125 Mom, you wouldn't want your son-in-law to find out about this, would you?

"You haven't told him yet?!"

Mother Feng truly believed that the little debt-collector had already spoken to her husband, and that it was only because he refused that there had been no progress. To think this stubborn girl hadn't said a word to him at all—it was infuriating! Yet, as annoying as it was, Mother Feng felt a sense of relief; not saying anything was actually for the best.

"Fine, I'll go tell your husband right now!"

Feng Jiayou wasn't one to let her mother have her way. She turned on her heel, ready to march straight to her husband. She would tell him that his mother-in-law wanted to give away his eldest grandson from the Cheng family! Let's see if he agreed to that!

"Go ahead, go ahead! If you don't want your mother to live, go right now!"

Her mother was no pushover either. She snapped at the debt-collector, exasperated. Every day, the girl only knew how to make her angry; how did she ever give birth to such a disaster?

"Hehe, Mom, you don't want your son-in-law to know either, do you?" Feng Jiayou turned back, grinning cheekily, knowing her mother was regretting it and wouldn't dare bring it up to him.

"You'll be the death of me!" Mother Feng rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Since you haven't mentioned it to Xuemin, let this matter rot in your stomach. Never bring it up again! And don't you dare say a single word to your eldest brother and sister-in-law either!" Fortunately, she hadn't let it slip to the eldest son's family either, or there would be no peace in this household.

"But once the baby is born, even if Eldest Brother doesn't bring it up, Sister-in-law will definitely want one!" Feng Jiayou nodded, but she worried that since her mother had already spoken to them, she couldn't just play dumb and let it pass.

"I haven't mentioned this to your eldest brother and sister-in-law beforehand either!" Seeing the shocked look on the debt-collector's face, Mother Feng added, "Without a firm word from you two, would I dare speak to them?"

"Mom, you didn't tell them!?" Feng Jiayou perked up, asking doubtfully, "Then why is Sister-in-law so good to me? I’ve been terrified that she’s only being nice because of the baby, and it’ll be hard to settle things if I don't give it to her later!" She hadn't dared tell her husband, fearing it would cause friction between them. But because her sister-in-law was so kind, Feng Jiayou had avoided getting too close, afraid of owing her a debt she couldn't repay. Now, hearing that her mother hadn't told her sister-in-law anything, she was stunned.

"Sigh! Your sister-in-law has a hard life. If things really don't work out later, you four siblings can put your heads together!" Mother Feng didn't want to talk about it anymore. If it came to that, she would have to rely on the second son's family. If they didn't want any more children, she would have to rely on her daughters, Jiayou and Jiamo. But she would wait and see.

"Hehe, Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law went out today; they must have been secretly seeing an old Chinese medicine practitioner again!" Feng Jiayou, sharp as a whip, used their outing to comfort her mother. "So, they are actually still trying to have one of their own!"

"Yes! I hope they can succeed. Having their own is better than anyone else's!" Mother Feng knew exactly what they were doing. She could only pray to the Bodhisattva.

"Are you really sure you want to spend that money to buy a house?" Mother Feng asked with concern.

Feng Jiayou nodded. "Yes! I’ve looked at a few places recently. They're close to Yenching University, but most are messy, dirty, and dilapidated courtyard houses. Xuemin isn't very interested in those."

"Courtyard houses are definitely not good. If you're going to buy, it's best to find a corridor-style apartment building. It doesn't matter if it's small, as long as it's enough for the two of you!" On this, Mother Feng was in complete agreement. The communal courtyards were too chaotic. If the circumstances allowed, she wouldn't want to live in one either. She hoped her husband's unit would allocate them a decent place—a corridor-style apartment would be fine, though a proper apartment building would be best. But that was just wishful thinking; housing in Beijing was tight, and those units were highly sought after. With her husband's rank, it was a bit of a stretch.

"How can that be!?" Feng Jiayou teased, acting spoiled in front of her mother. "Xuemin and I plan to buy a big one. We have to save a room for you, don't we? If Dad upsets you, or Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law, or Second Brother and his wife, or Jiamo give you trouble, you can just walk out and hide at my place for a few days of peace. Let's see how they get along then!"

"Oh, stop it! If you can go three days without driving me crazy, I'll burn incense and say prayers!" Mother Feng rolled her eyes. She wasn't fooled by the act, but she felt warm inside. Yes, if anyone gave her trouble, she would just walk away! That was the benefit of having a daughter—a place to hide for some peace.

