Zhang Xue was fierce, and the women she had hit were even fiercer.
In their life philosophy, there was no such thing as taking a beating and not fighting back.
For a while, the three of them were tangled up in a brawl, making a huge commotion right at the Cheng family’s gate.
Wen Yining, holding Yaoyao, stepped back to a corner and quietly watched the chaos unfold.
Zhang Xue, fighting against three women at once, couldn’t keep up. Soon, one of the women grabbed her by the hair, pinned her to the ground, and started pinching at parts of her body that her clothes tried to hide.
Zhang Xue had no way to fight back and didn’t even know where she was being pinched. Her screams were piercing and unbearable.
Wen Yining covered Yaoyao’s little ears, murmuring, “Don’t listen… your ears will get dirty.”
Yaoyao blinked, taking in the scene of Zhang Xue being overwhelmed. In her mind, she thought: so this is how it’s done! Next time someone bullies her, she’ll pinch straight at the chest.
Wen Yining had no idea that Yaoyao had already learned this essential skill for women’s brawls. She just watched the fight, wishing she could snack on something while watching—feeling a bit disappointed she couldn’t.
Zhang Xue’s screams continued, her voice even changing pitch: “Wen Yining! What are you watching! Come help me!”
At her shout, Wen Yining’s face immediately filled with mock terror. Holding Yaoyao, she stepped back several paces and shrank into the corner.
“No… I can’t! I… I have to protect Yaoyao!”
Wen Yining pretended to be timid, but inside, she was rolling her eyes at Zhang Xue.
Help?
Impossible!
She was being generous enough not to kick Zhang Xue a few more times.
“You little coward!” Zhang Xue thought she might vomit blood in anger. “You don’t dare?”
Who was the one waving a knife at her hands just the day before yesterday and yesterday?
“Cheng Daqing!” Zhang Xue, seeing Wen Yining playing the coward, turned to her husband for help. “I’m about to be beaten to death! Aren’t you coming to help?”
Cheng Daqing looked conflicted. Half-naked, he had no energy or inclination to fight.
Let alone the opponents were a group of audacious women!
What if they pulled down his shorts and exposed him? Would he even be able to face the world?
Cheng Daqing didn’t have the habit of exposing himself publicly. He glared at Zhang Xue. “At a time like this, you’re thinking about fighting? Aren’t you embarrassed enough already?”
He shouted to the neighbors outside, “Sorry everyone! Our house was robbed. My wife is in a bad mood and spoke harshly. You all know her. Don’t take it personally—just go home, eat, or go to work! We’re all neighbors, we’ll see each other anyway, don’t let a few words ruin relationships.”
The woman from the front yard, Mrs. Zhang, somehow squatted on the wall again. Hearing Cheng Daqing’s words, she spat.
“When your wife cursed us during the robbery, you didn’t say a word! Let her talk less!”
“Now you suddenly jump in, claiming concern for the neighborhood? You’re just embarrassed!”
“Whatever I say goes!” Cheng Daqing didn’t want to argue with an old woman, but he was annoyed by her unreasonable persistence.
“Hmph! I’m just stating facts!” Mrs. Zhang rolled her eyes at him. She turned to the woman holding Zhang Xue’s hair. “Liu’s family, let go! Their son has potential! Remember, civilians shouldn’t fight officials. Be careful, or they’ll sue you!”
“After all, he’ll be related to a leader in the future. We ordinary folks can’t compete!”
“Oh wow, a golden phoenix in our midst!”
Someone in the crowd joked, and the crowd erupted in laughter. No need for Cheng Daqing to say anything—the crowd dispersed on its own.
Cheng Daqing hurriedly helped Zhang Xue into the yard and closed the gate.
Zhang Xue, wearing an ill-fitting tattered robe and with hair disheveled, sat on the ground, panting. “Cheng Daqing, you coward!”
Cheng Daqing glanced at her. “Well, you’re not timid yourself.”
Zhang Xue snorted. “They can insult me, but not my son!”
Cheng Daqing waved his hand. “I know you’re his mother. Forget about that for now. Let’s go to the post office later and call him—have him send some money and tickets. We’ll need it to survive. After the robbery, we don’t even have a pot to cook in, let alone food.”
With the crowd dispersed, Wen Yining returned to her room with Yaoyao.
Inside, she handed Yaoyao a small cake, whispering, “Eat slowly, don’t choke. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Yaoyao puffed her cheeks, blinking her big dark eyes, and nodded.
Outside, Zhang Xue hadn’t even eaten breakfast. She used a broken basin to fetch water and washed her face, muttering curses as she left for work.
Cheng Daqing, shamelessly borrowing a tattered set of clothes from a neighbor, avoided their scrutinizing gazes and left in a hurry.
Once they were gone, Wen Yining also stepped out.
She wandered through the city, withdrawing all the money from her bank accounts.
The bank wasn’t as secure as her space. If Cheng Daqing or Zhang Xue realized, blocked her card, or tried to withdraw the money, all her efforts the night before would have been wasted.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xue and Cheng Daqing couldn’t focus on work.
Zhang Xue’s mind was on the rumors about her son’s high-profile girlfriend. How did it start? Why hadn’t she known before? And why did it surface right after their house was robbed?
Even if her son had ambitions outside, it was his own doing, unrelated to their robbery.
Cheng Daqing didn’t think so much—he just worried about his money.
The stash of private savings had been painstakingly accumulated. He cursed the thief, hoping never to find out who it was, or he’d crush their thieving hands.
By afternoon, after work, the two borrowed money from coworkers to buy some food, completely ignoring Wen Yining and Yaoyao. After all, they didn’t need to work and could survive a day without eating.
The couple ate simple cornmeal and pickles, cursing the thieves with their foulest language.
Meanwhile, Wen Yining and Yaoyao enjoyed delicious food.
Hotpot was easy—throw the ingredients into the broth, cook, and eat. No culinary skill required. Yaoyao didn’t even notice the difference from regular meals.
It was Yaoyao’s first hotpot. Curious and excited, she kept swallowing as she smelled the fragrant aroma.
Wen Yining saw the red broth boiling and realized it might be too spicy for Yaoyao, so she asked, “Can you handle spicy?”
Yaoyao nodded. “Yes!”
She scooped a meatball into her mouth but burned her tongue and kept sucking in air.
“Eat slowly, careful of the heat,” Wen Yining laughed, then scooped some cooked vegetables and meat onto a plate to cool for her.
Eating hotpot, Wen Yining squinted with satisfaction. She was grateful for her previous habit of storing snacks in her office.
Thanks to that habit, in this era of scarcity, she could eat well every day.
Poor Cheng Daqing and Zhang Xue—they were going to survive on nothing but stale air for the next two days.