TGCF Ch 25 Part 2 – Ruin Zhang Qiming’s Reputation and Drain His Money (II)

What Zhang Qiming valued the most was nothing more than his reputation and money. Of course, these two points didn’t affect Xia Mian’s previous plan, and she simply had to adjust her strategy a bit. Instead of taking a slow approach, she decided to strike hard.

“If Huang Xiaojuan goes to prison, Zhang Qiming can easily divorce her, and the promissory note she signed will have nothing to do with him.”

“I heard he doesn’t want Xuanxuan’s custody either, so you’ll have to take care of the child. You can’t abandon him; otherwise, it would be considered child abandonment, which is also a crime that can put you in prison.”

The effect of Xia Mian’s phone call was immediate. The mention of prison instantly scared the Huang family, and the 40,000 yuan promissory note was enough to prompt them into action.

The next morning, the Huang family, having heard about Huang Xiaojuan’s possible imprisonment, hurriedly appeared at the Huagang Family Compound. At that time, Xiao Feng was playing soccer with Chenchen at the entrance, and Xia Mian was sitting on a small stool at the doorway, memorizing some classical texts.

She was studying hard; partly because high school was about to start, so she needed to review, and partly to distract herself. The possibility of Zhang Qiming being a cold-blooded murderer and the thought that she had angered him thoroughly was putting her in a small panic—memorizing lessons helped calm her nerves.

“My wrath bristles through my helmet, the rain stops as I stand by the rail, … Xia Chun’s grudge still lingers, when will the pain of Xiao Feng ever end? … There we shall feast on Qiming’s flesh and drink the blood of Xiaojuan. Let us begin anew to recover our peaceful life, after getting rid of Zhang Qiming.”¹

“…” Ning Shaobai, who had just come out to check on Chenchen, was made speechless once again.

Was this girl really frightened? Why did she get even fiercer?

“Study well, don’t corrupt the kids.” He finally said, exasperated.

Aunt Liu and other neighbors finished their chores and came out to relax. Seeing people start to gather, Xia Mian stopped her nonsense, “My wrath bristles through my helmet, the rain stops as I stand by the rail. The… the lingers? Uh, what still lingers…”

“The Humiliation of Jingkang still lingers,” A childish voice continued where Xia Mian left off.

Another clear child’s voice picked up, “When will the pain of the Emperor’s subjects ever end?”

Then the two children, kicking a ball back and forth, recited in unison, “Let us ride our chariots through the Helan Pass. There we shall feast on barbarian flesh and drink the blood of the Xiongnu. Let us begin anew to recover our old empire, before paying tribute to the Emperor.”

Xia Mian and the adults were stunned by what they heard.

Teacher Mi leaned out the window, “Huh? Xia Mian, haven’t you only read it a few times? Xiao Feng actually memorized it?”

Aunt Liu chimed in, “These kids are really smart. Xia Mian, you must nurture Xiao Feng well and not waste his potential.”

Xiao Feng knew they were praising him, so he pursed his lips and shyly smiled at Xia Mian.

Although Xia Mian knew the child was a future genius, she was still pleasantly surprised at this moment. In this life, she definitely must allow him to shine!

“Xia Mian?! Are you Xia Mian?!” A loud, almost shrill voice suddenly pierced everyone’s eardrums, vividly demonstrating the saying ‘the voice precedes the person.’

Xia Mian turned around and saw two people in their best effort to look respectable. At first glance, they might look well-dressed, but their hunched shoulders and exaggerated mannerisms reveal their humble origins. Yet, they held their chins high, assuming a superior posture. The speaker who announced their arrival with her shrill voice was a plump old woman of medium height.

Thanks to that powerful shout, Xia Mian initially thought the two were here to cause trouble. However, the next moment, the old woman rushed over, grabbed Xia Mian’s hand, and cried, “Oh, oh, Xia Mian, Auntie’s begging you, please let our Xiaojuan go!”

“Xiaojuan isn’t a petty girl. Your brother-in-law makes good money; why would he steal your money? There must be some misunderstanding.”

No need for an introduction—this person must be Huang Xiaojuan’s mother. Xia Mian looked up at the person who came with her. It was a man in his thirties, similar in build to Huang Xiaojuan’s mother, with a receding hairline that continued to grow and seemed likely would develop into a complete bald spot in a decade or so. This one should be Huang Xiaojuan’s elder brother, Huang Xiaojun.

The mother and son must have discussed their approach beforehand. Following his mother, Huang Xiaojun stepped forward and started to plead, “Little girl, please show mercy, at least for the sake of the child. Look at Xuanxuan!” As he spoke, he roughly pushed a small child who seemed to be hiding behind him. He didn’t control his strength, causing Xuanxuan, who looked dirty and unkempt, to stumble and fall, crying loudly.

Chenchen and Xiao Feng couldn’t help but peek curiously. Xuanxuan indeed looked pitiful, not as bad as Xiao Feng once was, but his clothes obviously hadn’t been washed for days, and there were several scratches on his chubby face. Clearly, he was having a hard time during his stay with the Huang family.

“Look at him, how pitiful,” Huang Xiaojuan’s mother sobbed, almost kneeling before Xia Mian, full of tears, “We promise to repay the money, so please, show some mercy.”

The Huang family was playing a good card—clearly, they were very experienced. Even though everyone knew they were deliberately playing for sympathy and that Huang Xiaojuan deserved her fate, Xuanxuan’s condition still aroused pity from the spectators.

Xia Mian had no intention of getting entangled with this family and straightforwardly said, “Zhang Qiming has already paid the money back. I don’t have many demands, just one condition, and I’ll let Huang Xiaojuan go.”

Huang Xiaojuan’s mother eagerly responded, “Just say it, girl. We’ll agree to your demand, as long as we can do it.”

“I’m afraid Huang Xiaojuan will start abusing Xiao Feng again after being released. Since I’ll be at school and can’t watch over him, my request is simple,” Xia Mian said. “Transfer Xiao Feng’s household registration to me, and I’ll take him away from the Zhang family.”

Xiao Feng, now understanding, trotted over with his small legs and snuggled into Xia Mian’s arms, fearfully whispering, “Auntie.”

Xia Mian patted his back and said to Huang Xiaojuan’s mother, “We are killing two birds with one stone here.”

“Huang Xiaojuan doesn’t like Xiao Feng anyway. If I take him away, she won’t have to bear the stigma of a cruel stepmother. Her family of three can live happily, and we won’t disturb them. What do you think?”

“Oh, Xiao Feng’s aunt, you really are a considerate and sensible girl.” Huang Xiaojuan’s mother slapped her thigh and continued with a flood of compliments, “You care so much for Xiao Feng; he will surely repay you in the future. Unlike my daughter, who never thinks things through and always causes trouble.”

Huang Xiaojun was also surprised that Xia Mian would propose such a condition. He thought the girl was naive, thinking raising a child was easy. Still, her naivety worked to their advantage, so he immediately said, “No problem, we agree! I’ll go find Zhang Qiming right away…”

Just as he mentioned Zhang Qiming, they heard a furious shout, “I don’t agree!”

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Translator’s Note: