It drizzles endlessly during the Qingming Festival.


    Every year during the Qingming Festival, it seems destined to rain.


    Early in the morning, Ming Mei put on her raincoat and muttered to herself; she really didn''t like going to work on such a rainy day. In fact, she quite liked rainy days, but she didn''t like going to work on rainy days. Just adding "going to work" made the meaningpletely different.


    Ming Mei sighed softly, saying, "This weather is really annoying."


    Zhuang Zhixiforted her, "Shall I pick you up after work?"


    Ming Mei immediately shook her head, refusing Zhuang Zhixi, saying, "No need, just go straight home after work. There''s no point in going back and forth in such heavy rain."


    Ming Mei and her husband left the house together and encountered Old Man Lan again. They met him almost every morning. Ming Mei immediately looked at her grandfather with puppy eyes, and Old Man Lan took out a big white rabbit milk candy... This old man treated her like a child.


    Ming Mei gently reminded, "Grandpa, it''s raining today, be careful when you ride your bike."


    Old Man Lan nced at her, "Am I the kind of careless person?"


    Ming Mei gave a charming smile, saying, "It''s always right to be careful, you''re not young anymore."


    This remark earned her an eye roll from the old man who didn''t want to admit his age. Seeing her grandfather unhappy, Ming Mei quickly rode her bicycle and dashed away, while Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Grandpa, take me with you for a bit, will you?"


    Old Man Lan: "It''s so close, walk yourself!"


    With that, he rode off quickly.


    Old Man Zhuang left the house with a smile. Although he worked at the same factory as his younger son, they rarely walked together. Zhuang Zhixi always went out with his wife every day, even if it was just a hundred or eighty meters.


    Old Man Zhuang had also been young once and knew better than to be annoying.


    But today, the father and son walked together, and even Zhuang Zhiyuan joined them. However, Zhuang Zhiyuan didn''t look very well; it was understandable, considering the loud argumentst night, which they naturally could hear.


    Old Man Zhuang didn''t ask what happened to his son but said, "After the rain, we can pick mushrooms. In the past, when there were pigeon markets, many farmers from the countryside woulde to town to sell mushrooms and exchange them for some small money after the spring rain. I also went to the mountains with your mother to pick mushrooms."


    Although they were city workers and not very familiar with rural work, they weren''tpletely ignorant. They could still pick mushrooms. After all, if not done properly, it could be dangerous.


    "Unfortunately, tomorrow is not the weekend, so we can''t go mushroom picking," Zhuang Zhiximented.


    Old Man Zhuang: "Indeed."


    The father and sons reached a crossroad and saw a burnt spot on the roadside. Although it had been raining all day and superstition was not allowed, the customs of the Qingming Festival made it inevitable for some to do it secretly.


    As long as no one was caught, no one could say anything.


    Old Man Zhuang sighed, "Bold indeed."


    Zhuang Zhixi smiled, saying, "No one saw, so it''s fine."


    Zhuang Zhiyuan, however, was not in a good mood and didn''t say much, only saying, "I''m going that way."


    Since they didn''t work at the same ce, they parted ways at the crossroad. Old Man Zhuang watched his eldest son''s back and said, "The most taboo thing for a couple is to quarrel; it hurts their feelings."


    He and his wife never quarreled. A man should let his woman, after all.


    Zhuang Zhixi: "If my brother takes a step back, my sister-inw will empty the Zhuang household."


    Old Man Zhuang: "..."


    Zhuang Zhixi didn''t want to discuss his brother''s private affairs. After all, he couldn''t make decisions for others, and his brother and sister-inw were ssmates with feelings. As a younger brother, he had no reason to meddle.


    Zhuang Zhixi: "Dad, are there any closer ces in the city to pick mushrooms?"


    Old Man Zhuang: "There are, but they are few, and there will be many people in the next couple of days. Besides, you''re not off tomorrow."


    Zhuang Zhixi: "Can''t I go after work?"


    He said, "I want to eat chicken stewed with mushrooms."


