Zheng Yufeng was determined to leave.
If he didn't leave, then who would repay the debt? And Fan Debiao, this man would absolutely not let him off the hook.
Previously, when Zhao Guihua and her son first heard that Zheng Yufeng was planning to run away, they found it hard to believe. In their view, the Zheng family had a house in Beijing, Guan Guiling had a job, and life was stable—there was no need to leave at all.
Everything was going smoothly, so why leave?
Besides, they had endured such difficult times in the past, and now with the reform and opening-up policy, life was gradually improving and thriving. It seemed absurd for him to abandon the stability of Beijing and flee. No one could make such a decision unless they were incredibly naive.
But in reality, Zheng Yufeng did indeed have compelling reasons to leave.
He was caught in a difficult situation. If life were still as it had been before, he might not have considered leaving. But now, with reform and opening-up, life was getting better. Some people with bigger ambitions had started to make money.
The gap between the rich and the poor wasn’t very noticeable, but their street had Fan Debiao living on it.
Fan Debiao had been secretly dealing in the black market for years, though he had always been cautious and discreet, so few people knew about it. But things were different now—his small business was thriving, and with his experience, he was making more money than others.
As a neighbor in the alley, Zheng Yufeng had observed all this and couldn’t help feeling envious and jealous. In his mind, if someone like Fan Debiao could get rich, why should he endure such a hard life? This inevitably led to some psychological imbalance. At that moment, Fan Debiao, who had a fascination with the Zheng sisters, took the initiative to approach Zheng Yufeng. He showed Zheng Yufeng a life of indulgence, eating well and drinking lavishly. Before long, Zheng Yufeng was tempted.
Over time, he borrowed money from Fan Debiao, quite a few hundred yuan in total. This was no small amount, especially since Guan Guiling’s monthly wage at the bus station was less than 40 yuan. Originally, he thought that if Huimin was married off, everything would be fine.
After all, they would be family—why would Fan Debiao demand repayment?
But he hadn’t expected his two daughters to create such chaos. Instead of simply avoiding the issue, both of them had run away. Even worse, Huifang had spread flyers, which had put a halt to many of his plans.
He had thought Huimin was under control, and even if Huifang ran away, it wouldn’t matter. However, he hadn’t anticipated that Huifang would ruin his plans. Moreover, it turned out that Fan Debiao had ambitions to have both sisters.
Therefore, even if they married Huimin off, it wouldn’t settle Fan Debiao’s demands. With his wealth, Fan Debiao had plenty of delinquents around him, making it far too easy for him to come after Zheng Yufeng. Furthermore, Guan Guiling was aging and in poor health, so Zheng Yufeng made an immediate decision to leave.
Before leaving, however, he needed to gather some money.
Zheng Yufeng’s target remained Fan Debiao, as he didn’t know anyone else with money. Only Fan Debiao had wealth and lived alone, making him the perfect target for Zheng Yufeng’s schemes.
Finally, he had succeeded in getting his hands on the money.
He didn’t dare waste any time—he left without packing any luggage, planning to head straight to the special economic zone. His family had no relatives in Hong Kong, but he planned to first settle in the special economic zone and then find a way to move to Hong Kong.
He had heard that making money was easy there, and Zheng Yufeng was already determined to go. Once there, he could have his two sons and Wang Ju work, ensuring that someone would support him. Although his youngest son was still young, barely a teenager, he could still do some work at least washing dishes.
As for Wang Ju, she had some charm and was young, so she could work in... that kind of business.
At that point, he could live the life of an old master in his home.
Zheng Yufeng smiled contentedly, convinced that his plan was perfect in every way. He was eager to leave immediately. Tomorrow, Fan Debiao would be released, and when he saw that Zheng Yufeng’s house was empty, he would surely go mad.
Zheng Yufeng lowered his eyes and smiled silently. Fan Debiao had truly hidden his money well—Zheng Yufeng had found over eight thousand yuan throughout the household. Combined with their furniture, his own savings, and some other funds he had gathered, he now had nine thousand yuan in his hands.
This made Zheng Yufeng’s resolve to leave even firmer.
He had already discussed the plan with his two sons, deciding not to bring their mother. The boys had no objections, excitedly awaiting the chance to leave with their father.
They had agreed on leaving today. After dinner in the evening, Zheng Yufeng glanced at his two sons. His youngest immediately caught on and said, “Mom, I’m going out to play.”
Guan Guiling was eating her cornmeal bun with pickled vegetables, nodding. “Go ahead, but don’t go too far.”
Her youngest son promptly replied, “Got it,” and ran off.
At that moment, his older son also put down his chopsticks and said, “I’m going out for a walk.”
Guan Guiling immediately frowned. “Are you going out to gamble again? Can’t you behave, my child? At your age, people have already gotten married and started supporting their families. What are you doing with your life, always gambling? You…”
“You’re so annoying! I’m leaving!”
“You…”
Her eldest son slammed his chopsticks down and left.
Guan Guiling worriedly said, “Look at him—doesn’t he get upset after just a few words? How can such a man uphold the family? Such an irresponsible child. I’m his mother—can’t I even reprimand him?”
Zheng Yufeng patted Guan Guiling’s hand and said, “You know this child has his own mind. Even if we, as parents, speak more, what’s the point if he doesn’t listen? If you’re really worried, I’ll go talk to him and bring him back.”
“Will he listen?”
Zheng Yufeng replied, “He still respects me as his father.”
He got up and headed out the door, not pausing for a moment as he said, “I’ll go convince him. If I’m late, just go to sleep first.”
