My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 191

The legendary "big ticket" was blown into the cesspool by the wind.

Guan Guiling was so furious that she nearly jumped out of her skin. Without a word, she started searching around for a bamboo pole, which made everyone around unable to suppress their strange noises.

...Ugh!

Hu Huihui sneered at the woman, thinking to herself that it was only five cents, and it was such a spectacle. How embarrassing! She coldly smiled and said, "Let's go."

The tricycle driver was dumbfounded by Guan Guiling and quickly pulled his vehicle away. It was best to stay far away from this woman; otherwise, the money he earned wouldn't be enough to compensate for her antics. Hu Huihui left, but others didn't. Everyone was peeking to watch the drama.

Guan Guiling finally found a bamboo pole and started poking around in the cesspool.

Because Bai Fendou and Guan Guiling had a public argument, the whole street came out to watch the commotion. People gathered at the entrance of the courtyard, whispering, "How much money is it that she’s poking around in the cesspool?"

"No matter how much it is, it’s still money. Making money isn’t easy."

"That’s true. Look at Hu Huihui, so rich, she casually throws around ten-yuan notes as if they’re nothing."

"Exactly."

...

Everyone speculated about how much money it could be that made Guan Guiling care so much. A little kid named TuanTuan tilted his head with some doubt and said, "Wasn’t that just five cents?"

Ming Mei looked down at her son and asked, "Did you see it?"

TuanTuan nodded, "Yeah, I saw it was five cents."

Yuanyuan said hesitantly, "If five cents fell into the toilet... I would..."

She bit her lip and struggled with herself for a long time before finally said pitifully, "Even though five cents is a lot, I probably wouldn’t be able to pick it up. The cesspool is too gross."

The little girl just couldn’t get past that mental barrier.

"Five cents..."

The other kids also fell silent, mulling over whether they would pick it up or not.

They began to seriously consider it.

Ming Mei said, "Guan Guiling is really something."

While everyone was chattering, Guan Guiling finally fished out the five cents. When she saw it was just five cents, she burst into a tirade, "You cheap woman, acting all posh, pretending to be rich! I thought you gave a lot! Five cents and you’re acting so smug! You’re damn lucky you didn’t get hit by a car! You look like a damn whore! You…"

Guan Guiling's curse was obscene. Ming Mei quickly covered her daughter’s ears and said, "All of you, go home and do your homework. Don’t let such dirty words dirty your ears. What kind of person is she?"

The children hesitated but didn’t want to leave.

Ming Mei said, "Hurry up, all of you, go home."

"Ah…"

While Ming Mei was managing the kids, a sharp, urgent scream came from outside.

It was Guan Guiling.

Even though it was just five cents, Guan Guiling wasn’t about to give up. But using a bamboo pole was difficult, and she just couldn’t get the money out. Her foul mood made her even more impatient, and she fumbled around, desperately trying to retrieve the money. In a moment of carelessness, she lost her balance and nearly toppled in.

A sharp scream echoed, and at the last moment, Zheng Yufeng grabbed Guan Guiling.

She barely avoided falling in, and after sitting on the ground in shock, she was still filled with terror.

This little incident silenced everyone, but soon the chatter resumed, even louder than before. Guan Guiling, however, didn’t care what others said. Instead, her eyes red with emotion, she threw herself into Zheng Yufeng’s arms and said, "Yufeng, I knew you’d be the best to me!"

If not for him, she would have been in trouble. Thinking of this, she looked at her husband with even more admiration. There could never be a better man than Zheng Yufeng. How fortunate she was to have found such a man.

Guan Guiling hugged Zheng Yufeng tightly around the neck, nearly choking him.

But he didn’t get angry. Instead, he patted her back and said, "Alright, let go. What will people think? Besides, you’re my wife; who else would I help?"

Those few words moved Guan Guiling to tears.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Zheng Yufeng felt embarrassed but still managed to say, "Okay, that’s enough."

Guan Guiling sniffled softly.

He looked at the five cents that had sunk completely in the filthy water and felt utterly humiliated.

For just five cents, they had made a spectacle of themselves. He didn’t want to stay any longer and be scrutinized. Although Guan Guiling had often embarrassed herself with her antics, he had never been present, and this time was particularly shameful.

Just for five cents!

He took a deep breath and said, "Let’s go home. We’ll talk about finding Huimin another day."

"But…"

Guan Guiling worriedly asked, "The deadline Fan Debiao gave us is today. If we don’t find Huimin by today, there might be trouble." She said with great concern, "What about Fan Debiao…?"

Zheng Yufeng said firmly, "I’ll handle it."

He was resolute, saying, "I’ll talk to him."

Finding Huimin back would be better and could help stabilize Fan Debiao, but if she couldn’t be found, it didn’t matter. He just needed to get through these few days to take the money and leave. What happened here was no longer his concern.

He was determined: "Let’s go home."

Guan Guiling: "Alright."

The couple left under everyone’s gaze. Guan Guiling was used to being watched, but even she felt utterly humiliated today. This incident was just too awkward.

She followed Zheng Yufeng away.

Everyone watched the couple leave, and TuanTuan seemed to remember something. He quickly ran out, and everyone looked at him in surprise. The little boy ran to the back of the toilet and peeked into the cesspool. He gagged once and ran back, saying, "Mom, I wasn’t wrong. It really was five cents."

The crowd around: "…"

Ming Mei said with mixed feelings, "You have a pretty good eye, huh?"

TuanTuan: "Of course."

Since Guan Guiling and her husband were gone, Ming Mei decided not to rush the kids back. She let them be and joined Jiang Lu and Li Fang in chatting, gossiping about the incident of fishing five cents out of the cesspool and almost falling in.

