The sleet had fallen for several hours, but it was gradually tapering off. The rain vanished, leaving only cottony snowflakes to drift leisurely down.
A blanket of white snow covered everything, casting a pale, faint glow over the vast expanse of Locust Tree Lane.
The neighborhood was filled with poor families who, to save a little lamp oil, usually ate dinner and went to bed as soon as it got dark.
Tonight, the air was freezing, so people had burrowed into their covers even earlier than usual. The streets and alleys were completely silent.
Chen Cheng strode forward, the crunch of his boots on the packed snow sounding exceptionally jarring in the silence.
Widow Tian's house was not far from Chen Cheng's, only a few dozen meters away. He arrived in the blink of an eye.
BANG!
A kick against the tightly shut courtyard gate produced a dull thud!
Chen Cheng had used seventy percent of his Power Dao in that kick, but he hadn't managed to break the gate open. Widow Tian's courtyard gate was far sturdier than those of other families; he reckoned he probably couldn't kick it down even at full strength.
But that didn't matter. Chen Cheng had only kicked the gate to wake the people inside.
"Who's there?"
Widow Tian asked, her voice tight and high-pitched. It held a note of panic, like a startled hen.
"Tell Ma Liu to get his ass out here!"
Chen Cheng said coldly.
"Ma Liu's not here."
"Then tell Er Lengzi to get his ass out here!"
"Er Lengzi's not here either."
BANG! He landed another heavy kick on the gate, leaving behind a boot print, then turned and walked away.
...
The crunch of footsteps echoed in the lane again, gradually fading into the distance.
Widow Tian cowered under her covers, craning her neck to listen to the sounds outside the window. Her expression was a mix of shock and uncertainty, which soon gave way to a flash of viciousness.
'Chen Er, that sounded like Chen Er... How dare that coward kick my gate? Just wait till Ma Liu gets back, I'll make sure he pays for this!'
...
When Chen Cheng returned home and shut the courtyard gate, Mu Xiaowan peeked her head out of the kitchen doorway.
"Brother Cheng, did you just go out?"
"I ate too much for dinner, so I went out for a stroll to walk it off," Chen Cheng said with a shrug, his voice gentle.
'Ate too much? But Brother Cheng's bowl was spotless. Not a single grain of rice was left.'
A suspicious look crossed Mu Xiaowan's face, but she turned and went back into the kitchen.
After washing the dishes, Mu Xiaowan brought a basin of hot water to the bedroom, only to find Chen Cheng sitting at the desk, flipping through a stack of IOUs.
"Brother Cheng, it's time to wash your feet."
The Chens' child bride was quite virtuous and diligent. She kept the house spotless and was meticulous in her duties, from washing his feet to warming his bed.
But Chen Cheng was a transmigrator, after all. He hadn't yet adjusted his modern way of thinking and had never quite gotten used to this.
"Xiaowan, just leave the water. I can wash them myself."
"Brother Cheng, do you find me distasteful?"
Mu Xiaowan's face fell, and her eyes welled up with tears. She looked utterly wronged.
Chen Cheng was suddenly at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"You're my only family in this world. How could I ever find you distasteful? It's just a small thing like washing my feet. I can do it myself, you don't have to..."
Without another word, Mu Xiaowan helped Chen Cheng take off his shoes and began to scrub his feet meticulously.
'Fine,'
Chen Cheng sighed softly and simply let her be.
Mu Xiaowan washed his feet with extreme care and focus. Her hands were slightly rough from constant work, but her movements were very gentle.
Watching her small, slender figure, Chen Cheng felt a chord strike within his heart, and his gaze softened even more.
'In this world, there's finally someone who treats me well with all her heart. I must treat her incredibly well in return. I can't let her suffer the slightest grievance or hardship.'
"Brother Cheng, they're all clean."
After carefully drying his feet, Mu Xiaowan looked up, revealing a sweet smile that blossomed like a flower in spring.
Chen Cheng's heart stirred. He reached out, gently took her by the chin, and studied her face closely.
