Chapter Twenty-Six Return to Western City Gate

  Yuexiang saw the look in her sister-in-law's eyes, furrowed her brow, leaned her head towards her sister-in-law's ear, and the two women started whispering to each other.

  Lin Feng tried hard to listen to what the two women were saying, but their voices were too low and he couldn't make out a single word. In the end, all he saw was Yueliang nodding her head before standing up straight and walking over in his direction.

  Lin Feng pretended not to notice their ear-pulling and looked at Yuexiang calmly, waiting for her to speak first.

  "Master, let's go inside and rest for a while!" Yuet Heung said as she walked up to Lin Feng.

  "It's okay, it will be dark soon, and it's still a bit bright outside."

  Lin Feng sat still and didn't move.

  "But, young master..." Yueliang stole a glance at her sister-in-law standing by the stove, looking over this way, and a faint blush appeared on her face.

  Lin Feng had long seen that the two women were secretly colluding, and earlier he didn't speak up because he was intentionally making things difficult for Yuexiang. Who let her dare to make small moves in front of him? Now seeing Yuexiang's face turn red with shame, he knew the timing was about right. If he continued to make things difficult for her, this little girl would have to find a place to hide and cry. So he glared at Yuexiang, pretending to be somewhat angry, saying: "If there's something, just say it!"

  The moon was shining brightly, and after a while, she spoke softly: "My sister-in-law's family has no rice, I want to go out and borrow some from the neighbors, but I'm afraid it won't look good if you see me, so please go inside and rest for a while."

  Yuexiang's words gave Lin Feng a deep shock once again.

  The family had no more rice, but Yuexiang's sister-in-law was unwilling to say it out loud and would rather secretly go out to borrow. This matter made Lin Feng see the true character of this woman.

  After listening to Yuexiang's words, Lin Feng stood up and said: "No need, we've already troubled your sister-in-law by staying at her place. How can we still let your sister-in-law go out to borrow rice for me? Whatever is available at home, just make do with it! If others can eat, I can too."

  Yuexiang hesitated: "Young master, but your injury..."

  Lin Feng waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter."

  Lin Feng said it was "no big deal", but when the time came to eat, seeing the "food" laid out on the stone slab, he couldn't bring himself to reach for it or open his mouth.

  What is this thing? A black lump spread on a bamboo tray, smelling strange.

  Take another look at what's in the bowl, a few leaves that can't be identified are floating on the dark soup.

  Lin Feng stared at the things in front of him with wide eyes, but didn't have the courage to pick up the chopsticks placed on the bowl.

  Yuexiang's elder brother and nephew returned when it was so dark that nothing could be seen, now they are also sitting around the stone slab.

  Actually, Lin Feng had no idea what this stone slab supported by three stones was used for before, now it's clear, it's a dining table.

  "Everyone eats, everyone is eating!"

  Lin Feng had already made a big boast that others could eat and he could also eat, now eating is not good, not eating is not good either, his forehead was sweating, trying hard to find something to say to break this embarrassing situation.

  Yuexiang's elder cousin was a simple and honest person who didn't like to talk, looking at the young master in front of him who was dressed in an extraordinary way, he knew that they were not from the same world, so he didn't bother to speak, stretched out his hand to pick up the bowl of soup in front of him, used chopsticks to scoop it up and started eating with a loud "slurp slurp".

  Yue Xiang's thirteen-year-old nephew looked at Lin Feng with a timid gaze, then silently picked up his bowl and began to drink the contents in small mouthfuls, all the while stealing glances at Lin Feng and the black thing spread out on the bamboo tray.

  Lin Feng saw this scene, what was most attractive was that little boy.

  "What's your name?"

  Lin Feng clenched his teeth and picked up the bowl, gesturing slightly at Yuexiang before asking her nephew aloud.

  Yuexiang saw that her young master had picked up his chopsticks and she followed suit, but instead of eating immediately, she looked at Lin Feng with a nervous heart.

  Yuexiang's nephew might be shy and didn't respond to Lin Feng.

  Lin Feng saw Yue Xiang holding a bowl and not eating, just looking over, knowing she was afraid he couldn't finish the food in the bowl. Although it was indeed hard to swallow, in order not to make things difficult for others, he could only force himself to take a sip. A bitter, astringent, and fishy flavor spread across his tongue, accompanied by a numbing sensation that reached the root of his tongue. His throat convulsed, and he almost spat it out.

  What is Lin Feng drinking?

  It's actually a wild vegetable soup, an unadulterated and natural-tasting broth without any added seasonings.

  It's not that the wife of Mei Xiang's brother-in-law didn't want to add some seasonings to adjust the flavor, but there really wasn't even a grain of salt at home.

  Yue Xiang's sister-in-law was surprised to see Lin Feng, the young master, actually drinking the wild vegetable soup she had cooked. She turned her head and said to Yue Xiang: "Why don't I make something else for Young Master Lin? This isn't..."

  "You can eat, I can too."

  Before Moon Fragrance's sister-in-law finished speaking, Lin Feng took over the conversation.

  Other families don't even have rice at home, can Lin Feng really let Yuet Heung's sister-in-law go out and borrow?

  Lin Feng really couldn't do such a thing, even if it meant going hungry for a day.

  Don't look at this kid's usual sloppy appearance, often sleeping in the Spring Breeze Building for no reason. In fact, it's all because of his youth and love of play. But if you say he's kind-hearted, that's true.

  At this time, Yuexiang's elder cousin had just finished drinking a bowl of wild vegetable soup and happened to hear Lin Feng say this sentence. He looked up and his eyes became very affectionate.

  "Damn it, I'm going to his wife's house to borrow some rice, you'd better make some rice porridge for Master Lin!" Yuet Heung's cousin was a straightforward person and wouldn't engage in polite conversation. After finishing speaking, he stood up and walked out directly.