"What do you think Guan Guiling was thinking?" Li Fang was the most puzzled. Was it worth it?

Jiang Lu somewhat understood Guan Guiling’s mindset, as she herself had once been a lovesick fool. But even she was surprised by how far Guan Guiling had gone, sacrificing everything for Zheng Yufeng. She said, "Zheng Yufeng is good at charming women."

"Guan Guiling looks older, while Zheng Yufeng appears younger. They look like mother and son."

Everyone started gossiping.

Even Bai Fendou forgot about making money and joined Zhou Qun and Da Qiang from the next courtyard to chat. Regardless of how many small groups formed to gossip, everyone seemed to agree on one thing: Zheng Huimin was indeed very lucky.

If she had returned at that moment, it would have been a huge mess.

But she didn’t, and wasn’t even at home. That was good fortune.

The kids didn’t understand much, but that didn’t stop them from being shocked. They, the children of this courtyard, were already more experienced than many adults.

They had seen too much for their age.

Guan Hong was thrilled, thinking, "Zheng Huimin’s parents are like this, so the Su family definitely won’t want to marry into their family. My chance is even bigger!"

But no one bothered to discuss this with her. Everyone looked at Guan Hong and shook their heads.

Only someone as foolish as her would want to marry Su Jinlai.

Even the poorest families on this street wouldn’t consider marrying their daughter to Su Jinlai.

As for Su Yinlai and Su Tonglai, they were alright.

One was hardworking and knew how to make money, the other was clever and ambitious, working on his studies. They had their merits. Still, even so, no one seriously considered marrying into the Su family. Even if Yinlai and Tonglai were decent, there was still the unreliable Su Jinlai to worry about.

Only someone as infatuated with looks as Guan Hong would consider someone like Su Jinlai.

Having a daughter like this at home was a real headache.

Guan Hong didn't know what everyone else was thinking. Seeing that no one agreed with her, she thought they all agreed with her and felt even better. After everyone dispersed and went home, she was still humming a little tune.

Guan Hong stayed at home for a while, but she had nothing to do. Thinking about how Zheng Huimin had been returning home very late recently, she hesitated for a moment, grabbed a flashlight and a dagger, and headed out. She wasn't planning to pick up Zheng Huimin, oh no, she couldn't wait to tell her about what happened with her parents visiting.

Hehe, she couldn't wait to see Zheng Huimin's miserable expression.

Thinking about this, Guan Hong felt even more excited, and she quickly set out.

It was already dark outside, and each household had finished dinner. The Zhuang family was noisy, which she knew. Recently, several kids had moved into the Zhuang household, and all these little brats gathered there, with Li Zhenzhen and Qijin not coming home until bedtime. It was as if they were going to tear the sky of the Zhuang family apart.

At this moment, she felt that Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei were really patient, allowing these kids to make a ruckus in their home. If it were her, she would have gotten tired of it long ago. She shook her head at the Zhuang house and then walked out, heading straight for the garment factory.

The garment factory wasn't very close. Going out at night, Guan Hong was actually a bit scared. Luckily, she had a dagger that gave her some confidence. Sometimes, carrying a knife wasn't about doing anything, but it gave you more courage.

She arrived at the garment factory. The factory had a lot of orders and was doing great business.

At this time, work hadn't ended yet. She sat at the gate, waiting for some time before seeing a huge crowd of workers leaving after work. Although overtime was tiring, not many had anxious expressions. Many had smiles on their faces. After all, who would complain about making money? Overtime came with overtime pay.

From afar, she spotted Zheng Huimin and waved, "Zheng Huimin."

Everyone else was in groups, but only Zheng Huimin was alone. She walked out by herself. She was a substitute worker, and on her first day, everyone was curious about her, asking what her relationship with Su Yinlai was and why she was substituting. It turned out that she was Su Jinlai's girlfriend, Su Yinlai's older brother. This news caused quite a stir.

Who didn't know what kind of person Su Jinlai was?

If she was Su Yinlai's girlfriend, people might have been more warm, as Yinlai had a good reputation at the factory.

But who didn't know what kind of person Yinlai's older brother was?

Yinlai never said anything bad about his older brother, but Su Jinlai, at a young age, had been to juvenile detention twice, caused trouble while in the countryside, and had to be bailed out by his mother, Wang Xiangxiu, with money. These stories were well-known.

The older women at the factory couldn't bear to see Zheng Huimin being duped and took it upon themselves to warn her.

However, Zheng Huimin didn't appreciate their help and insisted, "A prodigal who reforms can never be discarded."

She thought and said this, so no one bothered with her anymore.

Everyone felt this girl wasn't very clear-headed and didn't want to associate with her.

Guan Hong didn't know about this situation. Seeing Zheng Huimin walking alone, she felt a bit unhappy. Although she didn't like Zheng Huimin very much, how come no one walked with her in the evening?

A girl walking alone could be quite dangerous.

She had felt a bit scared on her way here, so didn't Zheng Huimin feel scared walking back every day after work?

Guan Hong frowned. At this time, Zheng Huimin also came to her side. She curiously asked, "Why are you here?"

Guan Hong proudly raised her chin and said, "Do I need to report to you where I go? But you, you have the energy to fight, to scare people, to steal men, but at work, you're being excluded. You're quite something!"

Zheng Huimin felt a bit awkward being exposed like this. Being ostracized was never pleasant, but she tried to defend herself, saying, "I'm not the one being excluded. I'm the one excluding everyone else."

How could she admit defeat in front of her rival?

