Chapter 57 Save Me

Chapter 57 Save Me

After Feng Chen left in the evening, Tang Yuan spent fifteen fen to buy a bath ticket from the guesthouse and went to take a nice hot shower nearby.

In those days, once the weather turned cold in the countryside, many people wouldn't bathe for six or seven months, from late autumn to early summer!

Tang Yuan found this terrifying.

The guesthouse had lit sanitary incense, and the beds were covered with white sheets and pillowcases.

Back then, guesthouses didn’t have the habit of changing bed linens daily; only high-ranking guests could request fresh linens.

Tang Yuan quietly slipped five fen to the attendant and received two sets of new bed linens, which she changed herself.

Unmarried men and women weren't supposed to share a room, but since Tang Yuan and Feng Chen were engaged and lived together, she had Tang Bingde write their introduction letter as if they were married, making travel and accommodation easier.

Uncle Feng naturally didn't ask any questions and wrote the introduction letter for a married couple.

Tang Yuan tried out both beds before choosing the more comfortable one to sleep in.

She didn't know how long she slept, but in her drowsiness, she felt someone approaching. She reached out and grabbed a familiar hand, pulling him onto the bed to use as a human pillow.

Throughout the process, she never woke up.

Feng Chen, who was pulled onto the bed, felt helpless. He wanted to get up, but she held onto his arm tightly.

This girl felt incredibly safe with him and wasn't afraid at all. When he entered in the middle of the night, she didn't react, and when he helped adjust her blanket, she not only didn't fear him but also pulled him onto the bed.

Since she wouldn't let go, he took off his jacket and lay down beside her, wrapping her and the blanket in his arms.

The next morning, Tang Yuan woke up feeling hot, realizing that Feng Chen had wrapped her tightly in the blanket, and his warmth was continuously seeping through it.

How could she not feel hot?

She immediately complained, "There are two beds here! Why do you have to squeeze into mine!"

In the cave, he wouldn't even agree to sleep with her, insisting on sleeping on the other side of the wall.

What could Feng Chen say after having his arm numbed by Tang Yuan all night?

Could he say he just wanted to hold her while sleeping?

That would make him seem like a pervert and scare her.

Despite her love for teasing him, if he tried to tease her back, she would get angry.

Girls can be so bossy.

Feng Chen quickly laid out the items and tickets he bought, diverting her attention.

Sure enough, Tang Yuan's eyes lit up, "Wow, you bought so many things?"

She cautiously glanced out the window and whispered, "No one saw you, right?"

Feng Chen shook his head, not telling her about the market management office’s surprise raid last night, during which he casually picked up two speculators as a thank-you.

They sold him everything at a discount as gratitude.

Feng Chen had bought many things this time: small mirrors, chemical combs, rakes, hair ties, elastic bands for clothes, needles and thread, Friendship ointment, Snow Cream, Huaxia water, three nested enamel basins, a stack of socks, and several hand towels.

As Tang Yuan looked through them, she praised Feng Chen, "You're amazing! You managed to buy so many essentials."

Apart from other things, the combs and rakes were absolute necessities. The ones at home were worn out and unusable.

In those days, lice were common, so the rake was essential. Tang Yuan used it every day to scrape her scalp, fearing lice.

In addition, Feng Chen had also bought some tickets: food coupons, cloth coupons, soap coupons, soybean oil coupons, supplementary food coupons, and sugar coupons.

Although the quantities were limited, the variety of tickets was extensive.

Tang Yuan casually asked about the prices and widened her eyes, "You spent so much money on these tickets? We still need to spend more, which means you're buying these at inflated prices."

Usually, if someone secretly traded tickets, they would only charge thirty percent of the face value, and at most fifty percent for highly sought-after items.

After all, everyone was poor and couldn't afford to pay more than the face value.

But Feng Chen had paid one to two times the face value for some tickets!

For example, a pound of brown sugar cost sixty-three fen, but he paid eighty fen for the sugar ticket!

