Feng Man’s encouraging words to Yuan Qiumei fell into Cheng Lang’s ears. By the time she learned of it, Xiaoshan had already spread it in a distorted way.
What did she mean by beating Cheng Lang down flat, beating him into the ground!
Xiaoshan, don’t spread rumors.
The man looked at her with a half-smile. Feng Man explained, “It’s not like that. It’s just that Brother Zhou from your Mine District is too much of a macho man, a real tyrant at home. Look at what he’s done to Sister Qiumei. Of course I had to encourage her.”
Cheng Lang did not judge people based on their private lives. As long as someone had skills, talent, and loyalty, he would use them. As for relations with their wife at home, he never interfered.
But now he was inexplicably dragged into it, which was truly unfair.
“So you’re planning to trample our Mine District underfoot?”
“Hehe, not necessarily~” Feng Man’s expression was firm. She raised her chin, exuding a natural confidence that shone brilliantly in the sunset glow. “Maybe one day you’ll have to call me Boss Feng.”
Vibrant clouds spread across the sky, smearing colors horizontally and vertically over the clear blue expanse, while also outlining the vivid brows and eyes of the people below.
Cheng Lang looked deeply at her once, then said to the woman brighter than the sun, “You can call me that now.”
“No~” Feng Man hurriedly stopped Cheng Lang. “Right now I’m just a little street stall owner. Wait until I’ve made it big, then you can call me that!”
The two chatted and laughed as they headed into the house. Feng Man had already eaten dinner and heated up a separate portion saved just for Cheng Lang. She sat beside him, accompanying him while listening to him talk about matters in Chongling Town.
“Zhao Gang really got into trouble?” More than a month had passed since she secretly called Zheng Er last time. Feng Man was too far from Chongling Town to monitor progress in real time, so she could only wait quietly for Zheng Er to act.
Zheng Er turned out to be a man of action. He did not keep Feng Man waiting long. He had uncovered the dirt and decisively taken revenge.
“Yes, just last night. The biggest underworld gang in Chongling Town had an internal fight, with killings and chaos all around.” Cheng Lang ate his meal in big bites and succinctly recounted the thrilling scene. “Zheng Er slashed Zhao Gang once. He fled with serious injuries, and his underlings were all caught. Now there’s no place for Zhao Gang in Chongling Town.”
The local tyrant of Chongling Town ended his flashy, bullying days years ahead of schedule. Feng Man felt gratified.
This plot matched the book’s description, but because of her secret tip-off, it had happened early.
“Then my ID card…” What concerned Feng Man most was naturally her identity. No one wanted to live like a black household.
“I plan to go back to Chongling and retrieve your ID card.” Cheng Lang had considered various methods, but whether for Feng Man or himself, they needed to do it openly and have proper identities.
“I’ll go too! And move my household registry out while I’m at it.” Having a legitimate identity was Feng Man’s wish. Since Cheng Lang was going back, she naturally wanted to go with him.
The ID card and household migration were quite important. Otherwise, with the household registry still in the Feng Family, it was like being tethered by a rope no matter how far she flew, making true freedom impossible.
Cheng Lang’s contracted Mine District had recently gotten on track. The miners around him were all veterans, major matters were overseen by his cousin Fan Zhenghua, and there was also a group of workers who had been with him for six or seven years holding down the fort, which was generally reassuring.
Feng Man’s stall was even simpler. Dong Xiaojuan had already gotten the hang of it and could handle it completely with helper Yuan Qiumei.
The young couple simply packed their luggage. This trip would likely take about half a month. Feng Man folded two ladies’ shirts, two pairs of black long pants, two dresses, and undergarments into the luggage bag. As for Cheng Lang’s clothes, they were basically short-sleeved shirts and button-ups in black, white, and gray.
Once the packing was done, Cheng Lang took the initiative to add the white shirt and suit from the day of the wedding banquet, drawing a few extra glances from Feng Man.
“This time we’re going to see your family. I have to look the part.” Cheng Lang’s face was serious.
Feng Man blinked. She had already mentally prepared for a big fight with her trash dad and stepmom at the Feng Family. Shouldn’t Cheng Lang dress like a yakuza boss to back her up? Instead, he was going in a suit— it just didn’t look intimidating at all!
With the luggage simply packed, the two prepared to set off immediately. They would buy tickets at the train station for the direct train to Funan City, then buy tickets there for the train to Chongling Town, and that would be it.
After a few words with cousin and his wife, as they picked up their luggage to leave, a short, straight figure suddenly appeared at the courtyard gate.
Cheng Yulan hurried over. “I’m going back to the old home too.”
She had followed her husband south to make a living just a few years after marrying out. Counting the years, it had been over a decade since Cheng Yulan last returned to Nine Mountains Village.
This trip changed two train tickets into three.
Setting foot once more on the road back home, the three sat on the green train with varied expressions.
