Chapter 4

While Hu Juncai was still curiously examining the television in the room, Kang Jianfei had already started chatting familiarly with his aunt.

Aunt’s name was Zhou Mingfang, who was nearly forty years old. She had a plump figure and a well-proportioned face, giving her a certain charm of a middle-aged woman.

"Aunt, when will Uncle come back?" Kang Jianfei asked, sitting on the sofa.

Zhou Mingfang was peeling apples for the two of them and said, "It's hard to say. He might be back in the afternoon, or he might not be back until midnight."

Kang Jianfei asked curiously, "What does Uncle do for a living?"

Zhou Mingfang smiled and said, "He works as a lighting technician at the TV station."

Hu Juncai moved his gaze from the TV in the living room and said in surprise, "Hong Kong is really different. There are even people specifically responsible for turning lights on and off."

Zhou Mingfang explained, "He is a lighting technician, responsible for the lighting during TV drama shoots."

"Oh, so Uncle is a 'light master' then," Kang Jianfei said with a smile.

Zhou Mingfang had a very good impression of Kang Jianfei and looked at him approvingly, saying, "So you know about these things, Ah Fei. But your uncle can't really be called a 'light master.' He did well when he was at TVB, but after TVB went bankrupt and he transferred to TVB, he could only work as an assistant to other lighting technicians and didn't earn much... Oh, why am I complaining to you? Come, come, come and eat the apples!"

Hu Juncai quickly grabbed the two peeled apple slices and stuffed them into his mouth, gulping them down, "The apples in Hong Kong are really fragrant."

Kang Jianfei laughed, "Of course, otherwise it wouldn't be called Hong Kong but Stinky Kong."

As they were joking, a baby's cry suddenly came from the inner room. Zhou Mingfang quickly ran in and soon came out holding a baby, muttering, "Oh no, how did he wet his pants again!"

Kang Jianfei's mother had a good relationship with his uncle, but after her death, his uncle in Hong Kong had rarely been in touch with them.

Kang Jianfei was surprised when he saw the baby, "Isn't my cousin already over ten years old? Uncle has another child?"

Zhou Mingfang, changing the baby's diaper, smiled and said, "He's only a few months old, not even a year yet."

As they were talking, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from outside.

Kang Jianfei thought it was his uncle, but when the door opened, a woman around forty walked in and turned to ask, "Aunt, who is this lady?"

Zhou Mingfang said somewhat awkwardly, "She is also your aunt."

Hu Juncai blurted out, "Ah Fei, so you have two uncles in Hong Kong."

Kang Jianfei was speechless. He was sure he only had one uncle in Hong Kong. The only explanation for having two aunts was that his uncle had two wives.

...

...

Kang Jianfei had never been married before he traveled through time, and his upbringing had instilled in him a deep fear of marriage and family.

However, Kang Jianfei had had many romantic relationships, especially after he became successful at a large state-owned film and television company, where it was easy to date new actresses.

Kang Jianfei was somewhat self-destructive in his romantic life, and his private life was a mess. Sometimes he even maintained unclear relationships with several women at the same time. But these women either wanted his money or wanted to use him to advance their careers; otherwise, they wouldn't be willing to "share a husband."

This is why the unseen uncle inspired a sense of admiration in Kang Jianfei.

The uncle's family lived in a public rental apartment, which, despite being a two-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom, was surprisingly small, about 30 square meters. The sofa, refrigerator, and beds in the room were all new, and Kang Jianfei was sure they had moved here no more than half a year ago.

Considering they also had a baby, their previous home must have been even worse, and they had moved to a new place because of the new addition. This suggested that the uncle's family was not well-off.

Yet, in such poor conditions, two women were willing to marry him and even had children, which was truly impressive!

What was most enviable was that both of his wives were legal—Hong Kong had only abolished polygamy less than ten years ago.

The other aunt was named Liang Ying. Unlike Zhou Mingfang, who was plump and kind, Liang Ying was slim and, though not ugly, her sharp chin and thin lips gave her a sharp and unkind impression.

Liang Ying came back with groceries. When she learned from Zhou Mingfang that Kang Jianfei and Hu Juncai were from the mainland, her face darkened. Without even greeting them, she muttered, "A 300-square-foot apartment is already too crowded with six people, and now two more beggars are coming in."

Hu Juncai's face changed. He had only planned to stay for a couple of days before going to Lantau Island to find his cousin, but he didn't expect to be treated like a beggar upon arrival.

Zhou Mingfang, sensing the tension, quickly intervened, "Liang Ying is straightforward and speaks her mind, but she has a good heart. Don't take her words to heart."