Guan Hong sneered when she heard this.

Zheng Huimin was unhappy and said, "What are you here for? This place has nothing to do with you, right? Are you looking for me on purpose?"

After a pause, she said, "Right, why are you looking for me on purpose?"

Guan Hong: "Your parents came to the courtyard looking for you."

"What!" Zheng Huimin was shocked. If this had happened earlier, it might not have mattered whether they found her or not. But recently, that was different. Since learning about her parents' evil intentions, she couldn't trust them anymore.

Now that her younger sister had escaped, if she were caught, it would be over.

She quickly asked, "Why are they here? Are they still waiting in the courtyard for me? Did they come alone, or are there others? Is there someone named Fan Debiao? What were my parents' expressions like?"

At this moment, she couldn't care less about her rival status. She needed to get information quickly.

Her questions were urgent and anxious. She absolutely wouldn't marry someone randomly.

Although Guan Hong disliked Zheng Huimin, she didn't play games with her on this matter and directly said, "No one else, just your parents. Your mother made a scene before even entering the courtyard, and your father took her away. I don't know if they'll come back."

Zheng Huimin became nervous: "What if they're hiding and waiting for me?"

She became even more scared and hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Zheng Huimin: "You go back first. I think I'll find a corner nearby to stay for the night to avoid them waiting for me."

Guan Hong widened her eyes: "Why are you so stupid! Although it's not winter now, spending a night outside is very uncomfortable. Are you crazy? Are you even a new era's female comrade?"

Zheng Huimin: "Then what do you suggest?"

Guan Hong: "If I were you, I wouldn't be afraid! If they dare to make trouble, I'll cause a scene!"

Zheng Huimin: "You don't know my mother... forget it, you wouldn't understand."

Guan Hong: "How don't I understand? Your mother... oh, I just thought, why don't you go home and check? Don't be mad at me. Think about it, if you go home and see they're home too, doesn't that mean they're not waiting for you in the courtyard? Then you can go home and sleep. Look at the weather outside; you'll be done for if you stay out."

Zheng Huimin: "Oh, that makes sense."

Neither of them was particularly smart, but this simple and straightforward solution was agreed upon by both. Zheng Huimin immediately said, "I'm going right now."

"Wait."

Zheng Huimin turned back: "What is it?"

Guan Hong snorted, then said awkwardly, "I'll go with you."

She quickly added when she saw Zheng Huimin's surprised expression, "Don't think I'm helping you. Although I consider you my rival, I'm straightforward, not someone who does sneaky things."

She continued, "I also don't like these arranged marriages."

Zheng Huimin's eyes flickered, and she quietly said, "Oh..."

She also felt a bit awkward and said, "Thank you..."

Guan Hong: "Are you going or not?"

"Let's go!"

"Do we two girls together still feel unsafe?"

"I brought a knife."

"You're so smart."

"Of course."

The two of them walked towards Zheng Huimin's house. Guan Hong was quite curious. She really didn't understand what kind of situation Zheng Huimin's family was in. They had a worker too, so why sell their daughter?

Wang Xiangxiu, a woman, raised three sons alone. How could a family with both parents sell their daughter?

"Isn't your brother already an adult?"

"He's a boy."

"Pfft, disgusting patriarchal thinking."

Zheng Huimin couldn't help but say, "You haven't lived here long, but you've already picked up the lingo of the aunties in the courtyard."

Guan Hong: "I didn't."

Er... she didn't start sentences with "pfft" before.

But, she couldn't admit it.

The two of them walked to Zheng Huimin's house, nearly fifty minutes from the garment factory. Both were a bit tired. Zheng Huimin: "I'll sneak back home."

"I'm going with you."

Zheng Huimin looked at Guan Hong, took a deep breath, and said more seriously, "Thank you."

"Stop spouting nonsense. I'm just worried about your safety, and it's better to have two people keeping each other company. I'm a guardian of justice, you know."

"Let's go."

The two quietly nudged the door open. Zheng Huimin said, "The gate of our courtyard is always left slightly ajar."

As they were about to enter, their gazes suddenly froze. The door across from them had opened, and Sister-in-law Chen came out to use the outhouse. The moment she opened the door, she spotted the two suspicious figures and nearly let out a scream. However, at the crucial moment, she recognized Zheng Huimin and immediately covered her mouth.

Although Sister-in-law Chen usually didn't think much of the eldest daughter of the Zheng family, she was well aware of the kind of life Huimin led at home. She also knew about the younger sister who had run away. After a few seconds of silence, as if she hadn't seen anyone, she turned around and went back into the house.

Zheng Huimin was stunned, but quickly she ran to the window and heard the voices of her parents inside.

They were indeed at home!

She could now go back to sleep with peace of mind. Just as she was about to leave, she heard her father, Zheng Yufeng, speaking. Zheng Yufeng said, "Guiling, I've thought it over. We can't afford to offend Fan Debiao. We have to pay him back."

Guan Guiling was anxious: "Where on earth do we have that kind of money? We..."

Zheng Yufeng interrupted: "Listen to me. I've thought it over. You go find some street toughs and use our house as collateral to borrow the money. If one group isn't enough, then we'll use two houses. We need to get as much money as possible as a precaution. Once we have the money, we can return it to Fan Debiao and silence him."

Guan Guiling: "That might work, but if we can't repay the loan, they'll take our house, and we'll have nowhere to live. What then?"