    Thinking of this delicacy, Zhuang Zhixi licked his lips, feeling hungry. He really liked mushrooms and thought they were delicious no matter how they were cooked, especially when stewed with chicken. Although their family ate better than before, he found himself craving more.


    Old Man Zhuang: "..."


    He said gloomily, "Don''t dream about that."


    Zhuang Zhixi: "We still have a smoked wild chicken at home, right?"


    He sounded quite assertive, but Old Man Zhuang bluntly told him, "Don''t think about it. Just two days after having turtle soup, don''t expect your mother to cook meat dishes again. What kind of family can eat meat every day?"


    Zhuang Zhixi: "..."


    Ah!


    The father and son walked and talked, watching Bai Fendou ride past on his bike, pressing the bell proudly: "Why aren''t you riding bikes? It''s much faster with a bike on a rainy day!" He showed off arrogantly and rode away.


    Soon, they saw Zhou Qun riding past with his wife...


    Riding a bike on such a day was quite an advantage, and Zhou Qun also showed some pride.


    Zhuang Zhixi: "Aren''t they showing off? Who doesn''t have a bike? We just choose not to ride."


    Since today their sister-inw was going back to her parents'' house, they decided not to ride bikes. But they rarely rode bikes anyway, as it wasn''t very far. Walking was fine.


    Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "We have two bikes at home too."


    Old Man Zhuang: "Why are you getting upset? They show off their bikes, we walk ours."


    Old Man Zhuang rarely argued over such things. As long as it didn''t hit his face, he was fine with it. Zhuang Zhixi knew his father''s temperament and continued to murmur...


    Old Man Zhuang: "..."


    He wasn''t much of a talker, but why was his son such a chatterbox?


    The father and son arrived at the machinery factory and met Zhang San at the gate. Zhuang Zhixi greeted him with a smile, "It''s your turn to be on duty again today."


    Zhang San: "Yeah, that''s right. You know my luck, it''s always like this on rainy days."


    Zhang San: "Oh, by the way, I''lle find youter to ask you something."


    He lowered his voice, as if it were something important.


    Zhuang Zhixi nodded, "Sure."


    On a rainy day, one couldn''t skip work. Zhuang Zhixi and the others had already entered the factory, and the people from their courtyard were also dwindling. Those who didn''t leave were mostly housewives without jobs. Liang Meifen waited all morning but saw no change in her mother-inw, finally realizing her mother-inw wouldn''t give her anything to take back to her parents'' house.


    Her heart ached, but she didn''t dare to ask directly.


    After waiting in vain, she finally said, "Mom, I''m going back to my parents'' house today, I''ll be leaving now."


    She tried this out, and Zhao Guihua didn''t even look up, saying, "Go ahead."


    Liang Meifen felt even more disheartened and responded with an "Oh."


    Soon, she thought of another point and bit her lip, saying, "Mom, are you using the bike today? If not, I''ll take it with me."


    This way, she saved the bus fare for the round trip.


    Her parents'' house was not far from Ming Mei''s, so walking was not an option. If she didn''t take the bus, she had to ride a bike.


    Zhao Guihua didn''t make things difficult for her on this point, saying, "Take it if you want. With such heavy rain, where could I go? Send the kids to kindergarten, then ride straight to your parents'' house." After a pause, Zhao Guihua looked up, her tone cold, "Ride it back just as you rode it there."


    Liang Meifen was stunned for a moment, then said bitterly, "Mom, you misunderstand my parents. No matter what, they wouldn''t keep the bicycle."


    Zhao Guihua smiled sarcastically, "Who knows."


    She waved her hand, "Go."


    Liang Meifen''s mood, already bad, became even worse because of this. She didn''t understand why the Zhuang family looked down on her parents. As a grown-up daughter with a job, wasn''t it right to help her family? Helping her brother was even more right.


    This family''s prosperity is what allows her to have a voice in her husband''s family and avoid being bullied.


    Such a simple truth, yet everyone seems to be oblivious to it.


