Feng Man almost couldn’t believe her ears. Cheng Lang had never been betrothed in a baby betrothal?
How could that be!
The original body’s fiancé as described in the book clearly matched Cheng Lang in every condition.
He lived next door to the original body’s home, a genuine neighbor, tall and handsome, with a truck and a house, kind and honest, even a bit too soft-hearted and easily swayed. These were all things Feng Man had confirmed.
Recalling that time, she had climbed onto his truck, and when she was discovered, she directly revealed her identity. Cheng Lang hadn’t denied it and had taken her all the way south. He was reliable and gave a sense of security. Though he was somewhat silent and reticent, there really wasn’t any major flaw.
Such a Cheng Lang wasn’t the fiancé?
“Cheng Aunt, are you sure you didn’t get it wrong? Me and Cheng Lang…” Feng Man tried to explain, but Cheng Yulan interrupted her.
The old lady had thin, dry lips. Because she was angry, wrinkles layered on her face, the corners of her eyes pressed down, clearly carrying a fierce momentum. “What did I get wrong? Don’t I know if A-Lang ever had a baby betrothal? I’m A-Lang’s little aunt. Where did you come from? You’re quite good at making excuses. Trying to scam money or what!”
She spoke so definitively that Feng Man almost began to doubt herself. Could it be…
Ignoring the anger in Cheng Yulan’s words, Feng Man only focused on that key sentence. Cheng Lang really hadn’t had a baby betrothal?
“Cheng Aunt, I didn’t intend to scam anything. Everything I said is the truth.” Facing the furious old lady, Feng Man explained calmly and evenly. “If you don’t believe me, you can call Cheng Lang over. When I mentioned the baby betrothal to him, he tacitly agreed.”
Right, tacit agreement… Feng Man suddenly realized. From their first meeting half a month ago to their later interactions, Cheng Lang had never directly said anything about the baby betrothal.
A flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, and Feng Man felt dazed. Could something really have gone wrong?
Cheng Yulan saw Feng Man’s resolute assurance, and a hint of doubt appeared in her aged phoenix eyes.
Cheng Yulan was the fourth child in the family. Above her were two older brothers and one sister, but conditions were poor in those days. The Cheng family only managed to raise two: Cheng Lang’s father, Cheng Yufeng, and Cheng Yulan.
The siblings had an average relationship. Cheng Yufeng was mischievous and loved to bully Cheng Yulan. The two often quarreled and bickered, even fought and tussled. Later, war broke out, the devils entered the village, and chaos reigned. During the escape and hiding, four-year-old Cheng Yulan was caught. The devils lifted the little Cheng Yulan into the air, threatening her to reveal where the village adults had fled and where the Eighth Route Army was. But the little girl opened her big eyes and lied, pointing to the spot where she had accidentally overheard the adults discussing an ambush trap that morning.
The villagers had been worried about how to lure the devils near the trap, but unexpectedly, four-year-old Cheng Yulan accomplished it.
The devils naturally didn’t suspect a four-year-old girl of lying. After questioning her, they set off immediately, casually tossing Cheng Yulan aside from midair. Fortunately, Cheng Yufeng noticed his sister was missing, searched carefully, and ran over to catch her, saving her life.
Later, after the war victory, the siblings’ relationship eased. But over time, the older brother reverted to his old ways. Even after marrying, he was lazy and idle, even picking up gambling and fighting… Cheng Yulan’s feelings toward her older brother were complicated—there was sibling affection, but also disdain for his lack of ambition and foolishness. Yet every time she thought of how he had risked his life back then to catch her, her heart softened. At seventeen, she married out and followed her husband to Ink River. Contact between the siblings gradually lessened.
Now, with her deceased brother and sister-in-law gone, only Cheng Lang remained as their bloodline. Cheng Yulan worried and fretted over him.
The bold Cheng Yulan from her youth later settled down in Ink River with her husband. After years of ups and downs, her gaze was sharp, and she was extremely good at reading people. But this time, she couldn’t help doubting.
The girl before her was young and youthful, with an exceptionally beautiful appearance: an oval face, gentle brows and eyes, especially those clear and bright eyes. When she spoke, she was gentle and amiable. Even when this hot-tempered old lady sternly accused her, she showed no anger and remained calm in her explanations.
With such a convinced expression, Cheng Yulan almost believed her. She really didn’t seem like a scammer.
But her nephew Cheng Lang truly hadn’t had any baby betrothal!