  Lin Feng was about to stop him when Yueshang spoke up: "Young Master, why don't you let my brother go instead?"

  Lin Feng saw that the other family was very determined and it would be inappropriate to stop them again, so he put down the bowl in his hand, with a rather awkward smile on his face.

  The little raccoon saw the guest put down his bowl and heard his father say that he would make another meal for the guest, a joyful expression appeared on his face, and one small paw reached out to grab the black thing spread out on the bamboo sieve...

  "Don't move, leave it for your father to eat, so he has the energy to work." Yuet Heung's sister-in-law slapped open her son's small paw.

  Lin Feng looked at it and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

  Teenagers are in the midst of a growth spurt, but at home there's nothing to eat, not even this unappetizing lump that looks hard to swallow, which has to be saved for those who do the most labor.

  Yuexiang's elder brother-in-law went to borrow rice, Lin Feng anyway couldn't eat the wild vegetable soup, so he didn't take his bowl and started chatting with Yuexiang's sister-in-law.

  Finally, Lin Feng figured out why they didn't have food at home.

  It turned out that in Xicheng Corner, there was a large landlord named Li Shanren. His family had 100 hectares of good land and almost all the residents of Xicheng Corner Village were his tenants.

  Li Shanren is a smiling tiger who appears friendly on the surface but is actually stingy and demanding.

  Yuexiang's elder brother's family is also a tenant of Li Shanren.

  Five years ago, there was a severe drought. It didn't rain a single drop throughout the summer. After paying rent in autumn, Moon Fragrance's relatives were left with very little food. The following year, they had to borrow one dou of grain from Li Shanren to make ends meet, and the interest was usurious, commonly known as "donkey rolling interest". Unexpectedly, every year thereafter, they had to pay back the loan with interest, and after paying for several years, not only did they fail to clear the debt, but it actually increased. Now that autumn harvest is approaching again, this year's weather has been favorable, and the crops in the field are growing well, but Moon Fragrance's elder cousin and his family cannot be happy about it.

  "Such a heavy interest?"

  Lin Feng could hardly believe it, just because of the one dou of grain borrowed four years ago, Yue Xiang's sister-in-law's family had been paying off the debt year after year, and from then on they couldn't eat any more food.

  "Uh-huh, there are many households like mine here." Yueshang's sister-in-law said.

  "If you go on like this, you will never be able to pay it back. What are you going to do?"

  "Old Master Li mentioned this matter a few days ago, saying that if we still can't pay off the debt this year, I'll have to go to his house as a long-term laborer to offset the debt." As Moon Fragrance's sister-in-law spoke, tears began flowing down her face. Afraid of being laughed at by others, she hastily turned around and went aside to wipe away her tears with her sleeve.

  Lin Feng knew that Yue Xiang's sister-in-law was referring to the child who was drinking wild vegetable soup in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel a little moved: "How can this be, Nianzi is only thirteen years old and still just a kid!"

  "What else can we do?" Moon Fragrance's sister-in-law said, her voice filled with sorrow, and she could no longer hold back tears that flowed like a river bursting its banks.

  "Mother, don't cry, I'll go." Da Zi heard his mother's sobbing and lifted his head to say this very responsibly.

  "What a sensible and good kid, far better than this scoundrel!" Lin Feng thought to himself.

  Just then, Yuet Heung's cousin returned with a small bowl of millet porridge and was stunned by the scene at home.

  Yuexiang got up to take the bowl of rice from her brother's hand and softly comforted him, saying: "It's okay, just hang in there. After a few more years when the kids grow up, everything will get better."

  At night, Lin Feng lay on the kang filled with sweat and stench, unable to fall asleep.

  The shadow of Xiao Yu's figure always floated before his eyes, and the words "Niang, don't cry, I'll go" kept echoing in his ears, to the point where Lin Feng couldn't even concentrate on thinking about how to enter the city tomorrow.

  At mealtime, Lin Feng originally expressed that he could help his family pay off their debts and not let Xiaozhen go to work as a long-term worker, after all, the child was still too young. However, Yuetian's cousin did not agree, saying that children from poor families would eventually have to take this step, so it was better for Xiaozhen to adapt earlier, and life and death were his fate.

  The next day at dawn, outside the Western City Gate.

  Lin Feng was restless and sleepless all night, and his mind was still muddled now. He hadn't figured out how to safely enter the city, but time was pressing and he couldn't delay any longer, so he steeled himself and forced his way in.

  The sky was still early, and the city gate had just opened, but the queue in front of the city gate was very long.

  At the city gate, there were still Japanese soldiers searching, and every passerby was terrified.

  Lin Feng's carriage moved slowly forward with the crowd until it finally reached the city gate at noon.

  The horse-drawn carriage was unexpectedly stopped and searched by the Japanese army.

  Three Japanese soldiers came over and Lin Feng and Yue Xiang were ordered off the bus.

  The three Japanese soldiers, one searched the car, another searched Lin Feng, and the third had a nauseating smile as he circled around Yuexiang.

  Lin Feng saw the Japanese soldier who was circling around Yuexiang with ill intentions, and upon closer inspection, he realized that it was the same sergeant who had commanded the Japanese troops to slaughter civilians yesterday. A surge of anger rose from his heart to his head, and he shouted: "You'd better behave yourself!"

  The Japanese soldiers searching for Lin Feng couldn't understand Chinese, but they could see the angry expression on his face. One of them shouted "Hah!" and pressed a bayonet against Lin Feng's chest.

  At this time, the sergeant who was spinning around Yue Xiang with a bayonet pressed against Lin Feng's thumb that had been lifted up, said "Yo" and then threw his gun aside, opening his arms to bear hug Yue Xiang...