My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Today was the day Bai Fendou was going to register his marriage. Early in the morning, he woke up and looked out the window to see a vast expanse of white snow.

Unknowingly, the snow had started in the middle of the night. It was indeed the depths of winter, and the temperature had dropped significantly. No wonder he had felt exceptionally cold in the middle of the night. He tightened his clothes, unfazed by the chill, and went out with his tea mug to wash up. He was the first one up in the courtyard, and there was no one else around. Humming a tune while brushing his teeth, he felt in high spirits.

After finishing his morning routine, he meticulously combed his hair in front of the mirror.

After all, marriage was a big deal.

After spreading the news of his marriage yesterday, Bai Fendou’s mood had improved even more. How could it not? He had been looking forward to this for a long time. Although he hadn’t received many blessings, several people had given him looks that were hard to decipher, as if they wanted to say something but held back.

But Bai Fendou knew what they were thinking. They probably thought he had been fooled.

Some might even think that Guan Guiling wasn’t good enough for him. Thinking this, Bai Fendou felt even more smug. He believed his own conditions were actually quite good. But Bai Fendou didn’t consider himself foolish. Even though everyone thought Guan Guiling had tricked him, he felt he wasn’t at a loss.

Although Guan Guiling was a divorced woman, she had a job. Moreover, he was eager to have a child of his own. Compared to having a wife, having a child was the real priority.

After all, having a wife didn’t mean much, but having a child meant he would have someone to take care of him in his old age. So Bai Fendou’s anticipation for a child outweighed his anticipation for a wife.

Now, with Guan Guiling, it was just perfect.

Once they registered their marriage and Guan Guiling gave birth to a child, they would be a family of three, with two working adults. How could life not be good?

As for Guan Guiling’s previous children, Bai Fendou didn’t care at all. He had no intention of raising those kids. They weren’t his responsibility, and they had their own father. He planned to leave those four brats with their biological father.

He only wanted the child in Guan Guiling’s belly. He would watch this child grow up, and since it would be born within the marriage, it would be his son.

Even if Guan Guiling wanted to leave one day, the child would still be his!

That child would be the one to take care of him in his old age.

As for now, he had agreed to raise Guan Guiling’s other children, but once they registered and got their marriage certificate, he didn’t believe Guan Guiling could defy him. He would be the head of the household.

Outsiders thought he had been deceived by Guan Guiling, but Bai Fendou believed he was the shrewd one. He was the one doing the calculating.

The advantage was his.

Besides, he hadn’t spent much money on this relationship. In the past, he had spent too much on Wang Xiangxiu and ended up being fooled. This time, he wasn’t at a loss. He was willing to do some free labor, but when it came to spending money, forget it.

“Hahahaha~” He truly was the smartest person in the courtyard. No one understood what he really wanted.

He stood in the room, laughing arrogantly. Zhuang Zhixi came out to wash up and, seeing him like this, silently looked up at the sky and then silently fetched water. Fortunately, it was already dawn. If it had been any earlier, when it was still dark, someone might have thought there was a ghost.

After finishing his morning routine, Zhuang Zhixi glanced at Bai Fendou’s house but didn’t say anything. He turned and went back home, carrying two coal briquettes. The room was freezing, so he added one coal briquette to the stove and washed his hands.

He made two trips, and Ming Mei was still asleep. Zhuang Zhixi looked down at Ming Mei, who was curled up in a ball, and chuckled softly. He then took the chamber pot and went out again.

Coincidentally, he ran into Bai Fendou again in the restroom. The sudden drop in temperature and the snow had kept most people indoors today. Usually, there would be a line to empty the chamber pots, but today there were only a few people. Zhuang Zhixi was behind Bai Fendou in line.

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at him. He looked very different from usual, with his hair slicked down as if a cow had licked it.

With a faint smile, Zhuang Zhixi asked, “Are you really going to marry Guan Guiling?”

Bai Fendou proudly raised his head. “Of course.”

“She has quite a few children. That’s a heavy burden,” Zhuang Zhixi pointed out.

Bai Fendou was unfazed. “What’s the big deal? I never said I’d raise all of them.”

Zhuang Zhixi narrowed his eyes slightly and then smiled. He didn’t say anything more. It seemed Bai Fendou wasn’t as naive as before, after what had happened.

Bai Fendou asked, “Why are you up so early today?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “It’s too cold to sleep. Besides, it’s my grandfather’s turn to sweep the courtyard today, so I’m doing it for him.”

In their courtyard, the responsibility for sweeping was assigned on a rotating basis. Zhuang Zhixi had taken on the task of helping his grandfather sweep the courtyard. After all, it was Ming Mei’s grandfather, and he was getting on in years. Even if he was in good health, the younger generation living in the same courtyard should pitch in.

Bai Fendou said, “If I can live like Old Man Lan when I’m old, I’ll be satisfied.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “…”

He gave Bai Fendou a look, feeling that Bai Fendou was being overly optimistic.

For him, it would be difficult.

After all, Lan Sihai had a high salary, and no one knew exactly how much he earned from his re-employment. But it must be substantial, given how well he lived. Since Lan Sihai had moved in, Ming Mei hadn’t had to buy candy often. Every time Lan Sihai saw Ming Mei, he would give her a White Rabbit candy as if she were a child.

