Cheng Fujun and the others below watched in stunned silence, unable to utter a word.

Cheng Rushan had poked a total of four holes on the roof.

He then leaped down from the eaves, discarded the stick, and clapped his hands. “Alright, let’s take our things back.”

Even though some of the items weren’t valuable, worth only a few cents, he wouldn’t leave anything for Cheng Ruhai to keep!

That was just how stubborn he was!

Back then, Yan Runzhi didn’t argue with Cheng Ruhai about many things, figuring her family didn’t do much work anyway, so she didn’t bring up some items.

Cheng Rushan then moved the old elm dining table, which had a seasoned patina, out of the main room, along with a black lacquered wardrobe with double doors, which he had redeemed.

Initially, Cheng Ruhai earned work points to feed himself and had no money.

Cheng Rushan earned all the money himself, risking his life to support the family, not for Cheng Ruhai to bully his own mother and wife and children.

Jiang Lin watched as he ruthlessly kicked Cheng Ruhai out, her eyes dark and terrifying.

At that moment, she was startled, thinking he might go berserk.

Yet when his gaze swept over her, it was gentle, filled with remorse.

When he looked at his sons, the darkness around him instantly melted away, revealing a softness.

Her gaze was drawn to him, staring at him the whole time, her heart pounding uncontrollably, out of its usual rhythm.

She watched as he leapt onto the roof, watched as he single-handedly carried out the heavy wardrobe, and watched as he walked briskly to her side.

She wanted to say something but didn’t know what.

At that moment, she suddenly had a thought: If only she had come here earlier, Dabao and Xiaobao wouldn’t have been so pitiable.

Cheng Rushan walked up to Jiang Lin, his coldness already dissipated, his whole being soft like a child’s.

He lowered his head to look at her, then opened his arms and embraced her tightly, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”

Seeing this, Cheng Dabao and Cheng Xiaobao ran over too.

Cheng Xiaobao immediately hugged Jiang Lin’s leg, while Cheng Dabao hesitated for a moment before moving closer as well.

Jiang Lin was taken aback.

She hadn’t expected him not only to blame her but to act like this.

Hearing his hoarse voice, she knew he was in pain.

She spoke softly, “Let’s go home.”

She lifted her head to smile at him, but she saw his dark eyes turning red, shimmering with tears.

She fought back the tears and said with a smile, “It’s all in the past now. The future will be better.”

Then she turned to Dabao and Xiaobao, “Let’s go, let’s move our things back home!”

Cheng Rushan released her and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Cheng Fujun, who had been ignored on the side, initially thought Cheng Rushan was being too harsh, but recalling past events, they fell silent.

Oh well, it’s their family affair.

As a cadre of the brigade, Cheng Fujun didn’t interfere.

As long as no one died or suffered major harm, it wasn’t a big deal.

He left first.

After he left, the security chief also departed.

Shang Zonghui, the grandson of Old Lady Shang, ran over. “Brother Rushan, let me help you move the cabinet.”

Old Man Shang, his grandfather, had been the village branch secretary of Shuihuai Village.

During his tenure as a village cadre, he hadn’t cultivated his own children and grandchildren to be cadres.

After retiring, he supported Cheng Fujun.

Shang Zonghui had attended primary school for a few years when he was young and was now seventeen, bold and sturdy, serving as a militia member in the village.

The village militia also had to work, and in their spare time, they followed the instructions of the security chief, responsible for patrols, guarding, and maintaining village security.

Upon hearing that Cheng Rushan was going to kill Cheng Ruhai, the security chief hurriedly brought people over, and Shang Zonghui followed.

Cheng Rushan turned around, already back to his usual self, and smiled at Shang Zonghui. “Aren’t you afraid of being mocked by others?”

Shang Zonghui grinned, showing two small tiger teeth. “Not afraid. If my grandpa isn’t scared, why should I be?”

He chuckled and moved to help Cheng Rushan carry the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin was busy packing up with Dabao and Xiaobao.

