In the blink of an eye, several months had passed, and a new year had arrived.
Wang Yan spent this New Year at Zhuangzhuang's home with her. He met her biological mother and stepfather, the latter of whom was an old acquaintance.
It was also then that Wang Yan said he knew a little medicine and suggested that Zhuangzhuang's mother and stepfather find time to get physical checkups. The two agreed with smiles, but neither took it seriously.
There was nothing more Wang Yan could do but say that much. At least he had given them a warning; whether they listened was beyond his concern.
Kang Shunyin, meanwhile, had not come with her mother to cause trouble over the New Year either. They had finally accepted defeat. There had been no action on their earlier talk of calling the police. They had simply accepted the beating, probably having taken Wang Yan for some sort of gangster.
To put it plainly, Kang Shunyin and the others were somewhat shameless, but Zhuangzhuang truly had no interest in Kang Shunyin. After some shameless probing and testing, they had lowered their flags and backed down. They were not the sort to forcibly abduct women, after all.
After staying at Zhuangzhuang's home through the third day of the Lunar New Year, the two returned to Jingcheng and arrived at Winter Turns to Spring.
"Hey, fellow townsman, you're already living together? That was sudden, wasn't it?"
When Wang Yan and Zhuangzhuang entered the courtyard, they saw Little Northeast chatting and laughing affectionately with a young woman in the guardhouse.
"Oh, you're back? I thought you wouldn't return until after the Lantern Festival." Little Northeast warmly greeted them, then pulled the girl behind him closer. "This is the fellow townsman I told you about—Wang Yan, Boss Wang.