Ming Mei was a bit tired of it and didn’t eat it every time, so she had accumulated a whole jar of candy.

Not to mention the other things he provided.

So, for Bai Fendou to live like Lan Sihai, it would be no easy feat.

But Zhuang Zhixi didn’t burst his bubble. He didn’t have the time for that. He turned and went back to the courtyard to continue his work. By the time most people were up, Zhuang Zhixi had already finished sweeping the front yard and was starting on the back.

The sounds of early morning cooking began to echo through the courtyard as each household started their day.

Chen Yuan, annoyed, slapped his pillow and said, “So annoying, so annoying! Why do they have to get up so early every morning? Are they sick? I must have been cursed to live in such a place. This dump! Argh!”

He rubbed his temples and sat up, seeing that Tao Yuyue was still half-asleep. He said, “Aren’t you going to make breakfast? Do you want to starve me?”

Tao Yuyue replied, “Okay, I’ll make pancakes.”

“I want rice porridge,” Chen Yuan demanded.

Tao Yuyue was taken aback. “We don’t have any rice at home.”

The two of them were newlyweds, and this was their first time managing a household. Although Tao Yuyue was now a full-time worker, she spent most of her money on herself, either on clothes or saving it as private funds. She wasn’t willing to spend it on household expenses.

Chen Yuan, on the other hand, never contributed a single penny to the household.

Although they had a monthly allowance of twenty yuan, Tao Yuyue tried to save as much as possible, hoping to keep some of it for herself. So, whether it was daily necessities or food, she would get them from her in-laws’ house. If she didn’t take them, they wouldn’t have anything.

But she couldn’t take too much at once, so now they were out of rice.

She said, “I’ll go get some after work today…”

*Wham!*

Chen Yuan threw the pillow at Tao Yuyue and shouted, “How do you manage this household? Your husband wants to eat some rice, and you don’t have any? Where does your salary go every month? My parents give you twenty yuan a month. With that much money, you don’t buy anything for the house? Tao Yuyue, you’re so stingy! Is this how you run a household? You don’t buy anything for the house, and you still go to my parents’ house to take things? You’re something else! Tell me, are you saving money to send back to your family? Tell me! You’re so disloyal!”

His loud voice caught the attention of everyone in the courtyard.

Even Zhuang Zhixi, who was sweeping the yard, slowed down and pricked up his ears. Chen Yuan and Tao Yuyue weren’t close to anyone in the courtyard, so no one knew what was going on in their household. But with Chen Yuan’s outburst, everyone was naturally curious.

Tao Yuyue, being scolded by Chen Yuan, knew she had gone a bit too far, but she felt she wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, she was trying to save for their small family.

She said, "I didn't give the money to my parents' family. I saved it all myself. I just wanted to save some money. If we have a child in the future, there will be many expenses."

"Are you still arguing?" Chen Yuan was furious and slapped Tao Yuyue across the face. "Have I spoiled you too much? How dare you talk back? You're from a small place, so you have no sense at all. What kind of nonsense is this? Do you think I'm a fool? I can see it clearly now. Even if you get pregnant, you’ll have to live at my parents' place, so there won’t be any expenses. Why are you acting innocent now? Besides, we’ve been married for over a month, and there’s still no sign of a baby. Are you some kind of infertile hen?"

"I..." Tao Yuyue looked up at Chen Yuan and said, "I’m not... Please don’t say that."

Chen Yuan retorted, "What else should I say? I don’t care about your excuses. I want lean meat porridge for breakfast this morning. Go make it, and buy me a bowl of soy milk and two fried dough sticks."

Tao Yuyue replied, "But we don’t have any rice or meat at home. Can we skip breakfast this morning? I’ll make sure to... Ah!"

Chen Yuan slapped her again.

Although most of the people in their compound worked at the machinery factory and did manual labor, none of them beat their wives. Even Zhou Qun, who was known for his cunning ways, only sweet-talked Jiang Lu and never resorted to physical abuse.

Aunt Zhou was mean, but she never laid a hand on her daughter-in-law. She only used verbal insults and strange remedies, making Jiang Lu drink all kinds of weird concoctions, but she never resorted to violence. The same went for everyone else.

Even though people in the compound often fought among themselves, beating one’s wife was considered disgraceful and looked down upon.

However, this newcomer, despite coming from an intellectual family and appearing refined, didn’t hesitate to resort to violence. He slapped Tao Yuyue across the face and cursed, "If you don’t have it, then figure it out! Don’t just tell me there’s nothing and expect me to put up with it. I didn’t live like this back home. Is this the kind of life I’m supposed to have with you?"

Feeling a chill, he suddenly asked, "Did you buy coal briquettes?"

Tao Yuyue replied, "Not yet..."

This made Chen Yuan even angrier. He shouted, "What kind of weather is this? Do you even know what time of year it is? You haven’t even bought coal briquettes? Well, you’re really something. Do you even want to keep living like this?"

His fists rained down on Tao Yuyue, who cried out in pain. She hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to resort to violence so quickly.

She dodged and pleaded, "I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. Please stop hitting me."

The people in the courtyard exchanged glances, and Zhuang Zhixi frowned. "What’s going on here?"

He started to step forward to intervene. Although he didn’t have a particularly good impression of Tao Yuyue, he couldn’t stand to see such behavior. Bullying a woman? What kind of man does that? It’s a disgrace to the men of Beijing.