That meant a pound of brown sugar now cost one yuan and forty-three fen.

He was usually quite frugal, so why was he suddenly spending so recklessly?

Was it because he hadn't studied well and couldn't do math?

Sensing her astonishment, Feng Chen quickly explained, "Brown sugar tickets are in short supply. I paid extra but only managed to get two pounds."

Tang Yuan couldn't help but say, "We don't have to eat brown sugar; we still have maltose."

Feng Chen replied, "But maltose doesn't cure stomachaches."

Tang Yuan instantly lost her temper.

Did he... buy it for her?

She suddenly felt both moved and guilty. She had just doubted whether the big shot was foolish and thought he might be showing off with his newfound wealth.

She was wrong; the big shot was just generous with her, buying her cloth shoes and expensive brown sugar, while he couldn't even bring himself to buy a pair of cloth shoes for himself.

She turned and hugged Feng Chen's waist, pressing her face against his chest and apologizing softly, "Feng Chen, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you and thought you were spending money recklessly."

Feng Chen was firmly embraced by her, and his heart started pounding.

"Grandma said if your stomach hurts, you should see an experienced doctor and take some medicine."

Tang Yuan's menstrual cycle wasn't very stable; sometimes it would skip two months, and other times she would have stomach pain.

Grandma wanted her to see a doctor.

But Tang Yuan believed it was due to malnutrition and late onset of menstruation in the original body. She thought that eating well and taking care of herself would eventually normalize things.

Mainly, she really didn't want to drink herbal medicine!

Although she wanted to grow medicinal herbs to make money, it didn't mean she wanted to drink bitter herbal soup.

She didn't always have stomach pain, and when she did, it wasn't unbearable. Sometimes it would hurt, but drinking ginger and brown sugar water and sleeping on a warm bed helped a lot.

She had only mentioned this to Grandma and her mother, so she was surprised that Feng Chen knew.

Instantly, she became happy again and praised him, "You're really good at buying things! Most people couldn't buy these coupons even with lots of money."

Seeing her happy, Feng Chen suggested, "We have several pounds of food coupons. Let's go eat fried dough sticks and buns."

Tang Yuan often talked about fried dough sticks and oil cakes when cooking at home, but they didn't have enough oil to fry them.

State-owned restaurants did!

He wanted to buy them for her!

Tang Yuan got excited, "Let's go!"

After praising him for being generous, Tang Yuan found him being stingy again during breakfast.

Tang Yuan wanted to buy fried dough sticks, oil cakes, sugar triangles, and soy milk, and he encouraged her to buy more for the road and to bring home for Grandma and their parents to try.

But when it came to him, he refused everything and only ordered a large bowl of the cheapest vegetarian noodles to fill up.

Sitting across from him, Tang Yuan ate her soy milk-soaked fried dough stick and glanced at Feng Chen eating his noodles.

Others slurped their noodles loudly, but his eating manner was elegant and pleasant, though he ate quickly, finishing most of the large bowl in no time.

She offered him a piece of fried dough stick.

Feng Chen said, "Eat it yourself. It doesn't matter what I eat."

For him, coarse grains were fine, let alone these refined noodle noodles.

Of course, the fried dough sticks should be left for his wife to enjoy.

After breakfast, they carried the extra fried dough sticks and flatbreads back to the guesthouse to wait for Uncle Feng.

Around eight o'clock, Uncle Feng arrived with a bag of steamed buns bought from the hospital cafeteria.

Tang Yuan knew this was Uncle Feng's way of showing concern for Grandma and his nephew. She didn't discourage him but accepted the buns with a sweet thank you, giving him emotional support.

Uncle Feng had originally wanted to explain his wife's attitude last night, but seeing that Feng Chen and Tang Yuan treated him as usual, cheerful and without any resentment, he didn't say anything.

If the children didn't mind, why bring it up again?

He led them to a nearby bank.

