Chapter Ten: Confronting a Thief, Encountering a Stalwart Man

“Dad, Mom, I’m home!” Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Xiwen arrived safely at his house. He felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness at the prospect of seeing his parents in their middle age again.

His father came out of the bedroom. The wrinkles on his face had noticeably diminished, and his figure was not yet heavyset. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he said casually, “Alright, go do your homework first. We’ll eat in a bit.”

Jiang Xiwen looked at his father, at a loss for words for a moment. His father, Jiang Hong, had spent his entire life working in a government office—a small, dedicated official who did much for little in return, living a life of quiet mediocrity.

In his previous life, Jiang Xiwen had harbored some resentment. With his father’s abilities, if only he had set aside his upright and stubborn nature and learned the ways of officialdom, he could have risen to a high position and enjoyed prosperity. Then, perhaps, Jiang Xiwen himself wouldn’t have struggled so much.

But later, his perspective changed completely. There was nothing wrong with being a humble official who, within his power, earnestly got things done. It was a life of comfort and integrity.

“Dad, I…” He choked up as soon as he started speaking. Before his rebirth, he’d been away for years, not having returned home for three years. He didn’t want his family to know about his circumstances, felt ashamed to face them. Back then, he had but one thought: to succeed as a writer, and once everything was settled, only then return to see his family.

Looking at his much younger father, he made a silent vow that the wayward youth he once was would never return. He had lost too much and made too many mistakes in his previous life. In this new life, he would make things right, do his best, and make up for everything he once lost.

“What’s wrong, Xiwen?” his father asked, a hint of concern in his voice. He patted Jiang Xiwen’s head. “If something’s bothering you, just tell me. It’s alright.”

“Xiwen, you’re back from school?” His mother came out of the kitchen. “Hong, what are you standing there for? Come tidy up, it’s time to eat.”

His mother, Wang Yanan, still looked very young. Jiang Xiwen, worried his emotions would get the better of him, quickly lowered his head, set down his backpack, and said, “Mom, let me help you!” He unfolded the family’s old folding dining table and hurried into the kitchen to help with the dishes.

“What’s gotten into this child today?” Wang Yanan looked at Jiang Hong in confusion.

Jiang Hong shook his head and muttered quietly, “Who knows? I’ll ask him later. Maybe he’s done something wrong.”

“No way. He’s always been an honest boy. If anything really happened, he’d tell us. He’s not the scheming type, and if he did make a mistake, he wouldn’t try to win us over with chores.”

“Dad, Mom, don’t overthink it. I just feel I should be more filial to you. I’m growing up now!” Jiang Xiwen brought out the last dish and served three bowls of rice, trying to sound casual so his parents wouldn’t worry.

“Good, that’s very good…” Jiang Hong nodded, Wang Yanan also smiled contentedly.

Jiang Xiwen found the meal delicious; it had been so long since he tasted his mother’s cooking, the flavor he’d always loved most. After dinner, he’d thought about having a good chat with his parents, but worried that such behavior might make them suspicious, wondering if something was wrong.

So he decided to wait. There would be plenty of time in the future; once they got used to this new version of him, they could chat more. After washing the dishes, he went to his room.

The homework load in the third year of junior high was immense. Jiang Xiwen didn’t want to waste any time tonight. Tomorrow, he would visit Tan Yu Tou’s place again, assert himself, and strive for the privilege of not having to do homework.

With no homework to do tonight, Jiang Xiwen had no intention of wasting time on play. He found the high school English textbook his mother had bought for him and began to study it diligently.

He had all the textbooks for high school. His mother had hoped he might get ahead in his studies, though until now, those books had never been put to use. Finally, they could serve their purpose.

Time ticked by. After an hour and a half, Jiang Xiwen set aside his book and resumed the writing he’d started during the day. The outline was done; he officially began the first chapter—a story about cultivation, meant to be his first novel once domestic BBS forums became popular. It was a classic upgrade-style tale, satisfying and brisk, with few truly novel ideas, but borrowed from his knowledge of the future and perfectly suited to the tastes of readers as the internet era dawned.

A little after eleven, Jiang Xiwen went to bed. At six the next morning, he rose before his mother even called.

“So early? Why not sleep a bit more?” His mother was busy preparing breakfast for the family, as she did every morning at half past five. It was no easy feat, all for her child’s sake.

Being a student was exhausting, not just for oneself but for one’s family too. This was probably the fifty-second time Jiang Xiwen had sighed about this since his rebirth. As he brushed his teeth, he mumbled around the toothbrush, “From now on, I’m going to run for an hour every morning.”

