My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 192

Ming Mei single-handedly took out a group of tough guys, as easily as playing a game.

These men, after being knocked down, faced a second round of beatings, getting thoroughly pummeled. Coming to cause trouble and thinking they could leave unscathed?

Fat chance!

After getting a sound beating, could they finally leave?

Not so fast—there was a third round of troubles waiting for them: they called the police station.

Woo-hoo, this was incredibly unreasonable. They had initiated the fight and seemed to have the upper hand, yet they called the cops, thinking the police officers would side with them. When the officers arrived, they couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh, another case that contributes to our stats."

Hearing this, those men felt utterly embarrassed.

Fan Debiao tried to fabricate the truth, shouting, "Officers, we’re the victims here! We encountered bad people, we…"

"Shut it," Guan Hong quickly interjected. "Surely you don’t think we’re the bad guys here? This group of men barged in with the intent to kidnap a woman and attack people; we were merely acting in self-defense." Despite her usual flightiness, she showed a strong sense of justice in this situation.

She added, "This stout, pig-eared man here claims they’ve paid the betrothal money, and now they’re here to kidnap her."

Pointing at a few of the male comrades, she continued, "Look at how badly they’ve injured our men."

Zheng Huimin nodded in agreement, "Exactly, I had no idea about any arrangement between him and my parents. I had already run away from home before…"

"They came here to bully people," Wang Zizhen chimed in loudly. "Look, they brought a thick wooden stick intending to hit an old lady. If it had hit, she would’ve been done for! Is this how people behave? Where’s the justice in this world?"

Everyone started voicing their complaints at once.

The police officers weren’t going to take anyone’s word at face value; it wasn’t just one or two people involved, and the details were murky. However, there were quite a few witnesses on the scene—people from the nearby courtyards who had seen what happened.

It was a weekend, and some youngsters playing in the alley had also witnessed the events. Everyone started talking, and the situation was quickly pieced together.

The police officers looked at Fan Debiao and his group with disdain. It was already the 80s—were they still living in the old society? Did they think they could just kidnap a woman? The women’s federation wouldn’t stand for this! The rights of women must be protected.

"Don’t worry," the leading police officer reassured them. "We will handle this matter seriously and cautiously, ensuring we give your community a satisfying resolution." He added, "Those of you who are injured should go to the hospital for a check-up first; we’ll sort out the compensation details later."

Even though Fan Debiao and his gang were the ones getting the worse of it, as the instigators of the trouble, they would still have to compensate Zhao Guihua and the others for their medical expenses.

Zhao Guihua decisively declared, "I’m definitely going to get a thorough check-up; they were pretty rough with their shoves earlier, and my back feels off."

She then winked at Aunt Zhou and Aunt Wang.

This wasn’t about trying to swindle them; it was about making these troublemakers understand the consequences of their actions. If they didn’t face some actual losses, they might try something like this again. Besides, they were genuinely injured!

Such people needed to be taught a lesson.

Aunt Wang instantly caught on to her old friend’s intentions, rubbing her shoulder and saying, "Oh my, what a terrible ordeal! I’m an elderly woman, and I got punched by a bunch of young men. I need to be hospitalized!"

Seeing the others start their "performances," Aunt Zhou eagerly chimed in, "And this can’t leave me out! My heart and lungs are all in pain; it’s incredibly unfair! How could anyone be so shameless as to bully the elderly?"

Li Junjun and his group also nodded in unison.

"Exactly, they brought a gang to attack us! If it wasn’t for Aunt Zhao, we could’ve been beaten to a pulp."

"Indeed, look at how injured everyone is…"

"Oh, speaking of their injuries, shouldn’t they compensate for lost wages? After all, we all have jobs to get back to."

The police officer replied, "That will definitely be taken into account."

Zhao Guihua seized Yinlai’s hand and said, "Look at the state this child is in; he was practically acting as a good Samaritan. Not just him, but all of us were protecting the girl. If she had been taken away, God knows what would’ve happened to her."

"Exactly!"

"These scoundrels declared the girl their wife right off the bat; they clearly had ill intentions."

"Absolutely, don’t trust people like that."

"Look at how badly this young man was beaten."

The onlookers focused on Yinlai, saying, "He’s a hundred times better than his brother."

Yinlai was the most visibly injured, with obvious bruises on his face. Having been away for several days and traveling by train, he looked incredibly worn out. But now, with his injuries, anyone would think he’d gone through a terrible ordeal.

The police officers were also indignant: "Don’t worry; go to the hospital. Whether it’s for lost wages or medical expenses, we’ll make sure you get everything you’re owed."

Yinlai responded quickly, "Thank you."

Zhao Guihua asked, "Shouldn’t they be considered a gang of hooligans?"

The police officer replied, "We’ll need to investigate further on that."

"No, we’re not a gang of hooligans!" one of the men following Fan Debiao wailed. "We’re just part of superiority Debiao’s crew. He’s a street vendor in West Dan, and we just help him with collecting and moving goods from time to time. We’re not really into fights; we’re just helping out as his errand boys. We didn’t want any actual trouble!"

The men with Fan Debiao were wailing in despair; usually, they got to enjoy the good life by being hangers-on, but this time, they ended up losing both their manhood and their pride. It was an utter disgrace!

They couldn’t even beat the old ladies, let alone the women, and got thrashed instead. It was a humiliating defeat!

"We’re so unfortunate! Waaaah!"

