Chapter 1: Migrant Workers Return to Their Hometowns

As the sun rose, a new day began in Xia He Village. The sounds from each household lifted the curtain on a fresh start. Shu Qu Lou ()

While other families were only just reluctantly getting off their heated kang beds, Lao Xu's household was already bustling with activity.

Today is the day that Lao Xu's son, Xu Fan, who has been working in the provincial capital for three years without returning home, is coming back.

"Xiuzhi, the water is boiling. Take the porridge on the stove to your father."

"Hey! I know, Mom!"

In Lao Xu's courtyard, Xu Fan's mother-in-law Zhang Limei was butchering the old hen in her hands while calling out to a pretty girl in the kitchen.

This would be hard work for kids, but thinking about Xu Fan who is about to go home makes it all worthwhile!

Speaking of it, Old Xu's family hasn't been doing so well lately.

Xu Fan's father, Xu Guo, was working on a construction site for Zhang Mazzi in the county town when he was accidentally impaled by a steel bar. He is currently lying at home without money to go to the hospital.

Xu Fan's younger sister, Xu Xiuxiu, is about to graduate from high school and take college entrance exams. However, the money for college tuition has not yet been secured.

These piles should have been the size of Mount Li, but Zhang Liming was confident that once her son returned home, all of this would be solved!

The other day, Xu Fan said over the phone that he would soon be promoted to general manager. Once he's in that position, his monthly salary will increase to 18,000!

If he's back now, it can't be to bring good news home, can it?

"Daughter-in-law! Where is he? Your Xu Fan, why hasn't he come back yet?"

Just as I was pondering if my son had been worn down these years living alone outside, suddenly, a middle-aged woman, leading a pretty child, walked into the yard.

"Huh? Mrs. Cui, what's this?"

Seeing her neighbor Cui's daughter-in-law walk in with her young child, Zhang Limei was completely baffled.

"Oh my! Daughter-in-law, I'm just here to see if Xu Fan is coming back and let my daughter come have a look!"

“Your Xu Fan is twenty-three years old now, it's time for him to get married. Look at my Yue, she's pretty and has a strong backside. If your Xu Fan marries her, I guarantee he'll have a big fat boy next year!”

"Mother! What on earth are you talking about!"

Flustered by her mother's praise, Yue Lian's face flushed. She muttered a complaint before turning to look at Zhang Li Mei.

"Zhang Auntie, I heard that Brother Xu Fan became a general manager, earning over 10,000 yuan a month. Is that true?"

In the countryside, sons are valued more than daughters. Seeing her son Xu Fan being praised so much, Zhang Li Mei, whose spine was bent by years of hard work, felt a surge of pride and her spirits lifted for a moment.

"Auntie Cui, this is really embarrassing. My son Xu Fan found a friend in the provincial city, so your daughter Yue... I'm afraid she might be inconvenienced..."

Xu Fan sent Zhang Limei photos of a friend. The person is from the city, pretty, well-dressed, and most importantly, Xu Fan likes them personally.

Zhang Limei pondered, pushing away the match with Cui's daughter-in-law, but Cui's daughter-in-law was not discouraged at all.

"Oh! She's a city girl, unlike our rural folks who know how to serve people. Don't rush her, wait for Xu Fan to come back and they can have a good talk!"

"That's right! Auntie Zhang, it's been a long time since I've seen Xu Fan either. Even if we don't talk about marriage, I should catch up with him..."

Mother and daughter's relentless flattering attitude left Zhang Limei amused and bewildered!

But as a mother, she is still happy that her son is liked by others.

"Hmm?"

Just as he was about to agree, he heard the chug-chug-chugging sound of a tractor coming from outside the courtyard.

"Huh? Aunt Zhang, isn't that Brother Xu Fan sitting upstairs?"

Hearing the sound of the moon, Zhang Limei instinctively looked out into the yard.

Behind the slowly moving tractor sat a thin young man, handsome and with the fatigue of a long journey etched on his face.

This shadow and the shadow Zhang Limei thought about day and night overlapped, finally turning into tears that couldn't stop flowing from her eye sockets...

"Xiuzhi! Come quickly! Your brother, your brother is back!"

Zhang Limei cried tears of joy! She shouted excitedly, calling out her daughter, Xu Xiuxiu, and then walked out to meet her in the courtyard.

"My child, you're finally back. Mother has been thinking of you all these years..."

The tractor sat idle at the gate, and as Xu Fan watched his mother walk towards him with tears in her eyes, his own nose began to sting.

Over these years, he has been alone in the provincial city. He has longed for home many times.

"Alright, mother! Don't cry, it's not like we're putting on a show for everyone to laugh at, is it?"

Forcing a smile, Xu Fan wiped Zhang Limei's tears and carried the luggage off the tractor.

"Let's go in and talk."

"Brother, XiuXiu is helping you with your luggage!"

At this time, Xu Xiuxiu stuck out her tongue playfully and diligently helped Xu Fan carry his luggage.

"You little brat, I haven't raised you for nothing!"

Xu Fan gently rubbed his younger sister's head and, leading a group of people, walked towards the courtyard.

"Xu Fan, you're already the general manager, aren't you? Why don't you wear a suit?"

"This isn't too chilly, is it..."

As she stepped into the courtyard, Yuebian muttered a complaint. Cuishen, who was watching from the side, immediately glared at her.

"You little punk, what are you dressing up for? Who are you showing off to in Xiahe Village?"

Seeing Yue being scolded, Zhang Liumei smiled wryly and said, "Auntie Cui, what Yue'er said isn't wrong."

