Chapter 144 : This is My Real Father  

Shen Zheng was even more surprised now.  

He found it hard to believe that Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu had willingly taken the initiative to write more characters or solve extra arithmetic problems.  

In fact, even if they were genuinely doing homework, he was certain Fang Xiaoluo wouldn’t be able to bring herself to punish them without good reason.  

Shen Haiping’s vague explanation, combined with the words of the two little ones, made it clear that Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu must have made some mistake and had been punished by Fang Xiaoluo.  

When they entered Fang’s house, Zhang Xinyan and the others hurried out to greet them.  

“Mom, Shen Zheng bought these for you,” Fang Xiaoluo said, gesturing at the pile of items.  

Zhang Xinyan felt embarrassed. “Look at you, bringing things again. Next time, don’t bring anything. Your wife already brought so much, and now you’ve bought even more.”  

“Take some back when you leave. ”  

Shen Zheng carried the items inside. “Mom, we already have everything we need at home. We’re family, and these things are for everyone. Besides, with so many children here, the food expenses must add up quickly.”  

Zheng Lanhua came over and asked, “Where did the two of you meet?”  

Fang Xiaoluo explained the circumstances to Zhang Xinyan, whose eyes reddened with emotion.  

“What a tragedy, such a tragedy,” Zhang Xinyan choked up. “How could they stop you from going to school? Opportunities like that only come once in a lifetime.”  

Fang Xiaoluo comforted her, “Mom, let’s think positively. Isn’t everything turning out fine now?”  

Zheng Lanhua’s nose tingled as her emotions welled up.  

Fang Xiaoluo had clearly had the chance to see the world, gain more knowledge, and secure a great job in the future. Yet now, those opportunities were gone.  

Fang Xiaoluo turned to Zheng Lanhua with a smile. “This is fate for us. Otherwise, how else could you have found such a wonderful daughter-in-law like me?”  

Zheng Lanhua sighed. “That’s true. Our family really lucked out.”  

Shen Zheng said, “Mom, have you finished packing? Let’s head back now.”  

Zheng Lanhua nodded. “We’re ready. Let’s go.”  

Shen Zheng glanced around. “I’ll go call Haifeng and Feixu.”  

He strode into the innermost room, where Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu were furiously writing.  

Shen Zheng stood there watching them for a while. “Well done. They say practice makes perfect. It seems you’ve really mastered addition and subtraction within 100 recently.”  

Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu looked up and saw Shen Zheng standing there.  

Shen Haifeng, reflecting on the situation, vowed never to repeat the same mistake. He had learned the hard way that even one wrong answer meant punishment.  

At this moment, both his and Yu Feixu’s left hands were still red.  

However, the experience taught them that not everything could be decided on their own.  

Sometimes, the outcome of their decisions could have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only themselves but also their families.  

From now on, they knew they should think carefully and discuss matters with their parents before taking action.  

If not for Fang Xiaoluo’s quick thinking this time, they might have landed in serious trouble.  

Yu Feixu scratched his head and chuckled. “Uncle, didn’t I promise Aunt that I’d study hard and make progress every day?”  

Shen Zheng glanced at his hand and said, “The color on your palm is quite striking. Is this the latest trend in Honghe Village?”  

Yu Feixu and Shen Haifeng quickly hid their hands behind their backs.  

Shen Zheng gave them a knowing look. “It’s fine if you made a mistake. What matters is correcting it and not holding onto resentment.”  

The two kids waved their hands frantically. “No, no, we really know we were wrong!”  

Shen Zheng sighed dramatically. “Ah, I must have been mistaken.”  

Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu: …  

He tricked them!  

“Alright, pack your things. We’re heading back.”  

When Fang Xiaoluo, Shen Zheng, and their group arrived at the village entrance to wait for the bus, many villagers came to greet them, asking if they were heading home.

Chen Wei and two other children hesitated before finally running over to Shen Haifeng and slipping a piece of paper into his hand.  

Shen Haifeng opened the note to find a poorly written apology letter, full of crooked handwriting and some words spelled out in pinyin. It was a plea for forgiveness from Chen Wei and his friends.  

Shen Haifeng snorted, “Your handwriting is terrible. You have a mouth but can’t speak? It’s an insult to my eyes.”  

Yu Feixu crossed his arms and added, “Exactly!”  

Chen Wei nervously stammered, “I’m sorry. Will you come to Honghe Village again in the future? Can we join you next time?”  

Yu Feixu scoffed, “You don’t keep your promises. Why bring you along? If this were the old days, you’d be called a traitor!”  

Chen Wei quickly assured them, “We promise we won’t do it again, definitely not.”  

Shen Haifeng remembered Fang Xiaoluo’s words about forgiveness and thought, ‘What if Chen Wei actually learned from this?’  

He said, “You can’t expect us to never give you a chance to reform, right?”  

Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu exchanged glances, realizing this made sense.  

After a moment of thought, Shen Haifeng said, “Your future actions will determine whether we forgive you or not.”  

Nearby, Fang Xiaoluo listened to the children’s conversation with a smile. No matter what, they were learning from their mistakes, which was what truly mattered.  

—

When the group boarded the bus, it quickly filled up with passengers.  

After returning to their compound, Yu Feixu accompanied Yu Xiaopang back home. Meanwhile, Fang Xiaoluo’s family busied themselves unpacking and preparing for the evening.  

Shen Zheng was outside washing clothes, while Fang Xiaoluo kneaded dough and rolled noodles in the kitchen. Dinner would be a simple noodle dish.  

In the kitchen, Fang Xiaoluo rolled out the noodles while Zheng Lanhua sliced cucumbers.  

Before the noodles could go into the pot, voices echoed from outside, it was Yu Xinzheng and Han Weiping, along with Yu Feixu and Yu Xiaopang. The whole family had come over.  

Zheng Lanhua froze mid-slice. “Oh no, this is bad.”  

Fang Xiaoluo asked, “What’s wrong? If they’re here for dinner, I’ll just make two extra bowls of noodles.”  

“That’s not it,” Zheng Lanhua replied. “You smacked Yu Feixu’s hand earlier. What if his parents are upset? Are they here to confront you?”  

Fang Xiaoluo set down the rolling pin. “If they’re here to settle scores over that, I’ll just cut ties with them. It’s no big deal.”  

Zheng Lanhua blinked in shock. “Is that really okay?”  

“Why wouldn’t it be?”  

Just then, Yu Xinzheng and Han Weiping entered the kitchen with Yu Feixu in tow, followed by Shen Zheng, who was drying his hands on his apron.  

“Sister,” Yu Xinzheng said loudly, “Feixu must’ve done something wrong. He refuses to tell me, so you better explain what happened.”  

Fang Xiaoluo decided it was best to clarify the situation. She recounted what had happened and how she had disciplined the children.  

After hearing the story, Yu Xinzheng went straight to grab a broom. “A few slaps on the hands? That’s not enough! I think the punishment was way too light. If you don’t discipline them, they’ll never learn. They think they can just get away with it!”  

Yu Feixu, terrified, darted behind Fang Xiaoluo. “Aunt, save me!”  

Zheng Lanhua, witnessing this scene, thought in surprise, ‘They’re not here to settle scores? How are there parents who think the punishment was too light?’  

Shen Zheng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “I agree. The punishment ‘was’ too light.”