Feng Man thought about resolving the Feng Family matters in one go. She had to get the ID card and migrate her household registry so she wouldn’t be controlled by them. For this, she had already planned in her mind how to deal with her trash dad and stepmom— even making a big scene if necessary, relying on the village committee to handle it.
Feng Jianshe cared about face, so she had to tear off that mask.
As for force or violence, Feng Man naturally wasn’t afraid. She wouldn’t be casually locked in the kitchen anymore, especially with a tall and mighty man by her side.
Cheng Lang was quite reliable when it came to providing a sense of security.
As she pondered several plans to deal with Feng Jianshe and Zhang Cuijuan— both overt and covert— Feng Man glanced at her sister-in-law Cheng Yulan beside her. She saw the woman over fifty sitting silently, her aged and profound eyes fixed on the window, searching for traces of old times in the fleeting scenery.
For some reason, Feng Man saw a bit of the complex emotions of nearing home after a long absence in the old lady. Various feelings welled up in her heart. But when she turned her head, she met Cheng Lang’s indifferent face.
The man showed no emotion at all, as calm as his usual trips to the Mine District for work.
The train arrived at Funan City station. The three bought three more tickets there and transferred for two hours before reaching Chongling Town.
Just four days after an underworld gang’s internal brawl, the gloom still hung over Chongling Town. People in the streets and alleys whispered about it, discussing how the once-glorious Zhao Gang had vanished, now replaced by Zheng Er.
All sorts of anecdotes and secrets circulated among the local residents, as if everyone had witnessed that shocking infighting firsthand. They discussed it vividly, as if they had been there.
Cheng Lang’s brother in Chongling Town, Yang Jun, came to pick them up. That was when Feng Man learned that Cheng Lang stayed so informed because of real-time updates from him.
Yang Jun lived up to his name— tough and rugged, a bit shorter than Cheng Lang but still tall among men. His aura was milder around the eyes. Now he ran a small guesthouse in town, making him a modestly successful little boss.
“You and little aunt stay at the guesthouse. I’ll go with Yang Jun to Zhao Gang’s place.”
With Zhao Gang seriously injured and fled, his home might be the most dangerous or the safest place right now. Feng Man’s ID card was most likely there. But given the current situation, it wasn’t suitable to bring Feng Man and Cheng Yulan along.
Yang Jun called the front desk to prepare rooms and warmly introduced, “Little aunt, sister-in-law, stay here without worry. We’ll be back soon. Lunch is on me.”
At this point, it was hard to tell whose turf it was. Feng Man only worried that Zheng Er’s people might be watching Zhao Gang’s house and reminded Cheng Lang, “Be careful. If it doesn’t work, think of another way to get the ID card back.”
“Mm, I know what I’m doing.” Cheng Lang had more plans for this trip than just retrieving the ID card.
The two big men left. Feng Man stayed in the room with her little aunt. Yang Jun’s guesthouse looked ordinary outside, but inside it was well-kept— clean, tidy, with all necessary facilities.
Cheng Yulan, returning to her hometown after many years, grew even quieter in her naturally reticent personality. Feng Man took care of everything and poured her little aunt a cup of hot water, without disturbing her too much.
“I heard from Ah Lang that Zhao Gang was holding your ID card.” Cheng Yulan had overheard a bit on the way here and now knew the full story from a few months ago.
After Feng Man’s birth mother passed, her father remarried. From then on, no one at home cared about her. They used her to exchange for betrothal gifts and forced her to marry a local bully.
Cheng Yulan knew plenty of heartless parents like that. She had heard such stories often. But learning later that Feng Man had actively escaped— even willing to leave with her long-unseen baby betrothal partner Cheng Lang on a big truck— now added surprise and admiration to her gaze toward Feng Man.
“Little aunt, my dad handed my ID card to Zhao Gang back then. They planned to hold the wedding banquet and then get the marriage certificate. Luckily I escaped… And my household registry is still here in Nine Mountains Village. I plan to migrate it this trip, so my dad and them can’t hold it over me.”
“Mm.” Cheng Yulan admired people with ideas and courage. Hearing Feng Man’s plan laid out clearly, she nodded repeatedly. “You’re right. You can’t let them control you.”
The two chatted about the Feng Family situation for a while. Cheng Yulan narrowed her deep-set eyes thoughtfully. Soon, a knock came at the door.
Cheng Lang, who had handled things smoothly, brought back Feng Man’s ID card. A rectangular single card appeared before her.
Sealed in plastic, inside was a light-colored card with a dense mesh of anti-counterfeit lines as the background. On the left was the original body’s photo, on the right the basic information listed. Unlike later versions, the details were all handwritten.
Feng Man stared at the ID card over and over, sighing with emotion that she finally had a legitimate identity in this era. But the only regret was…
“Is it easy to change names now?”