Guan Guiling nodded. “Alright.”
Zheng Yufeng walked out, his hands empty. As he passed the courtyard, he encountered a neighbor who had once been on good terms with him. Although they had recently avoided contact for fear of being dragged into trouble, the neighbor still greeted him casually, “Going out?”
Zheng Yufeng sighed and said, “My eldest son is gambling, I’m going to persuade him to come back.”
The neighbor’s expression shifted slightly. After a moment, he said, “You should definitely talk to him.”
Then, lowering his voice, he added, “I heard your eldest son owes money outside.”
Having said that, he didn’t elaborate further and walked away.
Zheng Yufeng’s heart sank when he heard this. Recently, with all the chaos at home, they hadn’t paid much attention to their two sons. But now that he thought about it, his eldest son had been acting strangely lately—looking gloomy and barely eating.
In these times, any sign of not eating properly was a major issue.
At first, he had thought it was due to the recent affairs with his daughters, but upon reflection, the relationship between his sons and their sisters was never good. It was unlikely they would grieve over their sisters’ actions. If it was because of owing money, however, it made perfect sense.
Gambling often led to loss, and Zheng Yufeng didn’t believe his son had the wits to win.
No wonder his son had been so thrilled when he mentioned leaving—he was probably trying to escape his debts.
Zheng Yufeng muttered under his breath, “Stupid kid.”
He quickly left the premises and took a detour through the alley, finding his two sons waiting at the bus stop. As soon as he arrived, he confronted his eldest son, “Did you owe money outside?”
The eldest son’s face fell. After a long pause, he muttered defensively, “It’s not entirely my fault. I just wanted to play around, but I didn’t expect to lose so badly. I didn’t want to, it was all their fault—they forced me.”
Zheng Yufeng’s expression darkened further, and he demanded, “How much exactly do you owe?”
The older boy avoided looking directly at him, not willing to reveal the amount, mumbling, “We’re going to leave anyway—what’s the point of bringing that up?”
"That's what I said," but Zheng Yufeng remained coldly indifferent, "Even if I were to leave, I still need to know."
"I owe two hundred and fifty dollars."
Zheng Yufeng was about to speak when he heard him continue, "I don't know how they calculate the interest, it turned into five hundred and fifty dollars in just a few days. If I don't pay up soon, I'm done for."
Fortunately, his father was taking him along; otherwise, God knows what he would be facing.
Thinking of this, he urgently said, "Dad, let's go. If we don't leave now, someone might see us, and it’ll be over."
Zheng Yufeng nodded and agreed, "Perfect timing. The bus is here," as the father and two sons boarded together.
As they got on the bus, some others got off. The elderly women who departed were all from the neighborhood. With the doors opening and closing, the bus gradually moved forward. One of the elderly women glanced at Zheng Yufeng and said, "Isn’t that Zheng Yufeng, the kid? Where are these three going?"
"Who knows? You’re not aware, but this family is absolutely despicable."
"What happened?"
"You’ve been in the countryside these past few days, you wouldn’t know. Their family… oh, wait, you saw them?"
The first speaking old lady nodded, "Yes, all three of them were there."
"This is bad, they’re not planning to run away, are they?"
"I didn’t see them with any luggage, and why would they run?"
The second old lady, disregarding the need for extensive explanations, hastily said, "Well, you can’t be sure. Their family’s affairs are complicated. This route goes to…"
"The train station. This route passes straight through the train station," someone interjected.
"Oh no, they might really be running away. Let’s hurry to Zheng Yufeng’s place."
Moved by their kind hearts, the elderly women immediately set off, quickly retracing their steps. Just as they reached the end of the alley, they collided with a disheveled, unkempt man with a scruffy beard. Leading the pack, Grandmother A was shocked, "Fan Debiao?"
Fan Debiao, with a black face, nodded.
Grandmother A quickly said, "Fan Debiao, you better go home and check; Guan Guiling and her husband have emptied your house, selling off all your belongings. Oh, never mind me, I need to rush to Zheng Yufeng’s place. Zheng Yufeng, alongside his sons, seems to be making a run for it. I need to see if Guan Guiling is at home; if she isn’t, then it’s really bad news."
Having said that, she paid no more heed and rushed towards Zheng Yufeng’s home.
Meanwhile, Fan Debiao, after a brief stunned moment, sprinted back home. Reaching his yard, he charged directly into the house, kicking the door open with a resounding bang and a gust of wind!
His home was completely stripped bare. His sofa, coffee table, tall cabinet.
His radio, television, and bicycle.
Even his large iron pot had been uprooted and was nowhere to be seen. Entirely gone.
Fan Debiao was utterly incredulous. How did his home become so destitute? Gazing at the now empty abode, he quickly sprinted to the corner, prying open the bricks—nothing!
Looking at his now-empty stash, Fan Debiao was incensed. This wasn’t just money; it was his life. Fan Debiao’s eyes turned red as he emitted an earth-shattering roar, "Zheng Yufeng, you damn bastard!"
The neighbors all rushed out to peek over at his direction. Upon closer inspection, they realized, "Oh, he really has nothing left!"
Guan Guiling must be crazy!
She’s seeking money over life!
Fan Debiao was not to be trifled with.
Fan Debiao turned to glare at the crowd, "Did Guan Guiling do this?"
The neighbors nodded, among them an elderly man with a slight limp added, "Xiao Zheng came every night with a flashlight."
He had seen them a couple of times.
His family quickly tugged at the old man, "Why are you speaking up?"