The men cried their hearts out, sobbing uncontrollably. However, no one felt the slightest bit of sympathy for them. They hadn’t shown any mercy when they started the fight. If it weren’t for Ming Mei’s timely return, the battle would’ve gone on longer, and the old ladies certainly couldn’t have held out against a group of strong men.

So, it was only fair that they got what they deserved!

Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes to the heavens and sneered, "What’s there to cry about? You’re a bunch of grown men."

Ming Mei quickly interjected, "Mom, don’t bother with these men; I’ll take you all to the hospital."

"What’s going on here?"

Zhuang Zhixi finally arrived on the scene, taking in the situation with a sharp change of expression. He immediately stepped forward and asked, "What happened?"

Several kids quickly gathered around Zhuang Zhixi, but before they could start chattering.

Zhao Guihua glared at her son and scolded, "Where the hell have you been, you little rascal? You’re never home when we need you! The trouble’s already done with, and you show up now! Where were you on a Sunday? Did you run wild?"

Zhuang Zhixi quickly explained, "I went to see off Grandpa Lan."

He added, "Grandpa Lan was heading back to Jinling; I went to the train station to see him off."

Zhao Guihua raised an eyebrow. "What? He’s going back to his hometown?"

Lan Sihai wasn’t usually the type to involve himself with his family or have them disturb his life.

Ming Mei quickly explained, "My nephew is getting married; it’s my eldest cousin’s son’s wedding. He’s going back to attend the ceremony. I was going to the station too, but Grandpa Lan didn’t want a tearful goodbye, so he only asked Zhixi to see him off."

She made sure to clear her husband’s name, adding, "He wasn’t running around aimlessly."

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "So, what happened here, Mom?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "These jerks dared to show up at our doorstep. Do they even know how tough our old ladies are? Walk from the south to the north, ask around, and you’ll hear plenty about our community! Do they think we’re scared of trouble?"

Aunt Wang added, "Exactly, they had the nerve to…"

And so on, the old ladies quickly filled him in on the details.

Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow and looked at the group of men who were now bruised and battered. Despite their beaten state, each of them was clutching their groin area, clearly victims of a certain martial arts move.

The aunties in their courtyard had all learned from Bai Fendou to kick where it hurts first when fighting.

Fan Debiao was especially affected, clutching himself and grimacing in pain.

Despite his earlier loud cries, he dared not utter a word now. However, his gaze was somewhat venomous. Zhuang Zhixi looked at him, slightly frowned, and then quickly addressed the others, "You should hurry to the hospital. With the current situation, it's best to get a proper check-up. Are you girls alright?"

Zheng Huimin shook her head and said, "I'm fine."

This was her first time experiencing a group fight. It was an exhilarating and novel experience. Her lips tightened as her body still trembled slightly, but inexplicably, she felt she had gained more courage.

She glanced at Fan Debiao, quickly turned her head away in fear, but then thought of something and turned back, glaring fiercely at him.

Fan Debiao was infuriated.

This little bitch had conspired with outsiders against him!

Just wait until they're married, he'll definitely beat this rotten woman to death.

His eyes flickered as he stared relentlessly at Zheng Huimin. Zheng Huimin spat and said, "I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

What was the point of being a big strong man when Zhao Guihua had kicked him where it hurt the most?

She wasn't afraid anymore!

She shifted closer to Ming Mei.

Indeed, as the rumors said, Ming Mei was really formidable.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Alright, let's move these things to our place for now. The rest should go to the hospital immediately. Children, go home!" Zhuang Zhixi started organizing, saying, "Sister-in-law, look after the kids."

Liang Meifen: "Got it!"

She stood there meekly like a quail. Though this situation had nothing to do with her, she was terrified the moment she saw Ming Mei in action. Such a sister-in-law was someone she couldn't afford to provoke. Liang Meifen shooed the children, "Go home, kids. Auntie will make pancakes for you later."

Hearing about pancakes,

for some reason, Fan Debiao thought of Wu Dalang. He felt he was that pitiable Wu Dalang, and Zheng Huimin this little bitch was Pan Jinlian. He just didn't know who the Ximen Qing was.

His eyes darted around as the police officers were about to take them away.

He clutched the area in pain, walking with a slow, halting gait. Zhuang Zhixi smirked lightly, as if speaking to himself, "Stupid, used as a pawn."

It seemed he wasn't talking to Fan Debiao but merely letting out that light remark. He then spoke to the leading police officer, "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble again."

"Hey, what trouble? That's our job. Besides, we know you can handle things well." They were just here to clean up; they never had to step in anyway.

The officer smiled and said, "Ming Mei, you're starting at the Police University next week, right?"

Ming Mei smiled and nodded, "Yes! By the way, I heard your system arranges training sessions during the summer break for college students?"

"Yes, and I signed up. I’ll probably need your guidance then, Professor Ming."

Ming Mei chuckled, "Of course!"

Fan Debiao and the others looked at Ming Mei, then at the police. One of them with a bruised and swollen face couldn't help but ask, "Sister, are you a police officer?"

Ming Mei: "I'm not."

Fan Debiao and his gang looked at her suspiciously. The police officer laughed and said, "She's a combat instructor at the Police University."

Fan Debiao's pupils dilated!

Now he understood why they were in such a mess. It was no wonder they couldn't defeat her; she was too strong.

At that moment, Zhuang Zhixi spoke up again, "My wife used to work with Guan Guiling at the same unit. Though they didn't interact much, everyone knew she hates evil. Even though she's transferred now, she couldn't just watch her old colleague's daughter get bullied. You'll be staying inside for a while!"