At this moment, Cheng Ruhai’s two sons and a daughter-in-law heard the news and rushed back.

They met at the door, crying out, “Dad, what are you doing? You just came back and started threatening your own family?”

Cheng Rushan coldly replied, “Get lost. We’ve already drawn the line long ago.”

Earlier, when he had inquired about Cheng Ruhai from Qianbo, it was merely to understand why he lived in a shack and to split their belongings.

He never expected Dabao and Xiaobao to say something that enraged him.

If he hadn’t restrained himself, he would have beaten Cheng Ruhai to death right then and there.

Although Liu Honghua was the one behind it, Cheng Ruhai didn’t stop her, so she couldn’t escape blame.

Moreover, these three children hadn’t shown any sibling affection towards Dabao and Xiaobao.

Therefore, they were nothing but relatives in name.

“Get lost!”

Cheng Tiegang, Cheng Jinguang, and Cheng Dawan quickly went to see their own parents, crying and shouting.

Yan Runzhi also ran over, afraid that Cheng Rushan might do something rash and cause trouble.

Jiang Lin comforted her, “It’s okay. Cheng Ruhai said he wanted to experience living in a shack and returned our belongings to us.”

Seeing Cheng Ruhai and his wife lying on the ground in distress, Yan’s mother felt relieved by Jiang Lin’s words.

She joined Dabao and Xiaobao enthusiastically in moving their things.

She whispered to Jiang Lin, showing off, “Bao’er’s mother, let me tell you, Winter has probably done it this time. Now that he’s back, no one dares to bully us.”

Jiang Lin looked at her. “I won’t let anyone bully you again.”

Yan Runzhi was increasingly happy to see her daughter-in-law becoming more integrated with their family.

She rubbed her hands together and said with excitement, “I’ll cook something delicious to treat Bao’er mother.”

Cheng Rushan completely smashed Cheng Ruhai’s home, emptied it of all furniture and belongings, and even poked several holes in the house before leaving.

By midday, the whole village knew about the incident.

Cheng Ruhai went to the brigade to complain, but it was no use.

Even though Dabao and Xiaobao’s words weren’t necessarily credible, how could there be any reason in a fight between blood brothers?

Cheng Fujun said he couldn’t control it.

Whether it was their family affair or something else, Cheng Ruhai should find someone else to deal with it.

Cheng Ruhai hurried to the commune and found Cheng Fugui, who had just finished a meeting and was returning.

He embellished the situation of Cheng Rushan’s return.

“Uncle, you didn’t see it. That brat doesn’t care about anyone. He went to the brigade and said the government wants to rectify things. He asked the brigade to prepare our house and property to return to him. He said if even a piece of tile is missing, he will make someone pay for it!”

Cheng Fugui’s face darkened. “Did he really say that?”

“How could it be false? You didn’t see how he was, acting like he had been to the central government and had his tail up in the air. I went to his place last night to talk things over, but he didn’t let me in. Today, when I saw him at the brigade, he beat me up. Uncle, you have to speak up for me. Look at what he did to me.”

Cheng Ruhai unbuttoned his clothes.

After a while, his chest was completely bruised. If he hadn’t been healthy, his bones might have been broken.

Cheng Fugui looked at him in shock. “Did that brat really beat you?”

“If not him, then who? Uncle, he said he would come to settle scores with you. I said a few words to him, and he has held a grudge since. He came to my house to wreck it, saying he wanted to ‘rehearse’ and return everything to you as it was. Uncle, you have to speak up for me. My house was smashed, the roof was lifted, and all the furniture and household items were taken away. Oh, Uncle…”

Cheng Fugui watched him, amazed by his sudden burst of emotion or scared out of his wits.

In a grim tone, Cheng Fugui said, “Alright, you go back and repair your house first, keep an eye on him. I’ll find out some information and gather evidence to deal with him later.” Cheng Fugui needed to make a call to confirm if there really was talk of rectification, and how such matters could be settled.

