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Hao Lianchun was surprised to learn that Geng Lianhua had fallen ill. The letters from the Wang family hadn’t mentioned this development, and Geng Lianhua’s robust health made the sudden illness even more shocking. “Mingcheng, how did your grandma get sick when she was in good health? How is she now? Is she completely recovered?” Grandma Zuo inquired.
“Grandma Zuo, she’s fully recovered. At first, it scared us a lot, but after a few months of care at home, she’s completely fine now,” Mingcheng reassured her.
Reflecting on Geng Lianhua’s illness still made Mingcheng shudder with fear. He was grateful that she had been cured; otherwise, they would have felt helpless watching her waste away, unable to eat anything.
Old Chen interjected, “Ah, it’s tough for the Zhang family too. Marrying that troublesome daughter-in-law, they’ve really taken a toll on the old lady. Every family has its own hardships.”
Understanding the situation in the Zhang family, Hao Lianchun sighed deeply. In the afternoon, as Mingcheng was about to report for school, Old Chen planned to show him their family’s location first before seeing him off. Meanwhile, Li Yawen was persuaded by Hao Lianchun to stay back and catch up with her.
In March, Zhang Lan received letters from Mingcheng at university and from Zhang Weiguo, who informed Geng Lianhua about their son’s acceptance into military school. She was overjoyed, seeing it as a significant achievement for the Zhang family.
“Daughter, your brother has made us proud. Finally, after so many years, there’s something to celebrate in our family. When your father returns, I’ll make sure he puts up banners at home. Let those who look down on us see. I don’t expect anything from the Zhang family. My son will still shine,” Geng Lianhua expressed with pride.
Seeing her mother still holding onto past grievances, Zhang Lan couldn’t help but smile at her mother’s childlike behavior. “Mom, why bother with those people? Let’s live our lives independently. We have nothing to do with their families. Don’t let them get under your skin.”
Geng Lianhua wasn’t one to seek trouble, but the burden of past memories weighed heavily on her. “Silly girl, your brother isn’t the eldest in our family. You had an older sister, but she fell ill and passed away. If we had money back then, she wouldn’t have left us like that. It’s a thorn in my heart. Whenever I think of your sister’s suffering, it keeps me up at night. She was such a bright and lovely spirit, but we lost her due to our circumstances.”
As the elderly lady recounted the painful memories, tears streamed down her face. This tragic event had haunted her for years, a wound that reopened each time she thought about it. The loss of her clever and lovable sister was a pain she carried deep within her heart.
Zhang Lan heard this part of her mother’s past for the first time. Seeing the elderly lady in such emotional distress, she felt a deep empathy for the lost sister and tears welled up in her eyes.
“Mom, please don’t cry. I know your pain. Perhaps our sister has reincarnated into a better life, free from suffering. In her next life, she won’t endure hardships,” Zhang Lan reassured her mother.
The elderly lady lifted her tear-filled eyes. “Is that true? Will your eldest sister finally find peace in her next life?”
Zhang Lan nodded firmly. “Yes, she will find happiness. My sister may not have belonged with us, but finding a good family in her next life is a blessing. Mom, let go of the past. We need to look forward. Look at my younger brother, already achieving so much. When Weiguo returns, they will see our family is just as worthy as any other.”
Reflecting on their family’s distant relationships with other relatives over the years, Zhang Lan realized that it stemmed not just from the initial family separation but also from this poignant past. The weight of that child’s tragic fate must have been a burden her mother carried all these years.
“Mom, we’re back from school!” Mingyuan’s voice rang out with a slightly altered tone, as if he couldn’t bear not announcing his return.
“Geng Lianhua walked out with her daughter, delighted to see her lively grandchildrens.
“Mom, can big sister come home a bit later after school? We have an afternoon off, and the teachers are attending a political study session,” Mingyuan explained.
Acknowledging his request, Zhang Lan turned to her daughter, “Qian Qian, please check on your father. We’ll have dinner soon.”
Mingyuan quickly added, “Mom, I’ll go with my sister. You all can wait at home.”
The siblings ran out of the courtyard, as everyone knew that Wang Zhenhe was selling goods. Sometimes, when they had free time, the siblings would help out. Thus, Mingyuan was quite familiar with the location where Wang Zhenhe sold his goods.
However, not long after they left, Mingyuan and Wang Qian saw Wang Xuan being cornered by a group of unruly teenagers in the alley. The group was physically harassing him, and Wang Xuan was bravely fighting back.
Upon seeing his sister being bullied, Mingyuan rushed forward, yelling, while Wang Qian picked up a brick from the roadside and ran towards the group with it in hand.
Mingyuan didn’t bother to assess the situation. He landed a punch on the leader of the group right away. Startled by the unexpected attack from a younger boy, the leader turned and started cursing. Mingyuan couldn’t stand being insulted. He continued to fight back without holding back. Soon, the other members of the group surrounded Mingyuan, attacking him with punches and kicks. However, Mingyuan focused on the leader, following the principle his grandfather taught him: “Catch the leader first.” He was determined to subdue this person, regardless of the pain he felt.