He had only taken a few steps when someone grabbed his arm. Aunt Wang said, "Let me handle this."

After all, they were all young people, and she didn’t want them to get involved in such a mess. Bai Fendou had already gotten himself into enough trouble.

As an old woman, she didn’t mind stepping in.

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Alright."

Although he agreed, he still followed behind Aunt Wang, and others also gathered around. Several people joined them.

When something like this happened, everyone would come out like rabbits, quickly gathering around. Tao Yuyue’s voice was low, as she was afraid of losing face, but Chen Yuan didn’t care. He shouted loudly, which attracted everyone’s attention.

Aunt Wang led the group of aunties inside and was immediately displeased to see Tao Yuyue crouching in a corner.

She hurried over and said, "Chen Yuan, what are you doing? Men and women are equal now. How can you hit your wife? This kind of behavior is despicable."

Chen Yuan frowned. "This is my home. What are you doing here? I’m hitting my wife. What does it have to do with you? You’re all acting like you’re important. What? This is my house. Are you trying to cause trouble?"

Aunt Wang retorted, "Even if it’s your house, it doesn’t mean hitting your wife is right."

Chen Yuan dismissed her. "So what if I hit her? She deserves it for not doing her job properly. Besides, who doesn’t hit their wife?"

Zhuang Zhixi stepped forward and said earnestly, "My family doesn’t. I don’t hit my wife, neither does my older brother, and my father doesn’t either."

Yang Lixin quickly added, "Same with my family."

Others chimed in:

"My family doesn’t either."

"Mine neither."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zhou Qun said, "My family certainly doesn’t. My wife is the one in charge."

None of them hit their wives, so what kind of man are you?

Chen Yuan, feeling cornered, quickly defended himself. "What does it matter to you whether you hit your wives or not? If my wife doesn’t do her job properly, she deserves to be disciplined. A tree won’t grow straight if it’s not pruned. If I don’t teach her a lesson, how will she know what’s right? Who doesn’t buy coal at this time of year? Who gives their in-laws twenty yuan every month for living expenses? Who takes everything from their in-laws without contributing? I’m already being lenient. If it were you, you might not do any better. Who are you to lecture me? Even my parents don’t interfere. Who do you think you are? Get out of here! You’re all a bunch of nobodies."

He was utterly unapologetic. "I’ve given you too much face. How dare you come to my house and lecture me? Do you even know your place?"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking?"

"Wow, his family is really well-off. They even give twenty yuan to their in-laws."

"That’s true."

"But even so, you can’t hit people."

"What if she gets seriously hurt? It’ll bring shame to our compound."

Aunt Wang said, "If you keep this up, I’ll report you to the factory, the Women’s Federation, and the neighborhood committee. Our compound won’t tolerate someone like you."

Chen Yuan sneered. "Your compound? Don’t act like your compound is so great. Everyone knows it’s full of lowlifes. Just look at you..."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and the first person he noticed was Bai Fendou.

Bai Fendou stood out today, dressed unusually well. Besides, he had gotten into a fight with Chen Yuan on the day he moved in, so Chen Yuan had a strong dislike for him. He immediately targeted Bai Fendou.

"What’s this? A eunuch dressed up like a gentleman? What, do you think getting married means you have a wife? Who knows whose wife she really is? You’re just a cuckold, a joke."

Bai Fendou’s eyes blazed with anger the moment Chen Yuan directed those words at him. There were two things he absolutely couldn’t stand: being called a "eunuch" or a "cuckold."

He couldn’t let it slide. As soon as he heard Chen Yuan’s insults, he roared and charged forward like a raging bull, delivering a flying kick that sent Chen Yuan crashing onto the bed.

"How dare you hit me!"

"Why wouldn’t I dare? Just because your father’s a factory leader, you think I’m scared of you? You dare insult me? I’ll beat you to death!"

Bai Fendou had plenty of experience in fights, far more than Chen Yuan. With one kick, he knocked Chen Yuan down, then grabbed his hair and started slapping his face repeatedly.

Bai Fendou couldn’t stand pretty boys like Chen Yuan. He loved slapping their faces to wipe the smugness off them.

"Damn it, someone pull this mad dog off me! What the hell..."

Bai Fendou didn’t care what Chen Yuan said. He just kept scratching and hitting.

Chen Yuan shouted, "Damn it, if you’re going to fight, fight like a man! Don’t pull hair and scratch like a woman! You’re such a eunuch, even your fighting style is disgusting."

Chen Yuan was indeed a tough guy. Even though he was completely overpowered and being beaten, he still refused to back down. His mouth was the only thing that remained hard.

"Your fighting style is so unmanly, you damn eunuch!"

"You’re just a coward who hits women."

Tao Yuyue finally snapped out of her daze and cried, "Stop fighting! Both of you, stop! Don’t fight over me!"

Zhuang Zhixi looked at Tao Yuyue with a strange expression, thinking that she was quite narcissistic. Where did she get the idea that the fight was over him? Bai Fendou clearly wanted to throw down because he had been insulted. Everyone knew Bai Fendou couldn’t stand hearing the word "eunuch."

This kind of thing, if it weren’t true, would just be a joke and wouldn’t really make someone that angry.