Later, she asked about the illustrated children's books. Wasn't that tiring? Was it easier than writing manuscripts? When she heard that her son-in-law could draw three comic books in ten days or a fortnight and earn 1,400 or 1,500 yuan in royalties, Mother Feng was speechless. Her son-in-law's speed was practically like printing money! No wonder the debt-collector dared to brag about buying a big house; her husband's financial backing was more than solid. Thinking of her own savings of seven or eight thousand, and how the debt-collector had surpassed her in just a month or two, she felt a sting of envy.

"Go, go, stop lounging here. Go show me that manuscript of yours. How does it start?!" Mother Feng decided they needed to work hard; she couldn't let the debt-collector be the only one benefiting from her husband's talent. She urged her daughter to get to work.

"Ah?! Mom... he moved, he moved! He kicked me again! No, no, Mom, I need to lie down, I have to go back to the room!"

...

That evening, when the eldest brother and sister-in-law returned, the family tacitly avoided asking where they had been.

It was the younger sister, Feng Jiamo, who let it slip. She told them about how Cheng had been hiding private funds from her sister, and how Ba Lao and the others had exposed it that very day. She even mentioned they had eight or nine thousand yuan and planned to buy a house.

Eldest Brother Feng Jiazhao and Sister-in-law Ke Yumei were stunned. How could so much happen at home just while they were out seeing a doctor? No wonder dinner had been so lavish! Eight or nine thousand yuan! Ke Yumei thought of her own "small treasury"—which was barely one or two hundred yuan, saved with such difficulty! With her husband's free-spending ways, money never lasted in her hands. After factoring in the medical costs, she really had nothing left. Yet her sister-in-law, who hadn't been married long, had quietly saved such a fortune and was planning to move out? Ke Yumei suddenly lost her appetite. She would have to "educate" her husband tonight—he should learn from his brother-in-law and take care of the family!

"Cheng Xuemin, you are so bad. Why are you teaching me to draw these kinds of comics?"

After dinner, Cheng Xuemin was already "educating" his wife. He had told her to start by learning to draw from the Six Great Classics, but the book he pulled out was... something else. Could this be shown to people? Could it pass editorial review? Would it be appropriate for children? Wasn't her husband a bad influence on the next generation?

"Wife, you're wronging me! You were the one who said to start with the classics. This one doesn't count!"

"To hell with that! None of the Six Great Classics contain this!"

"Then why did you dig it out? Aren't you embarrassed if someone sees it!?" Feng Jiayou was clearly familiar with the book. Seeing Cheng Xuemin leafing through it so brazenly, she was mortified.

"Then why don't you widen the gaps between your fingers and look properly? There's no one else here. As a married couple, we should explore and compare notes!"

Women! Always pretending. They were practically old hands at this, and she was heavily pregnant—was there any need for her to act innocent? And if she was going to pretend, she should at least do it properly—could she widen those gaps in her fingers just a little more?

"Who wants to explore and compare notes with you! You have no sense of decency, you're the worst!" Despite her words, she stopped pretending and leaned into his arms, starting to flip through the pages. She was, of course, looking at the exquisite illustrations.

...

The next morning, Mother Feng went to her office early. It was Monday, the day *October* would reprint the atomic bomb article following *People's Literature*. She hoped for a sales explosion too.

The eldest brother and sister-in-law also looked like they hadn't slept, probably due to the strong medicine from the doctor. The brother looked wilted, while Ke Yumei was glowing. Feng Jiayou glared at Cheng Xuemin—that rascal had kept her up all night, too.

On the way to drop Feng Jiayou off at class, they stopped to greet Old Tang at the guardhouse. The old rascal was bored and had been working on some "deals," effectively selling Cheng Xuemin out.

"Little Cheng, is that manuscript finished?" Old Tang asked with a squint.

"Old Tang, I was a bit delayed last night, but I'll finish it this morning. I should be able to deliver it to Ba Lao and Xiaolin this afternoon." Cheng Xuemin nodded. It wasn't just a "bit" of a delay; he had been busy with Feng Jiayou all night!

"Heh! Was it a night spent kneeling on a washboard?"

*Uh!?* This old man really had no respect for his elders, and he had guessed correctly! Though it wasn't him kneeling, it was Feng Jiayou. After she had raided his private funds, he had to "retaliate" to make it worth his while.

"Yes, yes, Old Tang, you're a veteran at this, you're truly amazing!" Cheng Xuemin didn't bother arguing. It was all this old rascal's fault that his "private treasury" project had been cut short. Fortunately, his father-in-law had been helpful, and Cheng Xuemin had started a new venture. Now the old rascal wouldn't be able to catch him!

"Not bad, not bad. Once the manuscript is done, I'll help you polish it before you send it over!" Old Tang continued to squint and smile.

