Super Soldier in the City

"This is your Brother Wang Feng, quickly greet him." Wu Gang spoke first.

Li Manli hesitated for a moment, as Wang Feng had patted her butt when she entered the room, making her instinctively resistant towards him. However, she still softly said due to her obligations: "Hello, Brother Wang Feng."

"Hehe, that voice is good, crisp and pleasant." Wang Feng said, his eyes shining.

"Ahem..." Wu Gang coughed dryly and tugged Wang Feng a bit. He then said to Li Manli, "Lili, your uncle doesn’t have many friends. I mentioned it earlier, your Brother Wang Feng is willing to lend you money, you can talk."

Li Manli’s eyes lit up with hope upon hearing this. She looked at Wang Feng with some excitement and said, "Brother Wang Feng, I’d like to... borrow one thousand or two thousand yuan to treat my mom’s illness. Can you lend it to me? I can write an IOU!"

Wang Feng chuckled after listening, glanced at Wu Gang, then nodded and said, "Your uncle mentioned this to me earlier. I think you are very filial; I’m aware of your mom’s illness. This kind of sickness can be minor or severe. If it’s minor, it’ll pass in a few days; if it’s severe, it won’t be cured with just one or two thousand. What will you do then?"

"I..." Hearing this, Li Manli’s heart sank. After all, she was still an underage child, only thinking of borrowing money to treat the illness, without considering the possibility of it being serious, which made her a bit flustered when she heard it. She shook her head and said, "Brother Wang Feng, I don’t know..."

Wang Feng seemingly shared her concerns and said, "Exactly, you’re just a little girl, what can you do? I can lend you one or two thousand, but as for more, you’re just a child; I can’t lend you too much."

"Lili, your Brother Wang Feng is really wealthy; even the people doing business in the town respect him." Wu Gang inserted timely.

Li Manli strongly intertwined her hands, lowered her head, and bit her lip, not knowing what to do.

"I really like you, little girl. How about this?" Wang Feng steered the conversation to the main topic and said, "Actually... I’m not sure if I should say this."

"Brother Wang Feng, please say it. I... I know I don’t have much capability now, and borrowing too much money isn’t good, but I really want to treat my mom’s illness and absolutely won’t use it for anything else. Right now, I’m working in Mile City, earning a little over two thousand a month. I can spend only two to three hundred every month; the rest can be used to repay the debt, so you can lend me a bit more."

Wu Gang’s mouth moved slightly, thinking to say that won’t work as he was hoping for her to send money back for living expenses every month, but he held back.

Wang Feng chuckled and said, "That’s not much either. Nowadays, going to the hospital without thirty or fifty thousand, or even hundreds of thousands, may not cure the illness."

"Then... what should I do, Uncle, Brother Wang Feng, I really have no other options!" Li Manli, after all, was still a child; tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Wang Feng reached out, wanting to wipe Li Manli’s tears—a crying little beauty truly tugged at his heart. But she stepped back to avoid him, causing his hand to freeze mid-air. With a dry laugh, he retracted it and said, "Lili, I can’t bear to see you struggle like this. Let me just be frank: actually, your brother has taken a liking to you, and I came here today wanting to propose to your mom and uncle. Although your Brother Feng doesn’t have other skills, I can make money. I have a bit of reputation in our town, and everyone respects me. So, if you follow me, I promise your life won’t be difficult!"

"What?" Li Manli was wiping her tears, promptly raising her head in disbelief upon hearing Wang Feng’s words. Did she hear it wrong? This so-called brother, seemingly not much older than Wu Gang, actually took a fancy to her?

Li Manli wasn’t happy, she was shocked—and the shock was quickly followed by fear and disgust. She matured early, aware of some matters between men and women, but it doesn’t mean she wants to experience these things. On the contrary, Li Manli felt that Wang Feng, whom she already had a poor impression of, suddenly turned into a giant disgusting fly.

Looking toward Wu Gang, she noticed an inexplicable smile on his face. Seeing her gaze, Wu Gang nodded repeatedly and said, "Lili, your Brother Wang Feng’s character is undeniable; he is generous and righteous—a fact known far and wide. If you follow him, you won’t have a hard life."

Continuing, Wu Gang said, "You know the conditions, Uncle has nothing to offer when you get married. But your Brother Wang Feng said he doesn’t care about that. When he takes a liking to a woman, he wants to give her happiness. Money matters don’t matter to him; he has it all."

"That’s right, things like dowries are insignificant; I have the money myself, several houses even. Would I let you suffer after being with me?" Wang Gang said dismissively.

