After leaving the battalion commander's house, Xue's mother grumbled all the way. This made Xu Hongzao, her third daughter-in-law who had accompanied her, too afraid to even breathe, lest her mother-in-law take out her anger on her.
But as they neared home, the mother-in-law was still cursing. Xu Hongzao feared losing face, especially since she often boasted to Second Sister-in-law Zhang Qiufang about being the battalion commander's niece. Cautiously, she said, "Mom, Doctor Gong was just saying—if villagers genuinely had issues and sought him out, he couldn't truly refuse them."
Xue Linfang felt that her second sister-in-law was right. "Mom, let's not worry about it; every problem has a solution. Since the battalion commander doesn't want to step in, then let nature take its course. Besides, if there really is a problem, the village cadres will have to step in and resolve it."