Zheng Yufeng spoke with a comforting tone: "What's there to worry about? This is just a temporary measure to appease Fan Debiao's dissatisfaction. If we can keep him in check, we'll have time to pressure Huimin. If she agrees to marry Fan Debiao and takes her sister Hui Fang to serve him, won't the whole situation be resolved? Once Fan Debiao becomes our son-in-law, he can return the money to us. Then we can redeem our house. It's true that this might be a bit of a hassle, but it won't delay anything."

Guan Guiling: "That makes sense. After all, we had always planned to marry the two girls off anyway."

Hearing this, Zheng Huimin clenched her fists tightly.

Guan Hong quickly covered Huimin's mouth, afraid she might make a sound.

The two crouched under the window, eavesdropping. Guan Hong pulled on Zheng Huimin, ready to leave, when suddenly another older woman came out. Aunt Li was also startled, but like the previous woman, she hesitated for only a short moment before turning back into her house, pretending she hadn't seen the two women.

Guan Hong didn't dare stay any longer and dragged Zheng Huimin away. The two ran as far as they could.

They ran until they reached a deserted spot, then finally stopped to catch their breath.

Guan Hong said, "The people in your courtyard are quite nice. No one exposed you."

Zheng Huimin hadn't expected that either. She rubbed her eyes and said, "I didn’t either."

What they didn’t know was that the two families who had seen Huimin were both sighing, thinking, "What’s this foolish girl doing coming back! It’s better for her to get lost. If she comes back, she’ll be forced to marry Fan Debiao, and her whole life will be ruined."

Although Guan Guiling tried to keep it a secret, her dealings with Fan Debiao hadn’t gone unnoticed. Everyone knew that before Fan Debiao became wealthy, he had chased two wives away. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to live with him, but that he would beat them to near death when he drank.

Both of his first two wives had left because of this.

If they hadn’t left, they wouldn’t have survived.

The neighbors didn’t believe that Zheng Yufeng and Guan Guiling were unaware of Fan Debiao’s behavior. After all, they had been neighbors for twenty years, and everyone knew each other’s business. Yet, despite this, they still planned to marry their daughter to Fan Debiao, showing just how heartless they were.

That was why, even though they didn’t particularly like Zheng Huimin, they didn’t want her to come back.

Seeing her, they chose to pretend they hadn’t. As a result, Huimin’s journey back was uneventfully quiet.

She whispered, "Why are they helping me?"

Guan Hong looked at her curiously and said, "Isn’t that what decent people should do?"

Zheng Huimin took a deep breath but said nothing. Her steps, however, quickened. She declared, "If my parents come looking for me in a few days, I’ll run away! I absolutely won’t go back. If the neighbors can help me, why shouldn’t I save myself?"

Guan Hong agreed, "That’s the right attitude."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Or maybe… maybe you should ask Su Jinlai. He hangs around on the streets and knows a lot of people. He can definitely help you deal with your family."

Then, she became serious. "But if he helps you, you can’t repay him by giving yourself to him. We’ll have to compete fairly."

Zheng Huimin shot back, "Fair competition it is, then. I won’t lose to you. Men like gentle, nurturing women. Even without this situation, I wouldn’t lose."

"Nonsense! Men nowadays like strong, independent women who can earn money. Look at how Li Weiwei likes me—how could Su Jinlai not like me?"

"That’s just nonsense. Li Weiwei doesn’t like you at all. He looks at you like you’re a nuisance."

Embarrassed, Guan Hong pouted and said, "He’s just lovesick over me."

"Tch."

"Don’t laugh at me. Women like you, all clingy and dependent, are bound to end up like a wilted flower—useless to anyone."

"At least I’m not…"

The two began arguing, neither backing down. The conversation grew uglier, but their bonds seemed to strengthen. The more they bickered, the warmer their tone became. …As they muttered to themselves, they finally arrived home. By the time they reached the courtyard, it was already past midnight. Both were exhausted, but the company of each other made the fear vanish.

As they reached their courtyard, they found the gate was now securely latched. Their courtyard’s vigilance had increased significantly. Reluctantly, they started knocking on the door. After some time, someone came to open it—it was Zhuang Zhixi.

Zhuang Zhixi, half-asleep, said, "Were you two out committing a robbery or something?"

Despite his teasing, he opened the door and turned back to leave.

The two hurried inside, and Zheng Huimin closed the gate. She said, "Thank you, Uncle Zhuang."

Zhuang Zhixi, not turning back, only waved his hand in acknowledgment and went back to his house, yawning. Before he even entered, he saw Ming Mei come out too. Ming Mei had a coat draped over her shoulders and said, "It’s late. Go back to sleep soon."

Zhuang Zhixi, who had just been feeling tired, suddenly perked up and said, "Why did you come out too?"

Ming Mei replied, "To use the bathroom."

"I’ll go with you."

The two left together, and Zheng Huimin sighed, "Someday, I hope Su Jinlai and I can be as loving as they are."

Guan Hong corrected her, "Su Jinlai and I."

Ming Mei chuckled and said, "Then your standards must not be very high."

The people in their courtyard made no secret of their dislike for Su Jinlai, but Guan Hong and Zheng Huimin remained steadfast. They said, "Su Jinlai is the best man. Don’t you dare talk about him like that!"

In unison.

Ming Mei mimed a gesture of surrender and continued her way to the bathroom with a smile.

Zheng Huimin, with a stern expression, said, "My mom really dislikes Ming Mei. She always says bad things about her at home."

Guan Hong asked, "Why?"

Then she added, "Well, that means Ming Mei must be a good person."

Zheng Huimin: "Hmm?"

Guan Hong explained, "Your mom is a bad person, so whoever she dislikes must be good."

She continued, "Zhao Guihua isn’t exactly a saint either. Everyone says that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are natural enemies. Since Ming Mei is her daughter-in-law, that means Ming Mei is actually a very, very good person—if she can get along with Zhao Guihua."