Just as the old and the young confronted each other, Dong Xiaojuan was reminded by a neighbor passing the stall and saw her mother-in-law going upstairs. She quickly asked the neighboring stall owner to watch her stall and hurried home.
Dong Xiaojuan’s arrival broke the room’s stalemate. Facing her mother-in-law, she was always proper, mainly because her husband had mentioned that his mother had been an extraordinary figure even at four years old. Plus, Cheng Yulan was shrewd and capable, with considerable presence. Dong Xiaojuan’s usual enthusiasm in front of others vanished entirely; toward her mother-in-law, she was mostly reserved and cautious.
“Mom, why didn’t you say you were coming? Hua and I could have picked you up.” Dong Xiaojuan didn’t notice the off atmosphere in the room and busily brewed tea for her mother-in-law.
The old lady liked strong tea. More than ten tea leaves bloomed in hot water, emitting a faint tea fragrance. Dong Xiaojuan brought the tea to her mother-in-law and hurriedly introduced, “Mom, this is A-Lang’s baby betrothal partner.”
Cheng Yulan glanced at her simple-minded daughter-in-law and didn’t say much.
That evening, when Fan Zhenghua returned home, he was equally startled. He hadn’t expected his old mother to show up suddenly. Recalling how she had insisted over the phone that day that Feng Man was a scammer, he now observed carefully.
In front of her family, Cheng Yulan didn’t mention anything more to Feng Man. She indifferently asked her grandson a few questions about his studies and life. Then, seeing Xiaoshan eating sloppily, claiming he was full after a few bites, she sharp-eyedly pinpointed the reason. “Did you sneak snacks again? Eating too many so you won’t eat your rice properly.”
Xiaoshan’s little face fell. Fan Zhenghua and Dong Xiaojuan immediately looked like they were bracing for a scolding and weakly explained, “Mom, we’ve been watching him.”
“I think you’re spoiling him!”
“Mom, don’t worry. Starting tomorrow, we’ll watch him properly and kick his snacking habit!”
Feng Man was the safest at the dinner table. She only lifted her eyelids to size up the old lady. Just sitting there, she easily subdued the mischievous Xiaoshan. Even Brother Hua and Sister Xiaojuan were cautious around her. She was too imposing and domineering.
Thinking about it now, the old lady had been decent to her, an outsider… After all, she suppressed even her own family mercilessly.
Cheng Yulan waved her hand, letting everyone eat. She was getting on in years, and in her early years, she had endured various famines. The couple gave what little food they had to their child, eating edible clay for years themselves, which ruined their stomachs. Now, she had little interest in food.
Dong Xiaojuan saw this in her eyes and thought her own subpar cooking wouldn’t appeal to her mother-in-law. She hurriedly promoted Feng Man’s sesame flatbread. “Mom, try this. The sesame flatbread Feng Man made is delicious.”
Cheng Yulan didn’t say much. Seeing her daughter-in-law put a sesame flatbread in her bowl, she couldn’t very well refuse the good intentions. She took a casual bite, but her aged phoenix eyes suddenly brightened.
Feng Man vaguely sensed a gaze land on her face, only for it to vanish in an instant.
The old lady didn’t say much, just silently finished one sesame flatbread. Fan Zhenghua and Dong Xiaojuan were overjoyed to see it.
That evening, Feng Man thought to give the old lady space and planned to stay at a guesthouse. But the old lady, who had quite an opinion of her, didn’t stay overnight. She didn’t even bring up the scammer issue in front of the others, so Fan Zhenghua’s family of three had no idea there had been an argument in the house before they returned.
Cheng Yulan insisted on taking the bus to leave. “I have my own place. No need to stay here.”
Before leaving, she only had Feng Man walk her a bit farther to the bus stop. Her sharp gaze sized her up a few times. “Figure it out yourself. I’ll come back in a few days.”
She had actually given the young girl some face.
Feng Man watched the sixty-year-old old lady’s straight, gaunt back, particularly conspicuous in the bus compartment.
She was quite an interesting old lady.
Feng Man could tell that Cheng Yulan was convinced her nephew Cheng Lang had no baby betrothal. She had no reason to lie to her.
She had heard the old lady had a fiery temper her whole life. If she really opposed her nephew’s marriage, she could say so outright, no need for such a reason.
For the first time, Feng Man felt doubt. It couldn’t be that she had mistaken her fiancé, right?
Carefully recalling the details of the day she fled the marriage and their journey south together afterward, two little figures seemed to argue fiercely in Feng Man’s mind. Cheng Lang clearly met every condition for the book’s fiancé. How could it not be him?