Fan Debiao was stunned, then narrowed his eyes slightly. Being a man of suspicion, especially in business, he always thought twice. Without knowing Zhuang Zhixi's name, he recalled his earlier words: "Used as a pawn."

Suddenly, he began to doubt Zheng Yufeng and his wife.

If Zheng Yufeng hadn't "inadvertently" let it slip, he wouldn't have come here!

Moreover, she was an ex-colleague of Guan Guiling; she must have known how formidable the woman was.

Could it be that he indeed got set up?

"Take them away!"

All were taken away. Zhao Guihua and the others prepared to go to the hospital for a check-up. Zhuang Zhixi asked, "They won't have any serious issues, right?"

"Indecent assault? They'll likely be detained for ten days to a month; it's hard to get longer."

The police officer knew this was the usual case. He said, "This isn't serious enough for a more significant charge."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded; he had anticipated this.

The police officer looked at Zheng Huimin and said, "Don't worry; no one can force you to marry if you don't want to. If you face any difficulties, seek the Women's Federation; they are willing to help female comrades."

Zheng Huimin nodded quickly, "I understand."

"Hurry to the hospital, and don't worry about the expenses there."

"Okay."

Zheng Huimin said, "I'm fine; I'm not hurt. It's Brother Li..."

Li Weiwei: "I'm fine."

Zheng Huimin's lips twitched, "I wasn't talking about you. I meant Brother Li Junjun. Are you alright, Brother Li? I'll take you to the hospital."

Guan Hong quickly stepped forward, "Yes, yes, I saw you got hit twice. Does it hurt? This can't be taken lightly."

Li Junjun felt like the Tang Monk in the Spider Cave, immediately stepping back, "I'm fine; you don't need to worry."

He took another step back, wanting to look for Xiaoyan, but suddenly remembered she had night classes and hadn't returned.

Zheng Huimin: "Don't take it lightly."

The two female comrades were both very concerned about Li Junjun. Su Jinlai, however, couldn't stand it. After all, these two were also his pursuers, and he had always felt superior. But since this incident, they hadn't even glanced at him, let alone showed concern.

He felt unequal and coughed to interrupt, saying sarcastically, "It's just a couple of hits. Are men so weak they can't handle that? Look at how nervous you are; this isn't a big deal!"

"Shut up!"

Both Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong shouted simultaneously.

The buzzing crowd instantly fell silent as everyone looked at the two women. Zheng Huimin glared at Su Jinlai with utter disdain. She spat and said, "You're worse than a dog!"

Su Jinlai hadn't expected Zheng Huimin to curse him like that. He was stunned for a moment before reacting, "You, you... What do you mean? How dare you insult me? If it weren't for our courtyard's people protecting you, would you be standing here unharmed? Don't you know how to be grateful?!"

As shameless as he was, Zheng Huimin spat again, "You're worse than a dog! When Fan Debiao and his gang came, you hid faster than anyone. If it weren't for Brother Li Junjun, I would have been beaten. Now you act like a hero? I'm very grateful for the courtyard's people helping me, but what does that have to do with you? Don't think I didn't see it; when we needed help, you ran faster than anyone! You're trash! You're a coward! You're a weakling!"

Zheng Huimin admired true men the most. Someone like him was worse than a dog!

She snorted coldly, "I'll return your rent and never want to see a piece of trash like you again!"

Su Jinlai: "You, you... You're obviously jealous because I said Guan Hong is my girlfriend, you..."

As soon as Guan Hong heard this, she remembered how he had pushed her out to avoid trouble. Without hesitation, she kicked him right where it hurt: "Bang!"

Su Jinlai: "Ah!"

He hadn't been hurt earlier, but now he was!

He clutched the area and crouched down: "You..."

Without a word, Guan Hong slapped him across the face with a loud smack!

Wang Xiangxiu started to step forward but was pulled back by Yinlai, who shook his head at her.

Guan Hong was seething with anger, her hair practically standing on end. She cursed, "If you hadn't brought it up, I might have forgotten! It was you earlier, right when things were about to get really nasty. You actually pushed me out to take that slap for you!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, reflecting on how she had once liked such a disgusting creature. The thought made her feel nauseous.

With another swift move, Guan Hong delivered two firm slaps across Su Jinlai's face, shouting, "Guan Hong cuts all ties with you!"

Su Jinlai was completely stunned, collapsing to the ground. "You... you... you she-tiger! Who would want you!"

Guan Hong put her hands on her hips. "I don't want you either! You're just a fart! Absolutely useless trash!"

Her anger continued to mount. "Look at this courtyard. Everyone else, even the older folks, aren't cowards. But you? You’re just using women as shields. Are you even a man? Go die!"

Unable to contain her rage, she kicked him once more, this time in the butt.

Su Jinlai yelped, "Ouch!"

Guan Hong retorted, "Eat shit!"

No one intervened as Guan Hong beat him up. Wang Xiangxiu had initially wanted to step in but was stopped by Yinlai, who, upon hearing the story, nearly blew her top.

She could tolerate her son causing minor mischief from time to time, but for a 'man of Beijing' to do something so unmanly was utterly disgraceful. She stepped forward and asked, "Is what Guan Hong said true?"

Su Jinlai retorted, "She's framing me!"

Yinlai chimed in solemnly, "Big brother, we all saw it..."

In a setting with so many witnesses, did he really think he could get away with lying?