The county was still small, with a grid-like main road system, and many important buildings were concentrated in the city center.

Though they didn't have their household registration book, they had a letter of introduction from the village and Feng the accountant's guarantee, so the bank processed their savings account.

Feng Chen wanted to open the account in Tang Yuan's name, but only the household head could do so, so it had to be in his name.

However, he gave the passbook and his seal to Tang Yuan for safekeeping.

In the future, withdrawals would require the seal that had been registered with the bank.

Feng Chen signaled her to deposit less, worried they wouldn't have enough for shopping later.

They whispered to each other, heads close together, drawing glances from the bank clerk.

These two young people must be a married couple, right?

They both had good looks. The man was tall and handsome, with a somewhat cold and proud demeanor, unlike those rustic and simple-minded country men.

The woman was a bit too thin, but she was tall and pretty, with lively features that made her look like someone educated.

It was just unusual how they whispered to each other so intimately, as even in the city, young couples wouldn't show such affection in public.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen discussed briefly, then handed the money to the clerk.

Tang Yuan deposited six hundred yuan.

This time, they brought around a hundred yuan with them, all earned from selling medicinal herbs last time.

As the dot matrix printer buzzed, Tang Yuan felt a surge of accomplishment!

Following the leader meant having food and making money, which was great!

Especially since making money was incredibly difficult in this era!

Didn't Old Tang's family owe two hundred yuan for building two rooms and hadn't paid it off after years? They even struggled with the few dozen yuan needed for Tang Wu's wedding dowry?

Yet they had six hundred yuan in savings!

When policies loosen up and small businesses become possible, they'll have their startup capital.

Those who made money in the 1980s all had some family savings. Without startup capital, forget about buying inventory; you wouldn't even have the money for a train ticket south.

Seeing Tang Yuan's joyful expression, Feng Chen felt at ease. He loved seeing her happy.

To be honest, in his last few years of his previous life, he lost the ability to experience emotional fluctuations or feelings. Even though he regained some sensitivity after coming here, he wasn't as sensitive as a normal person.

This was why he didn't care much when he saw dead people, injuries, or suffering.

But Tang Yuan's happiness could genuinely transmit to him, making him feel a warm current in his heart and experience pure joy.

After depositing the money, they returned to the hospital with Uncle Feng.

Uncle Feng, as usual, gave Feng Chen the money for Grandma Feng's support. As for the money he saved for Feng Chen, he didn't mention it, planning to give it all at once when his nephew got married. After his nephew got married and stood on his own, he wouldn't give him any more money.

Feng Chen didn't refuse and handed the money over to Tang Yuan.

They didn't delay Uncle Feng from going to work, so they bid farewell and pulled the cart away.

They still had shopping to do.

As they were leaving with the cart, they unexpectedly ran into two people.

It was Xiao Meihong and Xiao Yulan.

The sisters were whispering under a tree.

Feng Chen didn't want to eavesdrop, but his hearing was too good, and he easily overheard their conversation.

Xiao Meihong was quite excited, "Little sister, hard work pays off. You're finally pregnant."

Xiao Yulan was a bit nervous, "Big sister, really, is everything okay?"

Xiao Meihong: "What could possibly go wrong? Your brother-in-law won't admit he can't father children. The whole family blamed you, but now that you can have children, they should be burning incense in gratitude."

Xiao Yulan laughed at her sister's words, but then she saw a tall, handsome figure approaching.

Her smile froze instantly—it was Feng Chen?

She couldn't help turning to look. She saw Feng Chen pulling the wooden cart, with Tang Yuan beside him, smiling brightly. Whatever Tang Yuan said made the usually stoic Feng Chen smile slightly.

She couldn't help but stare at them.

Xiao Meihong also noticed and pulled her, whispering, "Enough, don't think about him anymore. A poor, uneducated country boy with no prospects. His children will be just like him, never becoming city dwellers."

