Chapter 13: He is very good

The village clinic doctor happened to be there and stepped forward to press Feng Chunhua's *Renzhong* acupoint.

Feng Chunhua slowly regained consciousness and pointed at Chu Zhi, her eyes instantly brimming with tears. "That's right, I forced him to do it with a knife! Today's robbery was entirely my idea; it has nothing to do with Chu Zhi. I was only taking back my own granddaughter's things—this is a family matter! I'm not guilty! You can't arrest me!"

A look of mockery crossed Chu Xuan's face. If Feng Chunhua could go this far for an incompetent son like Chu Zhi, why could she not show even a shred of kindness to her own grandson and granddaughter?

Nevertheless, Chu Zhi still had to be taken away for further interrogation.

Chu Xuan and Chu Feng packed their belongings into large hemp sacks.

Chu Xuan thanked the security personnel, stating her firm intention to press charges against Feng Chunhua and Chu Zhi. She hoisted the sacks onto her shoulders and left with her younger brother...

She didn't need to worry about the rest.

After returning home, she reorganized their belongings.

Chu Feng gave Chu Xuan a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration. "Sis, you're amazing! If it weren't for your foresight, we wouldn't have gotten all this rice and flour for free."

Chu Xuan wouldn't tell him that her sister had lived a whole second life.

Let him admire her!

It would be best if he became her idol; that way, the time needed to educate him toward the right path might be shortened.

There was no breakfast in the kitchen because Chu Zhi and Feng Chunhua had already stolen and eaten it.

One sibling busied themselves with scrubbing pots and dishes, while the other washed vegetables and dried scallops.

They made cabbage and scallop thick soup to line their stomachs first.

Sipping and blowing on the soup, Chu Feng sighed with emotion. "Sis, these past few days feel like a dream. We're eating well every meal! I've been craving this scallop thick soup for years! I finally got to eat it. And yesterday's big meat buns, the rib soup, the day before yesterday's big mackerel... so delicious!"

Sometimes, the things you crave most are the things you've lacked the longest.

As a coastal local, Chu Xuan used to have to watch Feng Chunhua's every mood just to eat a scallop; thinking back, she felt she and her brother had been foolish.

"Xiao Feng, drink slowly, don't burn yourself."

"Mhm!"

Chu Feng wiped a tear and sniffled, continuing to slurp the soup.

As noon approached, Gao Meijuan arrived carrying a bamboo basket with ten cabbage and meat stuffed buns.

She also brought news that the permit for their house renovation had been approved, and the construction crew would arrive to start work in three days.

They would need to provide lunch then, and Gao Meijuan would bring her daughter, Wang Xia, to help with the cooking.

One stove wouldn't be enough, so they could set up a temporary stove in the courtyard.

Chu Xuan invited Gao Meijuan to stay for lunch, but she declined and left in a hurry.

After returning home, Gao Meijuan couldn't help but whisper to Wang Depin, "It's such a pity that Xiao Xuan and Xiao Feng were reborn into the old Chu family! If Xiao Xuan hadn't left the money with me in advance, Feng Chunhua would have snatched it all today."

Wang Depin sighed. "You and Xiao Xuan accidentally saved Feng Chunhua! If it had been a home robbery of over two thousand yuan, she wouldn't have seen the outside of a prison for the rest of her life."

"True. But I just can't understand, why is Feng Chunhua so heartless toward Xiao Xuan and her brother? Is it just because Xiao Xuan's father passed away and can't support her in her old age?"

"Perhaps. But Feng Chunhua took all of Xiao Xuan's father's compensation money, which is a way of supporting her in disguise."

"It's better not to mention it, but talking about it makes me angry! A thousand yuan in compensation! Xiao Xuan, Xiao Feng, and Tian Xiaoyun didn't get a single cent; it all went to Chu Dashan and his wife!"

"What choice did they have? Back then, the three of them signed waivers agreeing to let Feng Chunhua collect it."

"Did they have a choice? Feng Chunhua used to beat and scold them quite often. Forget it, let's not talk about this depressing matter."