Witnessing her brother being attacked, Wang Qian didn’t hesitate. She struck one of the attackers with the brick she held, while Wang Xuan, realizing the situation, used his backpack as a weapon against another assailant’s face. The attacker felt the pain and turned his attention away from Mingyuan towards the siblings. Without a second thought, Wang Qian swung the brick at the attacker’s head. If today ended badly for him, so be it. If they couldn’t defeat them, the three siblings would not let themselves be at a disadvantage.
“Goodness gracious!” The attacker felt a sharp pain in his head, blood flowing as a result. He was startled and, being weak-willed, fainted on the ground upon seeing the blood. The others, fearing the situation might turn deadly, scattered and fled. The leader lying on the ground, being beaten by Mingyuan, showed a trace of conscience, “Brother, stop! I give up. Please go check on the skinny guy.”
Mingcheng turned around to see his sister checking the opponent’s injuries and kicked him lightly. “You coward, scared at the sight of blood. If you can’t handle it, don’t get into fights.”
Mingyuan felt relieved upon hearing this. As long as the person wasn’t dead, it was fine. If it had resulted in a fatality, it wouldn’t have mattered if the opponent had died, but his sister couldn’t be harmed.
“Sis, help that guy up and carry him and his companions to the hospital. We can fight, but treatment is necessary,” Mingyuan instructed.
Turning to Wang Xuan, Mingcheng asked, “Sis, are you okay?” Wang Qian was concerned that her sister might be shaken, but Wang Xuan seemed fine without any visible distress.
Wang Xuan chuckled lightly, “Haha, sis, I’m fine. It’s been years since we’ve had such a good fight. Today feels great. That guy dared to bully me. If you mess with me, be prepared to get beaten. And don’t forget my brother and sister. We’re not easy targets. Dare to touch me, and you’ll get a thrashing.”
The leader, unexpectedly facing a tough opponent, pleaded, “Big sister, spare us. We just wanted some money to fill our stomachs. I haven’t had a decent meal in days. I resorted to this out of desperation. Let’s quickly take the skinny guy to the hospital. But we truly have no money for medical expenses. What should we do?”
Mingyuan glared at him and snapped, “Stop talking nonsense. Carry him and let’s go. We’ll cover the medical expenses.”
The four of them escorted the injured person to the hospital. Luckily, it wasn’t far away. The doctor, upon seeing the situation, shook their head. “Another fight, huh? Kids these days, always fighting. It’s nothing serious—just stop the bleeding and bandage the wound. It’s just a minor cut.”
Mingyuan was puzzled, “Doctor, why hasn’t he woken up all this time? Is there something else going on?”
The doctor, while bandaging the patient, replied, “He’s just pretending. Pinch him lightly, and he’ll wake up.” He had seen enough of such cases—those who act weak when they can’t win a fight.
Wang Qian, being close, reached out with her delicate hand and twisted the guy’s waist. “Oh my goodness, who pinched me?” he exclaimed.
The female doctor chuckled quietly, impressed by the girl’s skillful pinch, choosing a sensitive spot.
“It was me. What are you going to do about it?” Wang Qian pinched the guy’s waist and shouted at the skinny guy who had caused trouble.
Seeing it was the girl who had hit him with a brick, the skinny guy fell silent and kept his eyes fixed on their leader.
“Don’t stare. Your leader has already surrendered. Do you want another fight? If you were smart, you’d focus on your studies. If I were your parents, I’d discipline you thoroughly every day,” Wang Qian warned.
Seeing Wang Qian speak up, the skinny guy remained silent. He knew better than to provoke the girl who knew how to handle herself.
After leaving the hospital, Wang Qian treated the two to a meal at a restaurant. Observing the siblings eat, it was evident that they were truly hungry.
During the meal, they learned that the leader’s name was Yang Nuo, and the skinny guy was Cong Tao. Wang Qian ordered two bowls of rice and a plate of food for them to ensure they had a satisfying meal.
“The feeling of being full is truly wonderful. If we had a full meal every day, we could endure anything, even daily beatings,” Cong Tao sighed, patting his now satisfied stomach.
Yang Nuo gave him a look, “You have such a low threshold. We’re able to have this meal thanks to the siblings. Otherwise, all the beatings would have been for nothing. Who knows, they might have handed you over to the police.”
Realizing their behavior, Yang Nuo quickly apologized to Mingyuan and his siblings. “Brothers, what we did today was wrong. I will remember your kindness.”
Wang Qian was curious about how these two ended up so hungry. Upon inquiring, she learned that both of their parents had been sent away for labor and hadn’t returned. Raised by their elderly grandmother, who was now too old to work, she struggled to provide enough food for the growing boys.