Jiang Nan glanced at the slingshot lying on the ground and smiled as she asked in return, “Who said I was going to be your stepmother?”
Seeing that Jiang Nan had stopped to speak to him, Zhao Chuanze no longer struggled to run outside. He snorted, turned his face away, as if disdainful of talking to her.
Mother Zhao, embarrassed, quickly apologized to Jiang Nan: “Xiao Nan, this child doesn’t understand; he believes every rumor. Don’t take it to heart, I’ll discipline him!” She gave Zhao Chuanze a pat on the back and pushed him to apologize.
Mother Zhao had always been polite to her, so Jiang Nan didn’t want to make things difficult. She simply said to Zhao Chuanze: “You’re mistaken. Your father and I only went on a blind date; I’m not going to be your stepmother. If every woman who met your father counted as your stepmother, there’d be too many to count—you’d be more pitiful than the little cabbages in the field.” With that, she clicked her tongue in mock pity, turned, and prepared to go inside.
But when she turned, she saw Zhao Rui and Li Xu not far away, carrying hoes, their pant legs rolled up.
As they came closer, Zhao Rui said to her, “Sorry,” then went to put his arm around his mother and lead her home, persuading her as they walked: “Didn’t I tell you, as long as he’s not hungry, cold, or sick, you don’t need to worry so much?”
Mother Zhao, being pushed along, kept looking back at Zhao Chuanze, unhappy: “Xiao Ze is your son—how can you not care for him? And he hasn’t eaten yet, isn’t that being hungry?”
Left behind, Zhao Chuanze timidly watched his father’s back for a while, then, feeling wronged, shuffled step by step after his father and grandmother back home.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nan entered her own house with Li Xu, who muttered about Zhao Chuanze: “That kid’s usually well-behaved. Why was he so naughty today? Sis, don’t blame him. Next time I’ll help teach him a lesson.”
Jiang Nan didn’t believe a word—Li Xu and that boy were close. She only smiled without agreeing, still pondering what had gone wrong between father and son.
In the TV drama, Zhao Chuanze was the undisputed heir. If Zhao Rui didn’t like him, he couldn’t possibly have held such a stable position. Yet now Zhao Rui’s gaze toward him was colder than that of an ordinary father. Was this how their relationship had always been, or had something happened in the previous life that changed Zhao Rui’s view of his son? Jiang Nan was deeply curious.
At the Zhao household, Zhao Rui continued persuading his mother to shift her attention away from Zhao Chuanze: “Since he likes his mother so much, let him be. If he wants to live with Cen Jingqiu, fine. You can pack his things and send him to the educated youth dormitory.”
That way, Zhao Chuanze could see for himself whether the mother he longed for could truly take care of him.
At that moment, Cen Jingqiu, hiding in the educated youth dormitory, was worrying about how to get through the night. She and Cheng Yixin had returned with nothing but clothes, face cream, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.
Cen Jingqiu had gone to the countryside early, married early, and spent little time living at the educated youth station. Of the batch who went down with her, few remained, and she hadn’t formed deep ties with them. After all the trouble she had stirred up—and even a trip to the public security bureau—the other educated youths wanted nothing to do with her. They wouldn’t help her either. She didn’t even have a bed or bedding.
She thought for a while, and despite the risk of being mocked by Zhao Rui, she went to the Zhao household to ask him to return her old belongings.
Unfortunately, Zhao Rui didn’t even let her in. Standing on the stone steps, looking down at her, he said coldly: “Everything you used, I threw away.”
Cen Jingqiu gasped angrily, then forced herself to endure it. “Then you should compensate me!”
Zhao Rui sneered: “Those were things I paid for. Why should I compensate you?”
With that, he slammed the door shut, leaving Cen Jingqiu dazed. Of course—when she first went to the countryside, her luggage had been old items from home. After marrying Zhao Rui, the Zhao family had bought all new things. She had long since discarded or given away the old ones. Nothing truly belonged to her anymore.