Fan Debiao gritted his teeth, "Zheng Yufeng, Guan Guiling, fine, you’re really something else!"
Enraged, he kicked the door in, causing it to crash to the ground.
Disregarding everything, Fan Debiao ran out, while the crowd murmured amongst themselves, "I knew Guan Guiling was coming to steal stuff nightly, but I never thought she’d strip the place so entirely. That woman is really…"
"Zheng Yufeng isn’t any better; he’s here every day."
"You saw that too?"
"I saw him during my nighttime stroll."
"Me too!"
Turns out, everyone saw some of it.
Zheng Yufeng always believed it was Zheng Huimin’s antics that ruined his reputation when in reality, his actions had been witnessed by many. There are no secrets in this world. One tells another, and soon, everyone knows, just how can his reputation be any good?
"That’s no better than bandits. Look how they’ve stripped that place clean."
"Exactly."
"Let’s not talk anymore. Let’s swiftly follow and see if something serious arises."
"Well said."
The crowd hurriedly followed Fan Debiao’s footsteps. Fan Debiao charged into Guan Guiling’s house to find her embroiled in a heated argument with a few elderly women. "My husband’s just gone to find our eldest son; I’m still here. They’re not going anywhere; they wouldn’t leave me behind. Our marital love is as strong as gold; don’t try to sow discord."
"We saw them ourselves. We saw Zheng Yufeng take his two sons onto the bus, heading in the direction of the train station. You're not telling the truth."
"Liar, you’re all liars!" Guan Guiling shrieked, "I know you’re all envious of our marital bliss. You’re all rotten old bags sowing seeds of discord…"
The elderly women were trembling with fury, before they could react, Fan Debiao burst in like a gust of wind. A resounding slap landed on Guan Guiling’s face, sending her sprawling to the ground, blood spilling from her mouth.
With bloodshot eyes, Fan Debiao yelled, "Guan Guiling, give me my money back!"
Guan Guiling’s eyes flickered unsteadily, "Wh-what…"
Although Zheng Yufeng hadn’t planned to take her along, she knew how much money they had taken from Fan Debiao’s home, counting even giving Zheng Yufeng cues and sometimes even helping to find it; therefore, she knew all about it. However, Zheng Yufeng wasn’t worried about her knowing.
He knew Guan Guiling was a lovesick fool.
Just because Guan Guiling knew, she felt even more guilty. She never expected Fan Debiao to return. Her husband had told her that Fan Debiao had been detained for a month; how come he was back after only twenty days?
Actually, she didn't know this was also a lie from Zheng Yufeng. Guan Guiling believed there was still time, so naturally, she didn’t expect them to flee overnight.
But Zheng Yufeng had miscalculated the date. This wasn’t due to a lack of cunning on his part, but rather his inexperience. He thought the detention period started counting from the next day, but it was from the day of detention, resulting in a one-day discrepancy.
Zheng Yufeng had thought Fan Debiao would only return tomorrow evening, by which time they’d be long gone. Little did he realize that Fan Debiao was arriving today.
With his money lost, Fan Debiao was deranged. He didn’t care whether Guan Guiling was weak or unwell, nor did he fear being blamed. He stepped forward and bounced several slaps across Guan Guiling’s face. Then, hauling her onto the ground, kicked her repeatedly. Guan Guiling screamed, "Ah!"
Blood spit from her mouth as others watched, taking a cautious step back, startled.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help stop him, but Fan Debiao was already out of control. Getting beaten would likely be for nothing. Plus, if Guan Guiling just paid the money back, it might be resolved. So someone started to advise, "Guan Guiling, return whatever you took from him fast!"
"Yes, Fan Debiao, don’t hit her anymore. Just focus on getting your money back. If she gets hurt, you’ll still have to compensate."
Fan Debiao retorted, "I’d kill her and wouldn’t feel any better, I…"
"No, there’s something wrong here. You don’t need to hit her. You might end up killing her. We saw Zheng Yufeng taking his two sons to the train station earlier."
Even though Guan Guiling firmly believed that Zheng Yufeng wouldn’t abandon her, others didn’t share in her confidence. The consensus was that if Zheng Yufeng truly fled, leaving Guan Guiling behind, it would only be natural.
Not only was Guan Guiling aging and plagued with ailments, but Zheng Yufeng wouldn’t willingly burden himself with her.
"No way! He wouldn’t abandon me!"
"Then, is the money at home? Check if any money is still there; that’s the answer."
"Exactly."
Guan Guiling was still stubbornly denying everything. She wasn't sure if what these people were saying was true, but she firmly believed that it couldn't be the case. Her husband, Zheng Yufeng, loved her so much. They had never had a disagreement their entire life. How could he bear to leave her behind?
She cried, "You're all just trying to sow discord. You're trying to... Ah!"
Fan Debiao kicked Guan Guiling a few more times, then immediately went to smash open their drawers. Guan Guiling screamed, "No!"
Fan Debiao smashed several drawers in succession, but they were all empty.
As Fan Debiao broke open the drawers, Guan Guiling's eyes grew blank. Their money had always been kept here. But... where was the money?
"Guan Guiling, Guan Guiling..."
At this moment, it was as if Guan Guiling's soul had been sucked out. She stared blankly at the drawers, then suddenly jumped up and said, "I need to find Yufeng. He wouldn't leave me. He definitely wouldn't leave me..."
Despite her poor health, she ran very fast and dashed out the door.
Fan Debiao, who was already fuming with rage, was momentarily stunned by her action but quickly gave chase.