Wang Xiangxiu was livid. She grabbed her son and started beating him. "You little scoundrel! You can't go a day without causing trouble, can you? Look at yourself! What can you even do? You..."

"Mom, stop hitting me!"

Yinlai quickly stepped in to stop her, saying, "Mom, don't beat him anymore. You might end up making yourself sick."

Wang Xiangxiu sighed, "I don't know what kind of bad karma I accumulated to end up with a son like you. You're going to give me a heart attack..."

Yinlai quickly supported his mother, urging, "Mom, sit down quickly."

"Maybe we should go to the hospital."

"Yes, yes, let's go to the hospital."

Despite no major injuries, the scuffle had left some scratches, and the elderly participants needed medical checks. Everyone was quick to head to the hospital, eager for a thorough examination.

They were in the right, after all. If it weren't for Fan Debiao attacking Zheng Huimin first, there wouldn't have been a fight.

With the moral high ground, they were unstoppable.

Since someone else was covering the medical expenses, they didn't hold back, getting every possible test done. It turned out that Yinlai wasn't in great shape and had to be hospitalized. Nothing serious, but his weaker constitution meant he wasn't feeling well.

The bustling hospital was filled with everyone from the courtyard.

Meanwhile, the kids back at the courtyard gathered around, comparing notes. "My mom is so amazing! Just like Bai Mei Daxia, she's a great fighter," said Tuantuan.

The radio was currently airing a serialized story about Bai Mei Daxia, whom the kids considered the ultimate hero.

"Can you fight too?"

"Of course! My sister and I go to training five days a week."

Yuanyuan agreed, "Training is tough, but fighting is really cool."

"That's right!"

"If you're so good, can you teach us?"

"Sure!"

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan had been taking martial arts classes for six years, starting when they were just five years old. Their great-uncle, who was their mother's teacher, had returned from out of town in 1977 and lived in a big courtyard where the siblings trained regularly. They were already much more proficient than most kids their age, but they never used their skills to bully others.

Their great-uncle strictly forbade it.

Today, seeing their mom in action, the two were in awe of how skilled she was.

Little Siyuan asked curiously, "Why do you learn from your mom's teacher instead of her directly? Isn't Aunt Ming Mei capable of teaching you?"

Yuanyuan explained, "Mom says learning martial arts is hard work. As a mother, she doesn't want to make us suffer, so she can't teach us. But I like learning from Grandpa."

"Why?"

"Because my mom's teacher must be even better than her! Plus, technically, we're like her junior siblings." Yuanyuan grinned, feeling like she had scored a point.

"That makes sense."

"Exactly."

"I want to learn too!"

"Me too!"

The other kids looked at Tuantuan and Yuanyuan with anticipation.

"We can teach you guys later," they replied enthusiastically.

"Deal!"

The kids gathered around, making a lot of noise as they practiced their moves.

"We'll be so strong, we won't have to fear bad guys anymore."

"We don't already!"

"Right!"

With the adults away, the kids were having a great time.

While the tiger was away, the monkeys played king.

Liang Meifen was in charge of the children but found the noise overwhelming. Seeing that the kids weren't in a hurry to go to bed, she didn't push them either, saying, "If you're sleeping over, go wash your faces and feet right now."

"Okay~ Just a minute!"

Although they agreed, the chatter didn't stop.

Li Zhenzhen said, "Once we learn martial arts, we can go out and be heroes."

She still had dreams of being a kung fu heroine.

"But where's the 'jianghu'?"

"Everywhere there are people is the 'jianghu'."

The kids' lively discussions even revealed some philosophical nuggets.

Meanwhile, Liang Meifen found all the noise too much. She moved a stool to the doorway and dozed off, overwhelmed by the ruckus.

Ming Mei and the others returned late at night. Liang Meifen had already fallen asleep on her stool, and the kids inside hadn't washed up. They were sprawled out, fast asleep, unruly without the adults around.

Ming Mei didn't wake the children. They were already asleep, so disturbing them wasn't an option.

She woke Liang Meifen instead. Liang Meifen, still drowsy, didn't exchange pleasantries and went straight home to sleep.

Ming Mei went to the water basin to wash her face, feeling quite tired after the day's events.

It wasn't the fighting that tired her, but the day's activities—they had also visited the Great Wall earlier, making for a long day.

Zhuang Zhixi noticed her slightly fatigued expression and said, "You go to work as usual tomorrow. I'll handle this at the police station."

They were, after all, very familiar with the procedures.

Ming Mei nodded, "Alright."

Leaning against the water basin, she said, "I noticed Fan Debiao has a sinister glare and a fierce demeanor. He doesn't seem like the forgiving type. Do you think he might seek revenge once he's released after being detained?"

Zhuang Zhixi was calm. "No, he won't."

Ming Mei raised an eyebrow. "I don't think he looks like someone who would let this go easily."

Zhuang Zhixi explained, "True, our conflict with him would naturally make him resent us. But he wouldn't be the one most vengeful toward us. You see, someone like him, with that evil aura and petty nature, I can tell he's the type to hold grudges. However, even if he wants revenge, it's not directed at us. Think about it—he knows you're from the same unit as Guan Guiling. Wouldn't he wonder about your combat skills? Doesn't Guan Guiling know? Wouldn't he suspect she orchestrated this? I don't think Fan Debiao came here without Zheng Yufeng and Guan Guiling's influence. Given some time—even if it's just the ten days or so he'll be detained—he'll figure it out. Compared to us, who directly clashed with him, I believe he’ll hold the ones who set him up in higher regard."