    She wore a bitter expression as she took the children out, but Hutou and Xiao Yanzi''s lively chatter finally brought some relief to Liang Meifen''s mood. After dropping the kids off at kindergarten, she headed back to her parents'' home.


    Her parents'' house was also in argepound, though it was more rundown than the machinery factory''s staff quarters.


    The quadrangle houses here were once the residences of wealthy families or minor officials, typically two- or three-courtyard houses, with some level of refinement. After liberation, they were allocated to worker families, so maintenance wasn''t too bad.


    However, Liang Meifen''s family''s ce was different. It was a genuinergepound on the outskirts of the city, inhabited by impoverished families even before liberation, surrounded by ces like cart stops. It was a ssic settlement for the lower ss, where her family had lived for decades.


    Now, that area was still rtively poor, with many households relying on odd jobs like assembling matchboxes, cutting threads, or sewing rags to make a living.


    Thus, Liang Meifen was considered a "golden phoenix" who had soared out of thergepound.


    Although Zhuang''s family wasn''t particrly wealthy, it was the best possible match for Liang Meifen. If not for dating Zhuang Zhiyuan in school, even with a high school diploma, she wouldn''t have found a partner of such quality.


    She had always been the child her parents boasted about, a well-known figure.


    Her marriage was good, and every time she returned, she brought a lot of gifts, earning her much admiration.


    However, this year''s New Year visit was a disappointment to her parents. Though the gifts she brought were still the most among those who returned to their parents'' home, they were fewer than previous years. In past years, with money in hand, she would buy gifts even if her inws didn''t prepare them.


    But with no job this year, the money she earned each month was also used to support her parents, leaving her in a bind.


    For this reason, her parents'' expressions were grim, and her siblings were sarcastic. This time, she returned empty-handed... She sighed, her heart heavy as she headed to her parents'' home. As soon as she entered thepound, she met Aunt Chu, who immediately scanned her from head to toe and said with a smile, "Oh, Meifen''s back, and empty-handed too. Your parents always say you''re the most filial."


    It wasn''t surprising that Aunt Chu said this; after all, Liang Meifen''s parents often bragged, making the neighbors feel ufortable over time.


    Seeing her empty-handed, it was natural for them toment.


    Liang Meifen''s face showed difort, and she forced a smile, "I..."


    Before she could speak, the door opened, and it was Granny Hu, who quickly opened the door with a smile, "Meifen, you''re back..." Her voice stopped abruptly, focusing on Liang Meifen''s empty hands, her face turning pale.


    "Come in already, why are you standing outside chatting in the rain? Are you bored or something?"


    Her tone immediately changed, not very pleasant.


    Liang Meifen quickly pushed her bicycle into the house; there were no eaves here, so leaving it outside would get it wet. As she turned around after parking, she saw her mother staring at the bicycle, her eyes glued to it.


    "Did you buy a bicycle?" Granny Hu asked, her tone softening, "You two know how to spend money."


    Hmm, it seems Meifen still has money, she must be able to contribute more!


    Liang Meifen quickly shook her head, "No, this is what my mother-inw bought, we didn''t pay for it."


    Granny Hu didn''t care, nodding with satisfaction, "Since your husband is the eldest son, it''s for you."


    This made Liang Meifen ufortable; she had always known that boys were better, and the eldest son was even more important. This was the deep-rooted education from her parents. However, the Zhuang family wasn''t like that.


    She had been married for over eight years, almost nine, and she knew the Zhuang family well.


    She forced a bitter smile, "Mom, you know my mother-inw doesn''t care about whether you''re the eldest son or not."


    She sighed and sat down, "My sister-inw is a tterer, and she pleases the olddy a lot."


    Previously, she couldn''t say these things when her husband was around, but today she felt free to speak her mind.


    "She''s well-off, and when my mother-inw mentioned there was no tea at home, she brought back some high-grade tea dust. This made her even more favored by my mother-inw. You don''t know, her grandfather also moved into ourpound..."