Indeed, there was no point in persisting with Guan Guiling at this moment because it was clear that the money wasn’t on her. Fan Debiao had been associating with their family for several years and knew that their money was managed by Zheng Yufeng.
He followed Guan Guiling's footsteps as they both ran towards the train station.
The crowd of onlookers, seeing this spectacle, quickly followed suit.
One person asked Aunt Su, "Did they really go to the train station?"
"The bus goes to the train station, but I'm not sure... However, if they were planning to escape, they would probably take the train."
"That makes sense. Let's hurry and chase after them."
"This situation looks like it's about to get out of hand. We need to follow them!"
"I'll go to the neighborhood committee. This needs to be reported."
The crowd, closely following Guan Guiling and Fan Debiao, saw them both hop onto a tricycle, shouting to be taken to the station. At that moment, a local troublemaker just happened to pass by. Upon seeing the chase, he exclaimed, "Holy cow! What's going on here?"
He quickly grabbed someone and asked, "Zheng Yufeng is trying to escape!"
Without checking if the person knew Zheng Yufeng, he relayed the news and followed the crowd towards the station.
Little did they know, this troublemaker actually knew Zheng Yufeng. Zheng Yufeng's wife, Guan Guiling, had mortgaged their house to them and taken out high-interest loans. At the time, their boss had recognized that they were desperate for money, so he had driven the price down to 150.
Later, this family had tried to borrow from others, which was discovered, and Guan Guiling was slapped by their boss for it.
Their boss had seen through their lack of honesty, so he had investigated their family. They knew the head of the household was Zheng Yufeng. Though he seemed decent, his actions were less honorable than even their street thug lifestyle.
In short, he was not a good man.
When the troublemaker heard Zheng Yufeng's name, he immediately remembered him. After all, such a morally corrupt hypocrite was hard to forget. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "This is not good."
He quickly turned back, knowing he had to inform their boss. Something was off.
Though he was a troublemaker, his mind worked quickly. He immediately realized that there was something amiss. A house like that would cost at least 500 to 600, or even 700 to 800 if it had two bedrooms. They had only lent 150, so why would they run away?
It just wasn't logical. But since they were running, there must be something more to it.
Perhaps Zheng Yufeng had other debts elsewhere.
He quickly went back to inform their boss and gather reinforcements, while the main group, in a large procession, headed towards the train station, attracting onlookers along the way...
On the other hand, Zheng Yufeng and his family boarded a bus without realizing they had been spotted. He was too confident, believing that after years of staying in the background and letting Guan Guiling handle things, he was quite a capable man.
But when one starts to feel overconfident, mistakes are bound to happen.
Like Zheng Yufeng, he hadn’t considered that Fan Debiao’s release date had differed from what he’d expected. He also hadn't paid any attention to others. After getting off the bus, he led his two sons straight to the train station's ticket office.
However, as they were crossing the station square, he unexpectedly was spotted by someone.
This person was none other than Zhuang Zhixi.
Zhuang Zhixi was truly amazing. He always seemed to unintentionally stumble upon strange and interesting situations. This time was no exception. He was daily selling his T-shirts here. Despite having stocked up with 5,000 pieces, he was now at the tail end of his inventory.
These last three to fifty pieces were meant for souvenir purposes at the tourist spots. So, Zhao Guihua hadn't taken them out for sale, instead, she had let Zhuang Zhixi bring them to the train station. As he was almost sold out, his heart was filled with joy. Soon, he would be heading home to share the profits.
As he was packing up to leave, he spotted Zheng Yufeng at the train station. He immediately sensed that something was off. This was not just his imagination; Zheng Yufeng appearing here at this moment definitely wasn’t right.
Zheng Yufeng was trying to escape!
Zhuang Zhixi didn't hesitate for a moment. He quickly followed Zheng Yufeng, watching as they bought four train tickets to the south. Zhuang Zhixi frowned slightly. He knew that Zheng Huifang was in the south; while Zheng Yufeng and his family were not heading to the same city as Zheng Huifang, it wasn't too far away either. If they were to happen to cross paths, it would only add to Zheng Huifang's troubles.
Moreover, if Zheng Yufeng and his family really escaped, it would also bring trouble to Zheng Huimin.
His mind raced with thoughts on what to do.
At this moment, seeking the station's police might not be of much use, for Zheng Yufeng hadn't committed any crime. As Zhuang Zhixi was pondering this, he saw a woman with a travel bag hurrying towards them, calling out, "Yufeng!"
Zhuang Zhixi looked over and thought, "Oh, there's another woman."
Apparently, it was one more than the initial four tickets they bought.
Wang Ju hurried over to meet Zheng Yufeng, her heart filled with excitement. She had never imagined that she could leave home and live her own life. But now, thinking about the scenario Zheng Yufeng had painted for her, she felt truly thrilled.
They would go to Shenzhen, make some arrangements, and then find a chance to cross over to Hong Kong. With some money in hand and Zheng Yufeng's two sons able to work, their life couldn't be anything but wonderful. She couldn't help but show a joyful smile as she finally reached Zheng Yufeng's side.
The expressions on Zheng's two sons were quite grim. They could understand the decision not to bring their mother along this journey, as someone needed to stay behind to divert attention. But what they hadn’t expected was that they would also be taking their cousin, even though there was no blood relation.
They were, nominally, cousins.
What made the older son even more uncomfortable was that he had harbored feelings for this older cousin, who was four years his senior. But he had never expected his father to have gotten ahead of him.
Although Zheng Huifang had once hinted that his father had an affair with Wang Ju, he had not believed it. His sister and brother were not exactly models of virtue either. But now, it had all been shattered.