Zheng Huimin: "?????"

At this point, she felt much smarter than Guan Hong. After all, Zhao Guihua and Ming Mei’s relationship was clearly good—how could Guan Hong think of them as adversaries?

She clicked her tongue, though she was too tired to say more. She still had to go to work tomorrow, so she went home to sleep.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei walked back from the bathroom together. Ming Mei said, "I wonder where Mom and the others are now? They must be getting close to coming back, right?"

"They’re almost there, I’d guess. My mom isn’t the type to dawdle."

Chilled by the cold night air, Zhuang Zhixi was now wide awake. He said, "The old lady still has a lot of energy for her age, doesn’t she?"

Ming Mei: "Stop spouting nonsense. Are you trying to provoke your mother-in-law?"

Zhuang Zhixi shrugged and said, "I wouldn't dare say that to her face. My mom is so fierce."

Perhaps because they had just come out of the bathroom, Zhuang Zhixi said, "I wonder if Guan Guiling will come back in the future."

Ming Mei: "Why not? If she fails once, there will always be another chance."

She had already finished all the procedures for her job transfer these past two days and would report to the police academy in another two days. However, she said, "While I was handling the formalities, I heard something."

"What?"

"I heard that Guan Guiling is looking to sell her job again."

Zhuang Zhixi: "What?"

Ming Mei: "It's true. She's asking for a high price and seems quite anxious to sell."

Zhuang Zhixi: "But what will she do after selling her job? She's about to retire. Selling her job now would just be shooting herself in the foot."

This was something Zhuang Zhixi couldn't understand. Guan Guiling was in her early forties, and people could retire at fifty. If she persisted for a few more years, she would receive a pension. Moreover, her health wasn't good, and as a formal worker, her medical expenses could be partially reimbursed. Selling her job now would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Zhuang Zhixi: "I feel like something is off."

Ming Mei: "I feel the same, but this doesn't concern us."

Zhuang Zhixi: "That's true, but this woman isn't good news. She once tried to scheme against you. Who knows what evil she's plotting? If she's just causing trouble at home, it doesn't affect us. But if she comes to our courtyard to stir up trouble, I'd better find out the truth. What if she's using the guise of looking for her daughter to extort others? I still remember her malice towards you."

Ming Mei: "I'll listen to you."

There's always a kind of malice that comes out of nowhere, unexpected and inexplicable.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "You know, without the old lady around, I feel uneasy. With her around, I feel a lot more at ease. Our mother-in-law is my anchor."

Ming Mei chuckled and said, "In another two or three days, she should be back. I miss our mom too. It was so lively when she was in the courtyard."

"That's for sure."

Both of them missed Zhao Guihua. Zhao Guihua, on the other hand, was sound asleep. Some people have poor sleep quality and light sleep when traveling. But Zhao Guihua wasn't one of them. Her sleep quality was excellent. After wandering around the train compartment all day, she was truly tired at night.

She slept deeply, waking up only when dawn broke. Despite her age, she didn't need much sleep. Early in the morning, Zhao Guihua took out her notebook. Although she hadn't been to school much, her participation in literacy classes and her habit of asking about unfamiliar words in daily life meant Zhao Guihua wasn't illiterate. She knew many characters, though writing them was a bit challenging.

As she looked at her notebook, Aunt Wang asked, "What are you reading?"

Zhao Guihua: "I had He Lan jot down some characteristics of a gambling ring for me yesterday. I'm just checking if there's anything missing and need to add."

Aunt Wang: "You're quite spirited."

However, she was also curious. "How did you know those first few people who joined were shills?"

Zhao Guihua: "What's there to say? When you're traveling, who isn't cautious? Hearing someone shout about playing cards and then everyone rushing over—doesn't that seem off? Anyway, I've described the details of the situation. It's better if I'm wrong, but I suspect it's a gambling ring."

"So you think that girl was part of it?"

Zhao Guihua: "Her instigation was so obvious; she must have been a shill. The same goes for a few others who were encouraging others to bet. Their intentions were quite clear. Besides them, there was that man in the Zhongshan suit. He couldn't be trusted either."

"Ah, isn't he a good guy? He questioned whether they were gambling."

Zhao Guihua: "True, but did his questioning amount to anything? Look at how he immediately backed off after asking, just waiting for that group to respond. It was clearly planned. If he hadn't spoken up, someone else might have. By bringing it up first, his accomplices could then explain, making others think, 'Oh, that makes sense.' So while it seemed like he was the one questioning, he was actually suppressing other potential questions. Groups of people gathered to gamble, which sounds excessive. Others who might have questioned it would stay silent. In appearance, he was the one raising questions, but in reality, he was suppressing their issues."

Zhao Guihua understood these things completely.

Su Yinlai's observations also indicate a lot. Plus, when we went over, he was in the crowd watching the excitement. While others were watching the game, he was watching the people around him, clearly keeping an eye on things. He's just wearing a mask of being a good guy.

"You're very observant."

"Of course, who do you think I am? Zhao Guihua. I won't expose them now; we're outnumbered. Once we get off the train, I'll report it to the police."

"That sounds good."

A new day began, and the gambling game in the carriage continued. Zhao Guihua went over to take a look again. Seeing someone looking dejected, she guessed they had lost a lot of money. She was amazed but didn't stay long.

She had watched the excitement yesterday but didn't place a bet. If she spent the whole day there today, she would draw attention. This was also thanks to Zhao Guihua being an old lady. If she were a young man, she would have been targeted. These gambling setups involve many people and are very cautious.

