"It seems I've returned at the wrong time!" Lin Feng finally understood that everyone believed he was responsible for what happened to Liu Zihua.
"Not entirely! At least you've become a 'hero' in my heart!" Fu Wenwen chuckled, the hero taking the blame for her.
"Alright! It's my honor!" Lin Feng's lips curved upwards as he moved his luggage into the room. The moment he stepped inside, Lin An, like a little cannonball, rushed in.
He shouted at Fu Wenwen, "Mommy! Mommy! They say Daddy is back! Is it true?"
"Son!" Hearing Lin An's voice, Lin Feng quickly emerged from the small room and called out to Lin An.
"Daddy!!!" Lin An, surprised and delighted, sprinted over and threw himself into Lin Feng's arms. "Daddy! Daddy!"
It was the first time Lin Feng had received such an enthusiastic greeting from Lin An. Though he didn't quite understand it, he was pleased. "Hey, my good son!"
"Daddy, is it true you beat up the bad guy who bullied Mommy?" Lin An's eyes sparkled as he looked at Lin Feng. Lin Feng paused and glanced at Fu Wenwen, who blinked innocently and slowly turned around.
Seeing how excited Lin An was, Lin Feng inwardly sighed but couldn't disappoint his son! "It's a secret! It can't be known by others!"
"Mm-hmm! I absolutely won't tell anyone!" Lin An's face lit up with a smile upon receiving Lin Feng's confirmation. "Daddy is amazing! Beating up bad guys! That bad guy always pointed at Mommy and yelled! I hate him!"
"Is that so? From now on, with Daddy here, no one will bully your Mommy!" Lin Feng immediately showcased his strength, lifting Lin An high into the air.
"Hahaha~ This is fun! Daddy, again!" Lin An was overjoyed.
Fu Wenwen, feeling a bit helpless watching the father and son having so much fun, turned towards the kitchen to make Lin Feng a bowl of noodles.
"You rushed back in such a hurry, you probably haven't eaten yet. I made you a bowl of noodles." Fu Wenwen brought the noodles out. Lin Feng was still tossing Lin An, who was giggling happily.
Fu Wenwen waved at Lin Feng. Lin Feng, carrying Lin An, walked over. He saw the bowl of noodles placed before him. The broth was crystal clear, seasoned simply with soy sauce, vinegar, and lard. The snowy white noodles were topped with two fried eggs, garnished with some green vegetables.
This simple bowl of Yangchun noodles made Lin Feng stare for a long time.
Seeing Lin Feng gazing at the bowl of noodles, Fu Wenwen thought something was wrong with her cooking. "What's wrong? Do you not like this kind of noodle?"
...
Hearing Fu Wenwen's words, Lin Feng snapped back to attention and quickly shook his head. "No, it's just... this is the first time someone has specifically made noodles for me because I've returned..."
Fu Wenwen paused. Lin An tugged at Lin Feng. "Daddy, eat quickly! If you don't eat the noodles, they'll get mushy. They won't taste good when they're mushy! Mommy said we have to eat them before they get mushy!"
"Okay." Lin Feng quickly buried his head and started eating.
Fu Wenwen let out a soft sigh. What a fool, it was heart-wrenching to hear. She almost couldn't bear it.
"Eat quickly, and wash the bowl after you're done!" Fu Wenwen said indifferently, and the atmosphere immediately shifted.
Lin Feng was very appreciative and drank the soup clean. "Delicious!"
"Oh, right, I brought you gifts!" Lin Feng smiled at Fu Wenwen and Lin An and went back to the room to get two boxes.
"This is for you!" Lin Feng handed one box to Lin An and then offered the other to Fu Wenwen.
Fu Wenwen was taken aback. "I have one too?"
"Of course." Lin Feng said calmly. "Why would you think you wouldn't have one?"
"Oh! Thank you." Fu Wenwen couldn't answer and smiled at Lin Feng.
When Lin An opened his box, he saw a wooden carved toy tank and was ecstatic. "Daddy, this is a tank, it's the tank you told me about, right? Is it?"
"Yes!" Lin Feng smiled. "An uncle specially carved this for you! It looks just like our real tanks!"
"Wow!" Lin An hugged the toy preciously and looked at Lin Feng expectantly. "Can I show it to Brother Hu Zi and the others?"
"Of course, you can." Lin Feng smiled.
Lin An immediately ran out happily.
"This is only the second time I've seen him this happy!" Fu Wenwen said with a light smile, watching Lin An's retreating back.
The second time? Lin Feng looked at Fu Wenwen in surprise.
When was the first time?
"The first time was when he received my storybook," Fu Wenwen said proudly, puffing out her chest and giving a soft hum.
"...Oh." Lin Feng turned and went back to the room to unpack.
Fu Wenwen blinked. Did he just leave like that???
News of Lin Feng's return, just like the news of Liu Zihua being beaten into a pulp after being stuffed into a sack, spread from person to person, and the entire village knew Lin Feng was back.
Including the Lin family.
After having his leg broken by Lin Feng last time, Lin Yu had been recuperating at home. Although he successfully repaid the fifty yuan of usury, the day he paid it back, he was dragged to a gambling den and lost fifty on the spot, effectively owing the gambling den money again.
Lin Yu dared not tell his family about this and could only stay home in quiet frustration.
"Mom, isn't dinner ready? Are you trying to starve me to death? It's so late, why aren't we eating?" Lin Yu shouted loudly.
"Brother! What are you shouting about? Didn't you just have a bowl of congee?" Lin Xing, who was woken up by Lin Yu's noise, snapped back angrily. "You're disturbing people's sleep!"
"Xingzi, what's your attitude! I'm your brother!" Lin Yu said angrily and shouted towards the next room.
"You're my brother, you're my brother, and you stood by and watched while Dad sold me to that butcher! You really are my brother!" Lin Xing finally realized that no one in this family took her seriously!
She asked them to get her two pieces of clothing, and they agreed verbally, but didn't bring back a single piece.
When they got into trouble, they wanted to sell her to pay the debts! For four hundred yuan, she was sold to a butcher over forty years old. Crying was useless; in their hearts, they never considered her a sister.
She was treated like a piece of merchandise, sold without hesitation.
Her mother would only advise her to accept her fate; none of them ever thought about her.
"What can we do? Are you going to watch Dad have his hand chopped off by them?" Lin Yu immediately shouted. "You ungrateful wretch, how much Dad and I doted on you since you were little!"
"When have you ever doted on me!" Lin Xing gritted her teeth. It was only when people reached a dead end that they knew who truly cared for them.
Lin Xing regretted it deeply. In her memories, her father and brother always gave her good things to eat, but she had always overlooked that the good things were brought back by their elder brother, Lin Feng! Her father and brother just gave her the leftovers.
Their elder brother always gave her first!
"Hey, you really are an ungrateful wretch!" Lin Yu was furious. "If I hadn't shared my food with you, what good things would you have eaten since you were little? And you dare say I don't dote on you?"