"You think Guan Guiling and her husband deliberately lured him here?"

Zhuang Zhixi affirmed, "Absolutely. With all the awards you've received at the transport station, it's impossible not to notice you. You wouldn't let them take him away without a fight, which would inevitably lead to conflict."

Ming Mei frowned, "But why would Guan Guiling do something like that?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "I don't know, but there must be some ulterior motive. It's either her motive or her husband's. I think it's probably her husband's motive. That Zheng Yufeng doesn't seem like a good person; he's got way too many tricks up his sleeve."

Ming Mei nodded. She agreed with this assessment. The first time she met Zheng Yufeng was at the hospital. Although he was weak at the time, she immediately felt that this man gave off an uncomfortable vibe, heavy with an air of negativity.

This wasn't like Fan Debiao's straightforward intimidating aura, but rather someone who pretends to be a good person on the surface while harboring sinister intentions underneath.

Ming Mei rolled her eyes in frustration, saying, "What kind of people are they in their family? Guan Guiling..."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Zhuang Zhixi, saying, "You deliberately brought up that Guan Guiling used to be my old colleague today, didn't you?"

Zhuang Zhixi remained calm, replying, "I had to divert his attention. If that cunning man focused on us, it would be a lot of trouble. And what I said wasn't a lie—Zheng Yufeng and Guan Guiling pulling him in definitely has an agenda. Helping him analyze things early on is a good thing. Let them deal with their own mess and stay out of our way."

Ming Mei didn't see anything wrong with Zhuang Zhixi's approach.

After all, he was doing this for the sake of their family.

"Guan Guiling really isn't good to her daughter. If she even cared a little, she wouldn't have chosen someone like Fan Debiao."

"That's for sure," Zhuang Zhixi responded.

They both felt a bit sympathetic toward Zheng Huimin, who was stuck with such a mother.

"Oh, by the way, Zheng Huimin didn't come back?" Ming Mei suddenly realized.

Zhuang Zhixi explained, "She stayed at the hospital to help out."

Ming Mei replied, "I didn't notice."

Aunt Zhao Guihua and the other older women were scheduled for a full body check-up. However, since it was already evening, some of the tests couldn't be done. The hospital arranged for them to stay overnight. Normally, such arrangements wouldn't be made, but since their case was involved, the hospital agreed to the stay.

Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "Mom and the others aren't planning to let Fan Debiao off easily. A full check-up won't hurt, right? Zheng Huimin decided to stay and help out."

"She really should stay," Ming Mei agreed.

"I think she just wants to stay and be with Li Junjun," Zhuang Zhixi observed.

Ming Mei noticed this too. Li Junjun worked for the railway, and his schedule was different from regular people's. He had no shift tomorrow, so he stayed at the hospital tonight to help take care of Yinlai.

As for Jinlai, well, even dogs wouldn't bother with him!

No one paid him any attention.

Furthermore, Aunt Wang and Wang Zizhen were already at the hospital, so Li Junjun didn't return home either.

"Oh wait, Guan Hong didn't come back either," Ming Mei realized.

The couple exchanged glances, and gradually, a thought formed in their minds.

Ming Mei hesitantly said, "Uh... could it be that both she and Zheng Huimin have their sights set on Li Junjun again?"

Zhuang Zhixi twitched his mouth, thinking, "Seems quite possible."

For a moment, the couple didn't know what to say.

It was just... rather perplexing!

"They sure share the same interests," Ming Mei commented.

The couple exchanged a look, finding that they really couldn't understand the younger generation. Although they themselves got married early, the circumstances back then were vastly different from now. This generation of young people was simply bewildering to them.

Ming Mei sighed, "I can't understand it at all."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded. "Me neither. If Tuantuan or Yuanyuan ends up being such lovesick fools, I definitely won't be happy."

As an anxious father, thinking about it made him sigh.

His little Yuanyuan better not be like that!

Raising a son might be somewhat easier, but when it comes to daughters, parents can't help but worry, afraid that they might fall for some rascal. The mere thought made Zhuang Zhixi anxious.

He frowned slightly, saying, "I think we need to save more money, prepare more for our daughter."

Ming Mei blinked, unsure what he was getting at.

Zhuang Zhixi continued, "Other families might favor boys, but we have just two children—one boy and one girl—and we can't adopt that way of thinking."

Ming Mei nodded. "Of course."

Growing up, she had never experienced any gender bias and, naturally, she wouldn’t let her own children feel it either. She treated her two children equally.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Whether it's a son or a daughter, money gives a person confidence. We have to prepare for both of them."

Ming Mei looked up, her watery eyes gazing at Zhuang Zhixi as she asked seriously, "Are you really going to discuss this with me at midnight in the yard?"

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, saying, "Let's go back to sleep. We need to work hard, save money for our son's future wife, and prepare a dowry for our daughter."

"Alright," Ming Mei agreed, "Let’s go!"

The couple headed back home.

Ming Mei peeked into the children's room and saw the little ones sleeping soundly like little pigs. She couldn't help but smile and shake her head before gently closing the door. This night had been a busy one for everyone.

They returned home, while others remained at the hospital.

Li Junjun sat by the bedside, leaning against the chair.

Yinlai was narrating his experiences in the south to Li Junjun, who hadn't been there himself and was fascinated by Yinlai's descriptions.

"Is business really that booming in the south?" Li Junjun asked.

