Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Feng Yanzi was furious, and hurtful words spilled out without a second thought: "Some people really think they’re real family. Back then, your mother was sent to the countryside and left you in the city because she was afraid you wouldn’t get your medicine there and might die. All these years, it’s my sister who changed your diapers and fed you. But Feng Yanwen, have you forgotten? The ones related to you by blood are us, not her. Who does she think she is, anyway? If her birth parents ever come looking for her, just see if she’ll still want you."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s faces fell.

Forget about the others, even Xu Meng had never known that her parents left her in the city for this reason.

Neither the Xu family nor Feng Yanwen had ever mentioned it to her. So how did Feng Yanzi know?

It dawned on Xu Meng that Feng Yanzi was trying to sow discord—her intentions were malicious.

She was telling Xu Meng that her birth parents had abandoned her out of necessity, while also telling Feng Yanwen that raising a child with no blood ties brought no benefit. Such words might have been brushed off normally, but right after the incident with Grandma Huang’s family—who had raised Tang Hui as their own, only to meet a bitter end—this was nothing short of rubbing salt in the wound.

The fight almost broke up the family reunion, and dinner was tense. Before Feng Yanzi left with the children, Feng Yanwu stopped her and gave each child two ten-yuan bills as lucky money. Grandma Feng also gave each child two bills, which finally eased Feng Yanzi’s expression.

After they left, Grandma Feng sighed repeatedly.

Her eldest daughter had a hard life, and she had tried to help, but Feng Yanzi was like a hopeless case.

Back when Feng Yanwu teamed up with some village youths to start a livestock business, his first thought was to involve his sister. But when he went to Huang Village to propose the idea, Feng Yanzi kept insisting she had no money and only wanted her husband to work at the farm for a steady paycheck. Later, when the farm turned a profit, she grew resentful, unsatisfied with the meager wages, and egged her husband to make demands.

If she weren’t his own sister, Feng Yanwu would’ve kicked her out long ago.

Last winter, when the family set up greenhouses, they had informed her. Even buying plastic film for just one acre wouldn’t have cost much, but Feng Yanzi was full of doubts and even talked smack behind their backs: "They didn’t harvest five acres of cabbage. Just wait—they’ll be crying soon."

She had been smug then, but as veggie prices shot up after the winter solstice, her laughter faded.

She kept probing, openly and covertly, about how much money her family had made.

Money was all she cared about.

Just thinking about her eldest daughter made Grandma Feng sigh. All her children were dear to her, and it pained her to see any of them struggle. But the eldest was hopeless—you couldn’t push or pull her forward. It wasn’t until Tao Tao told his grandmother a bedtime story that her mood lightened.

After everyone left, Grandma Feng finally had time to talk privately with her daughter: "Don’t take what she said to heart. Blood ties or not, it’s all about fate. Some biological children aren’t good, and some adopted ones are. In the end, life is what it is. Look at her—she’s my own flesh and blood, yet I haven’t relied on her for support. Instead, I’ve been subsidizing her all year. I’m soft-hearted—I can’t bear to see any of you suffer..."

The little money she earned went to supporting her children.

Before, Feng Yanwen had been in a bad place, so she helped her every time she visited.

Now she didn’t need to give money to her second daughter, but whenever Feng Yanwu went to the city, he brought plenty of vegetables, eggs, and chickens. That winter, Feng Yanwen and her daughter barely bought any groceries, living off handouts from home. Feng Yanzi also received a lot.

Her family’s needs were endless—six kids to feed—every mouth added up. Every year when it was time to buy pesticides and fertilizer, she’d come whining to her parents. Grandma Feng couldn’t stand seeing her struggle, so she gave what she could spare.

As a result, her son received little support.

But since both elders were still able to work, that was the greatest help they could give him. That winter, after selling the five acres of cabbage, Feng Yanwu even gave her a thousand bucks for the New Year. She had planned to give Feng Yanzi three hundred to help make ends meet, but after today’s scene, she thought better of it. She only handed out a hundred in New Year’s money to the children—knowing Feng Yanzi would pocket it anyway. But she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore.

Feng Yanwen fell silent for a moment. "I know. Xu Meng is a good child. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have stood up for myself today. I’ve been doing alright for myself these past six months—you don’t need to worry about me."

Grandma Feng patted her hand. "You’re a good child, and so is Xu Meng. Don’t let her words come between you. Who knows where her birth parents are? Even if they someday return, raising her counts more than birthing her. Even if she acknowledges them, she’ll still be closer to you. And even if she never does, once she starts her own family, she’ll naturally grow apart from you. You can’t place all your hopes on a child."