    "What! How can that be!" Granny Hu immediately protested, "Why, does she have to support him?"


    Liang Meifen quickly shook her head, "No, that old man is very independent, doesn''t like living with his children. He''s living well, at over seventy, and the machinery factory still invited him as an expert from another ce. When he moved, the deputy factory director even came. With such a background, I have even less of a say in my mother-inw''s eyes."


    Granny Hu frowned, "But he''s the eldest son, and in the future, he''ll have to rely on you for old age care..."


    Granny Hu thought that her inws were muddled, not favoring the eldest son, who would eventually take care of them.


    Liang Meifen shook her head again.


    Granny Hu widened her eyes, "What? They don''t want to rely on the eldest son but the younger one? Aren''t they afraid of being criticized?"


    Liang Meifen spoke with difficulty, "No, my mother-inw said they might not be able to rely on us, so we shouldn''t try to assert ourselves in front of her."


    Granny Hu wasn''t convinced, "You listen to her, she''s just saying that now, but when they''re old, they''ll have to rely on you."


    Liang Meifen didn''t dare to share her mother''s optimism, shaking her head, "I doubt it. Since my brother-inw got married, my mother-inw has be more assertive and even fiercer."


    She sighed, feeling her mother didn''t understand her situation.


    Granny Hu poked her daughter''s forehead, "You useless girl, howe after so many years of marriage, you can''t even win over your mother-inw, letting a neer take the lead."


    Liang Meifen thought that the neer was straightforward and didn''t support her parents, which the inws naturally liked.


    Though she wasn''t clear-headed, she had a son, and if her daughter-inw supported her parents, she wouldn''t like it either.


    "Mom, what can I do? You know my mother-inw, she''s unyielding. Besides, she''s not looking kindly on me now."


    "That''s because you''re not capable. If you were, even a stone would be warmed by now. Look at how you''ve handled things..." Despite ming her daughter, Granny Hu couldn''t take her eyes off the bicycle.


    Without hesitation, she said, "Can we borrow this bicycle for a few days?"


    Liang Meifen''s heart soared instantly, suddenly recalling her mother-inw''s words before she left. She screamed, "No!!!"


    Granny Hu was startled, "What are you doing! Why are you shouting?"


    She felt her daughter was bing more and more unfilial, her face darkening, "I raised you well and even paid for your education. Look at your siblings, who had as much schooling as you? Now you''re unwilling to help the family just because of this? You''re shouting at me?"


    She wouldn''t mention that her other children weren''t academic material.


    Liang Meifen quickly nodded, "I know, Mom, I know you''ve been good to me. But the bicycle really can''t be lent... If I lend it out, my mother-inw will make me divorce." She forced a bitter smile, "You don''t know, she''s warned me about this many times..."


    This truly startled Granny Hu, "What! She dares!"


    "What wouldn''t she dare?"


    Liang Meifen felt miserable, "Now, I have no status at home."


    "That''s not eptable, I''ll go talk to her, I don''t believe my son-inw..."


    Liang Meifen quickly stopped her mother, "Mom, if you go, my mother-inw really will hit you! Zhixuan won''t help me!"


    Granny Hu didn''t expect things to have reached this point, and she was feeling rather down: "How dare they!"


    "What''s there to be afraid of? Ever since I listened to you and secretly gave my job to my younger brother, the whole family has been looking at me with disdain. Mom, don''t go, my mother-inw is not someone to be trifled with."


    Granny Hu snapped: "Are you ming me?"


    Liang Meifen quickly replied: "No, Mom, you know me... I''m having a hard time. I won''t hide it from you,st night I had a fight with Zhiyuan, and he mentioned you all as if you were bugs..."


    "How dare he!" Granny Hu was trembling with anger, but then she thought again and felt a bit uneasy. The job matter was indeed handled unfairly by their family. But helping the younger brother is not wrong! Sacrificing everything should be the norm, who cares about the daughter anyway?


    However, she really didn''t dare to make a scene, after all, she had her own ns...