Cheng Ruhai knew that if he simply reported that Cheng Rushan had beaten him, it would be a family matter and of no use.

But if he claimed that Cheng Rushan intended to retaliate against Cheng Fugui, Cheng Fugui would take it to heart.

Cheng Ruhai was furious with Cheng Rushan and his ilk, and couldn’t wait to see Cheng Fugui get involved in the fight.

He wanted to use a knife to kill someone! Let Cheng Rushan know how tough he was.

…

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan brought their belongings back home, tidying up and putting away what they didn’t need immediately.

Yan Runzhi was delighted and whispered to Jiang Lin, “We’ve always been the ones getting our home smashed and looted. I never thought we’d be the ones smashing and looting others one day. Haha. Bao’er mother, you keep these good things. Ah…” She sighed again.

Jiang Lin looked at her. “What’s the matter?”

Yan Runzhi glanced at her and continued sighing.

Jiang Lin asked again, “What’s wrong after all?”

Yan Runzhi went out to look.

Cheng Rushan was leading the two children in cleaning up the yard.

She returned to the house and said to Jiang Lin, “I’m worried about Dongsheng… He has a fierce temper, hot-headed since he was young, can’t stand being wrongly accused, like a firecracker, explodes at the slightest spark.”

Jiang Lin was puzzled, “Really? I think he’s quite steady now.”

“That’s just how he appears on the surface. If he really loses his temper, it can be scary. I’m afraid he might do something foolish in a fit of rage. Bao’er mother, you see, when you and the children are around, he restrains himself. But if you’re not there, he might not even be able to control himself. What if he really ends up killing Cheng Ruhai? Wouldn’t he be executed?” Yan Runzhi started tearing up again.

Jiang Lin hurriedly comforted her, “It won’t happen.”

Yan Runzhi held Jiang Lin’s hand tightly, “Bao’er mother, please don’t abandon Dongsheng. He cares a lot about you and listens to you. If he ever loses control, you’re the only one who can talk him down. He’s stubborn like a mule but if you stroke his fur in the right direction, he’ll learn to control his temper better.”

She glanced at Jiang Lin, afraid of alarming her, and added, “Of course, don’t be afraid. He treats his own family very well and has no temper at all. He just can’t stand being bullied or wrongly accused. Please keep an eye on him.”

Jiang Lin pondered, “So how many sides does Cheng Rushan really have?”

Meeting Yan Runzhi’s hopeful eyes, Jiang Lin had a subtle feeling, as if she was about to inherit something profound.

Thinking of Cheng Rushan’s intimidating demeanor, Jiang Lin surprisingly felt no fear.

Instead, she felt incredibly fortunate to be protected by him.

Her heart warmed.

She hesitated for a moment but nodded, feeling as though she had been subtly influenced by the older lady.

Yan Runzhi became ecstatic, clapping her hands, “Alright then, from now on, you’ll be in charge of Dongsheng. I won’t worry anymore. It feels so light.”

Jiang Lin replied hesitantly, “…”

Watching Yan Runzhi, Jiang Lin realized that if it weren’t for all the hardships she had faced, Yan Runzhi would have been a person full of life and joy.

Despite her daily timidity, as soon as she regained her confidence, she blossomed like a plant stretching its branches.

Optimistic, positive, and forward-looking—these were qualities Jiang Lin admired and aspired to.

She felt that although she seemed optimistic on the surface, she was constantly avoiding facing the hurt caused by her father, mother, stepfather, and others.

Realizing this, she smiled self-deprecatingly.

After transmigrating, she always wanted to leave this place.

Wasn’t that also a form of escape?

She was afraid—afraid to truly invest her heart in these people, only to be hurt again in the end.

Although Yan Runzhi had her own motives, fearing her daughter-in-law might abandon the family, she used genuine affection to persuade her, ensuring Jiang Lin wouldn’t resist.