She came back to her senses and knocked again, but the Zhao family didn’t open the door. She listened to her son crying inside for a long time, then helplessly returned to the educated youth station. Later, she found people who had once taken her things and, through a mix of pleading and pressure, managed to get some basic supplies to scrape through the night.
Before bed, her thoughts turned to the rental house she had set up in Jiangcheng, with its household goods, kitchenware, and food. She had no way to retrieve them now—who knew who had taken advantage? She began to regret returning with Cheng Yixin.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yixin hid at home for several days until gossip died down. Once she recovered, she realized the public security bureau hadn’t convicted her—so why should she keep hiding? She began going out again. Her first task was to buy a gift of thanks and deliver it to Lu Lin’s comrade who had helped.
When she met the man her brother had spoken of, Cheng Yixin once again felt what it meant to be moved. Over the years, she had had many suitors, but few stirred her emotions. She treated them as backups, stringing them along with soft words, occasionally asking small favors. But over time, she grew bored. She had thought her heart would never flutter again—until suddenly this man appeared.
He had a cropped haircut, a hard, cold face, a tall, upright figure. As he walked in, a strong aura of masculinity surrounded him. Cheng Yixin blushed slightly, shyly preparing to thank him—only to hear him refuse: “No need for gifts. I hope you’ll be cautious in the future and stop tarnishing Lu Lin’s honor and reputation!”
Cheng Yixin’s heart froze. The blush faded, a flash of anger crossed her eyes, but she quickly changed tactics. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Do you think I *wanted* to do something illegal? It’s all because of Lu Lin. He died heroically, everyone praises him—but what about us, his wife and child? If he were still alive, would I have to risk everything just to cover my child’s tuition and nutrition?”
The man’s cold, hard face did indeed show cracks when he heard her words.
Cheng Yixin pressed her advantage, pouring out her hardships over the years, the children’s longing for their father. In the end, the conversation concluded with the man agreeing to take Lu Xiaoxiao and Lu Mingsheng boating.
Cheng Yixin turned away with joy in her eyes, triumphant. A few days later, when she saw the man tenderly leading the two children to the lake, telling them stories of Lu Lin’s heroism, and the children gazing at him with admiration, Cheng Yixin resolved that she must win this man.
Compared to Cheng Yixin’s dramatic love life, Jiang Nan’s daily routine was much simpler. Living at Aunt Jiang’s house, once she had familiarized herself with the household tools, she took the initiative to cook lunch and dinner for the Li family members who worked each day. The rest of her time she spent with her little niece, reading comic books and telling stories. While waiting for a reply from the magazine, she also drafted ideas for her next article.
One day, the family was happily eating together in the courtyard when a discordant voice sounded at the gate: “Well, well, big sister, brother-in-law, enjoying a meal?”
Everyone turned to see a thin, gaunt middle-aged couple entering with a sturdier young man.
The man swaggered toward the table, glanced at the dishes, and exclaimed, “Eating well, aren’t you!”
Then he ordered Sun Xiuzhen: “Niece-in-law, hurry and get us bowls and chopsticks. We’ve been walking all morning, starving!”
Sun Xiuzhen looked around at the Li family’s darkened faces and was about to rise, but Jiang Nan held her back. “If you’ve got business, speak it. If you’ve got nonsense, spit it out. If you’ve got nothing, get out!”
At this, the middle-aged man’s face turned ugly. Pointing at her, he cursed: “You wretched girl, how dare you talk to your own father like that!”
Yes—the visitors were the original Jiang Nan’s biological parents and younger brother.
Jiang Nan stared coldly at him. “I could beat you until you couldn’t speak. Do you believe me?”
Her father clearly didn’t believe it. He rolled up his sleeves and moved around the table, ready to slap her. Aunt Jiang stood up, grabbed him, and said coldly: “What, you came all this way just to bully my niece? Do you think I’m dead?”
Her father, always intimidated by his fierce elder sister, lost his momentum immediately. His tone softened: “She’s my daughter!”
Aunt Jiang snapped: “Then what exactly do you want?”