Or you’ll just end up hurt, disappointed, and imbalanced.

With Grandma Feng’s reassurance, Feng Yanwen’s mood lifted slightly. Mother and daughter chatted a while longer in private.

Then Grandma Feng asked, "You’re not too old to have kids—haven’t you met anyone suitable?"

Feng Yanwen hesitated, then finally nodded.

But Xu Meng realized the watch on her wrist had vanished.

To time her exams, Feng Yanwen had specifically spent a few hundred yuan to buy her a mechanical watch, and Xu Meng had gotten used to glancing at it often.

"Mom, where’s my watch?"

"Which watch?" Huang Lingling hurried over.

At this, everyone in the room crowded around, asking when she last saw it.

"A silver mechanical watch. I wind it up every day around now," Xu Meng recalled. "I glanced at it when I came inside earlier, but then I didn’t check again. Just now, I noticed it’s gone."

Feng Yanwen took her hand, inspecting it carefully to confirm the watch wasn’t hidden under her sleeve or caught in her clothes. Then she checked all the spots Xu Meng had been. "She took off her padded jacket when she napped on the kang earlier. Maybe the clasp snagged and dropped onto the kang. I told you before that clasp wasn’t sturdy and suggested switching to an elastic one."

The mechanical watch had a snap clasp, which might have snagged on her sweater and come loose.

This season, the kang was piled with stuff, and the watch could easily be buried under something.

Xu Meng wasn’t too worried. She hadn’t left the room, and no outsiders had come in. Just a watch—not exactly a thief magnet.

Yet after turning the kang inside out, the watch was nowhere to be found.

Huang Lingling squeezed Xu Meng’s hand reassuringly. "You’ll be staying here for a few more days. We’ll keep looking in every nook and cranny. If we really can’t find it, I’ll get you another one." Though a watch wasn’t cheap, the family had earned a good amount this winter and could afford it.

Xu Meng shrugged it off. "It’s definitely here somewhere. I never left this room."

Feng Yanwen wasn’t too concerned either. Just as the family was about to sit down and chat, Tao Tao burst in from outside, excited. "Mengmeng sister, what are you all looking for?"

Huang Lingling waved him off. "Scram, kiddo—no messing around here."

If anything, he’d just be in the way, but no one expected him to be of much help.

But children are naturally curious. If you ask them to stay and help, they might not accomplish much, but if you tell them to leave, they’ll stubbornly refuse. Tao Tao latched onto Xu Meng, pouting, "Tell me what you’re looking for! I’ll help you find it! I’m really good at finding things—like the jelly Mom hides. I found it right away!"

His sweet little voice melted everyone, and the whole family couldn’t help but laugh.

Xu Meng hoisted him up. "My watch is missing. Can you help me find it?"

Tao Tao straightened his little frame and jumped down from Xu Meng’s arms. He knew watches—Dad wore one to check the time. He’d always press his ear to it to hear the ticking sound, but over time, he lost interest in it.

"Is sister’s watch white?"

Technically, Xu Meng’s watch was silver, but children often couldn’t distinguish between silver and white, so he called it white.

Hearing this, Xu Meng placed a hand on Tao Tao’s shoulder and bent down to meet his gaze. His big, honest eyes said it all—no way he’d lie. The family’s expressions grew serious.

Huang Lingling grinned, teasing, "You’re always hiding his snacks, and now it’s paying off. Tell us where the watch is. If you can find it, Mom will reward you with Dongbao!"

Dongbao was the good stuff. Even with the Fengs doing alright these days, getting a bottle still required begging Mom for ages.

Tao Tao jabbed a finger outside. "Then you’ll *never* find it."

He said, "Because I just saw Huang Cheng pick up a watch and put it in his pocket before leaving."

No one expected it to go down like this. Feng Yanwen’s face fell, and she immediately got on her bike to chase after him.

Feng Yanwu quickly stopped her, saying, "I’ll give you a ride—it’ll be quicker."

If Feng Yanwen tried to catch up to them by bike, she’d likely have to chase them clear to Huang Village.

The family had left after dinner, and it was already quite late when they departed.

But Feng Yanzi couldn’t have gone far yet.

She had a big family, and though they had ridden out on a bicycle, one bike couldn’t fit all the kids. Earlier, when they left, Huang He had the youngest, Little Five, sitting on the front bar while Feng Yanzi held Huang Cheng on the back. Second Sister, Third Sister, and Little Four walked behind.

Now, with the sun setting early, the two grown-ups walked slow, stopping every so often to wait for the children.