    She looked at her daughter''s ipetent appearance and sighed, saying: "You, as the older sister, don''t help your younger brother, who else can he rely on? I asked you toe back this time for him."


    Liang Meifen: "Mom, is something wrong? Is it about my younger brother at the factory?"


    Granny Hu shook her head: "No, it''s about your brother''s fiancée. You know, your brother is not young anymore, and now that he has a job, they are discussing getting married. But that family only has one son and ns to use their daughter for an exchange marriage. So the bride price is a bit high, and they also want the Three Turns and One Ring, thirty-six legs... I was thinking, as the older sister, you should take responsibility. Why not prepare everything for him..."


    Liang Meifen looked at her mother in disbelief, shaking her head like a rattle drum: "No, no no, Mom, what are you saying? Where would I get the money for this? All these years, I haven''t saved anything, you know that. Now even my job has been given to my younger brother. I have nothing left, and I have no standing in my husband''s family. If you ask me to borrow money from my mother-inw, she might just incite a divorce. You don''t know how much she despises you all... Besides, you are also to me, my younger brother''s fiancée, you spoil her. What kind of conditions does she have to demand so much? Even officials'' families don''t ask for so much. Does she think she''s a fairy? And my younger brother, can''t even handle a woman, what kind of man is he? How can you let them..."


    Liang Meifen''s mind is unclear, and her words are not pleasant to hear, so she is not favored by her mother.


    Right now, although what she said is true, Granny Hu feels very ufortable hearing it.


    Granny Hu, although unhappy in her heart, still had to endure her anger and said: "Your brother likes her, and says that if he can''t marry her, he won''t marry for the rest of his life..."


    "Younger brother now has a stable job, if this one doesn''t work out, he can find another. How can he hang himself on one tree? That woman must be fooling him, my younger brother is too naive."


    "How dare you talk like that!" Granny Hu was displeased: "You just don''t want your younger brother to live well, you ungrateful wretch."


    She finally couldn''t hold back and scolded: "Just asking you to give a little money, and you''re unwilling. Look at who in the yard has studied as much as you..."


    "Mom, why are you talking about me? Aren''t we discussing my younger brother''s fiancée?" Liang Meifen said seriously: "We can''t ept such a greedy woman."


    The two mother and daughter talked past each other, and the people in the yard heard themotion, quicklying out and eavesdropping not far from the door, one by one they pouted: "Granny Hu is too shameless."


    "Greed knows no bounds."


    "If this daughter doesn''t take care of her, let''s see what she does? She''ll end up alienating all her children sooner orter."


    Granny Hu heard the whispers outside, directly opened the door, and snapped: "What''s it to you? Eavesdropping at my door, are you full and bored? Truly shameless, I..."


    She took a step forward, ready to teach them a lesson, but slipped unexpectedly, falling heavily to the ground... Thud!


    She fell heavily, a tooth falling out: "Damn it all..."


    This cursed rainy day!!


    Liang Meifen: "Mom, my goodness, are you alright..."


    "Take me to the hospital, quick! Take me to the hospital..."


    "Give me some money, I didn''t bring any..." Liang Meifen cried.


    The scene became a bit chaotic...


    While Liang Meifen''s family had a minor ident, her sister-inw, Ming Mei, also encountered a problem.


    Ming Mei really didn''t like going to work on rainy days. She didn''t know about others, but among her colleagues, none of them liked it. As a stewardess, they suffered more than drivers on rainy days. Getting on and off the bus in the rain, the stewardesses sitting by the door really suffered, often getting sshed with water.


    In winter, snow was better, but rain was really annoying.


    Not only did it easily make them look disheveled, but the work also required extra care. Rain made the ground slippery, prone to falls. In addition, there were more thieves, and such an environment was very suitable for thieves to strike. Ming Mei had once caught a thief on a rainy day.


    So on rainy days, all stewardesses had to be on high alert.


    Ming Mei''s route had not seen a thief for a long time, but she did not dare to be careless. In this day and age, the profession of thieves had not disappeared, which was strange. Ming Mei sighed with worry, and at that moment, her gaze fell on a man.


