Han Ruochen sneered. "Of course, I slapped you, and you should be very glad that I only slapped you. Your earlier words have put a dent in my reputation. Let me warn you, please stop your reckless behaviour of infringing on my personal rights and life when you know nothing. If not, I have all the right to sue you for slander. You are no longer a child who can just get away with whatever she wants to say and pat her butt later on by running to your father and asking him to wipe it for you. The country's law allows me to sue and hold you legally accountable for your reckless words. If you want to be hauled to the court, then by all means continue speaking."
"What? What do you mean by legally charging me? What crime have I even committed?" Xiao Rui was scared silly. Though her father was the head of a factory's department, he was not powerful enough to bail her out if she was detained. More importantly, what did Han Ruochen mean by that she could hold her legally accountable? What crime had she committed? She merely gossiped a little about her and nothing else. Why would she be detained and dragged to the court?
"Aren't you ashamed to be asking me this? You are already in your late twenties. Don't tell me that you don't even know what crime you have committed? Do you think that you can say whatever you want, and you will not be held accountable for it?" Han Ruochen sneered coldly. "If you have nothing better to do than gossip about someone behind their back, then the least you can do is read more books on law. We are already adults and working in a school; there is no way you don't know that if you spread misinformation about a person, you will be sued for ruining their reputation without any ironclad evidence. Because unless or until you can prove that I have done what you are claiming that I have done, it's nothing but rumours."
"Rumours that have ruined my reputation, and if I want, then I can sue you for that."
"She is right," Teacher Jiang spoke in a calm manner. He glanced at Xiao Rui and said to her, "The law strictly states that unless the evidence is provided, such matters can be taken to the court, and worst comes to worst, you will be locked up in the prison cell for six months, or you will have to take out ten thousand yuan as compensation."
Xiao Rui was scared silly by this piece of information. Her family was rich, but she was not that rich. If her father was forced to take out ten thousand yuan to save her life, then he would throw her in the cell himself for causing him trouble for no reason. And her stepmother she was watching her like a hawk; she certainly could not make a mistake at the moment.
The rest of the teachers also agreed with what Han Ruochen said; indeed, Xiao Rui had no evidence. She was only repeating the hearsay. Anyway, neither of them had any deep enmity with Han Ruochen except for Xiao Rui; thus, they did not insist on causing trouble for her for no reason.
"If she is not wrong, then why did she quit her job?" Xiao Rui didn't want to let Han Ruochen escape. She had not forgiven her for snatching her male god away.
"Because I value my life," Han Ruochen spoke coldly. "Everyone knows what happened to me. Yang Jianming tried to kill me because he wanted to transfer my job to my adopted sister. There are both evidence and witnesses who would willingly tell the truth to you as long as you go to the police station and ask around. I am not like some people who will start spreading rumours after getting bits and pieces of information from here and there."
Han Ruochen thought about the incident that had happened in the village; she had just run into the thugs last night, and yet the rumours were already spreading in the commune. She glanced at Xiao Rui. Even though she had no way to prove it, she knew that it was the work of this woman. She must be the one who spread these rumours about her.
And Han Ruochen was spot on.
Indeed, Xiao Rui was the one who spread the rumours. That evening, she was checking the exam papers of her class and was late to leave. Since the two of them were from the same village, her and Han Ruochen's paths were the same. When Han Ruochen went out to the village on a walk, Xiao Rui also arrived at the shortcut. However, she only saw Han Ruochen running toward the thugs and didn't see anything else.
The second she saw that the thugs were carrying bats, poles and heavy chains, she was worried that she would be entangled and ran back home. She didn't know what had happened and had no idea that Han Ruochen had actually saved someone. Instead, her jealousy made her cook up another story in which Han Ruochen had done something wrong. Thus, when she arrived in the morning, she ended up gossiping with everyone about how Han Ruochen was close to the thugs.
"But—"
"Enough with the nonsense." Su Mo interrupted whatever Xiao Rui wanted to say. He looked at her coldly and said to Xiao Rui, "I know Han Ruochen. She is kind and really respectful; she has never disrespected anyone nor has she done anything wrong ever since I have known her. It's bad enough that Yang Jianming tried to harm her by ruining her life, and instead of showing compassion, you are making false rumours about Teacher Han?"
"Teacher Su, how can you stand up for her?" Xiao Rui was even more upset when she saw that Su Mo was still standing up for Han Ruochen. She turned sullen, seeing her crush speaking up for Han Ruochen, and glared at her.