Xiao Yulan suddenly shivered and worriedly asked, "Big sister, do you think he might threaten me, report me or something?"

She imagined Feng Chen showing up with that guarantee letter, threatening to expose her. How could she satisfy him?

Xiao Meihong reassured her, "Stop scaring yourself with wild thoughts. That night, he didn't expose us, and he won't in the future."

Much of the content in that letter was made up, so reporting it would be useless.

Xiao Yulan blushed, imagining something else.

"I'm just afraid his wife might cause trouble."

Tang Yuan sneezed as they left the hospital gate, feeling the wind.

Feng Chen asked with concern, "Did you catch a cold because it was too hot last night?"

Tang Yuan rubbed her nose, "No, it must be the wind and sand. Let's hurry to the supply store."

The supply store was a bit far from the hospital, so they followed the main road directly there.

The handsome young man and pretty young woman pulling a wooden cart into town for a big shopping spree drew considerable attention at the supply store. Many people came to the counter to see them.

The supply store had some scarce items, such as limited-edition Huili shoes and trendy military-style fabrics. If they announced the arrival of these items, long queues would form outside before the store even opened, and they would sell out immediately.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen didn't have high demands; they just wanted basic items.

Tang Yuan bought soap, matches, kerosene, and a large bundle of toilet paper. Additionally, she bought two new sanitary belts and used cloth coupons and money to buy herself two sets of cotton bras and panties.

When Tang Yuan bought the sanitary belts, Feng Chen didn't know what they were and calmly followed her, carrying the items.

The salesperson felt embarrassed for Tang Yuan, her cheeks flushing red. How could this young country wife not be shy, bringing a man to buy such embarrassing things?

Tang Yuan didn't care at all and even asked about different sizes and better options.

Finding only one type available, she settled for it.

When buying bras and panties, Feng Chen's ears turned bright red, but his expression remained cool and composed.

The salesperson, however, was blushing and flustered.

Two other salespeople from nearby counters whispered and giggled behind their hands.

"Look at him, his ears are red as blood."

"But why didn't he blush when she bought that thing earlier?"

Feng Chen, with his excellent hearing, heard their comments and wondered what thing they were talking about. Why should he blush?

These people were truly boring, watching him and Yuan Yuan shop. What was so interesting about country folk buying things?

Buying things isn't illegal for country folk!

Tang Yuan saw pots of various sizes and was surprised to find that they didn't require tickets. She bought two large pots, as her family was big and needed larger ones, and she could also take one to the mountains.

The curious onlookers among the salespeople were amazed as the petite woman pointed confidently at the items she wanted, asked for prices, and swiftly counted out the money.

The salesperson quickly calculated the total on an abacus, not missing a beat.

It was truly surprising.

After buying their goods, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen left under the watchful eyes of the salespeople, pulling their cart.

"Isn't that the son and daughter-in-law of the village secretary of Chengguan Village?"

Ordinary sons and daughters-in-law wouldn't have this kind of presence. Look at their straight posture, their confident speech, and their calmness when handling money. They don't look like those timid farmers at all.

While their demeanor resembles educated youth, everyone knew these two weren't educated youth.

Educated youth and farmers can be easily distinguished by their hairstyles, demeanor, and clothing.

These two were dressed like genuine farmers, rustic and simple.

Tang Yuan had no idea that their shopping spree had attracted attention; she only felt how exhausting it was to shop. She was hungry again.

She could tell her young body had a fast metabolism; despite eating a lot for breakfast, she was already hungry again.

She took out a fried dough stick, tore off a piece, and forced it into Feng Chen's mouth before starting to eat herself.

"Aah—stop, stop, Mother, stop, I'm sorry..."

"You little wretch, stand still! Don't run, or I'll beat you to death!"

A plea for mercy and shouts of threats came from nearby. Tang Yuan, biting into her fried dough stick, turned to look. She saw a disheveled woman chasing a skinny girl with a rolling pin.