    This man was really ordinary, not tall, not strong, and wearing ordinary clothes, in short, he had no distinguishing features. As a stewardess, she encountered many such ordinary people every day, but today, Ming Mei felt something was off about this man.


    She hesitated, but still looked at him a few more times.


    Their eyes met, and the man immediately looked away.


    Ming Mei raised her eyebrows, paying even more attention to this person. As a stewardess, she met many people and had some ability to observe. Ming Mei originally thought this man was three points strange, now it became five points.


    She put on a stern face and said: "Move to the back, there are seats in the back, don''t block the front, move to the back."


    Today, this was not just a ruse to get people to move back, but there really were seats, after all, on rainy days, who would go out unless necessary? There were not many people on the bus, Ming Mei: "Move to the back."


    Not many people got on at this stop, all moving to the back.


    Ming Mei looked up at the rearview mirror, observing that man again through it. He was sitting in the second tost row from the back, looking very calm, but his eyes were surveying the surroundings.


    Ming Mei, okay, the strangeness had increased to seven points.


    "Driver, it''s raining today and the road is slippery, drive slowly! Be careful," Ming Mei said crisply, reminding the driver. The driver frowned immediately, then said: "I know."


    This was their internal "code," thieves had their own code, and they naturally had theirs.


    Ming Mei''s reminder to be careful was not about the road, the driver immediately understood what she meant. Basically, when they said such things, it meant there was a suspicious person on the bus.


    In the early years, right after liberation, there were still people with unclear identities, and the public was highly vignt, especially in their industry, with several sets of code words. They cooperated with each other to catch bad guys. Now, there were no such things.


    Whenever they reminded each other, it was usually about a thief.


    Not a thief, but someone suspicious.


    Although it''s said that during this time, doors were left utched, that was indeed the case. Some ces never locked their doors because they were so poor that even rats wouldn''t enter, what was there to worry about? Even if not, a stranger in an alley would be immediately recognized.


    Don''t underestimate the old folks''bat power, it''s top-notch.


    So basically, if there was a thief, it would be in such public ces. The profession hadn''t disappeared, and asionally there would be thieves on buses. Ming Mei''s route was rare, but others were not.


    The bus quickly stopped at the next station, Ming Mei: "Front door for boarding, rear door for alighting, buy tickets upon boarding..."


    Two women got on, Ming Mei was surprised: "Sister-inw?"


    Liang Meifen didn''t expect to run into Ming Mei. She had no idea which route Ming Mei was on, so when she saw her, she was momentarily stunned but quickly greeted her: "Ming Mei."


    Ming Mei nced at the elderly woman beside Liang Meifen. The woman bore a striking resemnce to Granny Zhou, with sharp features that hinted at a bitter and mean-spirited nature. At the moment, she was clutching her waist, supported by Liang Meifen, looking pitiful.


    Ming Mei: "Buy a ticket and move to the back."


    Liang Meifen hesitated, not wanting to buy a ticket. If she could save that money... She couldn''t bring herself to say it, but Granny Hu quickly chimed in: "Aren''t you Zhuang Laosan''s wife? We''re all rtives, how can we charge for a ticket? A couple of people not buying tickets won''t be noticeable."


    She didn''t believe this woman would have the nerve to ask her to pay.


    Ming Mei nced at the olddy and felt her instincts were right; she did resemble Granny Zhou.


    She smiled and said, "Are you trying to dig holes in the socialist wall?"


    That was quite a heavy usation.


    Liang Meifen shivered.


    Even Granny Hu was taken aback.


    Liang Meifen quickly said, "No, we don''t mean that. Mom, don''t talk nonsense."


    "Right, right, I was just talking nonsense. What I meant was, you should just pay for the ticket." She really had a thick skin.


