Jian Fei found a clerical job at a public hospital in the city after returning to Tongcheng.
Although the salary was not high and the work was not directly related to her major, it was at least within the medical system.
The public hospital was a Grade III Class A hospital. She hadn't used any connections, which was considered quite good for someone from her family background.
At least her family members thought the job was quite good.
Jian Fei lost her mother at a young age and lived with her grandmother, father, and younger sister.
Her father used to work at construction sites and drove a three-wheeled vehicle in the county town in his spare time, taking on small jobs. Although life was poor, the family was healthy and safe, and they lived harmoniously.
But fate always seemed to be against the poor. The year she was in high school, her father was involved in a serious car accident while picking up her younger sister, who had just started junior high school, from school, and everything changed.
The three-wheeled vehicle overturned, leaving her father with a severe disability in his left leg. Her sister was thrown out of the vehicle, hitting her head and becoming deaf.
The compensation received was only enough for miscellaneous expenses. For the entire year, the whole family relied on her grandmother to farm for a living.
From then on, Jian Fei worked in restaurants every winter and summer vacation to save up for her tuition.
During her university years, she managed to get by solely on scholarships and various part-time jobs.
Her sister couldn't afford to attend a special school, and her grades were naturally average due to her hearing impairment.
However, she had a desire to learn, so she attended vocational high school and now works at a local grain and oil factory.
Her sister was pretty and honest, and because of her physical disability, she was afraid of interacting with the outside world, which was always a source of worry for Jian Fei.
In small towns with traditional views, boys generally disliked girls with her sister's condition when looking for a partner.
Her greatest wish so far in life was to quickly find a job and earn money to buy her sister a cochlear implant, so she could live a normal life as soon as possible.
On the weekend, Jian Fei took a bus back to her hometown.
She was busy with work normally, and to save money, she usually went back only once every half month.
Every time she returned, the whole family was very happy, as if celebrating a festival, and they would try to improve her diet.
Her grandmother caught a large fish from their own pond and stewed it in a pot. Her sister happily washed vegetables in the yard, and Jian Fei helped with the fire.
Halfway through the fish stew, her grandmother turned to get soy sauce for the pot and found the bottle was empty.
"There's no soy sauce. Feifei, go to the small shop and buy me a bottle. Hurry up."
Jian Fei took her phone, ran out, and asked her grandmother if there was anything else she needed to bring back.
"No. It's getting late, and while you're at it, call your dad and tell him to come back quickly for dinner."
Jian Fei agreed and had already reached the main entrance.
She ran out quickly, turned a corner, and there was a small shop opposite.
Before she went over, her gaze was drawn to a group of people at the corner.
A group of men and women, old and young, were gathered by the roadside, making a lot of noise and looking at something, as if there had been a news event.
She was worried about the food in the pot and didn't intend to join the commotion. Just as she was about to leave, an aunt she knew called out to her.
"Jian Fei, you've come at the right time. Go and see, your dad had a car accident."
Jian Fei was startled and hurried over.
Pushing through the crowd, she squeezed in. Her father, dressed in dusty autumn clothes, stood beside his rusty red three-wheeled vehicle, which was his lifeline, arguing with three tall, burly men.
"I was driving normally, I didn't provoke you, why should I pay?"
Jian Fei walked to her father's side and gently tugged his sleeve.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
The leading man, wearing sunglasses and a large gold chain, heard her call him Dad and his gaze shifted to her, his tone fierce.
"He's not observant. I can't get through to him. You're his daughter, right? Then I'll talk to you."
"Look at how your dad damaged my car. Get ready to pay!"
Jian Fei followed the man's gaze. A gleaming black car with a Porsche logo on the front.
There were two noticeable scratches on the body above the left tire.
"He's uneducated and hasn't seen the world, so he doesn't know what this is. But you probably do, right?"
Seeing the Porsche, Jian Fei hadn't recovered yet when her father reached out and pulled her.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. You don't need to worry about this! I was driving home normally, and when I reached this spot, their car was going too fast and suddenly hit me. How can it be my fault?"
"I don't care what kind of car it is. If not, we can call the police. Anyway, don't expect me to pay!"
Jian Fei quickly simulated the scene of the two cars colliding in her mind.
Their house was on the right, and her father was driving to the right. This car was driving normally, so it scraped the left side.
The old street had no surveillance cameras and no witnesses. As it stood, it was difficult to assign responsibility.
If they called the police and the police came, they might even be the ones to pay.
Although Jian Fei had never driven a luxury car, she had basic common sense. The cost of repairing it would definitely not be low.
Given her family's situation, every penny saved was a penny earned, so she boldly stepped forward.
"What evidence do you have to prove that my dad hit you first? Don't think you can extort people just because you drive a car."
"Hey! You're so young. I thought you'd be reasonable, but I didn't expect you to be..."
The man glanced at her dismissively. "Fine! I won't waste any more words with you. I have a dashcam!"
"Call the traffic police. My car is imported from abroad. Even the touch-up paint has to be done abroad. The round-trip shipping and repair costs will be at least a hundred thousand. Get ready to pay!"
A hundred thousand?
For her father, an elderly man with a disability who only earned three to five yuan per ride, wasn't that like taking his life?
He was so angry that he lunged forward. "You hit me first. You want 100,000 for such a small scratch? Why don't you just rob me? Feifei, stop talking nonsense with him. We're in broad daylight. Do you really think he can extort us?"
With that, he grabbed Jian Fei and tried to get into the three-wheeled vehicle to leave. The three men rushed forward aggressively.
Without a word, they grabbed her father and Jian Fei by their collars, pushed them to the ground, and started a fight, spewing curses.
Although she had lived a hard life since childhood, her father had never laid a finger on her.
This was the first time Jian Fei had been hit by a man since she grew up.
The kicks from their sturdy leather shoes felt like cuts from a knife.
The neighbors who usually greeted them now didn't dare to step forward.
Soon, besides the buzzing in her head, Jian Fei felt blood flowing from her nose down her mouth.
The opponents were aggressive and strong, and she and her father couldn't fend them off. Not knowing when this violence would stop, she thought desperately.
Who could come and save them?
For some reason, the first face that flashed in her mind was Ke Teng's.
But alas, he was too distant, too impossible.
He was so high and mighty, so far removed from her, that he couldn't possibly help her.
After enduring the beating for an unknown amount of time, a familiar honking sound approached from a distance, and a voice in the crowd finally gave her hope.