“This child! The sun must be rising in the west today,” Wang Yanan joked, shaking her head. Jiang Xiwen had always been frail, so she supported his decision to exercise. “Come back soon for breakfast—don’t be late for school.”

“Got it.” Jiang Xiwen finished washing up and headed out the door.

There weren’t many people on the main road near his home. Some breakfast stalls had set up at the corners, sending wafts of fragrant radish cakes into the air—a local specialty of Yangjiang, his hometown, unlike any found elsewhere.

Jiang Xiwen swallowed hungrily, jogging along with his fists pumping. He didn’t run fast—having just returned to this young body, he didn’t know its limits and needed to build up his health, strength, and stamina step by step.

“Thief!” A woman’s shrill cry suddenly pierced the air, so desperate it was nearly blood-curdling.

Even as the sound reached his ears, a punk with dyed yellow hair flashed past him. Without thinking, Jiang Xiwen stuck out his leg—there was a crash, and the punk fell flat on his face.

“Damn it, who tripped me? I’ll kill you!” The punk clutched his knee, limping to his feet.

Seeing the thug’s menacing expression, the woman who’d been robbed immediately fell silent and tried to slip away as if nothing had happened.

Unbelievable, Jiang Xiwen thought, glancing at the woman before focusing on the punk. He’d never fought before, but his rebirth had stripped away his old timidity, and the street-fighting techniques he’d researched while writing web novels flashed through his mind.

No time to hesitate. Jiang Xiwen aimed a kick at the man’s crotch, hoping to seize the advantage.

Swish—he missed.

“For the second time now, right? Stealing again? I’ll have to teach you a lesson on behalf of the people!” Suddenly, a young man with a crew cut and a vest burst from a nearby alley, shouting each word with force. As he spoke, he had already seized the yellow-haired punk by the collar.

Relieved after his failed kick, Jiang Xiwen looked at the newcomer—a youth with a strange accent, astonishing speed, and great strength. The young man was at least six foot one, with well-proportioned muscles, a lean yet robust build, and a face that radiated uprightness tinged with a certain guileless sincerity.

The punk clearly recognized the crew-cut youth and spat, “Damn it, you again! Are you looking to die?”

Wham! Blood gushed from the punk’s nose.

The youth’s clenched fists radiated a force more real than anything Jiang Xiwen had ever seen in a kung fu film.

“Aaagh…” the punk howled. “Big bro, I won’t do it again! Please forgive me!”

The young man took it very seriously. “Apologize. Apologize to Aunt Wu. Give her back her bag!”

“Aunt Wu…” The punk turned his head with difficulty, only to see the woman cowering, too frightened to come closer.

The crew-cut youth snatched the shoulder bag from the punk, tossed him to the ground, then walked solemnly over to the woman and presented the bag with both hands. “Aunt Wu, here’s your bag.”

“Thank you, Lao Wu. I’ll be going now,” the woman said, taking her bag before scurrying away. Jiang Xiwen noticed the look she gave the crew-cut youth was complex—somewhere between fear and sympathy.

The young man turned on the punk, who was still groaning on the ground. “Go on, get lost!”

“Yes, yes!” The punk clutched his wounds and ran off.

“Thanks, little brother.” The young man extended a hand. “My name’s Wang Wu. I can’t stand bad people.”

It was clear he was hoping Jiang Xiwen would shake his hand.

“Kid, move along…” An older woman across the street called quietly, making a hand gesture as she kept her distance.

It seemed the locals all knew the crew-cut youth.

He might have seemed odd to some, but his actions far surpassed those of the so-called “normal” people around. Jiang Xiwen nodded at the older woman in thanks, then stretched out his hand and shook Wang Wu’s. “My name is Jiang Xiwen. Like you, I can’t stand bad people.”

The old woman, seeing this, quickly left, muttering under her breath, “That kid must be out of his mind…”

Wang Wu grinned broadly. “You’re different from the others. Aside from the old Company Commander, nobody’s willing to talk to me.”

“From now on, we’re friends.” Jiang Xiwen clapped Wang Wu on the shoulder. Good grief, the man’s muscles were as hard as stone.

“Alright, we’re friends,” Wang Wu said, visibly excited. Then he suddenly shouted, “Oh no, my water’s boiling!” and dashed back to the alley.

This guy must have quite a story. How could shallow people ever understand? Shaking his head, Jiang Xiwen continued on his run.