It turned out to be true.
As for the younger son, a child of just over ten, he too understood some things. His gaze towards Wang Ju was filled with hostility.
Both brothers looked displeased, but Zheng Yufeng was not troubled. Instead, he took out a dollar and said, "You must be tired from hurrying. Look at the sweat on your forehead. Go buy an ice cream to cool down."
"Dad, I want one too," the younger son said.
Zheng Yufeng replied, "Get two more for the boys."
Wang Ju understood that Zheng Yufeng was deliberately sending her away to soothe his sons, so she took the money decisively and said, "I'll see if they have ice cream. If not, I'll get some Pepsi Cola."
With Wang Ju gone, Zheng Yufeng looked at his two sons and said, "I know you’re both very confused as to why I brought her along. But I have my reasons for doing so."
Zheng Yufeng spoke earnestly: "Our family of three has always been well-cared for by your mom. How can we manage without a woman to handle household affairs? Besides, although we did leave with some money, it wasn't much. There are many places where we'll need to spend money when we're away, and life will be tough. Do we all have to go out to work? My health has always been poor; I can't earn money. I don't want you two to suffer alongside me. What can we do? We can only count on Wang Ju. I've thought about it; if she goes with us, she can do that line of work. Nothing else gets you money faster! Then she can manage the household and earn money. Wouldn't our lives as father and sons be perfect?"
The eldest Zheng son frowned, disagreeing: "Dad, how can you say such things?"
Although he didn't consider himself a good person, he had always been deeply infatuated with Wang Ju. Hearing his father talk like this immediately made him uncomfortable.
Zheng Yufeng: "Who am I doing this for? It's for you two!"
He seemed utterly sincere: "You are my sons, you bear the Zheng surname. You are the roots of the old Zheng family. How could I bear to let you suffer with me?"
The two Zheng boys remained silent.
"Having Wang Ju go with us isn't great? Son, I know you like Wang Ju. Dad promises you, as long as you're willing, once we're out there, you can do whatever you want. You understand what I'm saying, right? We don't need to be unhappy over just a woman."
The eldest Zheng son looked up in astonishment, his face showing a hint of disbelief as he stared at his father.
Zheng Yufeng: "Alright, just a woman. Do you think I'd scheme with you over her?"
The atmosphere grew unnaturally quiet.
The Zheng brothers didn't speak again, but both clenched their fists tightly, clearly not agreeing with Zheng Yufeng but too afraid to object.
Zhuang Zhixi stood behind a pillar not far away. From this position, if they spoke quietly, Zhuang Zhixi wouldn't hear anything. But unfortunately, they didn't control their volume, and Zhuang Zhixi heard everything clearly.
For a moment, he felt like the vegetable pie he had for lunch was about to come back up.
What kind of person is this?
There was a moment when Zhuang Zhixi wondered if Zheng Yufeng had graduated from the same school as Aunt Su, given how their discussions were the same. If you want to live a good life, figure out your own business. Why scheme to make someone else sell themselves to support you?!
If forced to compare, Zhuang Zhixi found Zheng Yufeng even more disgusting. What does "don't care about a woman" even mean? Even a fool could understand that. They're talking about both father and sons? What kind of twisted mindset is that?
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
He now felt like his experiences were too shallow, not to mention shocked.
Zhuang Zhixi had never seen such a shameless person before. He pursed his lips, and suddenly, he froze.
It wasn't that he had been discovered, but rather, he saw Wang Ju standing not far away, even closer than his position. She must have heard everything Zheng Yufeng said.
After all, even Zhuang Zhixi, from his distance, had heard it, let alone Wang Ju's position.
Zhuang Zhixi quickly moved away, almost too scared to look at Wang Ju's face, which was not just pale but ghostly white.
Wang Ju hadn't expected that just because she lacked money and returned, she would overhear such conversations.
She looked at Zheng Yufeng and felt she never truly understood him. She had always believed he truly loved her. Her mother died early, and her father remarried, taking in the sister of Guan Guiling.
How life was with the stepmother, only Wang Ju knew.
To outsiders, things seemed fine, but as someone living it, the truth was self-evident.
Because she never had children of her own, outsiders thought highly of her stepmother, but as a daughter of the original marriage, Wang Ju knew. No matter how harmonious things seemed on the surface, underneath was always a sea of hidden tensions.
That woman, unable to have children herself, desired her brother's family to provide for her old age, treating her stepbrothers exceptionally well but showing clear favoritism towards Wang Ju. She had grown up toughly, only meeting Zheng Yufeng later.
She had only hoped for someone who truly loved her and someone she could rely on.
But she hadn't anticipated all of it was a sham.
Zheng Yufeng had such an intention all along.
Wang Ju's nails dug into her palm. After a long while, she let out a dark laugh.
Zheng Yufeng, since you don't act with benevolence, don't blame me for acting without righteousness.
Ever since she was a child, Wang Ju had relied on herself, so she was a very clear-headed individual. If it were an ordinary person, they might have been deeply hurt, but she quickly reacted. She bit her lips and decisively decided to seek revenge on Zheng Yufeng.
She coughed lightly and walked back, saying: "Yufeng, I checked, and they didn't have ice cream."
Zheng Yufeng: "Then why didn't you get North Ocean soda?"
Wang Ju smiled: "North Ocean soda costs a deposit if you take the bottle back, and I didn't have enough money. Why don't we go together and drink there? That way, we won't need a deposit."
She knew Zheng Yufeng wouldn't go.
Indeed, Zheng Yufeng: "You two go ahead, I'll wait here for you."