He recalled that Mu Xiaowan had come from a wealthy family. After a sudden misfortune, she was sold by human traffickers to Lijing Prefecture City. Father Chen had seen that, despite her young age, she was well-mannered and literate, so he'd bought her to be Chen Cheng's child bride.
During the day, she would smear her face with soot, making her look dark and gaunt. But now, with her face washed clean, she looked completely different.
Her skin was fair and delicate, her eyes clear and bright. Her features, though a bit gaunt and childish, were exquisitely shaped. If she ate better and got proper nourishment, she would surely grow into a legendary beauty.
"Brother Cheng, what... what are you doing?" Mu Xiaowan blushed, overcome with bashfulness.
"Xiaowan, I'll make sure you live a good life. You'll have fish and meat every day, all the delicacies you could want."
He had been focused on his Iron Armor Skill Cultivation recently. Although he was barely getting enough to eat, he had no meat, and his body was gradually starting to struggle under the heavy strain of his training.
So, to Chen Cheng, a "good life" right now simply meant eating his fill of meat!
"Pfft!" Mu Xiaowan giggled. "The masters of those wealthy families don't eat meat every day. They say it's too rich."
"Then we'll be the masters in the future, and we'll eat meat every day," Chen Cheng said with a smile. He turned, picked up the IOUs from the desk, selected two of them, and tore the rest to shreds.
"Brother Cheng, those are the IOUs from the neighbors! Why did you tear them up?"
Mu Xiaowan was taken aback by Chen Cheng's sudden action.
Locust Tree Lane was a slum. The neighbors were all poor folk, and most of them were worse off than the Chen Family. After all, Father Chen had held a public post with a monthly Salary, which was considered an iron rice bowl.
Father Chen had left these IOUs behind. Because he had a stable income, whenever the neighbors fell on hard times, they would borrow some money from him to tide them over. He was a kind old soul who was usually willing to lend a hand.
But in this world, no good deed goes unpunished. When Father Chen was gravely ill and needed money, the version of Chen Cheng before awakening his Innate Wisdom had gone door-to-door collecting debts, but very few families had paid up.
Some truly couldn't afford to pay, but most simply had no intention of doing so, fobbing him off with all sorts of excuses.
Chen Cheng had just examined them closely. Most of the IOUs were for small amounts, usually just a few dozen cents. The one or two families who owed more only owed a hundred or two hundred cents at most.
Going door-to-door to collect the debts hadn't been effective, but he had other ways to make these deadbeats pay back what they owed—with interest!
The two remaining IOUs—one for five taels of silver and the other for five hundred cents—were for larger sums, so they were worth pursuing.
The IOU for five hundred cents, in particular, was from Widow Tian's family. That one definitely needed collecting.
When Widow Tian's husband, Tian Dalang, was alive, he was a gang member and had been quite well-off for a time. Two years ago, Tian Dalang was beaten to death on the street by a rival gang, and his home was ransacked.
Left a widow with an orphan son, she didn't even have the money for Tian Dalang's burial, so she had gone to Father Chen to borrow some.
Father Chen, taking pity on her, lent her five hundred cents so she could bury Tian Dalang.
Widow Tian was no saint. Even when Tian Dalang was alive, she had been gluttonous and lazy. After he died, she started hooking up with other men; it was anyone's guess how many lovers she had.
Lately, Widow Tian had been messing around with a ruffian named Ma Liu, and her young son, Er Lengzi, was starting to follow his bad example.
As for the five hundred cents she owed the Chens', Chen Cheng had tried to collect it once before awakening his Innate Wisdom. But Widow Tian had flatly denied the debt. With Ma Liu backing her up, the Chen Cheng of that time had been powerless against her.
"The neighbors are all poor folk. Your Brother Cheng has a kind heart, so he won't squabble with them. But I believe they'll soon come to our door to repay the money of their own accord. And they'll pay back every last cent, with interest," Chen Cheng said with a smile.
"Huh? Pay it all back... with interest? How is that possible?" Mu Xiaowan's curiosity grew.
But seeing the faint smile on Chen Cheng's face and the profound look in his eyes, as if he were lost in thought, she decided not to press him further.