The name on the ID card was— Feng Zhaodi.
The original body had been named Feng Man at birth, chosen by her birth mother. Though her mother wasn’t highly educated, she knew to pick a nice name for her daughter and selected the character from medicinal herbs she knew.
But when the original body was three, Feng Jianshe, annoyed that his wife hadn’t borne a son, changed Feng Man’s name to Feng Zhaodi. His intentions were obvious.
Seeing the glaring “Zhaodi” on the ID card now filled Feng Man with contempt. She absolutely refused to live under that name.
Cheng Lang clearly hadn’t expected Feng Man’s first words upon getting the ID card to be about changing her name. He thought for a moment and said, “You’ll probably need to go back for the household registry book, get a proof from the village committee, then take all the materials to the town police station to handle it.”
Changing names wasn’t easy. Feng Man murmured softly, “Looks like I have to go back to that house after all.”
Cheng Yulan eyed the “Zhaodi” characters. Her rough voice rose a bit. “It should be changed. That name your dad picked is awful! Go back if you have to. Girl, don’t be scared. You’re already married to Ah Lang— your dad and stepmom can’t bully you anymore!”
The old lady was furious and imposing, like a leopard poised to pounce. Anyone unfamiliar would think she was not to be trifled with.
Deep in the mountains and forests of Nine Mountains Village, news was not entirely cut off— especially regarding the village secretary’s son Zhao Gang.
In just a few days, word spread through the village that Zhao Gang had been hacked and fled with serious injuries.
Villagers gossiped. The village secretary’s home kept its doors tightly shut, while the Feng Family a kilometer away in the hollow was shocked yet excited.
Feng Jianshe slammed the door shut, his face showing unusual agitation. “I asked around again. Zhao Gang is really done for! Zheng Er got him. Who knows where he’s dead now.”
Ever since tying the knot with Zhao Gang had turned into enmity, the Feng Family had been repeatedly targeted, living miserably.
Feng Jianshe and Zhang Cuijuan only dared to curse privately— cursing Zhao Gang as vicious, then their daughter Feng Zhaodi as heartless for ruining her own people. She must be dead out there.
No matter what, Zhao Gang’s downfall was good for the Feng Family. At least no one would target them anymore. They could finally breathe.
Feng Jianshe and Zhang Cuijuan’s joy infected Feng Tianbao nearby. The chubby, well-fed boy joined in cursing a few times, also delighted.
Only one person in the room stayed silent. Feng Baozhu’s eyes sparkled faintly. Taking advantage of the family’s inattention, she hurriedly ran five li to the only small shop nearby to make a phone call. She had to tell big sis this good news!
But she didn’t know if, with Zhao Gang fled, big sis’s ID card was still at his house in town. How could she get it…
Feng Man had left Feng Baozhu the number of the small shop near cousin and his wife’s place. But Feng Baozhu had worried about exposing big sis’s location and never called. Now that Zhao Gang had fled and the crisis was over, she decisively dialed.
Unfortunately, the shop owner said the person wasn’t there and couldn’t be reached.
Feng Baozhu returned disappointed, walking another forty minutes or so back home. She had just picked up the thermos to pour a cup of hot water and was gulping it down from the enamel cup to quench her thirst when she suddenly heard movement outside.
Zhang Cuijuan was drying vegetables in the courtyard when she looked up and saw a familiar figure. Feng Zhaodi, who had run away from her marriage and left home four months ago, had actually returned!
She rubbed her eyes vigorously and confirmed she wasn’t seeing things. She glared viciously at this culprit who had caused their betrothal gifts to go down the drain and brought Zhao Gang’s targeting and revenge upon them. She hurriedly hollered toward the house, “Head of the house! Head of the house, come out quick! Zhaodi’s back!”
Feng Jianshe suspected he had misheard, but he hurried to the courtyard with quick steps. Standing in the middle of the courtyard was none other than his eldest daughter!
After months without seeing her, while his family had lived bitter days, she looked perfectly fine. She wore a whole new set of clothes, her two braids were gone, and she was dressed up all flashy. Feng Jianshe’s anger surged immediately.
He rolled up his sleeves, snorted angrily through his nostrils, and raised his hand for a slap. “Good, I’ll beat you to death, you wretched girl! Now you know to come back? You dared to run away from the marriage and leave home—why didn’t you just die out there!”
The slap, infused with heavy force, whistled down as Feng Jianshe vowed to vent his rage. But unexpectedly, a tight clamping force came from the opposite direction. A large, strong hand intercepted it, five fingers gripping his wrist tightly, and a burst of intense pain assaulted him.
“Ow, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” A squeal like a stuck pig burst from Feng Jianshe’s mouth. He looked up, and his terrified eyes reflected a face that was both strange and familiar.
Why had the eldest son from the neighboring Cheng family come? And he had actually laid hands on him!
What did this have to do with him!