His health wasn't as bad as he claimed, but it wasn't great either.
Normally, he wouldn't drink something so cold, and at this moment, to calm everyone's emotions, he wouldn't worry about the cost of three North Ocean sodas.
Wang Ju guessed right—she led the two away, and as soon as they were out of sight of Zheng Yufeng, Wang Ju suddenly spoke with a sob: "In the future, you two must take good care of yourselves. Although we are only distant cousins without blood relations, I've always treated you as family. I... I can't bear to deceive you any longer."
The Zheng brothers were stunned.
Wang Ju: "I actually don't want to go with you. I wanted to leave on my own. Once we board the train, I'll slip away. I originally didn't want to say goodbye, but our bond has been so good, and this may be our final parting. So I had to say goodbye."
"What!"
Neither expected Wang Ju to say such things. Wang Ju led them further away and whispered: "After you go with your dad, be careful—he told me he intends to sell your younger brother."
"Ah!"
Wang Ju earnestly: "At this moment, I must reveal the truth before I leave. In reality, I didn't want to follow your father; he deceived me. Back then, I actually liked..."
She looked at the eldest Zheng son but didn't finish her sentence, continuing: "He drugged me, and I was... from then on, I had no choice but to follow him. But this time, I absolutely won't go with him. He's full of schemes against you. I don't believe he won't scheme against me either. I've decided to leave on my own. If you see me gone, don't look for me..."
The eldest Zheng son: "This damn man!"
He instantly believed Wang Ju, his fists clenched in anger: "This bastard, how could he do such a thing? He's no better than a beast!"
Quickly, he asked: "Are you leaving alone? Do you have money?"
Wang Ju shook her head but firmly said: "Although I don't have money, I can always survive by my own hands. If I really followed your father, that's when I'd be doomed." She continued: "I didn't want to tell you, fearing you'd betray me, but our bond is so good. I couldn't feel at ease if I didn't warn you. Consider it my final favor to you."
She took a deep breath and turned to leave. The eldest Zheng son suddenly grabbed Wang Ju, saying: "I'll go with you."
He could tell Wang Ju had initially liked him.
He could tell.
He had also liked Wang Ju. If not for the rumors between his father and Wang Ju, he wouldn't have been so depressed and turned to gambling. At that time, although he was skeptical, he was indeed troubled, but who knew gambling would be so terrifying.
Now, burdened with debt, he had no choice but to leave.
He said: "I'll go with you."
"I, I also want to go with you."
Zheng Xiaodi also spoke up. Although he hadn't said anything when his dad was talking earlier, he wasn't a three-year-old kid and knew what that meant. He didn't agree with it, but his dad was leading them away, and if he opposed, he was afraid his dad would abandon him.
He didn't want to stay behind with his mom to endure hard times and deal with the mess.
But now that his brother was planning to leave with Wang Ju, he didn't hesitate to join in. Wang Ju had said his dad might sell him off.
And, surprisingly, he didn't doubt her for a second.
Because, from a young age, he knew his dad loved only himself the most.
His mom loved his dad the most, followed by his older brother, and he was only a little better off than his two sisters.
His dad was the most selfish person. If it was for money, it wouldn't be surprising if his dad sold him off. After all, his dad had left in a hurry, and his mom's job and their house hadn't been sold yet. It was very possible that his dad wanted to make up for it financially from this.
So, he said, "I want to go with you. I promise I won't be a burden!"
The two Zheng brothers didn't have a great relationship with the two sisters, but the brothers themselves were quite close. Zheng Laoda: "Let's go together, with Xiaodi."
Wang Ju: "But..."
She showed a hint of fear: "Your dad won't let this go. If we all leave, he might blame us for the money and wash his hands of it. He might not even need to run away... as long as he can pin it on us!"
The two Zheng brothers fell silent. Indeed, that was something their dad would do.
Zheng Laoda suddenly glared and said, "If that's the case, let's just go all in. We'll rob him of his money and use it for our travel expenses!"
"Ah?"
Wang Ju's eyes flickered, looking a bit scared but secretly delighted. That was exactly what she wanted, which was why she had approached the brothers. She said, "Will that work?"
Zheng Laoda thought for a moment and said, "Yes, we'll lure him into the restroom. Dad isn't carrying any luggage, so the money must be on him. We'll strip him down and find the money, then take off with it!"
Wang Ju: "This..."
"We need money if we're going to run away. If we don't take his money, he'll just pin it on us anyway. It's better to take it!"
Wang Ju hesitated for a moment but quickly agreed: "Alright."
Zheng Xiaodi: "Okay!"
The three of them quickly made a plan.
What allowed these three to form an alliance so quickly was their deep understanding of their family dynamics. Over the years, Zheng Yufeng had always been selfish, and although outsiders saw him as magnanimous, his family knew he always put himself first. So, when they decided to betray Zheng Yufeng, they didn't feel much guilt.
Having settled on a plan, Wang Ju immediately went back to find Zheng Yufeng and said, "Yufeng, Xiaodi suddenly complained of stomach pain and has been in the restroom for a while. I don't know what to do. Can you come and take a look?"
Zheng Yufeng was waiting for the three of them to return with soda.
Hearing Wang Ju's words, a flicker of disgust crossed his face as he said, "Lazy ass, always causing trouble when it's time to leave. Useless things."
He then asked, "Where's Laoda?"
"He's in the restroom helping to take care of Xiaodi."
Wang Ju replied softly, "They haven't been through much, so maybe they're nervous about leaving and don't know what to do."