Kang Jianfei's smile remained bright, as if he hadn't heard anything, "How could I take it to heart? Uncle is such a good person, and his family must be good too. I love straightforward people; they won't scheme behind your back."

Liang Ying threw the groceries on the kitchen counter and muttered, "What good is a good heart? Good-hearted people can only live in public housing, while the unscrupulous live in luxury. Your uncle is too good-hearted, and now he's living a worse life, unable to buy a house even after saving for over ten years!" She then left again, turning to Zhou Mingfang and saying, "I'll go buy some more meat. Zhou Mingfang, call that deadbeat and tell him if he doesn't come home for dinner tonight, he shouldn't come back at all!"

Kang Jianfei had been saying polite things, but he now felt that Aunt Liang Ying had a very likable personality. Despite her harsh words, she had gone to buy meat to welcome them, just as Zhou Mingfang had said, she was a woman with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

By evening, Uncle Wu Chenggang still hadn't returned, but his two nephews and niece had come home from school.

The nephew was named Wu Ruiqing, 15 years old, born to Aunt Liang Ying, and currently in middle school. The niece was named Wu Ruixue, 9 years old, born to Aunt Zhou Mingfang, and still in elementary school.

Kang Jianfei and Hu Juncai had freshened up. The toothbrushes they used were also bought by the sharp-tongued Liang Ying. They were now sitting in the living room, watching TV in Uncle's clothes.

Wu Ruiqing was very thin and wore thick glasses. He didn't ask about the two strangers in the house and went straight to his room with a martial arts novel. In thirty years, he would be a typical otaku!

Wu Ruixue inherited her mother Zhou Mingfang's good genes, with a chubby, adorable face. She looked at Kang Jianfei and Hu Juncai curiously but sat on the side, afraid to speak to them.

Liang Ying prepared a large table of dishes to welcome Kang Jianfei and Hu Juncai, but Uncle Wu Chenggang was still not back. They had to start eating without him. It wasn't until after the meal that Uncle Wu Chenggang finally returned in the dark.

Wu Chenggang was 44 years old, having fled to Hong Kong during the Three Years of Natural Disasters. Despite his age, he still had a bit of charm and a steady demeanor, which explained his ability to marry two wives.

Wu Chenggang came in with a briefcase and immediately explained to Kang Jianfei, "The shooting schedule is too tight, and I couldn't leave."

Hu Juncai promptly helped him save face, "Work is important, work is important!"

"You are Aiguo, I've seen your childhood photos. You've grown so much," Wu Chenggang recognized Kang Jianfei at once and asked, "How old are you now?"

Kang Jianfei replied, "I just turned 18. By the way, Uncle, I've changed my name to Kang Jianfei."

"Good, a name should be changed," Wu Chenggang then pointed at Hu Juncai and asked, "Who is this young man?"

Kang Jianfei introduced him, "He is Hu Juncai from our village. He's also in Hong Kong to visit relatives. His cousin is a fisherman on Lantau Island and has married the daughter of a fishing boss."

Wu Chenggang patted Hu Juncai's shoulder and encouraged him, "Fishing is hard work, but if you have good luck, you can earn a lot. Work hard, young man!"

...

...

It was already very late, and Uncle Wu Chenggang didn't mention helping Kang Jianfei find a job. He only said they had just arrived in Hong Kong and should spend a few days exploring and buying some clothes.

Wu Chenggang had worked all day and was exhausted. After chatting with them for a while, he went to bed.

Hu Juncai was captivated by the TV program and squatted in front of the TV, unwilling to move. In the end, Kang Jianfei forcibly turned off the TV, worried that watching it too late would disturb the family's rest.

The public rental apartment was very small, making sleeping arrangements a bit tricky.

The main bedroom was slightly larger and housed Uncle, the two aunts, and a baby nephew who was only a few months old. The other bedroom had a bunk bed for Wu Ruiqing and Wu Ruixue.

As for Kang Jianfei and Hu Juncai, they had to sleep in the living room.

Hu Juncai curled up on the short sofa, while Kang Jianfei folded the dining table to make a bed on the floor.

Although Uncle Wu Chenggang was very kind to him, Kang Jianfei still disliked the feeling of living under someone else's roof.

In the darkness, Hu Juncai whispered to Kang Jianfei, "Ah Fei, you should find a job and move out as soon as possible. Your little aunt is not easy to deal with. Staying here for too long will make everyone uncomfortable."

Kang Jianfei was also thinking about how to make money. He had experienced hardship and near-starvation many times before he traveled through time, so he was very afraid of being poor. However, he didn't want to talk much to Hu Juncai and whispered, "Go to sleep, I know what I'm doing."

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