After traveling for nearly two more days, they finally arrived in Beijing in the early afternoon.

Although they were carrying a lot of luggage, everyone's faces were filled with joy. After all, this journey had been exhausting. Traveling long distances by train is like that; you haven't done anything, just sat in the train, but you still feel utterly worn out.

They got off the train and hired two rickshaws to take them home.

"It's good to be home. Returning to our own place, even standing on the ground feels more solid."

"Well, that's just because we've gotten off the train..."

As they rode home in the rickshaws, He Lan said, "Fendou always comes home tired after work. This job really is tough."

As a passenger now, she thought of Bai Fendou, who did the same job, and felt heartache for him.

"You should buy him more meat to supplement his energy."

Wang Zizhen: "I have experience with this. For physical labor, it's crucial to eat well and get plenty of nutrients."

"Okay."

The rickshaws arrived at the courtyard. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Zheng Huimin dragging Su Jinlai.

Next to Zheng Huimin was Guan Hong, who was fiercely staring at Su Jinlai, unlike her usual demeanor.

Zhao Guihua and the others immediately stopped in their tracks, puzzled by the scene.

What's going on?

Everyone glanced over.

Seeing the crowd, Su Jinlai tried to leave, but Guan Hong quickly grabbed him and said, "Don't go. What's the deal here? With Zheng Huimin in such a difficult situation, as a man, can't you even help her out?"

Guan Hong was more assertive than Zheng Huimin.

However, Su Jinlai simply pursed his lips and said, "This is her family matter. What business is it of mine to step in?"

Early that morning, Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong had come over. In fact, this wasn't just a recent issue but had been going on for a couple of days. A few days ago, Zheng Huimin's parents had showed up, which made her extremely frightened.

She didn't want to go home and wanted Jinlai to help her get rid of her parents. However, she was afraid that Jinlai would look down on her, so after hesitating for two days, she finally came over. It was Sunday, and many people in the courtyard weren't home.

Sundays were busier than usual.

Even Wang Xiangxiu had gone to the suburbs with Aunt Sui from the back courtyard to go hiking.

After much contemplation, Zheng Huimin decided to come find Su Jinlai. She hoped he could help her, as once her parents sorted out the house matter, they would definitely scheme against her. She had heard everything clearly that night.

Her parents had dealt with Fan Debiao, but they would still marry her off, so she could only come to Su Jinlai for help. She never expected him to refuse her.

She had imagined many scenarios, but this one had never crossed her mind.

Even Guan Hong couldn't bear to watch anymore.

However, Su Jinlai remained firm: "I've already done enough for you. The house you're living in? I'm the one paying the rent. You're not my family, and I've done more than enough already. Now you want me to step in for Zheng Huimin? Why is there so much drama?"

He didn't want to get involved in these matters. Although he constantly boasted about being a "social boss," Su Jinlai wasn't actually capable of much. Even the gang of thieves he used to associate with had all been caught. As a lone wolf, what could he possibly do to help?

He said: "Besides, in our culture, marriage is determined by the parents. If your parents insist on you marrying, what business is it of mine to intervene? You're not my wife."

Zheng Huimin blushed and said, "Brother Su, you know my heart..."

Su Jinlai felt a smug sense of satisfaction. He knew there were plenty of women who liked him. However, he still said, "You might have those feelings, but I have no intention of getting married. I'm still young; I still have a few years to play around."

There ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍was no way he was going to intervene on Zheng Huimin's behalf.

There was no money in it for him, and he wasn't about to dip his toes into this mess.

It was undeniable that Su Jinlai's words were deeply disappointing for both Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong. In their minds, Su Jinlai had always been quite heroic. But now he was backing out?

Zheng Huimin felt even more bitter. She had first fallen for Brother Su because he stood up for her in front of her mom, acting so bravely at the time. But now, why wasn't he willing to help her? Had he stopped loving her?

Zheng Huimin was thinking this, but in reality, Su Jinlai simply didn't want to get into trouble.

He could brag all he wanted, but deep down, he wasn't that strong.

He used to be able to step up for Zheng Huimin because the only person she had to worry about was her sickly mother. But if someone else got involved, he'd have to think twice. Without anything to gain, he wasn't interested in taking that risk.

Su Jinlai might not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was definitely self-centered.

He firmly stated, "Don't come to me with these matters."

Zheng Huimin looked at Su Jinlai in disbelief as he said, "If you were my wife, I'd have no problem stepping in. But since you're not, it's not appropriate for me to meddle in your family affairs."

Zheng Huimin stared at Su Jinlai in shock.

She was a hopeless romantic, always hoping for a strong shoulder to lean on. When she realized that this support wasn't as sturdy as she thought, she was completely dumbfounded. How could Brother Su, who had always seemed so wonderful, have changed so quickly?

She stood there, dazed.

Even Guan Hong found the situation a bit too much to bear. She said, "Her parents aren't good people. Even if she's not your wife, you're all friends. With your status and connections, couldn't you just find a few people to teach them a lesson and make them back off from harassing Zheng Huimin?"

She thought for a moment and added, "Or is it because you don't want me to misunderstand your relationship? Don't worry, I wouldn't mind at all. My man is both righteous and manly; I'd be thrilled. I wouldn't be jealous."

Su Jinlai: "...?"

This woman was overthinking things.

If he had to choose, Su Jinlai would pick Zheng Huimin over Guan Hong. After all, Guan Hong wasn't exactly known for her gentleness, and that just wouldn't do.

He said, "It's not about whether you'd be jealous or not."