Zheng Yufeng: "I'll go with you to take a look."
The two of them left together.
Zhuang Zhixi, who was watching from the sidelines, felt something was off. Where were the Zheng brothers?
He hid in a corner, contemplating whether to go and check, when he suddenly saw Guan Guiling charging into the waiting hall like a lunatic. Her face was swollen, her mouth had blood, and her hair and clothes were a mess, looking like a madwoman.
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
He didn't need to think about what to do anymore, as Guan Guiling had arrived.
Moreover, he also saw Fan Debiao closely following behind her.
Zheng Yufeng and the others were quite lucky, as they had just left when these people entered.
At that moment, Zheng Yufeng stepped into the restroom, and before he could say anything, Wang Ju shoved him hard. The Zheng brothers immediately rushed out from both sides and knocked Zheng Yufeng to the ground.
Zheng Yufeng: "What the...!"
Before he could say anything, his eldest son stuffed a dirty sock into his mouth.
He then quickly grabbed his father's belt to tie him up.
The three of them quickly stripped Zheng Yufeng bare. Luck was on their side, as no one entered the restroom during this time. They worked quickly, and in no time, Zheng Yufeng was completely naked. He was furious, his face red, and he glared at the bunch of scoundrels, whimpering nonstop.
"Found it."
"I found it too."
Zheng Yufeng had hidden his money in two places—beneath the insole of his cloth shoes and in his underwear pocket. The three of them quickly counted the money and changed expressions—there was nine thousand yuan!
Wang Ju decisively said, "We'll split it three ways, with each person getting three thousand. If we get separated, we won't end up penniless and stranded."
Despite her alliance with the Zheng brothers, Wang Ju was more humane than Zheng Yufeng. At the very least, she genuinely wanted to escape together.
The Zheng brothers nodded in agreement, and even Zheng Xiaodi was pleasantly surprised to find he would get a share.
"Xiaodi gets so much money..."
Wang Ju seriously said, "If we get separated, this money could save our lives. Besides, it's only fair!"
"Exactly!"
"Alright."
The three of them quickly divided the money.
In those days, people often sewed pockets into their underwear to hide money. The three of them were no exception. After hiding the money, they said, "Let's go!"
Wang Ju didn't plan to leave alone, not just because she had no money but also because it wasn't safe for a woman to travel alone. But with two men by her side, even if one was just a teenager, it was far better than being alone.
As for the Zheng brothers, neither was particularly cunning, and they had no strong feelings toward their family. They immediately followed Wang Ju.
As they left the restroom, they saw Guan Guiling frantically searching everywhere, and Fan Debiao was with her.
"What the hell, how did he get out?"
Zheng Laoda was shocked. His dad had said it was for tomorrow!
They now realized their dad had lied to them again. The three of them exchanged glances, suspicious that Zheng Yufeng had deceived them.
Wang Ju: "Let's go, we need to board the train immediately."
She decisively gave up her luggage, which was just a few clothes. She said, "We'll pretend to be people seeing off passengers to board the train, and then we'll transfer."
"Okay!"
The three of them quickly entered the station. Guan Guiling was still searching but didn't notice Wang Ju and her two sons slipping away.
Zhuang Zhixi, however, felt something was off. He had seen the three of them heading toward the restroom but hadn't seen them return. And he thought he saw a brief glimpse of Wang Ju...
He was a bit puzzled but then saw more people rushing in, all from Guan Guiling's neighborhood. He felt relieved.
But Zhuang Zhixi was mistaken this time. He didn't know that Wang Ju and the others had already boarded the train. As the train departed, the three of them were hiding in the connecting area of the carriages, panting. Zheng Xiaodi was furious: "Dad lied again. He said Fan Debiao would only come out tomorrow. But he's already here."
Zheng Laoda: "I think Dad didn't plan to take us with him. He wanted to use us as a second line of defense. He would use us to delay Fan Debiao so he could escape on his own. Otherwise, how else can you explain Fan Debiao getting out early?"
"What a scoundrel!"
The three of them were very angry and felt this guess made sense.
He could deceive Guan Guiling, so he could deceive them too.
As for why they didn't leave earlier, it was because they hadn't found Fan Debiao's hidden money yet!
Zheng Yufeng's usual selfishness made it easy for them to believe the worst about him, and they felt they had guessed correctly. They sighed in relief and said, "He could scheme against us, but we can also scheme against him."
The train chugged along...
The three of them escaped, leaving behind the bustling city. At that moment, the commotion had attracted the attention of the station staff. Guan Guiling shrieked hysterically: "Yufeng, Yufeng, where are you? Yufeng..."
She searched everywhere, looking like a madwoman.
No one dared to approach her, but Fan Debiao was furious: "He's trying to avoid you, stop shouting!"
Guan Guiling seemed not to hear anything and continued to shout. Fan Debiao stepped forward and kicked her to the ground, saying, "Don't you dare tip anyone off."
"Comrade, how can you do this...?"
"Yeah! How can you hit people like that...?"
"Call the police right away."
People were pointing and murmuring, but Fan Debiao roared, "They stole over eight thousand yuan from me!"
The scene that was previously bustling with chatter suddenly fell silent. Fan Debiao quickly added, "Hurry up and find them, everyone help find them!"
He was addressing the neighbors from their alley who had followed along.
At this moment, Zheng Yufeng finally managed to free himself from the belt that bound him.
He spat out the sock in his mouth with disgust, not even bothering to care about the foul smell, and hurriedly dressed. Then, he dashed out, gritting his teeth and saying, "You little punks, if I catch you, you're dead. You're definitely dead..."