Father Jiang flinched at Aunt Jiang’s booming voice.
Behind him, Mother Jiang glared at Jiang Nan before forcing a smile at Aunt Jiang: “Big sister, look, we rushed all the way here and haven’t eaten yet. Could we eat first and then talk?”
Before Aunt Jiang could reply, Jiang Nan cut her off: “No! This household doesn’t owe you any food rations!”
Mother Jiang was enraged, shrieking: “I’m your mother!”
Jiang Nan sneered: “I remember when I got married, we already severed ties.”
Back then, when the original Jiang Nan married Cheng Denglin, her parents demanded 200 yuan in bride price from the Cheng family. The original Jiang Nan gave them two choices: accept 200 yuan and “sell” her off, severing ties forever; or accept the average rural bride price of 28 yuan, remain her parents, and she would continue to honor them.
Her parents didn’t hesitate—they immediately demanded 200 yuan. So the original Jiang Nan used all her savings and asked Cheng Denglin for another 68 yuan, buying herself back.
As a result, she entered the Cheng household penniless, carrying only a new quilt prepared by Aunt Jiang, and was secretly despised by Mother Cheng for a long time.
Aunt Jiang didn’t want to argue with this shameless couple. “Not talking, are you? Then get out of my house!”
She immediately called Li Xu and Li Chang to “escort” them out.
Father Jiang knew his elder sister was not one to be defied. He quickly said: “Wait, wait, big sister! Your nephew has found a match at the commune, and they’re discussing marriage. The girl’s family wants the three big items and 200 yuan bride price. We have no way, so we came to ask Xiao Nan for help.”
Then he turned to Jiang Nan: “Xiao Nan, a daughter without brothers to back her up ends up like you—cast aside and sent home. But if you help your brother now, then when you marry again, he’ll stand up for you. You won’t suffer the same fate, right, Yuanzhi?”
The younger brother, Jiang Yuanzhi, nodded at his father’s words, though his eyes stayed fixed on the food on the table.
“How do you know Xiao Nan divorced?” Aunt Jiang reacted quickly, seizing on the key point.
Jiang Nan’s divorce had never been reported back home.
Father Jiang yanked his elder sister’s sleeve free, dusted it off, and said carelessly: “I don’t just know she divorced—I also know the Cheng family gave her 700 yuan! Now her brother’s getting married. Isn’t it reasonable for her to help out?”
This time Jiang Nan was truly furious. It wasn’t strange that the Jiang family knew she was divorced—gossip traveled easily across communes. But knowing she had received 700 yuan? Only a handful of people knew.
The Cheng family!
Jiang Nan narrowed her eyes. “We severed ties long ago. I have no brother.” She stood up and repeated firmly: “Leave Aunt Jiang’s house now. We’ll pretend you never came; nothing happened today. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude.”
Her father’s anger flared again. “Big sister, did you hear that? Is this how a daughter talks to her father? If I don’t discipline her, am I still her father?!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Father Jiang swung at Jiang Nan. The Li family was startled and rushed to pull him back.
Jiang Nan tilted her head back, raised her arm to block his slap, then kicked a bench into his shin. As he bent over in pain, she drove a kick into his stomach.
Father Jiang staggered back several steps and fell hard onto the ground.
The Li family froze in shock—they hadn’t expected Jiang Nan to actually fight back against her own father.
Mother Jiang was the first to react. She screamed, hurried to help him up, and shrieked, “Come see! A daughter is beating her own father!”
Jiang Yuanzhi, seeing his father struck, scowled and rushed forward to hit Jiang Nan. Only then did Li Xu and Li Chang snap out of it. They quickly stepped in, one on each side, holding him down.
Jiang Nan glanced at them without a word, turned into the kitchen, and came back holding a hatchet. She approached Jiang Yuanzhi.
Mother Jiang was terrified. Forgetting her husband on the ground, she rushed to shield her precious son.
Jiang Nan turned to Aunt Jiang and Sun Xiuzhen: “Auntie, Second Sister-in-law, help me hold her.”