He didn't want to get tangled up in this mess anymore. Seeing Su Yinlai and the others return, he quickly changed the subject: "Yinlai, when are you going to pay me back?"

Yinlai replied, "We agreed on a month."

Jinlai muttered curses under his breath, "That little punk, Tonglai. I'm the eldest brother, but he doesn't stand with me. Instead, he lends you money. I've never seen such an unreliable brother. Do you know how hard it is for me to make money?"

Su Jinlai's behavior only deepened Zheng Huimin's despair.

The kind of man she wanted didn't necessarily have to be good-looking, but he had to be capable and protective—a real hero who could shield her from harm.

But Su Jinlai...

The pink bubbles of fantasy that once filled her heart popped in an instant, scattering into nothingness.

Zheng Huimin looked at Jinlai, feeling her love slowly slip away. Just as she was hesitating, the sound of a bicycle caught everyone's attention. The Li brothers, Li Junjun and Li Weiwei, arrived home together.

Both were in high spirits: "Grandma, you're back?"

They immediately surrounded Aunt Wang, who was also delighted. After all, she had never been away from the brothers for so long. Aunt Wang asked, "How have you been at home?"

Li Junjun answered, "Pretty good."

"Where's your mom?"

Li Junjun replied, "My mom went with Aunt Ming Mei and Aunt Jiang Lu to take the kids to the Great Wall. It seems they're doing an essay for school. The little ones insisted on going, so early this morning they all set off. They haven't come back yet? That's quite a long trip."

He put his arm around his grandmother's shoulder and said, "Grandma, you must be exhausted after such a long journey."

"It was a bit tiring, but it's been worth it," Aunt Wang replied.

Li Junjun started chatting with his grandmother, while Li Weiwei looked curiously at everyone else, asking, "What's going on?"

His gaze lingered particularly on the love-triangle group.

He wasn't angry with Guan Hong anymore, nor was he irritated by Su Jinlai.

After all, you don't get mad at normal people, but you certainly don't waste your energy getting mad at someone as clueless as Su Jinlai. So, he let it go.

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden commotion broke out. Zhao Guihua turned around, wondering, "Are the kids back?"

However, as soon as they saw the newcomers, they realized it wasn't their children.

Zhao Guihua didn't recognize the man who had just arrived. He looked to be in his forties and was accompanied by five or six other men, all of them looking intimidating.

Zhao Guihua frowned. Who the hell were these people?

Neither Zhao Guihua nor anyone else present recognized these newcomers, including Su Jinlai and his group.

However, Zheng Huimin's face turned pale the moment she saw them. While others might not know, she definitely did—this was Fan Debiao. They lived in the same alley, and he often spent time with her father, Zheng Yufeng. She knew him well.

Her face drained of color as she quickly hid behind Su Jinlai.

Fan Debiao smirked at Zheng Huimin's reaction. "So you're this little pretty boy? You're trying to steal my woman, huh? Don't think I'm dead—I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

Despite hiding behind Su Jinlai, Zheng Huimin retorted, "Stop spouting nonsense! I'm not your woman. Su Dage and I are in love—you have no say in this."

Guan Hong chimed in, "Exactly! This is the new society—no more of that old-fashioned arranged marriage nonsense. Don't come causing trouble here."

"Who are you? What business is this of yours? Or maybe... maybe you're looking at me too? Let me tell you, someone like you? I don't take to heart. Zheng Huimin, your parents have already accepted the betrothal gift. You can't just back out now—no way!"

He shouted, "Now, come back with me!"

He had long known that Zheng Huimin was a discontented one—in fact, that was the reality. If it weren't for Zheng Yufeng slipping up and revealing her whereabouts, he wouldn't have found her hiding here. If he didn't take her back now, what kind of face would he have left?

Pointing at Su Jinlai, he roared, "You little pretty boy, trying to seduce my woman—today, I'm going to teach you a lesson."

Fan Debiao was a towering, burly man with a menacing face and a fierce expression that sent shivers down one's spine. Although not very tall, his menacing demeanor was something to be feared. Back in the reform school, Su Jinlai had seen such figures and knew better than to provoke them.

He immediately backed away, unexpectedly exposing Zheng Huimin.

Though she had sought refuge behind Su Jinlai, she comforted herself a little for the psychological support, but Su Jinlai suddenly broke away. He forced a smile and quickly said, "This is not my fault. I have no relationship with Zheng Huimin. I only helped her out of pity before because she was so pitiful, but actually, we have no connection. I'm not her partner—I just did it out of pure kindness. This has nothing to do with me, and you shouldn't look for trouble with me. It's none of my business here."

Feeling the fear of being pummeled, he quickly pulled Guan Hong over and said, "This one here, Guan Hong, she's my partner."

Guan Hong felt an instant surge of joy, but within a second, she disdainfully pushed Su Jinlai away. Although it was nice to be acknowledged by Su Jinlai, his lack of masculinity in this moment was unbearable for Guan Hong.

How could her man be like this?

She admired boys with a strong, rugged aura, but she had no fondness for weaklings.

Fan Debiao: "I don't care what's going on between you two. You're Su Jinlai, right? I heard Zheng Huimin ran off with you. Zheng Huimin, your taste isn't exactly great, is it?"

Zheng Huimin hadn't expected Su Jinlai to be so useless, to actually push her away in order to save himself at a time like this. She burst into tears instantly.

Fan Debiao cursed and stepped forward: "Little brat, come back with me!"

He raised his hand to slap Zheng Huimin, but just as his hand was about to make contact, Li Junjun grabbed his arm and forcefully flung it back. Li Junjun was a train station maintenance worker and no match for Fan Debiao's flabby physique.

