Liu Yong didn’t want to say much, but he couldn’t hide the wounds on his back. Sharing a bed with Li Fengmei at night, everything would be exposed once he took off his clothes.

By confessing voluntarily, he could still gloss over some crucial details.

Li Fengmei burst into tears immediately – her husband had nearly lost his life! She had almost become a widow, and Taotao nearly became an orphan. How could she not break down crying? Only after Li Fengmei had cried her heart out and forced Liu Yong to promise never to earn such dangerous money again did she remember to thank the two life savers.

“You two comrades, I don’t know how to thank you. You didn’t just save Old Liu – you saved our entire family!”

Li Fengmei wiped her tears and insisted on having Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei stay for a meal.

Zhou Cheng suddenly seemed to remember something. “The doctor said Uncle Liu’s wounds need regular check-ups. We were in such a hurry on the road that we forgot to check them. Auntie, don’t worry about the meal. Since Kang Wei and I need to unload cargo in Shangdu anyway, why don’t we take Uncle Liu to the hospital there? The People’s Hospital in Shangdu has better facilities than the county hospital.”

Liu Yong stared wide-eyed.

Wound check-up on my foot – this was clearly about seeing Xiaolan.

Li Fengmei nodded vigorously at Zhou Cheng’s words, praising his thoughtfulness, and prepared to go to Shangdu with Liu Yong.

She wouldn’t be at ease without hearing the doctor’s words herself.

She asked a close neighbor to watch her son: “If Liu Yong and I don’t return tonight, please let Taotao sleep at your place.”

The neighbor didn’t understand the underlying scheme but, seeing Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei’s truck, figured the Liu family’s circumstances had really changed and readily agreed. Li Fengmei took all the remaining few hundred yuan from home and forced the reluctant Liu Yong onto the truck.

Kang Wei secretly gave a thumbs up – Brother Cheng was truly impressive, regaining control of the situation with just a few words.

He had thought Zhou Cheng would shamelessly call Li Fengmei “Aunt” right away, but surprisingly, Zhou Cheng had even changed how he addressed Liu Yong!

Zhou Cheng thought to himself that since Liu Yong knew his background, men didn’t need to put on airs with each other – sincerity was best. But older women generally preferred maturity and stability, so he certainly couldn’t act too casually with Li Fengmei.

The four of them headed to Shangdu.

Zhou Cheng, being clever, skillfully steered the conversation in a different direction during the journey. Li Fengmei fell right into his trap, saying they should find Xia Xiaolan to go to the hospital together, presumably wanting Xia Xiaolan and Liu Fen to join her camp in preventing Liu Yong from earning such life-threatening money again.

Liu Yong watched helplessly as his wife followed Zhou Cheng’s lead, revealing Xia Xiaolan’s new address completely.

What a foolish woman!

Liu Yong secretly beat his chest in frustration, but it was no use.

The Dongfeng truck stopped at Grandmother Yu’s door. Li Fengmei went to knock, and Liu Fen opened it.

“Big Brother, you’re back?”

Liu Yong grunted in agreement and naturally had to introduce Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei again. Once he mentioned his injury, Liu Fen was bound to tear up as well. Grandmother Yu had many rules, so Liu Fen couldn’t just invite everyone inside.

Besides, there was no time for hospitality – they needed to get Liu Yong to the hospital first.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t appeared throughout all this. When Li Fengmei asked, Liu Fen explained that Xiaolan had gone to Anqing County.

“The school had an exam today, so she went there, and she’s planning to go to Yangcheng. She’s already bought tomorrow’s train ticket…”

Kang Wei felt sorry for his Brother Cheng – was it fated that he wouldn’t meet his future sister-in-law today?

Now knowing Xia Xiaolan’s address in the provincial capital, Zhou Cheng’s urgency subsided. He didn’t mention meeting Xia Xiaolan and genuinely took Liu Yong to the Shangdu People’s Hospital for examination, helping with various matters. Not only was Li Fengmei extremely grateful, but Liu Fen’s impression of him improved tremendously.

Though Zhou Cheng had used the check-up as an excuse, Liu Yong’s wounds were actually in poor condition after the journey in the cramped truck.

The doctor gave him anti-inflammatory medicine and advised rest.

By the time they finished at the hospital, it was late. Zhou Cheng suggested everyone stay at a guesthouse for the night.

Liu Fen disagreed, “Xiaolan must be back from Anqing by now. I should go home to check.”

Zhou Cheng responded very sincerely, “Then let me drive you home, Auntie.”

Liu Fen demurred, “It’s so late, I don’t want to trouble you. I can walk back – I know the way.”

“It’s just a bit of gas, Auntie, don’t be so polite. To be honest, I felt a special connection when I met you – you remind me of my mother. I’ve been away from home and haven’t talked to her in so long. I miss her.”

How could Liu Fen refuse after Zhou Cheng said this?

The soft-hearted Liu Fen had already imagined Zhou Cheng as a young man working hard away from home, unable to return frequently.

Liu Yong mentally cursed Zhou Cheng’s shamelessness, while Kang Wei was completely dazed – Brother Cheng was truly masterful at telling lies. Liu Fen was dark and thin, clearly an ordinary rural woman. Zhou Cheng’s mother was such an elegant noble lady, and Zhou Cheng’s good looks came from her.

When Zhou Cheng drove back to the Yu household, a bicycle bell rang under the yellow streetlights.

Xia Xiaolan emerged from the glow of the streetlamp on her bicycle, her fair face and casually tied twin braids looking incredibly cute and lively.

She noticed a familiar Dongfeng truck parked at the door, recognizing the license plate.

“Zhou Cheng?”

“Comrade Xiaolan!”

Zhou Cheng strode over, suppressing the urge to embrace her, using up a lifetime’s worth of acting skills in advance.

“Why are you here?”

Xia Xiaolan thought to herself, why are you stealing my line?

Not only did he steal her line, but he also formally called her “Comrade Xiaolan” – had Zhou Cheng hit his head?

Liu Fen got down from the truck bed, and Liu Yong and Li Fengmei appeared. Xia Xiaolan didn’t understand what was happening. Liu Yong knew the whole story, but Liu Fen and Li Fengmei were puzzled: “Xiaolan, you know Zhou Cheng?”

Huh? So should she pretend not to know Zhou Cheng now?

Xia Xiaolan blinked at Zhou Cheng, hoping for some hint.

Zhou Cheng felt like her fluttering eyelashes were melting his heart. He almost couldn’t resist confessing to Liu Fen and Li Fengmei that he had fallen for Xia Xiaolan and wanted to marry her right away.

Liu Yong reluctantly covered for Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan:

“Xiaolan, you know Zhou Cheng… those two kind-hearted comrades who helped you home when you sprained your ankle – could they have been Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei?”

Liu Yong knew the full story best since Li Fengmei and Liu Fen didn’t know about Xia Xiaolan’s near-assault by thugs. Now that it was over, telling them would only cause worry.

With Liu Yong’s prompt, Xia Xiaolan knew how to respond.

It seemed her mother and aunt didn’t know about the thug incident, but why had Uncle, who said he’d return in two months, shown up with Zhou Cheng?