Aunt Jiang looked at the knife in Jiang Nan’s hand, then at her fierce expression. Worried she might do something rash, she was about to intervene—but Jiang Nan’s eyes were calm. So Aunt Jiang gritted her teeth, pulled her daughter-in-law along, and together they restrained Mother Jiang.
Father Jiang cursed Jiang Nan with vile names as he tried to push himself up, but was forced back down, face pressed to the dirt—not by Aunt Jiang’s husband, but by Zhao Rui, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
Jiang Nan only glanced at him before turning back to Jiang Yuanzhi: “Your family really never learns. Did your parents never tell you? If they hadn’t backed down, I would have castrated you when you were little. And now you dare to use that ‘two ounces of flesh’ to scheme for my money? You’ve got the guts of a leopard! But it’s fine…” She scraped her finger along the blade to test its sharpness, smiling: “It’s not too late. I can chop off that ‘two ounces’ now. Then you won’t have to worry about bride price or whether you can have sons in the future…”
Jiang Yuanzhi, hearing her speak so convincingly, trembled. His lips, which had been shouting “Let her try!” just moments before, quivered uncontrollably.
Jiang Nan smiled and signaled Li Xu and Li Chang to throw him down.
Jiang Yuanzhi thrashed like a fish out of water, legs kicking wildly. Jiang Nan squatted and slammed the back of the hatchet against his thighbone. As he cried out in pain and froze for a moment, she pinned one leg, kneeling hard on his kneecap, while Li Xu knelt on the other.
Jiang Yuanzhi howled in agony. He could feel Jiang Nan’s ruthless strength, and Li Xu and Li Chang pressed down harder and harder.
The moment his pants were pulled down, Jiang Yuanzhi was terrified—Jiang Nan was serious!
The cold hatchet pressed against his thigh. He felt a sting, saw blood on the blade she raised, and heard his mother shriek: “Murder! Someone come, she’s killing!”
Feeling the sharp edge pressed against his manhood, Jiang Yuanzhi panicked. He tried to struggle but feared moving too much and cutting himself. Helpless, he begged: “Sister, it wasn’t me! It was Dad—it was Dad who insisted on asking you for money; it has nothing to do with me!”
Meanwhile, Father Jiang had his foul mouth shoved into the dirt by Zhao Rui, unable to form a full word.
Jiang Nan smiled at Jiang Yuanzhi: “Don’t worry. Your sister’s been chopping pig feed and skinning snakes since childhood. My hands are quick—I’ll shave you clean, not a trace left!” Then her face hardened. She raised the hatchet high and brought it down.
Jiang Yuanzhi wet himself.
Jiang Nan, Li Xu, and Li Chang quickly stepped aside, avoiding the mess. Jiang Nan rose with disgust, retreating several steps.
Mother Jiang, like a rooster with its throat blocked, fell silent the instant the blade fell.
Aunt Jiang released Mother Jiang, who immediately threw herself over Jiang Yuanzhi, pressing his wound with clothing, cursing Jiang Nan: “You damned little whore!”
Jiang Nan ignored her. She returned to Father Jiang, tapped his face with the urine-stained hatchet, and laughed mockingly: “Don’t think I’m bluffing. Push me too far, and I really will. If I chop off Yuanzhi’s ‘two ounces of flesh,’ at worst it’s intentional injury—I’d serve a few years of labor reform and then be free. But your Jiang family would be finished. Your son would be a eunuch for life, mocked forever. How about the title ‘New Era Eunuch’? I could even contact a newspaper to interview him, make Yuanzhi’s name famous nationwide. My few years for his lifetime—sounds like a good trade, don’t you think?”
*Good trade, my ass!* Jiang Nan thought as she played her role—who would waste a lifetime on such a coward?
Zhao Rui, watching her eyes shift, nearly burst out laughing.
Jiang Nan noticed, resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, and signaled for the others to release her relatives. Then she turned back to Father Jiang: “Now, let’s talk about how you knew I got 700 yuan from the divorce settlement.”