Chapter 004: The Country Bumpkin Son-in-Law Arrives

It was Cheng Xueming who entered, pushing his bicycle. At first, he wasn't entirely certain if this was Feng Jiayou's home, so he lingered at the entrance, looking for someone to ask. By chance, he spotted Feng Jiayou coming out, her eyes still wet with tears. He was taken aback, and his first instinct was to glance at her belly.

Indeed, it was slightly rounded.

Feng Jiayou saw Cheng Xueming at the doorway as well. At first, seeing only his profile, she was unsure. But when he turned to face her, she stood there dumbfounded. The moment he grinned foolishly at her, Feng Jiayou could no longer hold back her pent-up grievances and cried out, “Cheng Xueming, why did you only just get here?!”

Her voice, full of hurt, tugged at Cheng Xueming’s heart. He dropped his bicycle against the wall and hurried towards her.

Feng Jiayou was even quicker, her tears turning to laughter as she rushed into his arms.

The two embraced.

At the same moment, her cry of distress drew out the curious neighbors from within the courtyard. They all hurried out just in time to witness the two of them locked in an embrace.

Father Feng could not bear to watch and turned back into the house.

“Why are you back? Didn’t you catch that debtor?” Mother Feng, anxious as ever, fretted when her husband returned in silence. She was truly afraid that her eldest daughter, not knowing better, would run out into the dark night and perhaps take a fall.

“He’s here,” Father Feng replied gruffly, sitting back in his seat to await their arrival.

“What? Who’s here?” Mother Feng hadn’t quite caught on.

But before Father Feng could answer, a loud proclamation came from the front yard—her notorious daughter’s voice rang out, “Grandpa Qian, this is my husband, Cheng Xueming. He’s just come from northern Shaanxi!”

Mother Feng’s face changed instantly upon hearing this, all composure gone as she dashed outside to drag her shameful daughter back in.

Was this a public announcement?

Cheng Xueming hadn’t expected Feng Jiayou to be so bold. Under the questioning of the neighbors, she’d introduced him without hesitation. Though they had boarded the train together, they hadn’t actually gotten their marriage certificate. They’d gotten on first, and were yet to buy the ticket, so to speak.

In this era, such matters were usually kept hidden—no one would be as brash as Feng Jiayou, making it public like this. At the very least, she could have warned Cheng Xueming or discussed it with him beforehand.

“So, Jiayou’s husband? You got married in Shaanxi? How come your parents never mentioned it?”

“Married? No wonder her belly seems a bit rounded. She’s expecting, isn’t she?”

“Congratulations, Teacher Gu! It’s a double blessing for your family. When will you be hosting the wedding banquet?”

Feng Jiayou’s announcement set off a wave of gossip among the neighbors. When they saw her mother approach, they offered congratulations.

But to Mother Feng, their words were grating and humiliating. Who knew what they might say about her daughter and the Feng family behind their backs?

“Cheng Xueming, this is my mother! Quickly, call her Mom!” As Cheng Xueming still debated whether or not he should “buy the ticket” for their train ride, Feng Jiayou pulled him in front of her mother and insisted he call her Mom.

The pace was too fast for Cheng Xueming to handle. He opened his mouth, about to call her Mom, but was met with a glare and a curt retort from Mother Feng, “Go inside first. You’re making a scene!”

Everything was out in the open now—her daughter had done this on purpose, with no regard for her own reputation. Now, the entire courtyard knew their country bumpkin son-in-law from the countryside had arrived. Jiayou was forcing her hand—there was no choice but to acknowledge this son-in-law now.

As expected, his mother-in-law was not pleased to see him.

“Don’t mind her! You arrived right on time. Whether she likes it or not, she has to accept you,” Feng Jiayou said proudly, holding his arm as she added, “Come on, let’s listen to Mom and go inside.”

Right on time? What did that mean? Could she not explain first?

Cheng Xueming, still confused, was pulled into the central courtyard, leaving behind the unabashed gossip of the neighbors:

“What’s going on? Looks like Teacher Gu doesn’t think much of her new son-in-law!”

“How could she? I heard Jiayou found herself a local farmer in Shaanxi. Teacher Gu is such a proud woman, she’d never accept a country bumpkin for a son-in-law.”

“A country bumpkin? No wonder Teacher Gu’s nose is out of joint! If it were my daughter, I wouldn’t agree either.”

“Just wait—looks like the Feng family is in for some excitement!”

...

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, this is Cheng Xueming!” Once inside the family courtyard, Feng Jiayou introduced Cheng Xueming to her siblings, then added, “Xueming, this is my eldest brother Feng Jiazhao, and his wife Ke Yumei.”

“And this is my second sister-in-law, Sun Juan. You already know about my second brother—he’s still assigned to the Production and Construction Corps in Yunnan and hasn’t returned to the city.”

Feng Jiayou had already told Cheng Xueming about her family when they first got together. Now, her parents, elder brother, and both sisters-in-law had all returned to the city; only her second brother remained in Yunnan. There was also a younger sister, who had been sent to live with relatives in the countryside near Beijing—whether she’d been brought back yet, Cheng Xueming didn’t know.

After the introductions, Cheng Xueming greeted them, “Hello, Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law.”

“Let’s talk inside,” Feng Jiazhao didn’t dare respond to the greeting just yet; he needed to see how his mother would handle things first. But with Jiayou’s public announcement, the Feng family had no choice but to recognize this son-in-law now.

“Let’s go in, then!” Feng Jiayou knew that whether or not the family accepted Cheng Xueming depended on her parents’ decision. No one else dared respond to his greetings outside.

“What are you so nervous about? Show a bit of that shameless charm you had back in Chengjiawan!” Sensing his anxiety, Feng Jiayou straightened his clothes and teased him.

Mischievous as ever—though the traces of tears still lingered on her face.

Cheng Xueming looked at her with tender amusement. “I think you’re the nervous one! What do I have to be nervous about?”

He’d lived two lives and seen all sorts of things. It was Feng Jiayou whose heart was pounding like a drum.

“Good, as long as you say so, half the battle’s won!” Feng Jiayou nodded, dusted off the dirt from his trousers, and instructed, “Anyway, when we go in, let me do the talking. If you can keep quiet, do so.”

“Understood, just like that night—if I can lie low and stay still, I will. It’s your show.”

Cheng Xueming grinned, alluding to that fateful evening when the tables had turned.

“You’re impossible!” Instantly, Feng Jiayou’s cheeks flushed scarlet. She shot him an exasperated look and dragged him straight into the main hall of the Feng house.

...