But the problem was, Bai Fendou really *was* one, so the words stabbed him right in the heart.

Didn’t you see Zhou Qun glaring too?

The truer the words, the less they should be joked about.

It didn’t take long before Chen Yuan was shredded like potato strips by Bai Fendou. He howled, spewing curses, and tried to fight back. But he couldn’t match Bai Fendou’s fighting style. He only knew how to throw punches.

Bai Fendou, with his rich fighting experience, dodged quickly and extended his claws again.

Tao Yuyue, seeing her man in such a miserable state, cried out, “Bai Fendou, let go! You can’t fight like this!”

She shouted again, “Someone stop them!”

Zhuang Zhixi seemed to snap out of it and hurried forward to pull them apart, but he couldn’t budge Bai Fendou. He didn’t dare get too close, afraid of getting hit himself, and just tugged weakly, saying, “Brother Fendou, calm down!”

He looked anxious but didn’t have much strength.

Bai Fendou shook him off, sending Zhuang Zhixi stumbling back several steps.

“Oh my, Zhuang Zhixi, be careful! You’re a scholar, you’re no match for Bai Fendou’s strength.”

Meanwhile, Zhao Guihua, standing at the back, raised an eyebrow. She didn’t believe for a second that her son couldn’t pull Bai Fendou away. Sure, he didn’t do heavy labor, but he wasn’t *that* weak. Zhou Qun also rushed forward to help, but as soon as he grabbed Bai Fendou, he realized Zhuang Zhixi wasn’t putting in any effort. Of course, he wasn’t going to either.

Damn it, this guy kept throwing around the word "eunuch." Who did he think he was insulting?

Even though he was targeting Bai Fendou, Zhou Qun was one too. He was collateral damage. Unlike Bai Fendou, who had no wife or kids and was considered “useless,” Zhou Qun usually tried to stay optimistic.

But this guy’s insults hit him too.

What man could handle that? Zhou Qun certainly couldn’t. So while he pretended to be trying hard, he wasn’t putting in any real effort. With two men failing to restrain Bai Fendou, the crowd started murmuring.

“Bai Fendou goes crazy when he fights. Look at that strength!”

“No kidding.”

“And he’s not even going all out. He hasn’t even used his signature move yet.”

“Oh right, he’s still got that Dragon Claw technique. How many men has that ruined?”

“Zhou Qun, Yu Baoshan, and Vice Director Cai. Three, that’s three already…”

“I wonder if Chen Yuan will be the fourth…”

The crowd’s chatter was loud and unabashed. When Chen Yuan heard it, his face turned pale.

How could he have forgotten? Bai Fendou really *was* one.

He stopped protecting his face and immediately covered his crotch. A man could die, but he couldn’t be humiliated. No matter how the fight went, he had to protect that area. He was the only son in his family. Tao Yuyue was also terrified. If Bai Fendou really ruined her husband, she’d be finished too.

Seeing Bai Fendou like this, Tao Yuyue screamed, “Bai Fendou, let go! Let go!”

Bai Fendou roared, “Get lost!”

Seeing that pulling him away wasn’t working and her husband was already covered in bloody scratches, Chen Yuan firmly covered his crotch. Tao Yuyue panicked, looking around frantically until her eyes landed on a large vase, a decorative piece in their home.

Without hesitation, she picked it up and hurled it at Bai Fendou.

“Don’t—”

Zhuang Zhixi tried to stop her, but it was too late. The vase smashed into Bai Fendou’s head. He turned around, glaring at Tao Yuyue’s terrified face, and cursed, “You ungrateful woman… uh…”

*Thud.* He collapsed, falling right on top of Chen Yuan, and passed out.

Chen Yuan screamed, “Ah!”

He had been about to get up, but Bai Fendou’s fall twisted his back.

“Help! Help!”

Finally, Chen Yuan caved.

“Oh my god, what’s happening?”

“We need to get them to the hospital, quick!”

“He’s bleeding again. Remember how Old Bai died from a head injury and too much blood loss…”

“Tao Yuyue, hurry up!”

“Go borrow a cart. Both of them need to go to the hospital.”

“Why do we always need to borrow carts…”

“Hurry! If we wait too long and he bleeds out, it’ll be a disaster. Do we really want to hold a funeral in our courtyard?”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

Everyone chattered, but they moved quickly. Soon, the two men were loaded onto a cart, and the group set off for the hospital in a grand procession. Chen Yuan, who had only twisted his back and hadn’t passed out, yelled, “I don’t want to share a cart with Bai Fendou!”

If he ended up sharing a cart with Bai Fendou and the guy died, it would haunt him for life.

Even if Bai Fendou didn’t die, what about his dignity?

But did anyone care about his complaints?

Nope.

Everyone was afraid of someone dying. Saving lives came first. Who cared what he had to say? If he hadn’t been beating his wife that morning, none of this would’ve happened.

Besides, Bai Fendou was just watching the drama. You called him a eunuch—who else was he supposed to hit?

Even though Bai Fendou often caused trouble, in this case, he was completely innocent.

The crowd marched toward the hospital, hoping nothing else would go wrong.

Such a large group attracted plenty of attention as they passed through the streets.

Hmm, he looked familiar. It was him again!

Bai Fendou!

Zhuang Zhixi didn’t join them. He had important work at his unit and couldn’t take time off. But with or without him, it didn’t make much difference.