The girl, with thin arms and legs, clearly malnourished, stumbled as she ran and was soon caught by the rolling pin.

The woman was relentless, striking the girl repeatedly while berating her.

The girl, using her frail arms to shield her head, screamed in pain, unable to beg for mercy anymore.

Some passersby tried to intervene, but the woman waved the rolling pin at them, yelling, "Mind your own business! Get lost!"

Seeing her aggression, the passersby feared being hit and backed away, shaking their heads.

"Poor girl."

"Is this her real mother? So cruel? More like a stepmother."

The passersby criticized the woman, who became even more enraged and struck the girl harder.

"I'll teach you to run! I'll break your legs so you know who's in charge!"

Chen Juhua was really angry. Initially, she had just intended to scold the girl and give her a light beating, which the girl could endure.

Who doesn't discipline their children?

But the girl ran away after being hit, trying to show others how cruel her mother was, tarnishing her reputation.

This infuriated Chen Juhua even more, causing her to strike harder. The girl, unable to escape, rolled on the ground, her screams growing weaker.

"Auntie, stop, please stop hitting Daya, you'll kill her!" A dark and skinny teenager rushed over to stop the woman but was also beaten.

Chen Juhua's voice was shrill: "Stay away from my family, you hooligan! Do you think you can trick my daughter into marrying you? Dream on!"

She continued to berate the girl for being stupid, lazy, and greedy, and accused the teenager of wanting a wife without a dowry.

The teenager tried to grab the rolling pin but was hit on the shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain.

Chen Juhua, still unsatisfied, swung the rolling pin again. Suddenly, there was a "crack" as the rolling pin broke against a thicker stick.

Clearly, she had used immense force.

Chen Juhua yelled angrily, "Who's interfering?"

Tang Yuan initially didn't want to interfere, knowing each family has its difficulties. Some parents, unable to earn enough, vent their frustrations on their children.

If they didn't take it out on their kids, they might go mad.

Others couldn't intervene; what could they do? Raise their children or give them money?

But this woman was going too far.

Was she trying to kill the child?

Blood was seeping from the girl on the ground, bright red.

Tang Yuan couldn't bear it any longer and grabbed a stick from the wooden cart to block the attack.

The girl on the ground weakly turned her head and frantically waved at Tang Yuan, "Sister, leave, please leave, don't get involved..."

She desperately wanted someone to save her and stop her mother, but the person would need to be strong like Brother Feng. Even Xiaojie, a boy, was beaten by her mother. This sister, being slender, wouldn't stand a chance and would be beaten too.

Tang Yuan frowned and said to the woman, "Sister, talk it out. How can you beat your child so viciously? If you hurt her badly, won't you have to spend money to treat her in the hospital?"

Some parents, with hot tempers, lose control and end up hurting their children, only to regret it later.

Even if they don't feel remorse, they still have to treat the injuries. If they don't, do they want the child to die?

Given her age, she should call the woman "aunt," but doing so would make her seem younger and less authoritative. Calling her "sister" puts them on equal footing, making it easier to reason with her.

Chen Juhua was about to unleash a torrent of abuse but saw a tall and cold young man approach Tang Yuan. The young man's eyes were icy and sharp, making her inexplicably afraid.

In the end, she didn't dare to curse at Tang Yuan. She felt justified in beating her own child, but cursing others required more consideration.

Zhou Xiaojie and Daya, who were on the ground, also noticed Feng Chen standing nearby, and their eyes immediately lit up.

It was Brother Feng. Brother Feng was tall and strong; Mother definitely couldn't beat him.

He could save Daya!

They were still minors and lacked the ability to fend for themselves. They didn't realize that even if Brother Feng was strong, he couldn't interfere with Mother hitting her daughter.

Even if he intervened once, he couldn't be there every time, and Daya might suffer even worse beatings as a result.

Chen Juhua glared at Tang Yuan, who had meddled in her affairs, but dared not look at Feng Chen.

