Free Web NovelChapter 111: Chapter 111: Face-slapping
The corners of the onlookers’ mouths twitched uncontrollably, and for some reason, Fang Yulan’s heart skipped a beat.
This sudden jolt made her even more vexed, and her gaze toward Su Li filled with even greater loathing.
"Enough of what? So you’re allowed to run your mouth and lie, but I’m not allowed to speak? Pah! You’re such a liar, always trying to hog every good thing for yourself. One of the bosses? Why don’t you just say the whole factory is yours? Why not say the whole county belongs to you, huh? Pah!"
Fang Yulan was jumping up and down, screeching like a fishwife, when she suddenly heard someone cut in with a question.
"Who are you cursing at?"
The voice was loud and clearly displeased.
Furious at being interrupted, Fang Yulan shot back, "Are you blind or deaf? Who do you think I’m cursing at? I’m cursing..."
She spun around, still muttering curses, but when she saw the newcomer in the crowd, she snapped her mouth shut. The color drained from her face.
"You... you... You’re Li Hongqin!"
She pointed at Li Hongqin, her face full of disbelief.
Li Hongqin’s face was dark. She stared at Fang Yulan with furrowed brows, saying nothing.
Fang Yulan finally snapped out of it. Her expression changed in an instant as she scurried over with a fawning smile. "It really is Boss Li! Oh, Boss Li, it’s really you! Heavens, I’m just so thrilled!"
Bowing slightly, she approached. "Boss Li, welcome! Welcome to Xinghua Village! Are you here on business? Or are you here for an inspection?" freёweɓnovel.com
Li Hongqin sidestepped her touch, her face full of disgust. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I’m Fang Yulan! I just got the job for the school uniforms today," Fang Yulan explained in a rush.
Seeing the dark look Li Hongqin gave Su Li, Fang Yulan’s eyes darted. She let out a laugh and pointed at Su Li, saying in a mock-humorous tone,
"Boss Li, haha, this woman from our village has gone mad. She was just spouting nonsense, claiming your clothing factory is hers! I told her, if she’s the boss, then I’m the Queen Mother! Haha."
She covered her mouth, unable to contain her laughter. "Boss Li, isn’t that hilarious? The nerve of her, to..."
Li Hongqin closed her eyes for a moment, then cut her off. "Queen Mother."
Fang Yulan’s laughter cut off abruptly. "Huh?"
Fang Yulan couldn’t quite process it. "Boss Li, I was only joking. Why did you actually call me Queen Mother? I said *if* Su Li is the boss, *then* I’m the Queen Mother."
Fang Yulan laughed again.
Li Hongqin smiled too, but her smile was icy and mocking.
"Exactly. That’s why I’m calling you Queen Mother," Li Hongqin replied, her voice grave. "Su Li is indeed the boss."
"Wha—?" Fang Yulan’s laugh died with a squawk. She was completely dumbfounded. "What did you say?"
She was sure she must have misheard. freёweɓnovel.com
Shaking her head, Li Hongqin walked past her and went to Su Li’s side. "Su Li, are you all right?"
Su Li gave a casual nod and uncovered Little Tang Mo’s ears. She then asked Li Hongqin, "Sister Hongqin, is something urgent?"
"Yes, there’s a matter I need your decision on." Li Hongqin nodded, then looked at the crowd of villagers and Fang Yulan. "Su Li, what’s going on here? Are they giving you trouble?"
"I wouldn’t call it trouble. Just look over there." Su Li gestured toward the basket Fang Yulan had set aside.
"Why is this stuff here...?" Li Hongqin understood at a glance. A look of embarrassment and guilt flashed across her face. "Su Li, this is my fault. I didn’t manage things properly on my end."
Su Li just hummed in acknowledgment.
It was, in fact, a management issue on Li Hongqin’s end. Someone had subcontracted the sewing work.
Just as Li Hongqin was about to speak, Fang Yulan, who had been standing to the side in a daze of disbelief, finally seemed to snap out of it.
"You... You all..." Her face was a mess of colors. "You’re in on this together, trying to trick me, aren’t you? Su Li... How could she possibly be the boss?"