But Cheng Yulan’s attitude was clear; it didn’t seem fake.
Excessive guessing was pointless. Feng Man stopped fretting and headed straight to the Mine District. Nothing was more direct than hearing it from the person involved.
Whether yes or no, one sentence from Cheng Lang would clarify it.
After walking seven or eight minutes from the bus stop, Feng Man registered her name and identity at the Mine District gate before being allowed in.
Walking deeper into the Mine District, it was Feng Man’s first time seeing the scene up close. The mining equipment loomed like massive beasts, with all sorts of types, while the various precise survey instruments looked exquisite. It was truly dazzling.
There were more miners on the road, wearing safety helmets, all lean and dark-skinned, seemingly heading to the night shift.
Just as she prepared to ask someone about Cheng Lang’s whereabouts, Feng Man spotted a familiar face not far away—Song Guodong, who had just come to throw in his lot with Cheng Lang.
“Comrade Feng Man!” Song Guodong was thrilled to see a familiar face. “I came to join Brother Lang.”
But after a quick catch-up, Song Guodong recalled how that morning the heartless Brother Lang had declared he would drive Comrade Feng Man away, even nagging about her bus fare. He couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for the woman before him.
How did she end up with such a cold-hearted monk!
“Comrade Song Guodong, do you know where Cheng Lang is? I have something to ask him.” Feng Man had something on her mind and didn’t notice the slight pity in Song Guodong’s gaze toward her.
“Oh, right. Brother Lang just got off work and should be resting in the dorm.” Song Guodong, who had been about to go out to buy daily necessities, instead led Feng Man near the dorms. He didn’t take her straight to the building—too conspicuous in the men’s area of the Mine District. He had her wait in a hidden wall corner. “I’ll go call him.”
A few minutes later, Song Guodong came downstairs with a tall, sturdy man. He quickly headed out to shop, not daring to meddle in their affairs.
Night gradually darkened, the sunset’s afterglow swallowed bit by bit by the ink-black sky. The silver moon climbed the treetops, hanging high, casting silver glow that plated a soft light on the woman by the wall’s brows and eyes.
For some reason, as Cheng Lang looked at Feng Man, who had come to the Mine District to find him for the first time, Jiang Ping’s words echoed in his ears again.
The woman by the wall looked straight at him. Before Cheng Lang could speak, she cut to the chase. “Comrade Cheng Lang, I have something to ask you.”
Cheng Lang had never seen Feng Man so serious and cautious. His heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
The man, who feared neither heaven nor earth, suddenly felt an ominous premonition, though he couldn’t say what it was.
Fortunately, Feng Man had no intention of beating around the bush and asked directly. “Your little aunt came to your cousin’s house today. She saw me and called me a scammer because you’ve never had a baby betrothal. Is that true?”
Cheng Lang’s eyes darkened. Clearly, he hadn’t expected his little aunt to visit and say these things to Feng Man.
The issue, never exposed before, was suddenly laid bare in the sunlight, scorched by the rays.
His little aunt was indeed that sort of personality.
Seeing the man before her with a slightly darkened expression, Feng Man’s heart thudded at that instant’s hesitation and silence, which seemed to foretell the answer. She felt a powerless sense of weightlessness.
She had really mistaken her fiancé?
Then who was the real fiancé? Could it be the neighbor on the other side, Jiang Ping?
Having mistaken once, Feng Man didn’t dare jump to conclusions. Even Cheng Lang, who matched the conditions so well, was wrong; Jiang Ping’s chances were even slimmer.
But regardless, Feng Man had to correct this mistake. Especially since she had been so insistent, forcing her way onto Cheng Lang’s truck, declaring herself his betrothed, even “making herself at home” in her cousin and cousin-in-law’s house. It was truly embarrassing.
Heat climbed her cheeks. Fortunately, the night hid her flushed face.
Feng Man said awkwardly, “Since I mistook you, I’m really sorry. I troubled you during that time, and your cousin and cousin-in-law too. I’ll move out tomorrow. I’m leaving now.”
Her mind a mess, Feng Man spoke quickly and turned to go.
But after just two steps, her arm was suddenly grabbed.
Her fair skin was gripped by the man’s rough hand. Because of the slight force, the calluses chafed Feng Man, itchy and a bit painful. She turned back to gaze at Cheng Lang, only to see the man’s eyes deep, his gaze heavy as he looked over.