    Ming Mei smiled: "No, one thing is one thing. Don''t try to get close during work hours. Besides, this is our first meeting, so don''t pretend we''re old acquaintances. Either buy a ticket or get off the bus. You can''t just stand here and refuse to buy a ticket, causing trouble for everyone. It''s not right to be so selfish."


    "You!"


    Granny Hu had thought that a young woman would be easily swayed by a few words, but seeing this one wasn''t backing down, her face darkened. Ming Mei''s tone grew sterner: "Are you going to buy a ticket or not?"


    The two of them blocking the entrance caused quite a stir among the passengers.


    "What''s wrong with this olddy? Even trying to get a free ride."


    "Exactly, Ming Mei even said it''s their first meeting, yet she still tries to get close. Too much..."


    "Ah, who doesn''t have such rtives? I do too... always looking for freebies."


    The passengers murmured. Generally, people were quite honest when it didn''t involve them. Liang Meifen, being conscious of her reputation, quickly bought a ticket under the scrutiny. Though she resented Ming Mei for not being lenient and buying their tickets, she didn''t say anything and pushed her mother to the back.


    "Let''s go to the back."


    Granny Hu''s face was ck as coal. Thest seats at the previous stop were already taken, and now there were no seats left. Granny Hu walked up to a man and started nagging: "People can''t be too selfish. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is what young people should do. Giving up a seat for an elderly person is the right thing to do."


    She looked at the man, coincidentally the one Ming Mei found suspicious.


    The man ignored her.


    Granny Hu was annoyed and continued, "Young people nowadays, their morals are far worse than in our time. Back then, we would always give up our seats for the elderly..."


    Granny Hu chose this man for a reason. Usually, she would pick young girls or young women, who would easily give up their seats upon request.


    Even if they didn''t and were stubborn, she wouldn''t lose out in a scuffle.


    She wouldn''t dare to pick a strong man, though. She only targeted young girls. Men? No way, she couldn''t win a fight!


    Besides men, middle-aged women and women her age were also off-limits. They wouldn''t care about face and wouldn''t hold back in a fight.


    So she usually chose young girls or young women. If there were none, she would pick a seemingly honest young man. If even that wasn''t possible, she would give up.


    As for strong men and middle-aged women, she wouldn''t dare to provoke them.


    Today, unfortunately, there were no young girls. It made sense, as it was neither early norte, and it was Qingming Festival with rain, so there were indeed no young girls on the bus.


    Granny Hu, with her daughter, felt emboldened to challenge a male passenger.


    She stood by the man and kept muttering, drawing disgusted looks from those around.


    The man, hesitating, finally stood up: "You can sit."


    Apparently, he couldn''t take it anymore. The olddy didn''t look happy, feeling he should have given up his seat sooner, making her stand longer.


    She wasn''t grateful and said, "Young people should have given up their seats earlier. Trulycking in respect for the elderly."


    She intentionally bumped into the young man and plopped down.


    The young man hadn''t expected this old hag to be so shameless. Unaware, he was bumped, and a tter sounded as something fell to the ground. Ming Mei quickly turned around, her eyes widening in shock.


    Not just her, but other passengers were also stunned. A gold bar had fallen from the man''s possession.


    "Holy crap!" Someone eximed in astonishment.


    They hadn''t seen something like that before!


    The driver, already keeping an eye on the situation, mmed on the brakes.


    Seeing his gold bar fall, the man quickly picked it up. But then, Granny Hu, brazenly, tried to snatch it: "This is mine!"


    Such a im was truly audacious.


    The man, probably infuriated by this old hag, pped her hard.


    Smack!


    The man''s strength was considerable; Granny Hu''s face swelled instantly.


    "What are you doing, hitting my mom... Ah!!" Liang Meifen was kicked back by the man, falling to the ground, "Ugh!"


    "You, you, you!" Granny Hu was now scared: "Let me go, I was wrong..."


    Such a bullying, cheap olddy would cower at the sight of someone fierce.


    "I didn''t mean it, here, take it..."


    "Damn it, I''ve never seen anyone dare to mess with me, Xu Laizi!" He started pping her left and right, seven or eight times, causing her nose to bleed and a tooth to fly out.