"Yeah, we went directly to factories, and there are many shops outside too. But buying from shops would be more expensive than direct factory deals," Yinlai explained with a smile. "It's a good thing we went together. If I were alone, I probably wouldn't have managed alone. Even though it's lively there, it's also a bit chaotic. For example, on the train rides to and fro, we encountered trouble multiple times."

Li Junjun sighed. "Your journey sure was eventful."

"That's for sure," Yinlai responded.

Though Li Junjun didn't interact with Yinlai as much as with Tonglai, he felt envious of the experience. However, amidst the longing, he also appreciated the stable life he had.

"Li Ge, everyone’s asleep; you should rest too," said Zheng Huimin, coming up to Li Junjun.

Guan Hong chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, you’re hurt; you should rest more."

Li Junjun chuckled and shook his head, saying, "It's okay, I'm fine. I just want to chat with Yinlai."

Yinlai glanced at Zheng Huimin and, after a moment's silence, decided not to mention Zheng Huifang's matter. That could wait for Aunt Zhao and Aunt Wang to handle. He just said mildly, "I'm actually okay. Normally, I wouldn't even need to be hospitalized."

Realizing they had the upper hand, considering Fan Debiao had brought trouble their way, they thought it wouldn't hurt to stick it to him a bit.

Leaning back on the hospital bed, Yinlai added, "I just need a few days of rest."

Then, changing the subject, he said, "Thanks for covering my shifts. I'll calculate the money for you tomorrow."

Zheng Huimin quickly agreed, "Okay, thank you."

Currently penniless and struggling to make ends meet, she had been skipping meals to save money. If not for relying on Guan Hong's help, she would have been starving.

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍admitted frankly, "I haven’t got a single penny, really broke."

Yinlai looked at her, surprised, and then realized it made sense. The Zheng family certainly wouldn’t be financially supporting Zheng Huimin. Besides, without a proper job, she had no steady income. Li Junjun showed some sympathy, saying, "If you ever need money, you can borrow from me. I don’t have a lot, but it can help out in emergencies."

A girl like her had it tough.

Zheng Huimin’s eyes lit up, but before she could respond, Guan Hong cut in, "I can lend her some money too."

She grabbed Zheng Huimin tightly, insisting, "I’ll lend it to you!"

Zheng Huimin stammered, "I… I wasn’t asking to borrow money."

She hadn’t been intending to borrow money, just expressing her gratitude to Li Junjun. She knew he was a good person!

Didn’t Guan Hong overthink things too much?

Slightly narrowing her eyes, Zheng Huimin understood what Guan Hong was up to. She muttered quietly, "You’re always trying to take things from me."

First Su Jinlai, then Li Weiwei!

She explained, "I’ll get the money for covering shifts tomorrow, so no need to borrow."

She and Tonglai had agreed that shift cover pay was eight cents a day. She had covered shifts for ten days, totaling eight yuan, enough to last half a month if she saved a little. She planned to repay Jinlai for the rent so she wouldn't be tied to that scoundrel anymore. She felt disgusted just thinking about it.

The rent was eight yuan a month, divided equally between her and Guan Hong.

Sighing inwardly, that would thin her meager funds in half.

"What are your plans for the future?" Yinlai asked.

Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong exchanged glances. Although they were originally rivals in love, having gone through "hardships" together, they no longer had an antagonistic attitude towards each other. They might still bicker, but they could discuss important matters.

Guan Hong: "I plan to continue renting the apartment here."

Zheng Huimin nodded: "Me too."

Guan Hong continued: "I ran away for love and fell out with my parents. Now that I know Su Jinlai is unreliable, I can't just go back home immediately, as that would mean I was wrong all along. That would be so embarrassing! I want to stay here and show my parents that I can live well without them. I was not wrong. Pursuing love wasn't wrong, though I happened to have chosen the wrong person. But I can still meet the right one."

She glanced at Li Junjun, secretly thinking that only by staying in the compound could she continue to interact with Li Ge. It's not that she changed her heart too quickly, but Su Jinlai was really unreliable. He actually pushed her out to take the blame in critical moments, which Guan Hong simply couldn't tolerate.

Whether it's the gang leaders in Hong Kong movies or the male leads in Taiwanese romance dramas, none of them are like this guy!

A man can be flirtatious, carefree, and unattached to worldly affairs...

But he can't be a coward!

To have a woman take the fall in critical moments? Even the villains in Hong Kong movies wouldn't do that, it's just trash!

Guan Hong certainly doesn't want someone like that, even if they've slept together. She's made up her mind to pursue Li Junjun now. The good news is that Li Junjun is a very manly, upright, and good-hearted person. The bad news is, Zheng Huimin might have the same idea, and they could be starting a new battle for the man.

Damn, she's always her love rival.

Their tastes are surprisingly similar.

But good men are always fought over.

She looked at Zheng Huimin and said: "You're going to stay too, right?"

Zheng Huimin nodded firmly: "Why go home? I'd just be walking into their schemes. I also want to stay and find some part-time work."

As long as she can earn money, she won't starve.

Even if she were to starve, she wouldn't marry someone like Fan Debiao. She can do without steamed buns, but not without love.

Only by staying can she get closer to Li Weiwei. Otherwise, Guan Hong would definitely try to steal him. She's already seen that Guan Hong has shifted her affections, changing as quickly as the wind. But then again, who wouldn't love a brave man?

She said: "I want to talk to Brother Zhang San about renting long-term, see if he can lower the rent a bit."