Zhao Guihua went along, and Liang Meifen really wanted to go too, but things were different now. She had a job and couldn’t just skip work—that was money on the line. If someone else’s drama affected her work, she couldn’t afford it.

Their family still owed her mother-in-law money.

Ming Mei, heavily pregnant, was more exhausted than ever. She hadn’t come out to watch the commotion that morning. Zhuang Zhixi was walking her to work when they saw Jinlai sneaking around, already at the junction between the front and back courtyards.

With his shifty eyes, it was clear he was up to no good.

Zhuang Zhixi was about to call out when the kid suddenly sprinted forward, hopping on one foot, and slipped into Chen Yuan and Tao Yuyue’s house.

Even with his injury, he was determined to steal.

Zhuang Zhixi: “…”

He pursed his lips and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you first.”

Ming Mei had seen it too. Once they were outside, she said, “Why is that kid stealing again? I thought he’d changed.”

Zhuang Zhixi shrugged. “At his age, without any real consequences, I doubt he’ll change.”

Ming Mei asked, “Why didn’t you stop him?”

Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you?”

Both shrugged. There was nothing they could do.

Jinlai wasn’t fully healed yet. He could only hop around or lean on walls for support. Even if they caught him, what could they do? You can’t send an injured kid to juvenile detention. And if he got hurt, they’d be blamed.

So Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei decided to ignore it.

They weren’t getting involved.

“Why can’t that kid stop stealing? It’s like a dog that can’t stop eating crap.”

“Can’t ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍be helped.”

Zhuang Zhixi didn’t consider himself a saint. Even though they lived in the same courtyard, he wasn’t going to meddle in other people’s business. He’d take care of his own family. As for others? Whatever.

Chen Yuan and his wife didn’t seem like reliable people anyway.

Zhuang Zhixi had no intention of getting involved, and while Ming Mei had a strong sense of justice, pregnancy had drained her energy. She couldn’t deal with this either. Besides, she agreed with Zhuang Zhixi.

Su Jinlai’s situation was just too messy to handle.

Zhuang Zhixi dropped Ming Mei off at work when she suddenly realized something. “Wait, wasn’t Bai Fendou supposed to register his marriage today? He’s unconscious now. That’s not going to work, is it?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “Oh right! Damn, this is going to mess up the wedding!”

Bai Fendou’s wedding plans really were full of twists and turns.

Ming Mei blinked and said, "Alright, Guan Guiling is definitely coming to work today. She needs to get a reference letter for her marriage. I'll talk to her and have her go straight to the hospital."

"Alright, dear, but take it easy. You're pregnant, after all. Just let her know, but don't get too involved or run off to the hospital yourself. Got it?"

Ming Mei smiled, "I know, I know."

She pouted, "Do you think I'm stupid? I won't meddle in that."

She couldn't understand why Zhuang Zhixi treated her like a helpless baby who couldn't manage her own life or understand social norms. He always reminded her of everything, like an overbearing mother.

Especially recently, it had become even more noticeable.

But Ming Mei still smiled. After all, it was because he truly cared for her.

Being cared for always felt good.

Ming Mei went upstairs, and an older colleague in the office saw her and said with a smile, "Your husband is really something. He never misses a day, always picking you up and dropping you off. So thoughtful."

They had seen them through the window, chatting for a while.

Ming Mei grinned, "We're husband and wife. I'm going through a tough pregnancy, so if he doesn't treat me well, he'd be a terrible person. Besides, if he doesn't take good care of me, I'll give him trouble after the baby is born. I can be quite fierce."

She playfully shook her little fist.

Everyone laughed. Though they knew Ming Mei was joking, they couldn't help but chuckle because she really was a force to be reckoned with.

Someone teased, "You wouldn't dare! Your husband is so handsome. If it were me, I wouldn't have the heart to scold him."

"Your husband is really good. Mine made me do housework even when I was pregnant. By the way, how's your mother-in-law? I heard she's quite fierce."

Thanks to the gossip in their neighborhood, everyone knew about the tough old ladies in their compound, even if they couldn't name them all.

Ming Mei thought for a moment and said, "My mother-in-law is quite fiery, but she's really good to me."

She spoke in a sweet, soft voice, "I'm so lovable, who wouldn't like me?"

"Oh, you're really laying it on thick!"

"Even if a mother-in-law loves her son, she won't necessarily love her daughter-in-law."

Ming Mei replied, "You don't believe me? Well, the hawthorn cake I ate the other day was made by my mother-in-law. And the chestnut cake too."

In the fall, Zhao Guihua had picked some hawthorns from the mountain. They were too sour and astringent to eat raw, so she cooked them into hawthorn cake. Though the hawthorns were free, the cake wasn't cheap to make because it required sugar.

Zhao Guihua had bought a bag of sugar from the black market and used it all.

She made a lot of hawthorn cake, which was sweet and tangy, and everyone in the family loved it. But apart from Ming Mei, only the children, Hutu and Xiao Yanzi, were allowed to eat it. The adults? Forget it!

Adults shouldn't be snacking, especially when food was scarce. So, the treats were reserved for the kids and the pregnant woman.

"Your mother-in-law is quite skilled, Ming Mei. She can make all these things."

"Of course, it's because you're pregnant."

