Chapter 187: The Power of Word of Mouth

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: The Power of Word of Mouth

When Fu Minghua and Fu Xiaojun returned, they saw the greens on the table, and their faces immediately darkened.

Noticing Fu Minghua’s expression, Mrs. Fu nervously avoided his gaze and stepped forward to take the bag from his hand and his coat.

"Things have been a bit tight at home these past few days, let’s just eat this for now." Mrs. Fu whispered.

"Where is the family money?" Mr. Fu asked with a stern face.

"We spent quite a bit arranging dates for Xiao Cui..." Mrs. Fu explained.

To find someone to introduce Fu Xiaocui to a soldier, who already had no trouble finding a good match, they had to curry favor and bring gifts to the introducer, couldn’t just show up empty-handed.

Although they liked Fu Xiaocui, she didn’t like them, and the things they took over were almost never returned.

Once or twice, they could handle it, but after arranging several introductions, the family simply couldn’t afford to keep doing it.

"Then stop with the introductions for now." Fu Minghua glanced coldly at Fu Xiaocui, who pouted but didn’t dare argue. "Spent all the money on her, does Xiaojun not need to get married?"

In the Fu Family, Fu Minghua’s word was law.

Fu Xiaojun remained silent, quietly eating his food.

"Got it." Mrs. Fu nodded timidly.

"Dad, what are you planning to do?" Fu Xiaocui asked Fu Minghua.

"According to the schedule, the letter should have been mailed, she should reply, keep an eye out these days." Fu Minghua finished his food and picked up the newspaper.

"What if she doesn’t reply?" Fu Xiaocui asked.

"She wouldn’t dare." Fu Minghua sneered, confident that Fu Xiaoxiao wouldn’t refuse.

"When she comes back, be nicer to her, she’ll be completely devoted to us." Fu Minghua scanned the family, his gaze paused on Mrs. Fu. "Especially you! Stop hitting or scolding her."

"Got it... got it." Mrs. Fu turned her head sulkily and agreed.

Sitting at the Fu Family’s window plucking leaves for an hour, Li Cuihua heard the family’s plans clearly, eyes full of disdain.

Even after leaving the Fu Family, they still want to suck Fu Xiaoxiao’s blood; shamelessness doesn’t even cover it, she felt it was not worth it for Fu Xiaoxiao.

"Iron Mouth Li, how are you still plucking leaves at this hour?" The neighbors came out after dinner and saw Li Cuihua still plucking leaves and asked, confused.

"Oh, what do you know, my husband hasn’t come back, so I have to wait for him!" Li Cuihua rolled her eyes at the person.

"Alright, alright, married for so many years and still clingy, embarrassing." The neighbor teased.

"You just don’t understand! It’s a matter of romance, you all should learn a bit. Seeing how cold you are, no wonder your husbands get tired of you, lacking even a little romance." Li Cuihua wouldn’t let them off easily, her words made their eyes roll angrily.

After she drove them off, Li Cuihua leisurely started to cook.

Having starved for over half an hour in the room, Li Jianlu heard Li Cuihua’s words and shook his head helplessly, continuing to read the newspaper.

After Li Cuihua hastily cooked a couple of dishes and brought them inside, Li Jianlu looked at her expression and raised an eyebrow. "What’s got you so upset?"

"That Fu Family is truly shameless." Li Cuihua glanced at Li Jianlu, leaned forward, and told him what she overheard.

"...Unbelievable." Li Jianlu listened and didn’t know what to say.

Even as a man, he found Fu Minghua’s scheming to be frighteningly clear-cut.

"Do you think I should write to Xiao Xiao and warn her?" Li Cuihua asked her husband.

"Write it! A warning is always good, and it also keeps her from trusting Fu Minghua." Li Jianlu shook his head; Fu Minghua’s image had truly fallen from grace.

"Alright!" Li Cuihua nodded in agreement. "I’ll write it after dinner."

"Why aren’t you spreading the news this time?" Li Jianlu curiously looked at his wife; usually, she would broadcast such matters widely, but this time she kept quiet.

"How do you know I haven’t spread it!" Li Cuihua smiled meaningfully.

Li Jianlu caught that glance and smiled knowingly.

Indeed, Li Cuihua had spread the word, but unlike before, she shared it secretly, sparking their gossiping hearts.

This air of secrecy made the rumors more believable.

Especially Fu Minghua, known for his good image, was not at all as benevolent as he appeared, making it a major scandal in their community.

As the gossip spread among the women in the compound, Fu Minghua was cast as a calculating villain, who deliberately adopted Fu Xiaoxiao to serve as the family’s tool, catering to their needs.

Once an idea took hold, people would embellish it, and the more it was told, fiction turned to fact.

So much so that when the Fu Family noticed, the entire compound looked at the family differently.

Li Cuihua knew these people well; they wouldn’t want those around them to live better than themselves, so she just planted a seed and watched it grow.

Listening to the neighbors relay gossip about the Fu Family, Li Cuihua laughed inwardly.

"Did you hear about the Fu Family? Let me tell you, you’ll never guess; that supposedly nice Fu Minghua has two faces, doing things you wouldn’t believe."

"Tell me?" Li Cuihua replied, taking out some sunflower seeds and listening intently.

"Fu Minghua kept a mistress outside, and Xiao Xiao is the mistress’s child. When Fu Minghua’s wife found out, she forced her away, and Fu Minghua brought the mistress’s child home, who is their second child, that Xiao Xiao girl."

The person spoke convincingly; if Li Cuihua didn’t know the truth, she might have believed it was more fitting.

"No wonder! I always thought, with three kids, why only this second one always does chores, wears clothes that never fit. Turned out she’s not her biological child, that makes sense."

"Exactly! Look how she treats the three kids differently; the eldest and youngest must be her own while the second isn’t!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, Fu Minghua looks kind and amiable normally; turns out he’s such a bastard behind closed doors."

"You wouldn’t know, I saw Fu Minghua go into the director’s office last time and stayed for ages. When he came out, his clothes were disheveled..."

"No way! You can’t say that, that’s..."

"I’m not making it up! He saw it himself, stayed a while before coming out. Two men at home, what else could they be doing..."

...

Li Cuihua munched on sunflower seeds, pretending to enjoy the gossip, but she was inwardly dying of laughter; they were so talented, spinning tales more outrageous by the minute.

But she really loved listening...

Intriguing, entertaining, keep it coming.