“Fellow villager, could you please tell me how to get to Feng Daping’s house?”
“Feng Daping’s house?” The auntie who was asked for directions was stunned at first, as if she couldn’t remember who Feng Daping was.
Aunt Wang next to her knew who Feng Daping was; wasn’t he Feng Laoda? She looked at the man asking for directions, feeling a bit flustered. This man clearly looked like he was from the city. How could Feng Laoda know such a person?
“There are two families surnamed Feng in our village; they are brothers. Are you looking for Feng Laoda’s family?”
Feng Peng didn’t know if Feng Daping was Feng Laoda or Feng Lao Er. He provided more information, “When Feng Daping was young, he worked in the mine.”
The auntie who was initially asked for directions suddenly understood upon hearing this. She slapped her thigh and said, “I know now, that’s Feng Laoda. He used to work as a temporary worker at the mine for a few years.”
“Let’s go, let’s go, I’ll lead you there. I know where his house is.”
Feng Likai, who had been silently following his father, quickly caught up to Aunt Wang and then asked casually, “My father is an old friend of Feng Daping’s. We haven’t seen them in many years. How are they doing now? How are his children doing?”
Aunt Wang glanced at Feng Likai’s face and then immediately smiled and praised, “Oh my, this young man is so handsome!”
Looking at Feng Likai’s white shirt and leather shoes, she praised further, “You clearly look like someone from the city!”
Feng Daping really struck gold; he actually knew such a person!
Feng Likai smiled politely, remaining silent, his demeanor indicating he was waiting for Aunt Wang to answer his previous question.
Seeing this, Aunt Wang had no choice but to talk about Feng Daping’s family: “Feng Laoda’s family, things have been a bit unsettled these past few days.”
“What’s unsettled? Auntie, could you elaborate?” Feng Likai pressed.
Aunt Wang first shook her head and sighed, then slowly began to explain, “Actually, it’s their own fault. You don’t know, but Feng Laoda’s entire family doesn’t favor their daughter. Just the day before yesterday, their daughter suddenly had a high fever and ended up becoming mentally impaired from it!”
At this point, Aunt Wang cast a strange glance at Feng Likai and his father, thinking to herself, if he’s friends with Feng Daping, he might not be a good person either.
Feng Likai’s heart sank, “Impaired? Is it that daughter who’s sixteen or seventeen?”
Feng Peng also looked at Aunt Wang, waiting for her answer. Could it be that jinx? If she was impaired, how could she go to the countryside in Xiao Ya’s place?
Aunt Wang nodded, “They only have one daughter, named Chu Xiao. Oh my, normally Feng Laoda’s family doesn’t treat her well, making her do all the work but not giving her enough food. Even with a high fever, they didn’t take her to a doctor, and then she became impaired from the fever. No one remembers anything!”
The auntie leading the way also turned back and said, “That family is heartless. But heaven has eyes; the day Chu Xiao became impaired, Feng Laoda’s kitchen caught fire.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Likai secretly glared at Father Feng, then quickly asked, “If they treated their child so poorly, didn’t the brigade leader do anything?”
“You’re thinking too simply. How can one interfere in family matters? Chu Xiao that girl usually keeps quiet; she doesn’t say anything, so others wouldn’t intervene.”
Father Feng hadn’t expected Feng Daping to abuse his own daughter so severely. Although he was the one who initiated the child swap and didn’t want her, he shouldn’t have been treated with such disrespect.
Next, the two aunties also told the father and son about Feng Daping injuring his own son with a shovel and then blaming Chu Xiao for it.
Feng Likai couldn’t listen anymore. He urged them to hurry up and walk faster, wanting to see his unfortunate sister as soon as possible.
Along the way, more people joined them, all curious why these two city dwellers were looking for Feng Laoda.
They soon arrived at Feng Laoda’s doorway. The main door was open. Aunt Wang entered the courtyard first, “Sister-in-law! Is Daping home? There are people from the city looking for him!”
The Feng family hadn’t rested well last night, so they were all resting inside the room at the moment. Hearing someone call, they thought something else had happened and everyone rushed out.
The moment Feng Daping and Wang Xihua saw Feng Peng, they were stunned!
They recognized Feng Peng, whose appearance hadn’t changed much. Their hearts were in turmoil, not knowing why Feng Peng had come at this time.
Looking behind Feng Peng, their biological daughter was not there. It seemed he wasn’t here to bring their daughter back.
Over the years, they sometimes worried their daughter might be sent back, and sometimes they missed her terribly, feeling they shouldn’t have agreed to give their biological daughter to others.
But thinking that their daughter had gone to a big city to live a life of luxury with a wealthy family, they felt proud of her.
Could Feng Peng be here to see his biological daughter?
Feng Daping quickly said, “Brother Feng! Please, come inside and sit. Come inside.”
As Feng Peng took a step, Feng Likai stopped him. He looked at Feng Daping and asked sternly, “Where is your daughter?”
Feng Chu Xiao hadn’t returned since she went out in the morning, and they couldn’t immediately explain where that dead girl was.
“That… she went out to play,” Wang Xihua said, thinking quickly.
Feng Likai didn’t believe her, but it seemed his sister was indeed not in this house. He pointed at Feng Tiezhu, “Go and find sister… find her.”
Feng Tiezhu immediately nodded and walked out. He guessed Chu Xiao might have gone to the forest.
Feng Likai wasn’t done yet. He took out paper and a pen, hung his work permit on his chest, and then, suppressing his anger, said to Wang Xihua, “I am a reporter from a newspaper office. I would like to interview you now. Did you let your daughter live in the dilapidated kitchen? Did you only make her work but not give her food?
I heard that you neglected her when she had a high fever. May I ask why? Is it because you favor sons over daughters, or is there some other reason?”
His actions stunned everyone present!
“So this young man is… what is he!”
“A reporter from the newspaper office!” a young person said.
“What’s going on?”
Feng Peng reacted and reprimanded, “Likai! Stop fooling around!”
Feng Likai gave him a cold look, “Seeing this situation, does your conscience ache?”
“You…” Feng Peng’s expression was somewhat disheveled.
But he was also afraid his son would say something reckless, so he quickly added, “I will compensate her!”
“Good, I’ve noted that down,” Feng Likai said in a deep voice. “You should all come inside to talk. We need to head back soon.”
Feng Peng finally followed Feng Daping into the house. Feng Likai, however, walked out of the courtyard, looking around, wanting to see why the man who went to find his sister hadn’t returned yet.
After waiting for a while, he finally saw the man from earlier run back. Behind him followed a thin, small girl with messy hair, wearing patched, ill-fitting, worn-out clothes.
Feng Likai quickly went to meet them. Was this his sister?
As he got closer, he saw the girl’s appearance clearly. Her large eyes were distinct, but her skin was sallow, and her cheeks were sunken. It was evident she was severely malnourished!
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