Due to how swiftly and shockingly I acted, the City Patrol officers were stunned. It wasn’t until they saw Zheng Fang lying on the ground that they regained their senses, their gazes filled with rage as they stared at me.
“What? Thinking about fighting?” I smirked at them with disdain.
These city officers hadn’t physically harmed the elderly woman, so I had no intention of fighting them.
The handmade crafts in her bag had been trampled beyond recognition, leaving only a few plain black and white T-shirts intact. I glanced at the elderly woman and said, “Ma’am, let’s leave these things behind and head out.”
“Hit someone and think you can just leave?” A middle-aged officer, who initially left a good impression, blocked my path.
I paused, then chuckled helplessly. “Uncle, I suggest you let this go. That guy brought it upon himself, and I don’t want to make this a bigger deal.”
Having been in the field for years, the middle-aged officer surely understood my meaning, but his pride seemed to keep him standing firm in front of me.
Frowning, I walked closer to him and whispered in his ear, “How about I give Mayor Zhao a call and see how this should be handled? Or maybe we could involve Director Zhang from the police department to come and take a look.”
The moment I said that, sweat began to bead on his forehead. He carefully observed me and Mei’er before gritting his teeth and waving his hand. “Let’s go.”
“And what about Zheng’s situation?” one of the officers asked hesitantly.
The middle-aged officer sighed. “He provoked the wrong person—it’s his own fault.” With that, he climbed into a vehicle but stuck his head out once more. “Make sure to take him to the hospital.”
After the officers left, the elderly woman sat alone, clutching her broken crafts and sobbing.
“Ma’am, don’t cry. Let’s go home,” I said, feeling a pang of guilt as I watched her despair.
But she seemed not to hear me, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. “What am I going to do? Xiao Kun is still waiting for me to earn money for his treatment. It’s all over now…”
“I’ll buy all of your goods, ma’am, including the T-shirts I got earlier. Let’s settle the bill,” I said softly, unable to bear it. Life hadn’t been kind to her, and in her advanced years, she was still struggling to earn money for her son’s medical expenses.
The elderly woman was stunned and asked hesitantly, “They’re all damaged… and you still want to buy them?”
“Yes, I do,” I replied with a smile. While the expense seemed unnecessary, it felt like the right thing to do. As Mei’er would say, acts of kindness like this could benefit my cultivation in the long run.
She didn’t ask for much, either, likely because she wasn’t a greedy person. For less than 100 yuan, I bought everything.
“Ma’am, you’re injured. Let us take you home,” Mei’er suggested with concern.
Startled, I quickly chimed in. “She’s right. It’s not safe for you to go alone. Let us accompany you.”
The elderly woman shook her head and said with a smile, “You’ve already helped me so much; I can’t trouble you further.”
Mei’er tugged at my arm, leaving me with no choice but to smile. “It’s no trouble, really. We insist—it’ll be safer this way.”
In the end, she relented, and we accompanied her home.
Her house wasn’t in the city but in a rural area on the outskirts, technically managed by the northern district but still very much a village. The place was called Zhao Family Village, where most residents shared the surname Zhao. Naturally, the elderly woman’s last name was Zhao as well.
Along the way, she greeted everyone warmly, while Mei’er and I followed behind, smiling awkwardly with little else to contribute.
When we entered her home, a modest brick structure, its age and wear were apparent. Inside, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen was washing clothes. His lower legs were wrapped in bandages, and beside him lay a thick wooden crutch, worn smooth with use.
Upon seeing us, the boy beamed at the elderly woman. “Mom, you’re back!” Then he glanced at Mei’er and me curiously. “Who are they, Mom?”
“I told you to rest inside! Why are you out here washing clothes?” Though her tone was scolding, her eyes were filled with love.
The boy chuckled. “I can’t let you do everything, Mom. I’m helping where I can.” Then, after a pause, he asked again, “But who are they?”
“These two are my benefactors,” she said gratefully, gesturing to us. “This is my son, Xiao Kun.”
I smiled and said, “Hello, Xiao Kun, I’m Xia Tian.” Then I pointed to Mei’er. “And this is Mei’er.”
“I’ll make you a meal! Wait here!” The elderly woman smiled and went into the kitchen.
Once she left, Xiao Kun turned to me eagerly. “Brother Xia Tian, Mom called you our benefactor. What happened?”
“Oh, nothing much, just a small favor,” I said with a smile, not wanting to delve into details.
Despite being so young, Xiao Kun’s life seemed weighed down by hardship. The strands of gray in his mother’s hair reflected years of struggle.
“Xiao Kun, what happened to your leg?” I asked, glancing at his bandages.
His face fell, and his eyes reddened. “I got injured on a construction site.”
“Why isn’t it in a cast?” I asked. His injury looked serious, yet it was only wrapped in simple bandages, which puzzled me.
Xiao Kun lowered his head. “We can’t afford it…”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Smiling gently, I asked, “Can I take a look?”
“Huh?” Xiao Kun hesitated.
“I studied medicine in school. Maybe I can help,” I explained.
“Really?!” His eyes lit up with hope.
“Really,” I assured him.
He hurriedly unwrapped his bandages, and Mei’er knelt beside me to inspect his injury. After a brief look, she shook her head and whispered, “His leg is completely fractured. There’s nothing I can do—it needs proper medical attention.”
Just then, Xiao Kun looked up and asked, “Brother Xia Tian, is college life fun?”
I paused before answering with a smile. “Yeah, it’s pretty great.” The words felt hollow as I said them.
“I wish I could go to school,” he muttered wistfully. “But that’s not possible anymore…”
I was about to respond when his mother came out, smiling. “The food’s almost ready! Just a little longer!”
“Damn, Xiao Kun’s leg… And where’s your husband, Aunt Zhao?” I asked, puzzled.
The mention of her husband brought tears to her eyes. “Xiao Kun’s leg was broken in a construction accident. His father… he went to seek justice but was beaten to death.”
The story was heartbreaking. Xiao Kun had dropped out of school during his third year of middle school to help with household expenses. His accident left him crippled, but the construction company offered no compensation. When his father confronted them, he was killed. The company later offered a mere 2,000 yuan as settlement.
Despite promises from the police, the case was repeatedly delayed. Knowing she couldn’t win against the company’s influence, Aunt Zhao resorted to selling crafts on the street.
“What’s the boss’s name?” I asked casually, knowing I might not be able to help much.
“Feng Xinghua,” Xiao Kun spat through gritted teeth.
Feng Xinghua? That name sparked a memory. Wasn’t he the one Zhang Yu once mentioned as his nemesis?
Get More Chapters on Patreon: From now on, FSM Level 2 will become the CN WN Bundle. The price will remain the same which is $10. Also, the price for the KR WN Bundle will also be decreased to $10 to match this bundle.
With this I have gotten rid of the level system. The reason I am doing this, is because I plan to add more chapters to the $5 Patron tiers. Currently the readers get 2 advance chapters when they become a $5 Patron, but I want to increase the chapters they get to at least 5 chapters or more. So the current updated tier system will work like this:
The Individual Tiers ($5) will give you access to 5 chapters or more. The Bundle Tiers ($10) will give you access to all the chapters of CN or KR webnovels. The Supreme Patron ($30) will give you access to all the webnovel chapters on Goblinslate.