"Son, you can't always be thinking about home. You need to spend money on yourself too. Besides, you're the general manager now, you should dress well, it's fitting for your position, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, brother, you're handsome. You'd look even better in a suit!"

Their back-and-forth conversation left Xu Fan's smile contorting into a grimace of pain.

"Mother, you might be mistaken..."

After taking a deep breath, Xu Fan finally mustered his courage. Under the confused gazes of everyone present, he revealed the truth.

"I was fired this time..."

Thinking back to the other day, when his brother conspired with their friends to frame him for the general manager position out of jealousy, Xu Fan's heart filled with immense pain.

But soon, he cheered up, smiled, and said to Cui's wife: "Cui's wife, why don't you have lunch at my place today?"

"No, no, no, it's alright. Don't bother, Xu Fan. You just got back, so spend some time with your family. Your father is still waiting for you to take care of him. I'll go now."

When Cui's Auntie heard the truth about Xu Fan's downfall, her face no longer held any of the joy from before. Now, she looked like she was avoiding a plague god, grabbing her own daughter and fleeing without a trace!

"Hmph, so you're a pauper. What a waste of time..."

Hearing a muttered word from the man as the moon rose in the courtyard, Xu Fan guessed more meaning, feeling amused in his heart. This person, and that friend of his from the city, were truly alike in their...

Did you really think you would just give up?

Looking back, seeing his mother and sister with somewhat embarrassed expressions, Xu Fan put on a forced smile and said: "Mother, Xiuxiu, there's nothing to worry about, why are you both so concerned?"

"Don't worry, it's just being laid off. I'm not going to give up so easily!"

This was Xu Fan's inner thoughts. He immediately perked up and asked with a smile, "By the way, where's my father?"

"Brother, Dad he…"

Father Xu Guo didn't come out to greet him. Xu Fan only felt a bit strange. Seeing his younger sister stammer and hesitate, he felt something was wrong.

"Xiuxi, what's going on?"

Looking at Xu Fan's serious expression, Xu Xiu Xiu pouted pitifully and confessed, "Brother, Dad injured his leg while working on a construction site the other day. He can't get out of bed now…"

"What?"

Xu Fan's face flashed with a hint of anxiety as he asked, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Chang Li-mei sighed with a wry smile, "My child, when you called home that day, you said if you tried harder for a while, you could become the general manager. We were worried that this would affect your work, so we...

Xu Fan couldn't help but wryly smile. Right now, agonizing over this was pointless. He shook his head and said, "Let's just go in."

Immediately, Xu Fan followed the two people into the house. After entering his parents' bedroom, he saw Xu Guo lying on the bed.

He looked pale and haggard. When Xu Fan walked into the room, he gritted his teeth trying to get up, but soon, the excruciating pain made him break out in a cold sweat, and he fell back onto the bed.

"Dad, just lie down and rest for a while."

Xu Fan hurried over and helped Xu Guo up.

Looking at his father's thick bandages, Xu Fan's face was full of pity. He asked, "Mother, why didn't you let Father go to the county hospital for treatment…"

Xu Guo is seriously injured, and if he doesn't receive treatment in the hospital, it is likely that his leg will be permanently disabled.

Chang Li-Mei wore a pained expression as she explained, "At first, we were keeping her in the hospital, but after you sent back money from home, it ran out. We couldn't afford to keep her there anymore, so we had to bring her home first..."

Xu Fan was a little confused and asked, "Mother, my father got injured at the construction site. Shouldn't he get some compensation?"

The father worked as a laborer under Wang Mazizi, the foreman in the county town. Logically speaking, if something like this happened, Wang Mazizi should be responsible.

Zhang Li Mei shook her head and said with a wry smile, “Wang Mazzi said it was your father who wasn't careful. He doesn't care, and you know, Wang Mazzi associates with those shady characters. If he doesn't give us anything, we can only swallow this bitter pill…”

"Damn it!"

Xu Fan punched the wall directly! Both father and son suffered the same fate. At this moment, he was filled with anger! He swore in his heart that when the time came, he would definitely settle accounts with Wang Mazizi!

"Ahem..."

At this time, only Xu Guo coughed a few times in bed and said with a forced smile: "Alright, son, don't say these things anymore. After Xiuxiu graduates, I'll let you go out to work together. By then, your strength won't be so great!"

Although Xu Guo had been lying in bed all the time, he had heard everything that was said in the yard just now.

Over the years, Xu Fan has made great sacrifices for this family. Now that her son is facing the blow of unemployment, Xu Guo thinks it's time to stop supporting him.

Ke Xu Fan, however, became agitated. He had dropped out of high school with the top academic record in his year so that he could give his sister the opportunity to further her education!

My sister told me recently that she got 60% on her mock exam! That's above the admission score for National Dong Hwa University. Giving up would be a shame!

Xu Fan said that no matter what, he couldn't let the tragedy that happened to him happen again to his sister!

"Father, XiuXiu, you must read this book!"

Xu Fan said firmly.

He knows why his parents were so cruel as to make his sister drop out of school.

Money!

Now that the father needs a large sum of money to treat his injuries, where can they find the money for Xiuxiu's education?

But this does not mean Xu Fan will give up!

He took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face and said, “Father, Mother, please don’t worry! I’ll find a way to handle the money! Xiu Xiu will go to university! And yours, will also be cured!”

"Our old Xu family isn't going down that easily!"

Behind my house is a fairy world trash dump.

(Editor in charge：visual novel)