Back to 1984: I built a chicken farm on a barren mountain.

Unlike others who simply parrot what they hear, Zheng Dali and Zhang Caifeng received the news of Qin Xiaofen's departure firsthand.

Because of the heavy snow, Zheng Erli was unable to return to town in time, so he could only stay at his elder brother Zheng Dali's house for another two days.

"How did the factory visit go today?"

Zheng Dali placed the food and drinks on the table while asking questions.

Zheng Erli took off his cotton-padded coat, revealing a sweater underneath, and removed his hat, revealing his hair that was flattened by the weight of the coat.

"The factory visit went smoothly; I witnessed another exciting event."

"What kind of excitement is there that's worth staying outside in the heavy snow to watch?"

Zhang Caifeng brought over a bowl of dumplings. She had watched Zheng Erli grow up. They say an elder sister-in-law is like a mother, and taking advantage of the heavy snow, Zhang Caifeng had specially made some dumplings. She asked:

"I was worried you'd eaten lunch with the village chief and the others. Try the dumplings later to see if they're good; they're filled with dried green beans."

"Sister-in-law, don't bother. It's not a holiday, why are you making dumplings?"

"Hey, your return is like New Year's for your sister-in-law. She always treats you like a little kid!"

Feeling a little embarrassed by his elder brother and sister-in-law's words, Zheng Erli changed the subject:

"I came back late because I watched some commotion at Han Laosi's soy sauce factory."

"That old man Han, this soy sauce factory was clearly your idea, but in the end it became his own."

Zhang Caifeng, a woman of few words, disliked Han Laosi's stingy nature. Adding to her woes, after Qin Xiaofen arrived, Han Laosi sent Li Dahua back to her parents' home, and Qin Xiaofen, a restless woman, wanted to arrange a marriage for her daughter, Zheng Xuejiao. She couldn't help but curse:

"That Han Laosi, he'll get his comeuppance sooner or later. He was just stingy before, but now he's truly wicked!"

"He really got his comeuppance!"

Zheng Erli took off his shoes, sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), warmed his hands by the headboard, and said:

"Today, a group of people from the county came to the soy sauce factory looking for Qin Xiaofen, claiming to be her cousin. The two sides almost got into a fight."

"The soy sauce factory and the brick factory were not far apart. Wenfeng noticed the commotion over there, so we went over to see what was going on. When the village chief saw that the two sides were about to fight, he stepped in to mediate."

"This revelation had no consequences; it exposed all of Qin Xiaofen's secrets. Qin Xiaofen was taken away, and Han Laosi fell ill from worry."

"Is that so?"

Zhang Caifeng said with surprise and delight.

Zheng Dali was also quite interested and asked:

"What's Qin Xiaofen's background?"

"She really has a story to tell."

"The dumplings are ready. Let's eat and talk."

Zhang Caifeng served a dish of vinegar and placed two cloves of garlic on the kang table, inviting the two brothers to eat.

The three of them sat cross-legged around the kang table, each holding a bowl of dumplings and eating.

These days, many families can't even afford dumplings for the New Year. Zheng Dali sells meat, and Zheng Erli goes out to do business, so the Zheng family's standard of living is among the best in Chenjiazhuang.

"Sister-in-law, you've put a lot of meat in these dumplings!"

Zheng Erli ate three dumplings in one go, and only took a serious bite of the fourth one to savor it.

"You're still so impatient. I was just waiting for you to say something. You ate several before you finally got to eat the meaty part."

Zheng Dali stopped talking as he ate.

"Tell your sister-in-law, what's really going on with Qin Xiaofen?"

"She's ruined a lot of families in the county. Many families have been thrown into chaos because of her. The man who came this time is called Old Wang. He seems to be well-off and honest. He divorced his wife for Qin Xiaofen and wanted to live a good life with her. But Qin Xiaofen is restless and her reputation in the county is ruined. She can't stay here anymore, so she ran to Han Laosi's place."

"Later, Old Wang found Qin Xiaofen's house. Qin Xiaofen had no choice but to say that she wanted to find a beautiful girl in Chenjiazhuang to be Old Wang's wife. It seems that she didn't find one. Today, Old Wang came and took Qin Xiaofen away."

"This time, Han Laosi admitted it. He knew Qin Xiaofen was trying to swindle him out of his money. But after Qin Xiaofen left, he didn't know whether to feel heartache or regret, and he suddenly collapsed..."

Zheng Erli wanted to continue speaking, but Zhang Caifeng punched Zheng Dali hard while cursing:

"I knew Qin Xiaofen was a scoundrel! You even called her 'sister.' If Guizhi hadn't come, she would have really fooled you!"

Zheng Dali also regretted it. Back then, Qin Xiaofen bought meat from him and pretended to be pitiful, almost becoming Xuejiao's matchmaker.

Moreover, Zhang Caifeng was clearly also tempted at the time.

Later, Wang Guizhi came over, and Zhang Caifeng changed her mind, resolutely refusing to let Qin Xiaofen get involved in her daughter's affairs.

Zheng Erli was completely bewildered, not knowing what his brother and sister-in-law were up to, and asked:

"Sister-in-law, what's going on between you and Qin Xiaofen...?"

Ask your brother!

"elder brother......"

Zheng Dali coughed twice and said:

"Well, Qin Xiaofen came to me before, saying she wanted to help Zheng Xuejiao find a husband. She said the man was from the county town and his family was well-off. I almost agreed, but luckily your sister-in-law stopped me."

Zheng Dali dared not say that Zhang Caifeng had almost agreed at the time, and could only take the blame upon himself. But then he heard Zheng Erli put down his chopsticks and say seriously:

"Brother, you're really making a mistake! Do you know who Qin Xiaofen is going to introduce to him? It's that old Wang I just mentioned. Old Wang isn't young anymore, and his money was taken by his ex-wife. If Xuejiao goes there, it'll be a living hell!"

Zheng Dali fell silent after his younger brother's words.

"It's only because my sister-in-law is so insightful that she noticed something was wrong with Qin Xiaofen!"

Zhang Caifeng felt a little embarrassed by Zheng Erli's words and waved her hands repeatedly, saying:

"I almost fell for it too, but Wang Guizhi came over and reminded me..."

At this point, Zhang Caifeng seemed to have figured something out. How did Wang Guizhi know so much?

Zheng Erli seemed to have grasped the crux of the problem and said:

"Sister-in-law, you said Wang Guizhi contacted you and told you about Qin Xiaofen?"

"She didn't tell me what happened to Qin Xiaofen, she just said that Xuejiao didn't need to marry someone from far away, there were plenty of good young men in our village!"

"As we were chatting, I realized that Wenfeng was a good match for her, and she also liked Xuejiao. So, the two of us mothers reached out to each other first."

"I was thinking of settling this matter now, but then I felt there was no need to rush it. Let the two kids get to know each other first."

Zheng Dali was unaware of all the twists and turns involved. He liked Chen Wenfeng very much. Not to mention that Chen Shouyi and his wife were good people, he wouldn't object to Chen Shouren's actions either.

Zheng Erli, however, seemed to have guessed the key information in this:

Chen Wenfeng.

Chen Wenfeng was the one who discovered the trip to the soy sauce factory to see what was going on.

Previously, Qin Xiaofen wanted to arrange a marriage for Zheng Xuejiao, but it was Chen Wenfeng's mother, Wang Guizhi, who suddenly appeared.

Later, my older brother gambled once, and it seems to have something to do with Chen Wenfeng.

Thinking of this, Zheng Erli wanted to confirm, so he asked:

"Brother, what happened after you gambled with Han Laosi last time?"