Chapter 13: Breaking the Silence

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No one knew better than him whose name this house was registered under. When Lu Wenzhen was initially invited to work at the machinery factory, the factory handed over this house to her, and the property deed clearly stated that it was for use by the Lu family. As a live-in son-in-law, he was not entitled to this. After Lu Wenzhen passed away, he rummaged through boxes to find the deed, hoping to change the name, but the factory insisted on recognizing only the Lu family. Meng Mancang was left helpless and had no choice but to put the deed away.

Speaking of the deed, hadn’t Tian Xiaojun already put it away? How did it end up in the hands of the Lu family? Tian Xiaojun was equally shocked. She had clearly hidden the deed along with the household money, so if the deed was with someone else, could the money be missing too? Panic-stricken, Tian Xiaojun’s legs grew weak as she returned to the bedroom. She moved aside the bedside cabinet and glanced at the small hidden stash behind it. Instantly, she collapsed to the floor, staring blankly at the empty wall cavity with eyes turning black.

What was going on? How had all the household money disappeared? Overcome with anger and despair, she fainted.

After a while with no response, Meng Mancang entered the room and found her unconscious. He pressed her philtrum for a long time before she finally regained consciousness. Weak-legged, Tian Xiaojun was helped back to bed. Before she could lie down, the police arrived to notify them of a decision concerning Meng Xiaoling. Upon hearing that her beloved daughter was being sent far away from their hometown, Tian Xiaojun fainted again.

Meng Mancang tried to use his eloquence to send the Liu family away, but Liu Datou wouldn’t give him a chance to speak. They packed up the entire family’s belongings, including the sleeping Tian Xiaojun, and threw them out. Holding the property deed, they were taking the official route through the factory director and weren’t afraid Meng Mancang would cause trouble. If he dared to provoke them, they’d let their brothers’ fists do the talking—it was no idle threat.

With no other options, Meng Mancang had to find a guesthouse to stay temporarily. As for Meng Xiaoling, he simply didn’t have the time to deal with her. And so, Meng Xiaoling was sent off to the southwest.

Meanwhile, after four days and three nights on the train, Lu Mingyue and Huo Zheng finally arrived in Haishi City.

“There are two boats to the island: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Should we rest here for a day or head straight to the island?” Huo Zheng asked for Lu Mingyue’s opinion.

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“Let’s go back to the island,” Lu Mingyue said. She disliked wasting time on the road, especially after such a long train ride. All she wanted now was to get home to the staff housing, settle in quietly, and rest.

“Alright, I’ll buy the tickets now. After that, we can find a place nearby to eat.” Ren Huifang had brought large meat buns, which they had already finished. For the next few meals, they had bought train food but hadn’t touched it on the journey. Lu Mingyue felt she had gained a bit of weight in the face during the trip.

All their luggage was carried by Huo Zheng. He bore the bags on his back and held Lu Mingyue’s hand carefully with his free hand as they boarded the bus.

At the port, after showing their IDs, Huo Zheng bought two tickets for the afternoon boat to and from the island.

“There’s still time. Let’s find a place to eat first. If we have time, I’ll take you to browse the department stores in Haishi City,” Huo Zheng suggested.

As a leading international metropolis, Haishi City not only had supply and marketing cooperatives but also new department stores rumored to have many imported goods.

Lu Mingyue was very curious about all sorts of things from the 1970s. Hearing this, she became interested and readily agreed.

They left their luggage at the dock, traveling light, and headed to a state-run store for a meal.

Every place had its own local cuisine, and the state-run store adjusted its menu to suit local tastes. Being a coastal city, Haishi had fresh seafood daily, transported directly from the docks to the restaurants, ensuring freshness.

Huo Zheng ordered two signature dishes of the store and asked the person nearby what they wanted. As they queued, the two discussed their order. Looking at the menu not far away and thinking of Huo Zheng’s appetite, Lu Mingyue added a meat dish and a vegetable dish.

Thanks to the convenience of the sea, seafood went from being caught to the kitchen and then to the table in less than an hour.

As a passionate seafood lover, Lu Mingyue ate with great delight.

Seeing her hearty appetite, a smile lifted Huo Zheng’s lips. His mood brightened, and his meal tasted better.

She was easier to please than he had thought.

After the meal, Huo Zheng took Lu Mingyue on a tour of the department store.

“The three big items for a wedding—should we buy them here or wait until we’re back on the island? The supply and marketing cooperative there also stocks them, but you have to order in advance.”

In the 1970s, the most popular wedding gifts were the "three rotations and one ring."

Although the couple originally intended just to live together simply, Huo Zheng wanted to provide Lu Mingyue with everything she deserved. Once he committed to someone, it was for life.

[Buying things at the department store means we’ll have to carry them back to the dock ourselves, right?] Lu Mingyue thought.

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That sounded too heavy for her.

She sneaked a glance at Huo Zheng’s muscular arms and figured he might just manage.

Over the journey, Huo Zheng had become accustomed to Lu Mingyue’s inner thoughts, which often flashed through his mind as if she were talking to a system.

They had hardly stopped chatting on the train, sometimes admiring the passing scenery, sometimes gossiping about fellow passengers.

Huo Zheng thought, thankfully no one else overheard, or he’d be furious.

Hearing her worry, Huo Zheng added, “If we buy a lot, we can pay extra for staff to help deliver the goods.”

Lu Mingyue’s eyes lit up. That was perfect! Department store shopping would be faster and more convenient than the cooperative.

When they arrived, someone would come to pick up their things.

This way, Lu Mingyue wouldn’t have to act as the strong laborer at all.

“That’s great. Let’s go check it out quickly. By the way, do you have enough money on you?”

Huo Zheng’s expression stiffened; he seemed to have forgotten the most important thing.

The joy of arriving home had made him forget that he had brought very little money.

He had only taken some common coupons with him, none for specialty items like watches or bicycles.

He had never felt so embarrassed before. If there were a hole in the ground, he might have crawled into it immediately.

Finally, Lu Mingyue broke the awkward silence.

“It’s okay. We’re not in a hurry to use anything. We can always buy them after we get to the staff housing.”

“Sorry, Comrade Lu, I let you down,” Huo Zheng regretted deeply. If he had known, he wouldn’t have spoken so soon. Now he felt slapped in the face.

“That’s nothing. It’s not like we’re not buying them at all.”

[He should understand my hint, right? If we don’t buy them, I’ll be worried!] she thought.

[Don’t worry, Host. Huo Zheng is clever. He’ll surely appreciate your good intentions.] the system cheered, looking forward to cycling around with its host.