Kissed and Seduced By the Most Rough Man in the Village-Chapter 397: "So What If She’s Just a Child?!"

Even though the villagers were deeply upset, with some even breaking into tears like the village head, they didn’t dare slack off. They feared another spy might escape. No one wanted to talk to such people for fear they, too, might be labeled as spies.

On the other side, Su Hongchen was accompanying Su Xiaoxiao, seeing her safely back to the small building.

"You need to behave for a while. Don’t wander around. Even though most people have been caught, you never know when a desperate person might strike back. I’ll also try to get you some rewards for your help. Think about what you might want. As long as it’s not too unreasonable, the higher-ups should approve it," Su Hongchen said with a smile as he ruffled Su Xiaoxiao’s hair.

Su Xiaoxiao was momentarily stunned, then looked at him in surprise. "Brother, isn’t this supposed to be for your promotion?"

Money, jobs, medals—none of that meant much to her. To her, helping her brother rise through the ranks faster was far more important. He came from an ordinary background, and if he followed the regular promotion path, it might take him seven or eight years to climb the ranks. She was happy to help her brother, especially since it gave him leverage against Peng Huijing.

"Don’t worry, even with all the rewards you receive, I’ll get recognized too. The higher-ups won’t forget me," Su Hongchen said, beaming with pride.

Taking advantage of his sister’s efforts was indeed enjoyable—both his previous and future promotions were largely thanks to her. People envied him for having such a great sister.

Su Hongchen wasn’t one to be overly sentimental. Now that he was in the army, he was determined to climb as high as possible. As long as he wasn’t using underhanded methods, there was no reason to feel guilty. Besides, Su Hongchen suspected that the people targeting their family weren’t acting because of his past missions, but likely included a traitor within. To fight that, he needed to be in a higher position.

"I don’t have anything specific in mind. I just want the respect I deserve. I don’t want them to half-heartedly brush me off," Su Xiaoxiao said seriously.

She was well aware that some people couldn’t stand seeing others succeed and would go out of their way to hinder them out of jealousy.

"With me around, do you still not trust me?" Su Hongchen teased, giving her a playful glare before turning to Jiang Yexun. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get your reward too."

"If it’s too much trouble, don’t bother. I don’t care about that stuff," Jiang Yexun said indifferently.

Given his background, a career in the bureaucracy was out of the question. Even if he went to work in a factory, future promotions would likely be denied because of his family history. He didn’t expect to get any recognition for his minor role this time.

"It’s precisely because there might be trouble for you that you must get recognition. If you do, people won’t judge you by your background anymore, and Aunt Guo won’t face any discrimination because of you. It won’t matter even if your father is absent," Su Hongchen said seriously.

Aunt Guo’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She was so excited that she almost grabbed Su Hongchen to confirm whether it was true but held back, not wanting to pressure the children.

Jiang Yexun, also clearly pleased, smiled more deeply. "In that case, I appreciate it."

"It’s no trouble. You deserve it. Alright, I’m off now. Later, please take my sister home for me," Su Hongchen instructed, still worried.

But then he noticed Jiang Yexun’s gaze, which was filled with unspoken disdain.

Okay, fine, he was being overprotective.

After sending Su Hongchen off, as soon as the military jeep drove away, a crowd that had been lurking nearby to watch the excitement rushed into their house.

"Aunt Guo, we saw your son and future daughter-in-law leading a bunch of PLA soldiers into that woman’s house across the alley. Did they catch her doing something improper? Wasn’t she with that guy from the Disciplinary Office? Aren’t they afraid of retaliation?" someone asked eagerly, unable to hold back.

Su Xiaoxiao frowned, puzzled by their words.

What did they mean by they led the soldiers? They were at the back of the group the whole time!

Aunt Guo, confused and unsure how to respond, looked anxiously at her son for help.

Jiang Yexun’s face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Su Xiaoxiao beat him to it: "It’s nothing really. The head of the Disciplinary Office has fallen from grace, and the higher-ups discovered he had a mistress there. They went to check if he had hidden any stolen goods. Didn’t you see them confiscating things the other day?"

The group looked awkward, coughing as they hastily explained, "Oh, we must have missed that part when they searched earlier."

Speaking under Su Xiaoxiao’s clear, bright gaze made them especially uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t looking to embarrass them too much. "Actually, it was the soldiers who took us along. The head of the Disciplinary Office tried to frame me before. He failed, but since I was involved, I had to be there."

Su Xiaoxiao’s shy smile puzzled the crowd.

"Wait, are you saying the head of the Disciplinary Office tried to frame you, failed, and ended up getting taken down because of it?" someone asked, bewildered.

"Not exactly. It’s mostly because of his own numerous crimes," Su Xiaoxiao replied vaguely, successfully shocking the busybodies.

They knew Su Xiaoxiao was the daughter of the steel factory’s director, but they thought the Su family’s power was waning. If they could bring down the head of the Disciplinary Office, though, did that mean the Su family’s influence wasn’t so weak after all?

Realizing this, their expressions stiffened.

They quickly made their excuses and hurried away, too scared to linger.

Watching them go, Aunt Guo asked, "Xiaoxiao, were you trying to scare them?"

"Yes," Su Xiaoxiao replied proudly. "When my dad had his accident, they were the ones laughing behind our backs. Now’s the perfect time to frighten them. After this, they won’t dare cause us trouble."

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t bear any personal grudges, but she couldn’t stand their two-faced attitudes. She also didn’t want them cozying up to her family if their fortunes improved, so she seized the opportunity to give them a good scare.

Just as she finished speaking, He Xingzhi and his sister appeared at the door. The little girl’s eyes brimmed with hatred, hard to hide.

"What’s with that look?" Jiang Yexun snapped.

He Xingzhi glanced at his sister, startled by the intense anger in her eyes. "Hongni! How can you look at your sister Xiaoxiao like that?" he scolded, yanking her back.

But He Hongni retorted angrily, "I told you, I’m not He Hongni! I’m Jin Ruixiang!"

"Mom gave you the name Hongni. That’s who you are, and you’ll only ever be He Hongni!" He Xingzhi was furious, wishing he could spank her.

Because of her, his relationship with Brother Ye had grown distant. He’d also realized how many problems his sister had, no matter how hard he tried to correct her behavior.

"You’re a bad person! I don’t want you as my brother! Give me back my mom and dad!" He Hongni screamed, kicking He Xingzhi like a little wolf cub.

Embarrassed, He Xingzhi smiled apologetically at the others as he tried to drag her into the house. But as they passed Su Xiaoxiao, the little girl spat at her.

"Bah! It’s all your fault! Uncle Wei was a good person, and you ruined him! You killed my parents too! I’m going to kill you!"