have done, do you?

She paused deliberately, keeping them in suspense.

This man, Lei Zhenhua, and his two sons next to him, Lei Mingguo and Lei Mingquan, are no ordinary scoundrels!

They are the notorious Red Armband leaders who caused the worst trouble a few years ago! Back then, during the house raids and public denunciations, they were the most active!

How many families were ruined and torn apart by them? They did so many wicked and unconscionable things!

Now that the winds have changed and they are about to face investigation and ruin, instead of repenting, they ran here to force my older brother to be their protective umbrella! To drag him down into the mud with them!

The words Red Armband leaders were like a drop of cold water in a pot of boiling oil, instantly triggering an explosive effect!

In this building, almost every household had someone who had suffered persecution and oppression from the Red Armbands during those turbulent years. They had accumulated so much resentment and anger with nowhere to vent it.

Shen Nanchu's naming and shaming acted as the spark that thoroughly ignited this long-suppressed public outrage!

So it's them! Lei Zhenhua! I remember now! He was the one who led the group to take my dad away!

Damn them! Boss Chen was such a good person, and he was driven to death by these beasts!

Beat them! Beat these man-eating bastards!

Don't let them off! Avenge Engineer Liu!

Get out of our place! We don't welcome pests like you here!

Roars and tearful curses rose one after another as the crowd was completely consumed by rage.

It was unclear who took the lead, but someone grabbed a long-handled broom from the corner of the corridor, let out a loud roar, and charged through the ajar door!

With someone leading the way, the others scrambled to find weapons—broomsticks, feather dusters, and even fire tongs and washboards. Like a bursting dam, the crowd surged into Lei Mingyuan's cramped apartment!

Beat them!

Get out!

Beat these pests to death!

Brooms rained down on their heads and faces, feather dusters whipped mercilessly against arms and backs, and angry punches and kicks rained down in the mix.

Caught completely off guard, Lei Zhenhua, Lei Mingguo, and Lei Mingquan were instantly drowned in the ocean of the masses' fury.

Lei Mingguo tried to lift a chair to defend himself, but it was immediately snatched away by the overwhelming number of neighbors, leaving him to absorb the most blows. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Lei Mingquan hugged his head and tried to dive under a table, only to be dragged out by his ankles and given several solid kicks to the rear.

Lei Zhenhua had it the worst. Being older and slower, he was surrounded by several old neighbors who despised him to his core. The hard ends of their brooms specifically targeted painful spots like the backs of his knees and his spine.

The three of them could only let out bloodcurdling shrieks and beg for mercy. They dodged clumsily within the cramped space, desperately trying to squeeze their way out the door. Their clothes were torn into a disheveled mess, and their hair was matted with dust and chicken feathers.

Ultimately, sporting heads full of bumps and bodies covered in dirt and footprints, the trio fled under the relentless curses and blows of the crowd. Like beaten dogs, they scrambled down the stairs, stumbling and crawling until they vanished outside the apartment building.

They looked utterly pathetic, completely stripped of the arrogant swagger they had flaunted upon their arrival.

...