After all, she was one to bully the weak and fear the strong.

She bent down to pick up the broken rolling pin, feeling both heartbroken and angry. A good rolling pin had broken!

Buying a new one would cost money!

The family already struggled financially, and now there was an additional expense.

That dead girl was truly a jinx!

With no kindness in her voice, she kicked Daya, who was lying on the ground, and cursed, "Hurry up and get back home! I told you to cook at home, but you were eating instead! Your grandmother is sick, and I managed to save up some food coupons to buy her some egg cakes. You ate them all!"

She needed to let people know why she was beating her child—it was because the child was disobedient!

Daya wanted to say it was her sister who ate them, not her, but when she met her mother's venomous gaze, her instincts told her not to speak up. Otherwise, she would face another beating at home.

Going home... meant facing an even worse beating.

Seeing the broken rolling pin, Daya shuddered in pain.

The rolling pin had broken, making her mother even angrier. At home, she would surely be beaten with a thicker stick.

No, no, she wouldn't go home. She didn't want to be beaten to death!

She didn't want to die!

Fear gave her unprecedented courage and strength. She turned and ran toward Feng Chen and Tang Yuan, pleading, "Brother Feng, please, please help me."

Brother Feng?

Tang Yuan was taken aback. How many people did Feng Chen know during his idle days in the city?

Seductive women seeking favors, pitiful girls seeking help?

But this little girl was truly pitiful. Tang Yuan felt differently about her and Xiao Yulan. If she encountered such a situation, she naturally had to intervene.

Feng Chen felt a sudden darkness. What trouble had the original owner caused him again!

Although he didn't know what past interactions the original owner had with this girl, his instincts told him not to get involved.

He looked at Tang Yuan, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance, "Wife, I don't know her."

One after another, they came to harm him.

Zhou Xiaojie also ran over and said to Feng Chen, "Brother Feng, it's me, Xiaojie. We met last winter."

But Feng Chen had no memory of it. He hadn't inherited all of the original owner's memories, and everyone except those close to him was vague.

Perhaps the original owner knew this boy, and the boy had told the little girl. That made sense.

Better than being falsely accused by the girl.

Seeing Daya not going home but running to the tall and cold man for help, Chen Juhua became furious and cursed, "Dead girl, at such a young age, you're learning to seduce men, aren't you?"

Daya shook her head desperately, "No, no, Brother Feng is strong, very strong, waa... please, please help me, help me."

Watching her mother approach step by step, she felt like she was facing a flood or a beast, sensing impending doom. Despair instantly gripped her.

Terrified, she fainted.

Zhou Xiaojie panicked, "Daya, Daya!"

Tang Yuan stepped forward to check on Daya, pinched her acupoint, and woke her up.

She then looked at Chen Juhua and said, "Sister-in-law, let's go to the police station."

Her experience as a poverty alleviation officer taught her that when encountering domestic violence, either stay out of it entirely or handle it thoroughly. Partial intervention only makes things worse.

Don't be afraid of the other party's aggressive parents saying things like, "I'm hitting my own child, what business is it of yours? If you want to manage, take her home with you." Just firmly stand your ground.

At that moment, a male and female community worker ran over and said to Chen Juhua, "Mother of Daya, why are you beating your child on the street?"

This would attract attention, wouldn't it?

Chen Juhua had been beating her daughter since she married into the family, though initially not as severely.

At first, dissatisfaction led to verbal abuse, which later escalated to physical abuse. When slapping wasn't enough, she used tools.

Neighbors, the neighborhood committee, and community workers had tried to intervene, but it was futile.

They couldn't take Daya away, could they?

Chen Juhua was Daya's biological mother, and no one else had the right to take her away.

As for Big Sister, now that she's grown up and can do household chores, she'll be eligible to marry in a couple of years and bring in a dowry. Chen Juhua wouldn't possibly let anyone take her away.

Sigh, this really is a tough situation.