But as it grew later, Feng Yanzi suddenly said, "We’ll go ahead first. You three keep walking. Once we’re home and ditch Little Five and Little Six, we’ll come back for you."

Little Four whimpered, scared, "Mom..."

Feng Yanzi clenched her teeth and patted Huang He’s back. "Step on it. We gotta fetch ’em before dark."

After all, they were just girls—who’d waste time scooping them up? If someone did pick them up, she’d even thank them.

The children could only watch helplessly as the bicycle disappeared into the distance.

The northern farmland stretched forever, with long stretches of uninhabited land. Once night hit, all kinds of creepy stuff came out.

Little Four tugged at Third Sister’s sleeve. "Sis, what if there are wolves?"

Third Sister, two years older and the sharpest of the five sisters, said calmly, "Don’t worry. Even if there were wolves, folks would’ve shot ’em for stew by now."

Fortunately, this area was all flat plains, unlike the mountainous south. As long as no bad people showed up, the children wouldn’t be in real danger. So Feng Yanzi, unfazed, let her man pedal off without a second thought.

The three littlest were left in the dust, walking and occasionally running. By the time they were halfway home, the sky had begun to darken.

Huang Xiaoting got antsy and quickened her pace.

Little Four was about to bawl, her feet numb from running. "Wait for me, wait for me! I can’t walk anymore!"

Huang Xiaoting snapped, "Quit whining. Nobody’s hauling you. If you don’t hurry up, the big bad wolf’ll grab you when it gets dark!"

Little Four was terrified.

Just eight, but she knew better than to fuss. Though upset, she held back her tears.

Third Sister took pity, saying, "Walk faster. When we get home, I’ll spot you some bubblegum."

Little Four swallowed her sobs and hurried behind her sister. "Third Sis, who gave you the bubblegum?"

Third Sister hissed, low and secret, "I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell Second Sister."

Little Four nodded solemnly.

Once Second Sister was out of earshot, Third Sister said, "That big sis hooked me up."

She meant Xu Meng.

Unlike Huang Xiaoting, these two were all about Xu Meng.

The sister from the city was so pretty and even gave them snacks.

Though Xu Meng didn’t like Huang Xiaoting, she had no issues with the other cousins, especially the younger ones. Seeing the children's big, pleading eyes, she couldn’t bear it and handed out some snacks. As luck would have it, among the handful of fruit candies, Third Sister got two pieces of Big Big Bubble Gum (a popular Chinese bubble gum brand). With a pang of regret, she decided to share one with her little sister.

A single piece of this bubble gum cost fifteen cents—a rare luxury for kids who usually had next to no allowance.

How generous of her sister!

Little Four mused wistfully, "I heard that sister came from Beijing. Do you know why Second Sister doesn’t like her?"

Third Sister glanced at Second Sister, then turned away and lowered her voice. "I heard that back when Auntie hadn’t had any children yet, and Mom had given birth to a bunch of girls, she wanted Auntie to adopt Second Sister. But Auntie refused."

Of course, she refused—Feng Yanwen had no say in who got adopted and who didn’t.

But Feng Yanzi didn’t see it that way and often muttered about it.

The complaints were useless, but they fueled Huang Xiaoting’s pride. She felt she was just one step away from becoming a city kid.

Huang Xiaoting had dreamed since childhood that her aunt from the city would take her away. She resisted every chore assigned to her at home and even took her resentment out on Xu Meng. Today, seeing Xu Meng all dressed up in new clothes, she was already sulking, and then her aunt barely spoke to her.

Didn’t Mom say Auntie liked her the most?

In a sour mood and fed up with her younger sisters’ noise, Huang Xiaoting simply left them behind.

At first, Third Sister tried to keep up with her, but seeing her pulling ahead, she gave up and slowed down. "Let’s split the bubble gum now?" she said to Little Four.

Little Four’s eyes sparkled—this was Big Big Bubble Gum! She had always envied others who could blow big bubbles.

The two kids, forgetting about the approaching darkness, plopped down on the ground. One rummaged through her pockets while the other watched eagerly. Third Sister was always good at hiding things, and soon she pulled out quite a stash—jellies from Feng Yanwen, candies from Xu Meng, and biscuits from Huang Lingling.

Little Four wasn’t as sharp-tongued and charming as her sister, so she had fewer treats—just the jellies Feng Yanwen gave her when she arrived, which she had already finished.

"Wow," Little Four let out little gasps of wonder. "Sister, you’re amazing!"

This was the scene Feng Yanwu saw as he drove up on his motorized rickshaw, with Feng Yanwen and her daughter in tow.