"That would be great. I'll bring it to you once I'm done!" Cheng Xuemin decided he would rather take the long way around than pass through the West Gate again. He didn't want to see this annoying old man.

"Xuemin, is it really such a big deal? You're acting like a mistreated little wife. I think Old Tang is quite nice, a real treasure!" Feng Jiayou, sitting on the back of the bike, wanted to laugh. Her husband was just so petty! It was just his private funds being exposed—was it worth holding such a grudge against an old man?

"Yes, yes, wife, you're absolutely right. Old Tang is actually quite nice and cute!"

*Cute? I'll show you cute!* What did she mean "big deal"? Let someone raid *your* private funds and see if you're still standing there making light of it!

"He's certainly cute! Xuemin, you must have been stunned yesterday, right? This old man was waiting right here. Did you really not notice before? Did Old Tang tell you he used to be the shorthand director for the Zhonghai meetings?"

I... Cheng Xuemin didn't want to talk about it anymore. It was exposed, what more could be said? He would just have to manage his funds secretly with his father-in-law from now on. He believed they would catch up soon. After all, they were dealing in foreign exchange certificates, and with a five-fold exchange rate difference, catching up to a ten-thousand-yuan earner like Feng Jiayou would be a breeze!

He dropped his wife off at her dormitory and headed to the library to finish the ending of *Chen Huan-sheng Enters the City*. He had promised Ba Lao he would finish it today, and they were planning to take the train back to Shanghai tonight.

"Xuemin, you're here!" Chen Shumin from the library greeted him.

"Old Chen, you really ruined me yesterday!" Old Tang was the culprit, but this traitorous guide was even worse. If he hadn't led the way, how would Ba Lao and Old Tang have found him?

"Yes, yes! It's my fault, my fault!" Chen Shumin nodded apologetically. "But Old Tang didn't tell me why he was looking for you! I thought Ba Lao was just looking for you as the author of *The Herdsman* to ask for a manuscript. How was I supposed to know you were hiding so much?" Chen Shumin was also wronged; he had been dragged out of bed by Old Tang, who only said he was familiar with Cheng Xuemin and could lead them to him. He didn't know the reason.

"So it's my fault then?" Cheng Xuemin glared at him. "Listen, Old Chen, we're not done yet. I'm in a rush to finish this manuscript for Ba Lao, but you're treating me to a meal later!"

"Fine, fine, deal!" Chen Shumin scurried back to his desk.

Cheng Xuemin spent two hours finishing the manuscript, checked for typos, and delivered it to Old Tang for polishing. He didn't wait around; he would pick it up later and head back to meet Feng Jiayou for lunch.

"Old Xu, haven't seen you in a while! What have you been up to?" At noon, the "Eight Golden Flowers" from Feng Jiayou's dorm appeared.

"Xuemin, I didn't get to treat everyone last time. Since everyone is here today, I called them all over for a meal!" Feng Jiayou was beaming. The three people all of Yenching University were looking for—Xu the author of *The Herdsman*, Kuang Yalan of the female student dorm, and the author of *Loess Plateau*—were all her husband! She could die of happiness!

"Great! Same place, my treat!" Cheng Xuemin nodded. His wife was the one inviting, but he was the one paying.

"Hehe, we're going to make you spend again, Old Xu!" Cha Jianying and the others giggled.

"Not at all. Just make sure to get those manuscripts to me soon, Huang Beijia, Cha Jianying, Liu Xuerong!" The meal wasn't a total loss; Cheng Xuemin was determined to "plunder" their manuscripts. As the deputy editor of *Today*, he was always looking for work.

"That's a must! I've already revised mine according to your comments. I'll have Jiayou bring it to your place for you to polish!"

With that, Cheng Xuemin felt relieved.

"Sister, Big Old Cheng, we're here!" Feng Jiamo rode up on her bike, yelling from afar. Another person coming for a free meal—and it seemed there was more than one! On the back of Feng Jiamo's bike sat Zhu Shan, the "Queen of Daughters."

"Old Cheng, Old Cheng, I'm here too! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Behind them was that lanky guy, Ge You. Why was he here? And what could he possibly be in such a rush to find him for?

"Old Ge, why are you here? What's the matter?"

"Old Cheng, didn't you ask me to help you look for a house? You said you wanted to buy one!" the lanky Ge You shouted as he hopped off his bike.

"Jiayou, you and Old Xu are buying a house!?"

Ge You's voice was loud, and the others heard him clearly. Huang Beijia and the others looked at Feng Jiayou in shock. Buying a house!? How much in royalties had this couple actually earned to dare to buy a house!?