Fan Debiao's bulk was all blubber, and Li Junjun easily tossed him aside, saying, "Who do you think you are, coming to our courtyard to bully people?"

He turned back and said, "Zheng Huimin, go back inside!"

Zheng Huimin stared dumbfounded at Li Junjun, who rolled up his sleeves: "You come to our place to cause trouble, thinking you can just bully us? Do you think our courtyard is empty or something?"

Fan Debiao, feeling wronged, flew into a rage: "You scoundrel, so you're the adulterer!"

"Can you stop being so disgusting? Adulterer? What adulterer? Zheng Huimin is single, so how is she your personal property? Show me your marriage certificate, if you have one! You call yourself an adulterer, do you even have the nerve? What's with the dowry talk? Do you believe I'll report you to the Women's Federation? It's a new era now, who dares to arrange marriages? You want to ignore national policies? Whoever took your dowry, marry them! If you like talking about dowries so much, go marry Guan Guiling!"

Zhao Guihua finally caught on and wasn't holding back at all.

"Pfft!"

Her words made even the little goons following Fan Debiao burst out laughing. Who didn't know about Guan Guiling?

Zhao Guihua continued, unrelenting: "Seeing a man and immediately calling him an adulterer, do you think everyone is as disgusting as you? This world has justice and fairness. Not everyone is as filthy as you imagine!"

"You, you, you old hag, I'll kill you..."

Fan Debiao was so furious his mouth twisted, no longer stuttering as he cursed: "You old hag, I'll make you pay, I won't let you off..."

He clenched his fist and approached Zhao Guihua, but before he could get close, Zhao Guihua disdainfully rolled her eyes and delivered a swift kick, aiming straight for the vitals! Heh, did he really think she, Zhao Guihua, was easy to mess with?

She had learned from Bai Fendou: when fighting with men, there's no need for too much talking, just aim for the vitals, and it's one hit, one kill.

Fan Debiao clutched himself and hunched over, sweat pouring down: "Owwww..."

But soon, he looked up and shouted: "You guys, take care of them for me! Hit them hard, and I'll pay you! Go!"

The few who followed Fan Debiao hesitated for a moment, then decisively charged forward. The scene immediately turned into a chaotic brawl. Thankfully, the courtyard was spacious, so it didn't hinder the fight.

Aunt Zhou let out a howl and charged forward, knowing to go for the leader first. She was a seasoned veteran of such scuffles, after all.

She directly clawed at Fan Debiao's face, leaving a few bloody streaks.

"How dare you come to our courtyard and act arrogant, take this!"

"Ah, you old hag, I won't let you off!"

The fight was chaos, with people pulling Zhao Guihua, causing her to stumble. Su Yinlai quickly stepped in: "Aunt Zhao, step back, let me handle this!"

In moments like these, everyone was ruthless.

A man rushed up and tried to punch Su Jinlai, but Su Jinlai, about to get hit, pushed Guan Hong in front of him, catching her off guard: "Ah~"

At the last moment, Li Junjun grabbed Guan Hong and followed up with a swift kick.

Though the older ladies in the courtyard were quite fierce, the men who had come were large, and they gained the upper hand. However, they didn't get off unscathed, with some being scratched and others taking hits to the vitals.

Old ladies fighting? They didn't mess around!

However, the few young men, Li Junjun, Li Weiwei, and Su Yinlai, who were protecting the women, all ended up with some injuries.

When Ming Mei and the others returned, they arrived just in time to see the chaos. Ming Mei was at the front, and before even reaching the door, she heard the commotion inside and quickly said, "You all take the kids, I'll go check it out."

She sprinted to the door, just in time to see Fan Debiao lifting a wooden club to strike Zhao Guihua. Without thinking, she darted forward, grabbed the club, and with a swift spin, took it from him. Instead of using it herself, she handed it to Zhao Guihua, but then delivered a powerful kick, sending Fan Debiao flying.

Her kick was far more powerful than Li Junjun's, and Fan Debiao was flung into the air, crashing heavily onto the steps, coughing up blood.

"Hit that nasty woman!"

"You bitch, we're going to teach you a lesson!"

"How dare you attack Brother Biao, take this!"

Ming Mei paid no heed to their taunts and directly engaged, realizing that only the weak needed to talk tough. In no time, she had taken out all of them, one by one.

There was no need for anyone else to step in.

Everyone silently stepped back, realizing that Ming Mei's strength was on a different level.

Indeed, in just a few moves, the five or six men were like rag dolls, all knocked out and unable to fight back!

The troublemakers were piled up in the courtyard, with Fan Debiao at the bottom, feeling like he was about to be crushed.

Ming Mei dusted off her hands and said, "You really overestimate yourselves, coming to our courtyard to cause trouble. Did you even bother to find out if we're easy to mess with?"

"That's right!"

"Beat them up!"

"Charge!"

Everyone now felt emboldened, rushing forward with a series of thuds!

Oh, they weren't scared from the start. Their courtyard had seen it all, so the only ones who might be afraid were the younger ones. Anyone with some experience knew just how tough their courtyard was.

When it came to fighting, they had seen it all!

"I'll teach you to curse, to bully people, to force yourself on someone, do you think this is the old society? I hate scum like you the most!" Guan Hong joined in the fray.

Zheng Huimin wasn't holding back either: "I would never marry a scumbag like you, you're as old as my dad and still trying to leech off a young girl, shameless! If you keep harassing me, I'll report you!"

The others weren't holding back either: "How dare you show up without knowing the reputation of our 44th Courtyard..."

A group of children watching the whole scene from the doorway: "...Wow!"