Ming Mei wasn't bothered by the teasing and said with a smile, "It's because I know how to flatter my mother-in-law."

"Pfft!" Everyone burst out laughing.

Though there was always some drama wherever people gathered, Ming Mei was well-liked at the bus station.

She wasn't the type to compete or take advantage of others. Her family was well-off, so she didn't need to. Plus, she had some martial arts skills, though they were "sealed" for now, so no one dared to provoke her.

Of course, it also helped that many people had watched her grow up.

They teased her, "You really know how to talk. Can flattery really win someone over?"

Ming Mei nodded, "Of course. My mother-in-law might act like she's annoyed, but she always thinks of me first. But it's not surprising. You know how it is—I'm beautiful and sweet-talking, so elders always like me."

Ugh~

The more she boasted, the harder it was to listen.

Ming Mei said, "Anyway, I can't chat anymore. I need to go to the HR department."

"Why?"

Ming Mei replied, "I need to pass a message to Guan Guiling..."

As luck would have it, Ming Mei ran into Guan Guiling at HR just as she was leaving with her reference letter. Ming Mei called out, "Guan Guiling!"

They worked in different departments, and Guan Guiling had joined later, so they weren't close. They usually just nodded when they saw each other. Ming Mei stopping her was a surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

Ming Mei nodded, "I live in Xinghua Lane, in the same compound as Bai Fendou."

Guan Guiling nodded. She knew that. After all, who at the bus station didn't know Ming Mei?

"This morning, Bai Fendou got into a fight and was hit on the head. He passed out and was taken to the hospital. I thought I should let you know."

She didn't want Guan Guiling to be left waiting at the civil affairs office.

Guan Guiling exclaimed, "What?!"

She was stunned.

How could he get into another fight out of nowhere?

Wait, why did she think "another" fight?

It just showed how unreliable he was.

But she still said, "Thank you. I'll go to the hospital right away."

Ming Mei replied, "No need to thank me."

She returned to her office, while Guan Guiling quickly left for the hospital. On the way, she touched the reference letter in her pocket and hesitated. She had approached Bai Fendou because she needed a long-term meal ticket.

If anyone thought she actually liked Bai Fendou, they were mistaken.

The idea that she had liked him since school was clearly a lie. She wasn't blind—why would she like someone like Bai Fendou? But her family situation was dire.

Her husband was chronically ill, and they already had four children. Now she was pregnant again, which would make five.

Even with her salary of thirty-something yuan, supporting a family of seven would put them below the poverty line. Even with government assistance and her husband doing odd jobs like making paper boxes at home, it wasn't enough.

Life was tough.

That's when she heard about Bai Fendou.

He was a legendary figure, known by everyone. After hearing about him, she came up with a plan. She and her husband discussed it all night and decided it was worth a try.

They would divorce, and she would pursue Bai Fendou.

Her husband wasn't worried—after all, everyone knew Bai Fendou had been "rendered useless" by a brick to the head.

And who had thrown that brick? None other than Jiang Baohong, another employee at the bus station, who was now universally disliked.

Guan Guiling thought she could take the initiative with Bai Fendou. Since he was "useless," he could help support her family. Even if they got married, she could still turn to her ex-husband for comfort.

She didn't think Bai Fendou could escape her grasp.

He had been helping his neighbor Wang Xiangxiu for years, taking care of her kids. Surely, he could do the same for her children. If not, she could slowly manipulate him. Once they were married, everything would be under her control.

Both she and Bai Fendou thought they would be the one in charge. It remained to be seen who would come out on top.

But now, she felt uneasy and annoyed.

This Bai Fendou, always causing trouble.

If he kept getting into fights, she doubted he could handle the responsibility of supporting her family. If he kept getting injured, the medical bills would pile up. She just wanted someone to take care of her family—including her husband.

She wasn't looking to remarry for real.

If Bai Fendou turned out to be unreliable, she would have to reconsider.

She wanted to trap someone, not get trapped herself.

Guan Guiling walked quickly, her mind racing. Bai Fendou was too impulsive and hot-headed. He wasn't up to the task.

No one expected that Guan Guiling divorced to rope Bai Fendou into supporting her. In the speculations of Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei, they also thought that Guan Guiling had deliberately gotten pregnant to use the child as leverage to trap Bai Fendou. However, they were mistaken in this assumption.

Guan Guiling was indeed pregnant from the start, but the divorce was a calculated move that came later.

Of course, as outsiders, Zhuang Zhixi and the others’ speculations weren’t particularly important.

What Guan Guiling was thinking was: Would Bai Fendou die suddenly? If he really did die, she would be at a loss. At the very least, she needed to get a marriage certificate so she could smoothly take over Bai Fendou’s house.

She wanted Bai Fendou to support her and also wanted his house.

By then, when her children grew up and got married, they would have a place to live.

As for Bai Fendou?

By that time, he would be old and wouldn’t be able to do much. She could just kick him out.

Guan Guiling had thought everything out perfectly. She rushed to the hospital, hoping that even if he were to die, it wouldn’t be right away.

However, as soon as she arrived at the hospital, she heard shouting.

Guan Guiling: “…”

She called out loudly, “Make way, make way, please! Let me see Bai Fendou.”

She was very reluctant to part with Bai Fendou.

Bai Fendou shouted back, “Guiling, I’m here!”