This immediately got Guan Hong's approval, and she said: "Right, I'll go with you. We can bargain together."

"I wonder if he'd agree."

Li Junjun thought for a moment and said: "I think he might agree. Uncle Zhang San is a good man. He's not the type to be difficult to talk to."

The two girls immediately smiled, their eyes shining brightly as they gazed at Li Junjun, full of affection.

Yinlai, who was watching from the side, swallowed hard, feeling a bit scared by the intensity of their gazes. It seemed as if they were ready to devour him. They hadn't looked at his eldest brother like this before. Now, it was really frightening.

He lowered his head, seeking help from the others in the ward, but everyone... was asleep.

Yinlai felt small and helpless, thinking he should be under the bed instead of in the bed.

"Li Ge, are you not working tomorrow?" Zheng Huimin asked sweetly, smiling, "You helped me today, solving a big problem for me. Let me wash your clothes? Do you have any dirty clothes? I can wash them for you."

Li Junjun immediately replied: "No, thanks!"

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It would be inappropriate to let a young woman wash his clothes without any familial ties. He quickly said: "I can do it myself."

"Li Ge, when do you work and when do you get off? Let's go for a picnic together?" Guan Hong launched her own attack.

Li Junjun immediately shook his head: "No, I'm usually quite busy."

He looked for help toward Yinlai, who was hiding under the covers, pretending to be asleep. The poor guy didn't even move—it was obvious he wasn't really asleep.

Li Junjun mumbled: "I... I need to go to the restroom."

"Li Ge, I'll come with you?" Guan Hong didn't hesitate to take the initiative when it came to the man she liked.

Li Weiwei seemed even more panicked and said: "No, really, no need!"

He quickly got up and left.

Zheng Huimin: "Li Ge..."

Li Weiwei turned back: "I think everything's fine here. Everyone's okay. There's no need for care or company. I can manage on my own. You all should go back. Zheng Huimin, don't you need to cover Yinlai's shift tomorrow? If you don't get enough sleep, how will you have the energy? And you, Guan Hong, you also need to work tomorrow. The machinery factory isn't a place where you can slack off. What if you get hurt by not paying attention? Go back and rest."

Go, go, leave now.

They're making him nervous with their enthusiasm.

Li Junjun insisted: "Go back and rest. You've got work tomorrow. Don't wear yourselves out, young people."

Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong both felt touched. Zheng Huimin nodded forcefully: "Okay."

Guan Hong also nodded. Though she wanted to stay, Li Ge's concern was something they couldn't ignore. They didn't argue with Li Junjun and said with a hint of emotion: "Then we'll go back and rest now. Li Ge, you rest well too."

Li Junjun nodded: "Sure."

He wanted to say, "Let me walk you back," but the words got stuck in his throat.

Although he was well-intentioned, if he offered to walk them, they would surely misinterpret his actions even more. Li Junjun swallowed his well-meaning gesture and simply said: "Be careful on your way back."

Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong felt even more touched, confirming with a strong "Okay."

With that, the two didn't delay any further and left the hospital together.

As soon as they were gone, Li Junjun let out a sigh of relief.

"Are those two girls interested in you?" Aunt Wang's voice came from the ward. She wasn't asleep after all!

"I think so. Junjun was a hero today, rescuing the beauties. Those two girls have a bit of a hero complex, even if they're not in love, they're at least somewhat interested," Zhao Guihua chimed in.

"Yes, young girls nowadays are more open than we were back then. Old Wang, you were always worried about Junjun and Weiwei being single. Look, they won't be single—there are already girls interested in him," Aunt Zhou added, also not asleep.

The crowd was really enthusiastic about the drama.

Yinlai murmured softly: "Their eyes are so intense... it gives me goosebumps just looking at them."

He stopped pretending to be asleep.

Everyone turned their gaze to Li Weiwei's bed. When trouble came, the older women like Wang Zizhen and He Lan were unfazed, but the young men stood in front, sustaining a few injuries—like Li Weiwei, who got banged up and ended up hospitalized. This really showed what kind of person each one was.

Everyone was pretending to sleep and eavesdropping—all except Li Weiwei, who was actually sleeping deeply.

Li Weiwei: "Hooo... Hooo..."

He was snoring soundly, really in deep sleep.

Aunt Wang: "I was talking about this guy being single."

Li Weiwei snored on.

His grandmother was really worried.

You know, Guan Hong was actually his arranged date, and now that she's moved on to her second target, he's still single, not even having gone on a date.

Li Junjun, concerned for his brother, said: "Older brother must be exhausted today. Let him sleep well."

He paused, then said: "Don't talk about them like that. It's not right to say those two ladies have feelings for me. This could affect their reputation. They're just being enthusiastic out of gratitude for my help."

But no one in the ward believed him.

"What do you think?" Aunt Wang asked.

As the grandmother of Li Junjun, Aunt Wang naturally knew that her grandson had a crush on Xiaoyan, whom he had always been very protective of from a young age. But now it was obvious that Xiaoyan wasn't interested. Plus, she was still a student, and if she really managed to get into university, the gap between them would only widen. She didn't think it was a good idea for her grandson to hold onto his feelings for Xiaoyan.

Xiaoyan was only a freshman in high school, and there were three years in high school and four years in university.

She had never doubted that Xiaoyan would fail to get in; others might fail, but Xiaoyan definitely could not.

Adding up the seven years of high school and university, if her grandson really waited that long, he would be considered old by then. So, she wasn't optimistic about Li Junjun's feelings either.

