"With you, he certainly won't look at Qin Xiaohua," Chen Fang glanced at Lin Feng, then at Fu Wenwen, and chuckled, "I must say, you and your husband are quite a match, truly a handsome couple."
"Thank you!" Fu Wenwen smiled awkwardly, then glanced back at Lin Feng. Lin Feng looked at Fu Wenwen, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Fu Wenwen shook her head and turned back to Chen Fang. "It's still the same address. How much will it be this time?"
"Oh my, you've sent a lot more this time!" Chen Fang examined the items for Fu Wenwen, her eyes widening. There was quite a bit.
"As expected, it's different when there's a man. I thought you were... cough, never mind! I'll sort it out for you first." Chen Fang had initially thought Fu Wenwen was a widow, struggling with a child and so poor.
"Thank you for your trouble!" Fu Wenwen watched as Chen Fang efficiently weighed, packed, and affixed the labels.
"Don't mention it, it's what I should do!" Chen Fang smiled at Fu Wenwen. After calculating the price, Fu Wenwen paid promptly, bid farewell to Chen Fang, and walked out of the post office with Lin An and Lin Feng.
As soon as they exited the post office, Fu Wenwen saw a familiar figure dart into a dark alley across the street. Fu Wenwen tugged at Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, isn't that Lin Dawei?"
"It is!" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow and followed Fu Wenwen's gaze, catching sight of Lin Dawei's retreating back. Looking at the direction, he understood. "There's a gambling den there."
"As expected, a dog can't change its nature," Fu Wenwen said calmly. "Let's go!"
Lin Feng nodded. "Someone like him will never change. He'll eventually reap what he sows. Let's go home."
Lin Feng suddenly thought of something and looked at Fu Wenwen. He tugged at her clothes and said, "You take Lin An and go on ahead. I'll go have a word with the people at the gambling den!"
Fu Wenwen nodded and walked home with Lin An in her arms. Lin Feng, carrying the parcels, went to the dark alley. The lookout saw Lin Feng approaching and immediately went to inform the owner of the gambling den.
"Lin Feng, Lin Dawei's gone in. Do you need me to drag him out for you?" As soon as Lin Feng arrived, the owner pushed him out of the gambling den, not daring to let him enter.
Lin Feng shook his head. "I just came to tell you that I've severed ties with Lin Dawei and won't be involved with him anymore! It's your business if you want to lend him money, but don't use my name from now on. I won't repay his debts."
"There's such a thing?" The gambling den owner looked at his enforcer, who immediately nodded.
Lin Feng had already warned them last time. The men knew that Lin Dawei had lost his backer. The gambling den owner frowned and looked at Lin Feng. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, if you lend him money again, it'll be thrown away! To repay your debts, he sold his daughter for four hundred yuan to a butcher and signed a severance agreement," Lin Feng told the gambling den owner.
"You really won't intervene if we beat him?" The gambling den owner looked at Lin Feng. He wasn't afraid of Lin Dawei not repaying, but the person he feared was never Lin Dawei, but his adopted son, Lin Feng.
Those who could open a gambling den here had connections. He knew that this Lin Feng had a significant background, otherwise, he wouldn't have paid much attention to Lin Dawei.
"Do you misunderstand the meaning of severed ties?" Lin Feng smiled slightly and turned to walk out of the alley. "I just came to inform you, so you don't lose everything later."
The gambling den owner watched Lin Feng leave and stood there thinking for a long time. He then said to his enforcer, "How much does Lin Dawei owe us?"
"He's lost about another hundred," the enforcer replied.
"Bring him back and make him pay. If he wants to borrow money again, he can use his hands and feet as collateral!" the gambling den owner said coldly.
When Lin Dawei, engrossed in gambling, was dragged out by the enforcer, he was still confused. "Brother Li, what's wrong? I was winning..."
"Lin Dawei, the boss just said that if you want to gamble, you need to pay the hundred you owe first!" the enforcer, addressed as Brother Li, said coldly to Lin Dawei. He kicked Lin Dawei, who flinched and didn't dare to move. Brother Li's leg landed near his face, inches away.
"This, this... didn't I just pay it back?" Lin Dawei stiffened and clutched his pocket.
All his money was on him. He had paid back two hundred yuan, and with the food and drinks recently, he only had this last hundred yuan left. If he paid his debt, he would be penniless.
"Search him," Brother Li glanced at Lin Dawei, knowing him well.
Several subordinates immediately rushed forward, restraining Lin Dawei while another searched him, finding over a hundred yuan in his pockets.
"Brother Li, leave me some, Brother Li..." Lin Dawei clung to Brother Li's leg, begging.
"This hundred is what you owe the gambling den. As for the rest, don't say I didn't leave you some. Here! This time, I'm waiving the interest and giving it back to you!" Brother Li took all the large bills and returned the smaller denominations to Lin Dawei. "Also, the boss said that if you want to borrow money from me again, you'll use your hands and feet as collateral. If you can't repay, you'll forfeit them!"
"...What..." Lin Dawei was shocked. The gambling den had always treated him with respect and been generous. Why had they suddenly become so harsh?
Brother Li, having no time for Lin Dawei's nonsense, took the money, waved his hand, and returned to the gambling den with his men.
Lin Dawei sat in the alley, not understanding why things had turned out this way. Everything had been going well, and his luck was good today; he could have won a lot!
Now that his capital was gone, he could only return home and figure out how to get more money.
Fu Wenwen, carrying Lin An who had finished his excitement and was now recharging, walked home. Lin Feng ran up and took the sleeping Lin An from Fu Wenwen's arms.
Fu Wenwen let Lin Feng take him and flexed her stiff arms. "Is everything settled?"
"It's settled. They won't lend Lin Dawei any more money," Lin Feng said with a slight smile.
"Someone like him won't be able to resist," Fu Wenwen said with a light smile. "Within three days, he'll be back here, even if it means pawning his hands and feet."
"That's his problem! It's his own choice," Lin Feng said indifferently. "I'm not expecting him to reform; I just don't want them to bother you."
Fu Wenwen chuckled. The two of them walked peacefully on the road back to the village, enjoying the scenery, their mood calm and relaxed.
Lin Feng watched Fu Wenwen humming a nameless tune with a cheerful mood, looking carefree and happy. His gaze followed her.
She was like a completely different person from the Fu Wenwen in his memory.