His voice was full of vigor.

Guan Guiling: “…”

When she arrived, she saw Bai Fendou lying on a hospital bed with thick bandages wrapped around his head. On the opposite bed was a young man who looked utterly disheveled. His face was swollen, and there were visible scratches all over his body. He was lying on the bed across from Bai Fendou, engaged in a heated argument with him.

They were hurling insults at each other, cursing each other’s ancestors for eighteen generations.

Guan Guiling: “What’s going on here?”

The nurse was already used to it. How could she not be? Bai Fendou was a regular here.

If there had been such a thing as a hospital membership back then, the nurse would have definitely made Bai Fendou sign up. He was a regular among regulars.

“How did this happen?” Guan Guiling stepped forward and said, “Do you know how worried I was about you?”

The neighbors who had come to the hospital with Bai Fendou all wore expressions of curiosity.

None of them had seen Guan Guiling before, so naturally, they wanted to get a good look at her.

Well, how to put it?

She resembled Wang Xiangxiu.

Not in terms of facial features, but in her overall demeanor.

It was unclear whether Bai Fendou still had feelings for Wang Xiangxiu or if he simply liked this type of woman.

Probably… the latter?

After all, even if Wang Xiangxiu tried to show favor to Bai Fendou now, he wouldn’t pay her any attention.

Guan Guiling: “What happened?”

Bai Fendou: “This jerk has a foul mouth.”

“You eunuch, you…”

Blah blah blah, the two of them started cursing again.

“Grandson, let’s not stoop to this scoundrel’s level. Look at his sorry state, he deserves to be impotent,” an old woman shouted. This was Chen Yuan’s grandmother.

Although the old woman was defending Chen Yuan, he didn’t even glance at her.

“Shut up! You’re no good at fighting, and you’re no good at cursing. Just stay out of it.”

This old hag! If it weren’t for her living in their house, he wouldn’t have had to move into the courtyard to scheme for the factory’s housing allocation. What a nuisance.

Zhao Guihua, witnessing Chen Yuan’s terrible attitude, deeply lamented the poor upbringing of this family.

But many families were like this. If there was an only son, they would spoil him rotten, not realizing what kind of person they were raising. They brought the injured parties to the hospital, and both sides were quickly treated and admitted.

Fortunately, Bai Fendou wasn’t like his father this time. He had a concussion but woke up after lying down for a while.

As for Chen Yuan, he had been scratched to shreds and had also sprained his back, so he had to stay in the hospital too.

Since Tao Yuyue was also injured, the doctor initially thought it was a domestic dispute. Later, upon learning that Chen Yuan had been scratched by Bai Fendou, the doctor fell silent for a long time.

Men fighting like this was quite rare.

But it was also a good thing.

After all, they knew that Bai Fendou was most skilled at emasculating men. The fact that Chen Yuan hadn’t been emasculated was a mercy from heaven. He should be grateful he could still walk away intact.

Bai Fendou didn’t have many relatives, but Chen Yuan’s family had quite a few people show up.

However, Bai Fendou wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Chen Yuan had insulted him first, so what was wrong with fighting back? Not to mention, Tao Yuyue had also injured him. In any case, Bai Fendou stood his ground and shouted loudly, echoing through the hospital: “Director Chen, your son called me a eunuch. If I didn’t hit him, would I still be a man? Your daughter-in-law smashed a huge vase at me and nearly killed me. Whose fault is that? Let me tell you, don’t think that just because you’re the logistics director and I’m a toilet cleaner, you can mess with me! If you dare retaliate, I’ll report you! Don’t even think about it!”

His voice was loud, and because of it, Chen Yuan’s parents didn’t dare to retaliate directly.

After all, they were all from the same factory. Director Chen, in charge of logistics, knew what kind of person Bai Fendou was—a true hothead. If they provoked him, there would likely be a lot of trouble afterward. Bai Fendou had nothing to lose and wasn’t afraid of consequences.

He had no family and no sense of tact.

Such a person was not to be trifled with.

Because of this, Director Chen paid for both parties’ medical expenses and then left first.

Chen Yuan’s mother felt the same way, so only the old couple—Chen Yuan’s grandparents—stayed behind. The two sides continued to trade insults, leaving the neighbors stunned. As they said, their courtyard couldn’t stay peaceful for too long.

If it stayed peaceful for too long, it wouldn’t feel like their courtyard anymore.

Zhao Guihua watched for a while and was about to leave when Guan Guiling arrived. After hearing the whole story, though both sides had their own versions of the truth, she was still annoyed.

This tendency to resort to violence at the slightest provocation—could Bai Fendou hit women?

If he could, then she would have to reconsider their relationship.

Even though they had gotten a letter of introduction, they weren’t married yet. Moreover, Bai Fendou had offended a leader. Wouldn’t that lead to trouble?

For a moment, she felt conflicted. Seeing Bai Fendou still gloating, she finally understood why he had been transferred from the security department to cleaning toilets in logistics. He was an idiot! She had truly never seen such a fool.

A big fool.

She smiled weakly and said, “Fendou, stop arguing. We’re all neighbors and colleagues. We see each other every day. Arguing like this is just unbecoming.”

Bai Fendou didn’t care: “What’s the big deal? He’s no good either. Cursing him is doing society a favor. I even wanted to hit him. What kind of person is he? You don’t know, but he beats his wife at home.”