She said, "Your grandma thinks that they..."

Li Junjun quickly interjected, "Grandma, I'm not planning to look for someone now."

He didn't explicitly say he had his sights set on Xiaoyan, but he firmly stated, "I'm still young, and even my job at the railway section isn't permanent yet. I need to focus on my career."

Aunt Wang opened her mouth to say something, but she bit her tongue and ultimately didn't speak.

Zhao Guihua understood Li Junjun's feelings, but it wasn't her place to comment.

Aunt Wang sighed and said, "I'm not worried about Junjun, but I'm worried about Weiwei."

Li Junjun hesitated for a moment and said, "Little brother has his heart set on nothing but peace."

Ever since he saw a fight between two female colleagues, he felt that he couldn't handle women and decided to wait a few more years. When Li Junjun mentioned this, Aunt Wang glared, "He's not very capable. If he doesn't find someone while he's young, what will he do when he's older?"

Li Junjun shrunk his neck, realizing that in the eyes of older women, getting married was the most important thing.

They couldn't wait for them to find partners as soon as they came of age.

Li Junjun remained silent, while Zhao Guihua chimed in, "Let's go to bed early. We need to rest well; there's still a lot of work ahead."

"Exactly!"

"Let's sleep!"

The conversation quickly came to an end. Meanwhile, when Zheng Huimin and Guan Hong got home, it was already very late—almost two in the morning. Both of them laid down but weren't particularly sleepy. Guan Hong couldn't help but say, "Are you still trying to compete with me?"

Zheng Huimin replied, "It's you who's competing with me. A life-saving grace ought to be repaid with marriage."

Guan Hong shot back, "Psh, I'm the one who should do that! He helped me too."

"Then..."

Both of them spoke at the same time: "Let's see who's better at competing."

"Fine!"

They were in perfect sync again, truly kindred spirits.

Once more, they fell silent. After a while, Guan Hong pursed her lips and asked, "Do you have no money left?"

Zheng Huimin mumbled, "I'll have some after I get paid tomorrow. It'll last me a few more days."

Guan Hong murmured, "If you run out, I can lend you some."

Zheng Huimin looked at Guan Hong in surprise. Guan Hong grumbled, "I can't just watch you starve, can I?"

Knowing that Guan Hong had a tough exterior but a soft heart, Zheng Huimin smiled and said, "I'll hold out first. I'll ask for help when I run out. Actually..."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to make money. I'm thinking of what I can do to earn some."

Life without money was too hard.

Guan Hong agreed with this. She said, "But you don't have a stable job."

Zheng Huimin rolled her eyes. "What can I do? The job at home, my mother will never give it to me. It's reserved for my older brother. She never liked me."

Guan Hong: "Then what will you do?"

Zheng Huimin shook her head. She hadn't figured it out yet, but she knew she had to make up her mind to earn money. Otherwise, she couldn't go on like this. Yinlai would undoubtedly soon be back and wouldn't need her to cover for him anymore.

What was she going to do?

With just a few bucks, she couldn't afford to squander them, not to mention she still owed Guan Hong a hundred yuan.

Not only did she owe a hundred yuan, but these days she'd also been shamelessly mooching off Guan Hong for food and drinks. She sighed, feeling utterly defeated.

"Hey, did you see that?"

"See what?"

Guan Hong: "They went south to get goods. I saw a few old ladies in the courtyard planning to set up stalls."

Zheng Huimin frowned and said, "That's not good. Being an individual merchant is so embarrassing, and who among respectable people would do that?"

Guan Hong chuckled, "Oh, please! What's wrong with being an individual merchant? They make more money selling at stalls, and even if they don't, it's a legitimate business. You look down on it, but you're broke. You don't mind being poor, so why are you embarrassed about setting up a stall? Right now, you don't even have a job. What else can you do?"

In truth, Guan Hong also thought setting up a stall was not ideal.

It wasn't their fault; the prevailing mentality at the time was that way. Only when people understood that setting up stalls was profitable and that being an individual merchant wasn't shameful did they truly grasp the vast difference between being wealthy and being poor, as the 1990s approached.

But at the time, the mainstream still thought setting up stalls was embarrassing.

As ordinary people, they naturally shared this mindset.

In fact, Guan Hong thought the same way, but she wanted to argue with Zheng Huimin, so she wouldn't say setting up a stall was bad. Besides, no matter how good or bad it was, Zheng Huimin had no other options!

She said, "You're already broke to this extent, so stop thinking about embarrassment. When you can't afford rent and end up on the streets, will that be less embarrassing?"

Zheng Huimin fell silent for a long time before saying, "You're right."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "What do you think I should do?"

Guan Hong didn't know either. She thought for a bit and said, "Why don't you go ask Aunt Zhao?"

"Ask her? She looks so scary!"

Guan Hong chuckled coldly again. "Are you expecting someone to hand you the meal on a plate? If you want to find a way out, you naturally have to find someone capable. Aunt Zhao is so fierce, which means she's capable. After all, at her age, who'd be that fierce unless they were capable? She can dominate the younger generation so thoroughly, so she must be a powerful person."

She added, "Most older folks wouldn't dare to be so active for fear of their children not taking care of them in their old age. She's not afraid, which means she's got something up her sleeve."

Zheng Huimin nodded, "That makes sense."

She pumped herself up, saying, "I'll go find her tomorrow."

She continued to cheer herself on, "Zheng Huimin, don't be afraid. You can do it!"