"Don't you think Xiao Xuan is much smarter than before?"

"She is indeed much smarter. It's a good sign. She and Xiao Feng will surely have a better life ahead!"

The couple chatted back and forth without letting it interfere with their lunch.

At this moment, Chu Xuan was reading her brother's self-reflection essay.

Two-thirds of it was written in Pinyin, and while the rest was in Chinese characters, most were misspelled.

In terms of content, however, he acknowledged his mistakes and promised not to repeat them.

"Xiao Feng, when school starts in September, you should go into first grade!"

With his current level, he wouldn't be able to keep up in second grade at all.

Chu Feng was too embarrassed to look up. "Sis, there are still two months left. I promise to catch up on the first, second, and third-grade curriculum. Can you let me go into fourth grade when school starts?"

Seeing her brother's desire to work hard, Chu Xuan knew she had to support him.

"Alright! I'll go borrow some books for you."

Xiao Feng's textbooks had long since been sold by Feng Chunhua.

Only then did Chu Feng look up, his eyes shining. "I'll go borrow them! Don't trouble yourself with such a small thing."

He started to run out, but Chu Xuan stopped him.

"Eat the meat buns while they're hot first!"

A fragrant meat bun was stuffed into Chu Feng's hand. He ate one, then another, and then another.

Worried he would get indigestion from overeating, Chu Xuan didn't give him any more.

Chu Xuan ate two herself, saving the rest for dinner.

Shortly after one in the afternoon, Chu Feng returned with borrowed Chinese and Math textbooks for grades one through three.

Chu Xuan patiently tutored him.

By five-thirty, Chu Xuan picked up her iron bucket and tools to go foraging by the sea.

Chu Feng stayed home to watch the house.

At the seaside, the tide was just beginning to recede.

There were still plenty of clams.

Chu Xuan gathered more than half a bucket, panting from the exertion.

By now, the seawater had receded quite a bit.

She walked further ahead to try her luck.

Her luck this afternoon wasn't as good as it had been this morning.

After searching for over an hour, she only found a few small crabs, which she released immediately. Just as she was preparing to head back, a pleasant male voice rang out.

"Chu Xuan, your luck isn't great today!"

Without looking, Chu Xuan knew it was Mu Chenze.

Feeling a sense of guilt toward the man, she didn't dare look at him. "The tide is coming in soon, I should go..."

Before she could finish, two mackerel, each weighing about three pounds, were tossed into her bucket.

Mu Chenze's voice sounded quite disdainful. "Mackerel this size are too small, I don't care for them. They're yours!"

He left without looking back.

Today, as soon as his family's boat reached the pier, he had heard the gossip about the Chu family.

After selling his seafood, he saw Chu Xuan foraging and decided to come as well.

In truth, before speaking to her, he had been wrestling with himself for over half an hour before he found the courage to toss those two caught mackerel into her bucket.

Chu Xuan was unaware of this; instead, she cursed Mu Chenze inwardly for wasting such good fish.

Tonight, she would make braised mackerel, and she and her brother would each have one. As for the clams, she would soak them to remove the sand tonight and stir-fry them tomorrow.

She filled the iron bucket with some seawater and carried it back.

By the time she reached home, it was already dark.

Chu Feng took the bucket from her and volunteered to clean the fish.

At that moment, Mu Chenze's mother, Qin Mahua, was standing at her own courtyard gate, occasionally shining a flashlight into the distance and muttering, "Why hasn't the second son come back yet? The food is getting cold."

The "second son" she spoke of was currently crouching seriously outside the wall of Chu Xuan's courtyard. It wasn't until he smelled the aroma of the braised mackerel that his expression relaxed.

He heard Chu Feng praising Chu Xuan. "Sis, you're amazing! You found mackerel while foraging today!"

Chu Xuan replied softly, "Mu Chenze gave them to me."

"Sis, actually, I think Mu Chenze is quite good. Now that we've split the household, no one will demand you give money to your maternal family after marriage. Why don't you rekindle things with him?"

Mu Chenze desperately wanted to know how Chu Xuan would answer.

(End of Chapter)