He rushed out of the restroom and directly met Zhuang Zhixi's gaze.
Zhuang Zhixi felt something was off and came to check, but he didn't expect to run into Zheng Yufeng face-to-face. Since Guan Guiling and Ming Mei worked at the same place, although they hadn't talked before, they had seen each other.
Zheng Yufeng found Zhuang Zhixi familiar but couldn't recall where he had seen him. However, since he looked familiar, something must be amiss.
He immediately turned and ran.
The train station was noisy, but since everyone had stopped to watch Guan Guiling, most people who weren't in a hurry to board were gathered in one spot. Zheng Yufeng's sudden flight made him conspicuous.
Fan Debiao instantly spotted Zheng Yufeng, his eyes reddening as he bellowed, "Zheng Yufeng! You bastard, where do you think you're going!"
Zheng Yufeng was utterly shocked to see Fan Debiao here. He had no time to think of anything else and bolted forward at full speed... He could explain later, but with Fan Debiao's temper, he might just beat him to death.
Guan Guiling cried out, "Yufeng!"
The scene erupted into chaos once again, with everyone chasing and fleeing!
Zhuang Zhixi muttered, "Good heavens."
But he quickly thought, "Where are the Zheng brothers and that woman?"
He looked around but saw no one. Suddenly, Zhuang Zhixi remembered catching a glimpse of Wang Ju's figure earlier.
Had she already boarded the train?
Although Wang Ju and the Zheng brothers had sneaked onto the earliest train without a ticket, they actually had tickets. They had bought them, just not for that particular train.
Zhuang Zhixi knew a bit more than the others since he had been keeping an eye on the situation for a while. He immediately realized that Wang Ju and the Zheng brothers had already made their escape. While others were still chasing Zheng Yufeng, Zhuang Zhixi had already figured out the gist of it. Seeing Zheng Yufeng's disheveled clothes, he suspected Zheng Yufeng had been robbed by his sons.
He thought back to Wang Ju's terrifying expression earlier and couldn’t just ignore it.
The chase between Zheng Yufeng and his pursuers resembled a game of cat and mouse, but Zheng Yufeng was now at his wit's end. Perhaps out of desperation, he bolted straight out the main entrance.
A few station staff who had come to help earlier tried to stop him: "Comrade, you..."
"Get out of the way!"
Zheng Yufeng pushed them aside without hesitation and ran out, stumbling forward. Fan Debiao and the others quickly gave chase, along with Guan Guiling. Despite her usually weak constitution, she was running surprisingly fast now.
Other station staff rushed out as well, though they had no idea what was happening. But in such a public place, they couldn't let things spiral out of control.
Fan Debiao, panting while chasing the winded Zheng Yufeng, shouted, "Zheng Yufeng, you bastard! You stole my money! I'll kill you, I swear I'll kill you! You're such a bastard!"
Fan Debiao, usually stuttering, managed a smooth flow of curses in his frenzy.
Zheng Yufeng gasped, "I didn't take it! My sons and Wang Ju robbed me! You should look for them!"
But Fan Debiao wouldn't believe a word of it. Seeing Zheng Yufeng still running, he steeled his resolve and launched himself forward with force—"Ah!!"
Both men screamed in pain. Ahead of them was a flight of stairs, and they tumbled down in a heap.
Guan Guiling, just catching up, saw this heart-wrenching scene unfold.
"Ah!"
She rushed down the steps, finding Fan Debiao groaning in pain from the fall. She kicked him aside and hurried to help Zheng Yufeng: "Yufeng..."
She called out, "Yufeng, are you okay? You..."
Her words trailed off as she looked at her hands, now coated in blood... "Ah!!"
Zheng Yufeng had hit his head!
Guan Guiling: "Yufeng, Yufeng..."
She trembled all over: "Yufeng..."
Zheng Yufeng was unresponsive, no matter how Guan Guiling wept or called out to him. Although it was late and the streets were mostly empty, this was still a train station, and soon people gathered around. Guan Guiling cried out, "Yufeng, my Yufeng, don't leave me..."
"Sister, hurry and take him to the hospital."
"This can't wait."
More people crowded around, but Guan Guiling continued to wail, her tears blurring her vision. She saw the station staff supporting her, then checking on Zheng Yufeng. Then came a sigh: "He's gone..."
Guan Guiling: "Ah..."
She sat frozen.
"Ah?"
Even more shocked was Fan Debiao.
He couldn't believe his own actions had cost Zheng Yufeng his life.
Perhaps hearing Fan Debiao’s cry, Guan Guiling suddenly went mad and lunged at him, strangling him with all her strength: "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! You've taken my Yufeng from me..."
Fan Debiao, already injured from the fall, rolled his eyes as she tightened her grip around his neck.
"Quick, pull them apart!"
"I'm going to kill you..." Guan Guiling's eyes were blank, her hands clenched in anger.
"Pull her off quickly, or we'll have another death on our hands..."
They finally managed to separate the two, but Fan Debiao was gasping for breath.
"Quick, take him to the hospital..."
Zhuang Zhixi couldn't believe how unexpected the events had unfolded. Like many others, he watched in silence. At that moment, a group of street thugs approached: "Where's Zheng Yufeng? Still trying to run? Zheng Yufeng? Zheng Yufeng?"
Zhuang Zhixi turned around and said, "He's dead."
The street thugs were all stunned.
"Holy..."
"What about Guan Guiling..."
Thinking of Guan Guiling's crazed state, Zhuang Zhixi said, "She might have gone mad."
"Holy..."