Su Li glanced at her, then said to Li Hongqin, "You should personally take back the work she was given."
Li Hongqin turned back to Fang Yulan. "Well, Queen Mother, did you hear what Su Li said?"
Fang Yulan felt sick to her stomach. "You... you... Don’t tell me Su Li is *actually* the boss?"
It wasn’t just Fang Yulan whose eyes looked ready to pop out of her head; all around them, the onlookers’ jaws had hit the floor.
Because they had wrongly accused Su Li twice before, and because she was now the village teacher, they hadn’t said anything while Fang Yulan was spewing her insults. In their hearts, however, they had agreed with her.
’How could Su Li possibly be a boss on the same level as Li Hongqin!’
It was completely impossible, and yet, what was Li Hongqin saying now?
’Su Li is indeed the boss!’
’And Li Hongqin has to ask her for decisions!’
’What in the world is happening? Are we all hearing things?’
Fang Yulan’s question perfectly voiced what was on everyone’s mind.
Nearly a hundred people were packed three layers deep under the old apricot tree, yet it was dead silent. Every single person had their ears pricked, their eyes fixed on Li Hongqin as they awaited her answer.
Li Hongqin looked at Fang Yulan, then her gaze swept over the expressions of the crowd. There was nothing left to misunderstand.
’Before, I couldn’t understand why Su Li didn’t want to give the sewing work to people from Xinghua Village. Now, it looks like there was a good reason.’
’I never would have thought the people of Xinghua Village were like this. And I certainly never imagined Su Li would keep it a secret that she was the boss of Pinjun Clothing.’
Her gaze passed coolly over the crowd before finally landing on Fang Yulan. She spoke in a grave voice.
"Su Li *is* the boss. She is the real, big boss. In front of her, I wouldn’t even dare call myself a boss!"
She stared at Fang Yulan, her expression frighteningly grim.
"Just because you’re incompetent, you think everyone else is the same, is that it? And what was that about if Su Li was the boss, you’d be the Queen Mother?"
"I... I..." Fang Yulan’s face flushed beet-red, but she couldn’t utter a single word.
Su Li shot her a glance and said to Li Hongqin, "You didn’t hear the whole thing. The ’Queen Mother’ here said that if I was the boss, she would hang herself from this very apricot tree."
Su Li looked up at the old apricot tree and remarked, "This old tree certainly looks sturdy enough."
The color drained from Fang Yulan’s face, and she stumbled back a few steps. "Nonsense!"
Su Li slowly walked toward her. "Nonsense? Are you trying to back out of it now?"
A faint smile touched her lips. "Weren’t you full of bluster just a moment ago? Scared now that it’s time to follow through? You’re happy to take the title of Queen Mother, but you don’t dare to hang yourself, is that it?"
Fang Yulan looked into Su Li’s eyes, and a chill ran down her spine. She kept trying to sidle away. "Stay away from me!"
"Oh, heavens..." Sister-in-law Tang, who had been standing nearby and joining in the clamor earlier, suddenly let out a cry, sank to the ground, and began to wail.
"You can’t hang yourself, you can’t..."
Her wailing nearly made Fang Yulan faint from shock.
Not far away, Zhao Wenming’s expression changed drastically. His face was as black as the bottom of a wok. He wanted to step forward and stand behind his mother, but he hesitated.
In the end, gritting his teeth, he actually lowered his head and backed away.
Fang Yulan didn’t have the mind to watch her son. Trembling, she shrieked at Su Li, "Su Li, even if you are the boss, you can’t force me to hang myself! You can’t drive me to my death!"
Su Li almost laughed at her words. "I say, Queen Mother, did you leave your brain up in the heavens and forget to bring it with you?"
"From start to finish, I’ve barely said a few words. You’re the one who’s been cursing and shouting this whole time. Hanging yourself was your own idea. I haven’t said a thing. Whether you live or die is your own business!"
She spread her hands. "The only reason I’m patiently talking to you right now is to teach you a lesson: you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want."
