Chapter 8: Lost and Left to Die!

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Next door, the main branch of the Tian family.
Tian Chuying didn’t go to work that afternoon, sulking at home.
At the office, He Cuifen had heard some news about her daughter and left early to ask about it. Unexpectedly, she ran into Director Wu and Officer Guo at the alley entrance.
They had come specifically to see Tian Chuying.
“This morning at the Hongwu Street office, everything was settled well. She was supposed to come to the neighborhood committee to report and volunteer for community labor reform. We’re almost off work now, but no sign of her!”
Earlier, Tian Chuying had admitted her mistake in front of everyone, apologized to Tian Xiang, and said she wanted to undergo ideological reform. Words like that couldn’t be taken back.
He Cuifen, knowing none of this, thought this was just a punishment for her daughter’s elopement attempt. She smiled and agreed, saying she’d have her daughter come over soon.
Yesterday, Director Wu even wanted her daughter to give up the job.
Today, the tone changed—just volunteering, they didn’t know what her daughter had done, but downplaying the matter was a good thing.
Volunteering at the neighborhood committee for half a month sounded a bit humiliating, but perhaps if a new son-in-law from Hongwu Street came back, it wouldn’t matter at all.
He Cuifen smiled brightly and even invited the two to her home for tea.
She was still basking in the joy of finding a good son-in-law, completely unaware of what had happened that morning.
Officer Guo, having eaten too many melons, couldn’t keep the matter to himself and wanted to tell He Cuifen about the morning’s events but was stopped by Director Wu.
Seeing He Cuifen’s smug expression, Director Wu was clearly disdainful and didn’t want to reveal that her supposed son-in-law had already fled—better to let her daydream a bit.
Director Wu said, “No need for tea. There’s still work to do. Tell Tian Chuying to come over quickly.”
“Got it. You two take care.”
He Cuifen hummed a tune on her way home and immediately approached her daughter when she saw her.
“I heard you went to Hongwu Street today? Did you see Lu Feng? How did that mother and daughter next door act? Didn’t make things difficult for you, did they?”
Last night, her daughter had repeatedly assured her that Lu Feng, the prospective son-in-law, wouldn’t run away.
At the time, Tian Chuying was still the protagonist in this story, so He Cuifen naturally trusted her completely.
But now...
Tian Chuying quickly recounted what happened that morning but was interrupted halfway by He Cuifen.
“What? Tian Xiang hit Lu Feng?”
“That reckless girl, she’s got some nerve! Hitting someone in broad daylight—did she get taken to the police station? Was she detained?
“Hmph, she’s always been impulsive and fiery since she was a child.
“But sometimes it’s good not to think about consequences—one slap and those two are finished. No one can change their minds now. Lu Feng will never look at someone like that again.
“Chuying, you better seize the chance and get married soon.”

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He Cuifen’s eyes sparkled with stars, still lost in her sweet dreams.
Tian Chuying’s eyes were dull. “Mom, it would have been fine if nothing happened today, but after this, it’ll be difficult for me to marry him.”
After sitting at home for a while, Tian Chuying had already figured things out.
Tian Xiang’s outburst was meant to embarrass Lu Feng at the machinery factory.
Lu Feng was a model worker there. Even if he didn’t care about reputation, Lu’s mother and father wouldn’t let it go.
Both were long-time residents of the Hongwu Street factory district and cared deeply about face. How could they possibly accept a daughter-in-law who tried to elope, with everyone at the factory knowing?
Last night, fearing that Tian Xiang and Lu Feng might reconcile under the matchmaker’s arrangement, Tian Chuying had been eager to hold onto this man. They had agreed to give it a try, and if the matchmaker came calling, Lu Feng would refuse.
Who knew that reckless Tian Xiang would break the rules and not try to save the match but instead hit him outright.
After hearing her daughter’s analysis, He Cuifen was silent for a long time.
“The marriage didn’t happen, and now you have to volunteer at the neighborhood committee? Chuying, this...”
It was utterly humiliating!
Their family would have a hard time holding their heads high in the future.
Tian Chuying knew this well.
“Mom, stop yelling! I won’t just let this go...”
Their voices grew louder, and Tian Xiang next door heard everything.
So Tian Chuying was home too!
Tian Xiang grabbed a book, shaped it like a megaphone, and pressed it to the wall to listen.
Unfortunately, the mother and daughter had calmed down again.
Tian Xiang sneered, threw the book down, grabbed a bottle, and went out to buy soy sauce.
She didn’t need to listen; she knew exactly what they were saying—just trying to find a way to reclaim the lead role.
It was ironic: she, disgusting enough to make others sick, while they desperately wanted to snatch the spotlight back.
Of course, the scoundrel hid his true nature so well that no one realized it.
After dozing off for a bit in bed, Tian Xiang emptied her mind, thinking there was no need to dwell on the label problem—just follow the plan.
All she had to do was tear off Lu Feng’s false facade, expose him as a pariah or get him locked up by the authorities.
She refused to believe that after all this, the label on his head could remain.
...
After dinner that night, once Tian Xiang finished washing up and went to her room, Tian Weibing, who bore the side role label #27, asked about the daytime events.

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Hu Honglian quietly shared the situation with her husband, including her guess that Lu Feng probably had feelings for their daughter.
“I wanted them to reconsider each other, but Xiangxiang isn’t ready yet; she’s very resistant.”
Hearing that their daughter was unwilling, Tian Weibing said, “Then forget it.”
Forced fruit isn’t sweet.
Hu Honglian didn’t take it seriously. “What do you know? A young girl’s just been through this kind of thing; it’s normal for her to be stubborn about pride. She’ll come around. You haven’t seen young Lu—he’s very good, has a great job, and is worthy of Xiangxiang.
“If you get a chance, try persuading her. Once Xiangxiang’s situation is settled, we’ll put in effort to bring Chenhui back.”
Tian Chenhui was the family’s second son, Tian Xiang’s older brother. He dropped out of middle school and went to the countryside. Since childhood, he was mischievous and always causing trouble, so their parents wanted to bring him back and keep an eye on him.
Tian Weibing: “Got it.”
The next day, as the couple left for work, Tian Xiang pushed her bicycle out.
Today she planned to go to Hongwu Street and use her ability to see people’s true nature to find the other female supporting characters connected to Lu Feng.
Since they were supporting characters, they would likely be entangled with him, just like Tian Chuying.
Where there’s entanglement, there are flaws to exploit. Tian Xiang wanted to contact these women and see if she could dig up something to expose the scoundrel’s vile intentions to the world.
Hongwu Street during working hours was bustling like a grand festival on New Year’s Eve.
Passing a newsstand, Lin Yao bought a copy of the Red Star Weekly.
Coincidentally, there was a report on Lu Feng.
—Rising Star: Lu Feng’s poetic sea of Cangtian.
Heh. Earlier, Old Mrs. Liu from the convenience store praised Lu Feng as an outstanding worker and a talented modern poet.
At the time, Tian Xiang thought those words were probably exaggerated.
Good job, poet’s aura—such a fine young man, why not find a partner around Hongwu Street but travel all the way to Sanli Alley?
Unexpectedly, the man really could write a line or two of mediocre poetry.
If she couldn’t see people’s true nature, she would probably be very impressed by such a promising young talent.
But now...
Tian Xiang threw the newspaper on the ground, stomped hard on Lu Feng’s photo, and cursed, “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit...”
After venting, she picked up the paper, ready to toss it in the trash, but looked up and saw a man not far away, wearing a white shirt with an employee badge, watching her intently.