    Already missing a tooth from the fall, now two more were knocked out.


    "What are you doing!"


    Ming Mei also stepped in, "You can''t just hit people, stop it!"


    Though she didn''t like the olddy, seeing someone getting beaten like this was uneptable, especially with her foolish sister-inw around. Ming Mei grabbed the man, who pushed her hard, making her stumble.


    The man''s strength was extraordinary; even Ming Mei, skilled in martial arts, was pushed back, showing his immense power.


    But Ming Mei wasn''t easy to deal with. She quickly steadied herself and grabbed him. The man blocked her, but Ming Mei pulled hard, causing his raincoat to tear open, and a package fell, ttering to the ground.


    A dozen gold barsy there, gleaming brightly...


    "My goodness!"


    "What kind of person is this!"


    Everyone was shocked. Clearly, this was no ordinary situation.


    Ming Mei was about to grab the man. The man dropped some gold bars, his face turned even darker, and he was furious, immediately pulling out a knife: "Get lost, get out of here. This is mine, all of this is mine, no one can take it away from me!"


    He kept waving the knife around, bending down to pick up his things.


    Ming Mei seized the moment and kicked the nearest gold bar, which hit his wrist.


    "You little brat, I''ll teach you a lesson," the man shouted, brandishing the knife and charging forward...


    "Ah!"


    "Oh my God!"


    Everyone scrambled to the car doors, banging on them. The driver nced at the situation and decided not to trap them inside. They had all taken safety education courses and knew that in such cases, minimizing danger was crucial.


    He quickly opened the doors, and everyone rushed out of the car. Even Granny Hu was trying to climb out when her daughter, Liang Meifen, grabbed her and pushed her forcefully: "Mom, you go first, I''ll help Ming Mei!"


    Granny Hu was about to escape when the man, who hated her intensely, stomped on her ankle: "You old hag! You''re the one causing all this trouble!"


    He stabbed towards her with the knife, but Ming Mei quickly kicked him, causing him to shift the knife away in pain. Granny Hu was terrified, screaming at the top of her lungs: "Murder!!"


    Her voice was like a pig being ughtered.


    She trembled as she crawled out of the car, rolling and scrambling, not caring about any injuries, finally managing to get out and copsing on the ground.


    Liang Meifen didn''t run away; she couldn''t find anything suitable, so she picked up a gold bar and threw it at the man like a brick. He dodged it and red at her with murderous intent.


    Liang Meifen: "No, no, don''t kill me..."


    She was terrified...


    The man''s knife swung again, but Ming Mei acted quickly, suddenly closing in and performing a judo throw, sending him crashing to the ground. Without hesitation, she followed up with a kick, which was far more severe than the thug''s kick on Granny Hu. The man, flung like a kite with a broken string, flew out from behind the car and crashed into a roadside utility pole, groaning and spitting out blood.


    He struggled to get up and was about to run when he tripped over something and fell again. Looking up, he saw it was the unlucky olddy, the jinx of a woman who seemed to be cursed against him.Aliali: 67219cfb3a4784313d7ca9d4


    He shed back with the knife, cutting through the olddy''s padded trousers, sending cotton flying...


    Luckily, the olddy wasn''t a man, or she would have been castrated.


    By now, quite a crowd had gathered. Ming Mei stepped forward again. Surprisingly, the man knew some martial arts, and they exchanged blows. Ming Meinded a punch, and the man coughed up blood.


    The onlookers: "Holy crap!"


    This woman is really fierce!


    A big man like him can be beaten to the point of spitting blood!


    Under Ming Mei''s relentless attacks, the man was finally subdued. The driver quickly stepped forward, found some rope, and tied him up. The two worked together seamlessly.


    Ming Mei: "Driver, gather the gold bars and head straight to the police station."


    She looked up: "Who''s willing to go and testify... Also, you..."


    She nced at Granny Hu, who looked at Ming Mei with fear, trembling: "I, I''ll go too~"