Lin Xiaoxiao never expected trouble to find her while she was resting peacefully at home.

Zhang Yimei had actually reported her!

When Zhou Xiaoling heard, she was stomping mad. "Sis, I regret it—I really do. If that old woman had died and I was investigated, even accused of murder, I would've taken it. But this? This is disgusting! How can they be such ungrateful snakes?"

Even if Lin Xiaoxiao had anticipated this outcome, she wouldn't have acted differently. There was no way she would've let Zhou Xiaoling take the blame for a death. Besides, in the end, it wouldn't really harm her—it was just deeply annoying.

"Just ignore her. Let her make a fool of herself."

Ignorance made people bold. All it would take was one visit to a specialist in the city, and the truth would be clear.

Zhou Xiaoling fumed. "I've never seen anyone so shameless. What did Wang Wenju see in her?

Just wait—she's going to ruin his career with her foolishness."

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't angry. It wasn't worth her energy. These days, she was focusing on resting properly. Though she was feeling much better, she didn't dare move around too much. She planned to stay in bed for at least a week.

After all, medical equipment wasn't advanced back then. If something went wrong, it might go undetected.

She waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't hurt us. Let them stir up trouble. They'll only embarrass themselves."

Then, after a moment, she added, "I'm hungry. And I don't want noodles today. Take the bowl to town—I'm craving sour and spicy potato fish. Bring me back a full portion with extra gravy."

Zhou Xiaoling's noodle dishes over the past few days had started to wear on her.

Zhou Xiaoling immediately brightened. Her sister-in-law's appetite came first. She grabbed a container—though worried it might be too small, she eventually took one just smaller than a washbasin—and hurried toward town.

Not long after she left, Zhong Zhiguo and Director Ma from the labor union's women's affairs office arrived to investigate.

Zhong Zhiguo had just spoken to Zhou Huai'an the day before. He hadn't mentioned Lin Xiaoxiao's close call with a miscarriage—only reassured him that everything was fine at home and told him to focus on his work.

Then this complaint landed on his desk.

It made Zhong Zhiguo want to curse. He knew the whole story—and he knew what kind of person Wang Wenju's mother was. Now Lin Xiaoxiao was being punished for saving a life? It made no sense.

But the complaint had reached the Party Secretary, so Zhong Zhiguo and Director Ma had to look into it. On the way over, he reminded her to be gentle and avoid sounding too stern—after all, Zhou Huai'an wasn't home, and Lin Xiaoxiao was pregnant.

Director Ma agreed that Zhang Yimei's family was being unreasonable. Sure, it was unusual for someone like Lin Xiaoxiao to perform surgery, but in an emergency, saving a life came first. What's more, the other doctors had confirmed that Lin Xiaoxiao's technique was flawless.

The old woman was simply in recovery—what she was experiencing were normal after-effects of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Both entered Lin Xiaoxiao's home somewhat cautiously and a little reluctantly.

Lin Xiaoxiao had no choice but to get up. She slowly made her way to the outer room, invited them to sit, and settled onto a small bed herself. "I hope you don't mind if I don't pour tea. The doctor said I should stay in bed for a week. Too much movement isn't good for the baby."

Director Ma was alarmed and quickly stepped forward to support her. "You must be careful! We only have a few questions. We won't take long."

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "Ask away. I'll tell you everything I know."

Director Ma chose her words carefully. "You've heard about the complaint, haven't you? It says you only had three months of training yet dared to operate. What do you have to say?"

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled. "What do I say? I say I'm sitting right here. Regardless of how long I trained, I performed the surgery—and it was successful. Isn't it true that heroes can come from anywhere?"

Her secret was out anyway. If they suspected she wasn't the original Lin Xiaoxiao, they could try and prove it.

Director Ma sighed. "The report says you disregarded the patient's safety to satisfy your own vanity—that it was extreme selfishness..."

Lin Xiaoxiao was speechless. How could anyone twist the story so shamelessly?

Then she remembered: Zhang Yimei was illiterate. Dong Hongmei had once mentioned that Zhang Yimei wanted a job but couldn't find one because she didn't know how to read or write.

There was no way Zhang Yimei wrote that letter herself. Somebody was behind this—and it didn't take a genius to guess who. Xiao Yan.

She thought back to the day of the emergency—Xiao Yan hovering, questioning everything. Who else could it be?

Lin Xiaoxiao smirked inwardly. Did Xiao Yan really think she was that easy to bully?

Well, if Xiao Yan thought she was going to meddle in Lin Xiaoxiao's life, she had another thing coming. Xiao Yan wanted to go to university? Maybe she'd end up roasting sweet potatoes at home instead.

Director Ma continued talking for a while, then noticed Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes had narrowed. She worried she'd been too harsh.

Zhong Zhiguo had stayed quiet the whole time. He didn't know what to say. He'd just told Zhou Huai'an everything was fine—and now he was investigating his wife? How was that supposed to make anyone feel at ease?

Besides, this was nonsense. Every doctor at the institute was thoroughly vetted. They might not have been specialists in that area, but they were among the best in the province—they wouldn't lie.

Director Ma glanced at Zhong Zhiguo. When he didn't speak, she forced herself to continue.

"Xiaoxiao, don't feel pressured. We're just going through the motions. It's not like the old days—we're not going to drag you away without cause. Try not to worry."

Lin Xiaoxiao snapped back to attention and smiled. "I'm not afraid, Director Ma. A clear conscience laughs at false accusations. If someone wants to frame me, they'd better be prepared."

She paused, then added coldly, "And I won't let anyone who tries get away with it."

If she weren't confined to bed, Xiao Yan and Zhang Yimei would already regret crossing her.

Director Ma and Zhong Zhiguo left Lin Xiaoxiao's house and headed next door to Zhang Yimei's home—this time with stern expressions.

Zhang Yimei was cooking for her mother-in-law. The house was cluttered and untidy, with children's clothes piled on the floor unwashed.

Flustered by their arrival, she hurriedly cleared off stools. "Director Zhong, Director Ma, please sit! Let me make you some tea."

She wiped her hands on her apron and moved toward the teapot, but Director Ma stopped her."No need for tea. We're just here to ask a few questions."

Zhang Yimei sat down nervously, her hands rubbing back and forth on her knees. "Please, go ahead."

Director Ma got straight to the point. "According to your records, you never attended school—not even literacy classes. So who wrote the complaint letter for you?"

Hot Wife Reborn Part 2 has been released, please stay tuned.