Chen Yuan glared coldly at Tao Yuyue, who immediately said, “Bai Fendou, stop lying. Chen Yuan has never hit me.”

“Tsk tsk, you’re really good at pretending. Why bother covering it up? Look at your face… honestly, it’s laughable.”

Tao Yuyue: “I fell out of bed while sleeping and landed on my face. Stop saying such things. I know you have feelings for me, but Chen Yuan treats me well. Don’t tarnish his reputation…”

Chen Yuan smirked smugly.

Guan Guiling looked at Bai Fendou, her voice cold: “You have feelings for her?”

Bai Fendou immediately shouted, “Of course not!”

He used to, but not anymore!

He continued loudly, “She’s delusional, thinking everyone likes her. I fought because Chen Yuan insulted me. If it were just because he hit her, I wouldn’t care. This woman has issues. When others try to help her, she doesn’t appreciate it.”

He still held a grudge over the incident when they moved.

His kindness had been thrown back in his face.

Tao Yuyue hadn’t expected Bai Fendou to be so blunt. She thought he would at least back her up. After all, he had pursued her before. How could he stand by and watch her suffer like this?

She bit her lip and said, “Bai Fendou, you jerk! Didn’t you pursue me?”

Bai Fendou replied calmly, “So what if I did? You weren’t married back then. Now that you’re married, why would I still have feelings for you? Look at the state you’re in. You’re not even one ten-thousandth as good as Guan Guiling. I have my own partner now. Why should I defend you? Who do you think you are?”

Guan Guiling curled her lips into a faint smile.

"How can you talk like that?" Tao Yuyue was furious. "You eunuch!"

Bai Fendou shouted back, "You shameless woman, you deserve to be beaten by men. Just wait and see if anyone will ever care about you again! What kind of person are you? Don’t think you can fool me. Even before we got married, you were flirting around. You even tricked us into spending money on you. Now you think you’re some kind of saint..."

"I’ll kill you!"

"Come on then! I haven’t even started holding you accountable for throwing things at me..."

The two erupted into another heated argument. Zhao Guihua watched the scene and couldn’t help but feel that, even after a hundred incidents, Bai Fendou would still be the same impulsive Bai Fendou. People, after all, are not so easily changed.

While the commotion was unfolding, no one noticed that Chen Yuan and Tao Yuyue’s home had been burglarized.

This had happened earlier in the morning. Jinlai, taking advantage of everyone being out, had hobbled on one leg and sneaked into Chen Yuan’s house. However, he was disappointed. Although there was flour, there wasn’t much ready-to-eat food.

He quickly moved to the inner room, intending to steal money, but all the cabinets were locked.

Being just a kid, he couldn’t break the locks, so he rummaged through the unlocked cabinets instead. There, he found a pack of peach cookies and a can of preserved peaches. Without a second thought, he took them.

But as he left, he felt dissatisfied.

Truly dissatisfied. He had expected more from this household.

Who would’ve thought? The place looked decent on the surface, but there wasn’t much good food to be found.

He sneaked back home with his loot, convinced he had pulled off the perfect crime. By then, Tonglai had already left for school, and Yinlai was lying in bed. He watched his brother sneak out and then sneak back in, whispering, "Brother, you shouldn’t steal anymore."

After nearly dying last time, Yinlai was genuinely scared.

The pain in his body served as a constant reminder—no more wrongdoing, and definitely no more stealing.

Besides, they had almost been sent to juvenile detention. If things hadn’t gotten chaotic later, they would’ve surely been held accountable. They had narrowly escaped punishment once; they couldn’t risk it again.

But Jinlai looked down on Yinlai’s words. "What’s wrong with stealing? That Chen guy has bad intentions toward our mom. Can’t I teach him a lesson? Taking his stuff is just compensation. Even if we get caught, so what? With such a small amount, do you think he’d call the cops and send me to juvie?"

He added, "Here, second brother, have some peach cookies."

Yinlai didn’t move. "Let’s wait until Mom gets back and return it to them."

This response infuriated Jinlai. "What’s wrong with you?"

The two younger brothers had always followed his lead, doing whatever he said. But now, things were different?

Yinlai’s voice softened. "Big brother, it’s because of stealing that I ended up like this. I don’t want to..."

He swallowed hard. He was tempted, truly tempted, but he was too afraid to make another mistake.

Jinlai looked at his timid brother and said, "What’s happened to you? If I tell you to eat, then eat. We’re not saving any of this. We’ll finish it all. Even if they notice something’s missing, they won’t be able to prove it."

He patted his stomach. "Once it’s in our bellies, where are they going to find it? Even Mom won’t know. What do you think?"

Yinlai swallowed his saliva again, torn, but finally said, "I think... it’s not a good idea."

He was too scared of the consequences.

"Brother, we can’t..."

Jinlai was speechless with frustration. "Why are you so useless? You’ve become so weak. I’m not even asking you to do anything, just to eat, and you won’t. I really... forget it. You and third brother are both hopeless now. How did you two end up like this?"

A sense of loneliness washed over him. From now on, the title of "Peach Blossom Thief" would belong to him alone.

His two brothers?

Useless!

He grabbed a peach cookie and took a bite. "Fine, don’t eat then!"