After everyone had left, Lin Fei and her two daughters exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
It felt amazing—they had never felt so relieved and delighted.
The two girls, their eyes sparkling, looked at Song Wei in admiration.
“Big Sister, you’re amazing! Why didn’t we think of such a way before?”
The two girls had arrived just in time to hear Song Wei say that Nian Guolin should stay. At that moment, the younger sister had nearly rushed out to yell at her. But then, they heard what Song Wei said afterward.
Their emotions were a rollercoaster—at first, they thought she was an enemy, only to realize she was an ally! And not just any ally, but one with formidable combat power.
Lin Fei enthusiastically grabbed Song Wei’s hand. “You young women sure think fast. I could never come up with that. Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to someone, Old One and Old Two.”
“This is your Brother Lin Zhen, and this is his fiancée, Song Wei.”
The two girls instantly became as obedient as elementary school students caught by their teacher when they saw Lin Zhen.
“You’ve met before when you were very young, but it’s been so long you probably don’t remember. Everyone sit down; I’ll go make some food.”
Lin Fei was in an excellent mood today. Seeing that Lin Zhen had brought along a rabbit, she half-heartedly scolded him for being wasteful but eventually accepted it. She decided to make a feast out of the rabbit.
In the city, Lin Fei had her own job, and her husband also had a stable job. They had purchased this house together using their wages.
Despite having two daughters, neither Lin Fei nor her husband had ever shown any dissatisfaction or complaints.
In fact, because of their achievements, Lin Fei was even more determined to ensure her daughters received a proper education and learned valuable skills. Her husband fully supported this idea.
However, there were always a few troublemakers on her husband’s side of the family.
Still, overall, Lin Fei was content with her marriage and life.
While Lin Fei was cooking, Lin Zhen went out to buy some groceries, and her eldest daughter went to the kitchen to help. The younger daughter, after sweeping the floor, took Song Wei to the courtyard to play.
This was on Lin Fei’s instructions, as she didn’t want Song Wei to feel bored or awkward sitting there.
The younger girl was full of enthusiasm and looked at Song Wei with nothing but admiration.
“Sister Song, let’s play shuttlecock! It’s perfect for two people.”
“Sure!”
Song Wei had never played shuttlecock before, but she was willing to give it a try.
Nian Xiaoyu happily took out a feathered shuttlecock and started kicking it around.
When it was Song Wei’s turn, she failed to control her strength and sent the light little shuttlecock flying far away.
Song Wei: …
Nian Xiaoyu: …
“I’ll go get it,” said Nian Xiaoyu.
Song Wei followed quickly, “I’ll come with you.”
The two of them traced the shuttlecock’s trajectory, which seemed to have landed in an alleyway.
After searching for a while, they finally found it. Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly saw two people rushing into the alley.
Instinctively, Song Wei grabbed Nian Xiaoyu and hid.
“What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to come looking for me? What if someone sees us?”
The woman’s voice carried a hint of guilt as her eyes darted nervously toward the alley entrance.
“Hehe, don’t you miss me? Your husband can’t possibly satisfy you,” the man said, pulling the woman into his arms.
The woman was both angry and embarrassed, her face flushing red.
“Watch your mouth! This alley is so close to home. If we’re discovered, we’re done for!”
“Relax, there’s no one here…”
Hiding in the shadows, Song Wei and Nian Xiaoyu could hear everything.
As the indecent conversation continued, Song Wei quickly covered Nian Xiaoyu’s ears, gesturing for her to stay silent.
While Nian Xiaoyu stood frozen, her mouth agape in shock, Song Wei was quite entertained by the unfolding drama.
The two outside seemed impatient, but their fear of being caught stopped them from going too far. After tidying up their clothes, they left one after the other.
After waiting for a while, Song Wei led Nian Xiaoyu out of hiding.
Nian Xiaoyu’s face was flushed red all the way to her ears.
Even though Song Wei had covered her ears, Nian Xiaoyu had a vague idea of what was happening. As a young girl, she felt so embarrassed her entire face burned.
“T-That… that auntie… I know her.”
Rubbing her face, Nian Xiaoyu spoke in a hushed tone, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Song Wei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Tell me more.”
Time to eat some melons.
“She’s an auntie from our courtyard. That man isn’t her husband.”
Song Wei clicked her tongue. Wasn’t it obvious? That woman was cheating on her husband.
“And she has a son named Li Fugui. He’s super annoying. His grandma spoils him rotten. Li Fugui always pulls down girls’ pants, bullies other kids in the courtyard, steals things, and spits on people while cursing at them. Every time someone scolds him and makes him cry, his grandma comes out and yells at everyone. It’s so frustrating.”
It was evident from her scrunched-up expression that Nian Xiaoyu was thoroughly fed up with Li Fugui.
But for a boy so young to already be “five evils in one”—stealing, bullying, and more—he wasn’t just a brat. He was a future inmate in the making.
Of course, such behavior was likely enabled by his doting grandmother, who always cleaned up after him.
Though Song Wei wanted to dig into more gossip, such as whether the boy was even his father’s biological child, she refrained from discussing the affair further in front of the young girl.
Back at Lin Fei’s House
By the time dinner was ready, Lin Fei’s husband had returned.
He was a reserved man who worked as a junior machinist at a mechanical processing plant, earning 30 yuan a month.
He gave off the vibe of someone who buried his head in work but looked easy to take advantage of.
With a stable income and a soft personality, it was no wonder his elder brother’s family treated him like a doormat.
At the dinner table, he awkwardly exchanged a few words with Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen kept the conversation going, ensuring there wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.
After dinner, Song Wei and Lin Zhen prepared to leave.
It was getting late, and Lin Fei didn’t insist they stay. She simply reminded them to be careful on the road while cycling back.
Once the two had left, the two girls eagerly recounted the day’s events to their parents.
Upon hearing everything, Nian Honggang clenched his fists tightly, then turned to Lin Fei with a guilty expression.
“I’m sorry. It’s all because of me.”
Nian Honggang was the second son in the family, often overlooked and undervalued.
But through his own efforts, he had apprenticed under a retired master machinist in their village.
The old machinist had a bad temper, and while many people wanted to learn from him, only three managed to endure his grueling training. Nian Honggang was one of them.
The Nian family was initially delighted that he was learning a trade, but their joy turned sour when they decided he should pass the opportunity to his elder brother.
When Nian Honggang first became an apprentice, his family doused his enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water, leaving him utterly disheartened.
But the old machinist wasn’t someone who accepted just anyone. When the Nian family forced his elder brother to take his place, the elder brother returned after half an hour of being scolded mercilessly.
Only then did the Nian family reluctantly send Nian Honggang back.
However, they still wanted him to teach his skills to his elder brother.
Growing up neglected and overlooked, Nian Honggang had developed a meek personality and was often suppressed by the elders in his family, unable to resist their demands.
But no matter how much he tried to teach, his elder brother was a useless fool who neither cared to learn nor had any interest in the trade.
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