Li Manli’s heart was filled with shock and fear. She suddenly realized this was likely a premeditated plan between Wu Gang and Wang Feng. The latter came today specifically for this matter, or rather, Wu Gang had long planned to sell her off.

In some rural areas, certain people’s ideals are like this: many underage boys and girls can marry early, live together, and have children. When they reach the age, they can get legally married. But Li Manli didn’t want this; she went to school, knew about early love, and understood that getting married too young isn’t good for her. She wanted to sustain herself and her mother through her efforts rather than rely on someone else.

Now, her foster father and Wang Feng sang in harmony, clearly trying to use the loan matter to force her to comply... Li Manli wanted to shake her head as she took two steps back, hoping to distance herself from these two.

"I know this news might be sudden to you. My sincerity is true. Though I’m older than you, isn’t that better? Brother knows how to care, unlike those young ones who don’t know the weight of things." Wang Feng said smilingly, his eyes constantly scanning Li Manli—thinking that this woman from Xiao Xian Clan had developed well, with desirable assets and lovely fair skin, standing out compared to other rural girls.

"No!" Li Manli suddenly raised her head and said, "Uncle, Brother Wang Feng, I cannot agree. I’m still young, I can’t think about these things."

"Why not? Plenty in our village marry at fifteen or sixteen. Little Liuu from the house in front got married last year, at just seventeen, only a year older than you." Wu Gang promptly interjected.

"It’s different!" Li Manli quickly shook her head, her back already against the wall, retreating with nowhere to go. The two men ahead seemed like fierce beasts to her, and she said tearfully, "Uncle, I’ll repay you, but not now. I’m still young; I pledge to repay you when I’m capable."

"How is your Brother Wang Feng not fine? He’s got houses, money, status, and that can’t disappoint you!" Wu Gang raised his voice significantly.

Wang Feng also put away his smile and said, "Your concerns are valid, but I’m not like that. You can ask around; who doesn’t know Brother Wang Feng as a respectable person who’s good to his own people, more so to his woman?"

"No, no!" Li Manli shook her head vehemently.

Wu Gang grew impatient, feeling Li Manli was being ungrateful. He dropped the friendly facade and said, "Li Manli, you better understand the situation. You want to save your mom, but there’s no money. Now your Brother Wang Feng is willing to pay for her treatment, plus he likes you and will treat you well. If you keep saying that, you’ll make him unhappy."

Li Manli felt a fear and chill from the depths of her heart. She didn’t expect Wu Gang to be so shameless; they had already designed a trap, even calling her back today probably for this matter—to marry her off; to sell her to this Wang Feng.

Sixteen-year-old Li Manli felt the malicious intent from them and a sense of powerlessness. Her back was against the wall, with nowhere to escape. In front of her were two obscene men, their gazes suggesting they wanted to devour her.

Wang Feng saw Li Manli remain silent and said, "I’ve promised your uncle and your mom that if you follow me, you’d get two thousand dowry money. It’s not much, but once you help me have a son, I’ll give them ten thousand yuan—a considerable amount!"

Two thousand plus a distant ten thousand—a seemingly large sum, but practically not much. Nowadays, marrying involves spending thirty or forty thousand, and even millions, though for the countryside, the latter is far too much. Although Li Manli was still young, she had limited interest in such money—especially from someone like Wang Feng, who’s a rascal. After marrying him, where would her future lead?

Li Manli shook her head and said, "Brother Wang Feng, I... cannot agree with you. I only want to borrow money to treat my mom’s illness, without thinking of marriage. I’m too young; I should consider these things after twenty."

"Young? Hehe, you’re not that young. Though you can’t get the certificate now, no worries. We can handle the matters, have children, live life, and once the age is right, we’ll get the certificate."

"No, no, I’m not agreeing!" Li Manli raised her voice and said, "Uncle, I’ll repay you, but not now. I don’t want to marry!"

"Child, how can you not marry? I’ve told you, both your mom and I have agreed to Brother Wang Feng’s proposal today. It’s your fortune that he likes you. You should ask around the town about Brother Wang Feng, who doesn’t give him a thumbs up!" Wu Gang, feeling slighted, sternly replied.

Li Manli shook her head repeatedly, not believing her mother thought the same, knowing that girls eventually get married—but it absolutely shouldn’t be when she’s sixteen. Tearfully, she said, "Uncle, you can’t do this; I don’t agree!"

"Hehe, agree or not, you have to agree!" Wu Gang coldly laughed.