Peng Fei engaged in a fierce brawl with the Li family father and sons.
His years of labor had given him strength, and being young, he held his own against three opponents, even bloodying the second son of the Li family.
Old Li, furious, leveraged his nephew's position in local law enforcement to have Peng Fei arrested, while his own son was hospitalized.
It was merely superficial damage, yet the son insisted he had a concussion and refused to leave the hospital.
He demanded either 20,000 yuan from the Peng family to settle the matter or Peng Fei would go to jail.
For Peng Mama, it was as if the sky had fallen.
The eighteen thousand yuan from selling Zhan Jingchun was returned in full, and now they were in debt by another 20,000.
Twenty thousand yuan; she, a rural woman who relied on the land and the heavens, would need three to five years to save that much.
But if they didn't pay, the Li family was wealthy and influential, and they couldn't fight them. They couldn't just stand by and watch Peng Fei go to prison.
She was beside herself with worry. Neighbors pitched in, and after two days of frantic efforts, they had only managed to gather 5,000 yuan.
While she was in a state of utter turmoil at home, Wang Kang's family also faced trouble.
Just two days after Zhan Jingchun's departure, outsiders found their way to the village, directly demanding to know where Wang Kang's home was and ordering them to hand over Zhang Wei.
It turned out that after Zhan Jingchun left, she had contacted Zhang Wei's family. Her father and brother, along with various relatives, had come searching.
Everyone in the village gathered, defending their own and preventing the outsiders from entering.
Wang Kang, in turn, covered Zhang Wei's mouth, locked her up, and hid her in the cellar.
Zhang Wei's father had no recourse but to call the police. However, for deeply ingrained customs like these, the local police simply didn't intervene.
Using the excuse of it being a domestic dispute, they made a perfunctory visit and left.
Zhang Wei's father was furious. He argued and cursed with the villagers, but after a day of commotion, nothing was resolved. He could only seek out a website reporter to film a video, hoping to exert pressure.
The village descended into chaos, with everyone blaming Peng Fei for finding a troublesome wife, not only causing his own family distress but also bringing misfortune upon others.
Overwhelmed by internal and external crises, Peng Mama collapsed in the house from sheer anger.
Fangfang, having no other choice, ran to the town police station to request an audience with her brother and explain the situation.
Peng Fei hadn't expected that his actions would lead to Wang Kang's family being in such a predicament, and now his mother's life was in danger.
Though he had a strong will and didn't want to apologize to Old Li, he had no choice but to endure it.
He applied for mediation. Old Li, smugly, made him sign a 20,000 yuan IOU in front of everyone, and then kowtow three times before he would be released.
Peng Fei gritted his teeth and kowtowed, and he signed the IOU.
Emerging from inside, he saw his emaciated, pitiable sister waiting by the entrance. He felt utterly pathetic.
He had no face to see his mother, nor Wang Kang, and he didn't want to go back.
"Didn't you say Mom borrowed 5,000 yuan to save me? Take that money and use it to treat her first."
"After she recovers, you go to school as you should. Listen to your brother, absolutely do not drop out, study hard, otherwise, it will be too late. I won't recognize you as my sister."
"I'm going to work, I won't be back for now. Tell Mom not to worry about me. I'll write to you once I'm settled."
Fangfang hadn't expected the family to be in such disarray, and now he wanted to go out to work!
"Where are you going to work? What will happen to Mom if you leave?"
"Mom can get through this. If I stay home every day and don't earn a cent, it will only make her feel worse. From now on, the family will depend on you, Fangfang. Be good, and absolutely make sure you study hard. I'll send you money in a few days to help me talk to Mom properly, okay? Don't let her overthink things."
Influenced by Zhan Jingchun, Fangfang yearned for the outside world, believing that if she could just get out, she could earn money, so she supported her brother.
Besides, the family was deeply in debt, what else could they do but go out?
"I had all the money on me when I left this morning, but I didn't dare spend a cent. You're going on a long trip, you'll need money. See how much you need, take some."
Peng Fei didn't know how far Nancheng was or how much the travel expenses would be, but he estimated 500 yuan would be enough, so he took five notes.
After another farewell between the siblings, he headed to the train station.
It was his first time entering a train station. He bought a standing ticket, and after two days and two nights of travel, he finally arrived in Nancheng.
Before entering Nancheng, he had heard Zhan Jingchun describe countless times how wonderful and prosperous the outside world was, and how broad people's minds were.
But it was just listening; he didn't have much of a reaction.
It wasn't until he truly walked in, saw so many young and beautiful men and women, walls so clean they reflected his image, streets bustling with traffic, buildings towering into the clouds, and dazzling lights, that he realized the vast chasm between him and Zhan Jingchun.
Before, he was like a stubborn frog in a well, while Zhan Jingchun was like a wild goose flying from north to south. He couldn't even imagine how broad the goose's horizons were.
At this moment, he felt truly and utterly inferior.
Let alone being unable to find Zhan Jingchun, even if she stood before him, with his shabby appearance, he wouldn't have the courage to approach her.
Peng Fei didn't know where to go. Nancheng was terrifyingly large, and there wasn't a single person he knew.
He didn't know where to find work, where to stay, and he didn't dare speak to anyone. He wandered the streets aimlessly for half a day, his mouth dry and parched. It wasn't until he saw a street cleaner resting by the roadside that he, as if finding a kindred spirit, leaned next to him.
The old cleaner took a sip of his tea and glanced at the young man beside him.
Seeing his dark skin and rustic attire, he immediately recognized him as someone from the mountains and initiated a conversation.
"Came to the city to work?"
Even the old cleaner spoke fluent Mandarin, making Peng Fei feel even more awkward.
He stammered in Mandarin, "Yes."
"Where are you from?"
He stated his hometown address. Coincidentally, the cleaner was from a neighboring province and had been sweeping the streets in Nancheng for nearly ten years.
"My hometown is still the same, unchanged for ten years, pathetically poor. I'd rather sweep the streets here than go back. Unlike you, you're young, with many opportunities. As long as you dare to venture out, you'll succeed sooner or later."
Peng Fei felt too embarrassed to respond. After a pause, he asked the old man if they were hiring street cleaners.
The old man was taken aback.
"You're so young, strong, and good-looking. Why would you want to sweep the streets? This is work for old men and women like us."
"With your physical strength, you could easily earn thousands a month by working in a factory."
"Then Uncle, can you tell me where I can find a factory?"
"Child, you don't even know where to find work? Is this your first time here? Don't you have any fellow villagers?"
Peng Fei said no.
"Then why did you think of coming to Nancheng?"
He said, "I came to find someone. But I haven't found them yet, and I'm out of money, so I have to find a job first."