TFS – Chapter 70 The Family Register

Although a remarriage is not as elaborate as a first marriage, two days later, Li Feng took Tang Chunming and their two children to Zhenshan Village. Of course, there was no obligation to make this trip, as Tang Chunming hadn’t married out of Zhenshan Village this time. However, making the visit was a way to show respect to his maiden family. Additionally, since mending his relationship with his stepmother had been no easy task, Tang Chunming was eager to seize the opportunity to strengthen their bond.

For Li Feng, he hoped Ming Ge’er could have more emotional ties in this world. In his heart, such bonds might ensure that Ming Ge’er would stay in this world longer.

Over at Wang Ying’s place, he had, of course, already heard the news. When the new son-in-law visits, it’s customary to warmly welcome him. The Tang family and the neighbors all came to help. Everyone knew that Tang Chunming’s life had been improving steadily, which in turn had made Wang Ying’s days better than before. Therefore, no one uttered a single word that might ruin the mood.

Li Feng had already made several trips to Zhenshan Village that year. To the people there, he was probably more familiar than Tang Chunming herself, who hadn’t been back for a long time. Tang Chunming’s transformation was striking—his complexion, demeanor, and entire presence had changed so much that he seemed like a completely different person. Naturally, his arrival drew a crowd, with many saying that Wang Ying’s good fortune had arrived, praising him for having a capable son and a filial son-in-law. These remarks left both Tang Chunming and Wang Ying with twitching lips, unsure how to respond.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. This was Tang Chunming’s first New Year in this world, and as a newlywed, it carried special significance. The previous year, he had spent the holiday alone, but now he had a large family to celebrate with. Even though it was busy, it was a happy kind of busy.

Elder He personally wrote couplets for the occasion. Li Feng held Ah Lin in his arms as he put them up on the gates—at the courtyard entrance, the front and back of the house, and even on the doors of a few homes up on the back hill. Everywhere, red couplets with auspicious words were displayed. In addition, the chicken coop, sheep pen, and horse stable were adorned with inverted “Fu” characters, symbolizing blessings arriving.

Elder He couldn’t stop smiling all day long. He had never experienced such a festive New Year atmosphere before. In the past, it was either overly formal or spent in the northern military camp with a group of soldiers. This warm, rural celebration had a unique charm. Watching the children gather around him, Elder He thought to himself that if his own child were still alive, this is exactly how things would have been.

Ping Shan Village was filled with the sound of firecrackers as they bid farewell to the old year and welcomed the new one. On the morning of New Year’s Day, the Tang family—or rather, now the Li family—stepped out together, leaving Elder He to watch the house.

The family of four, dressed in brand-new clothes, looked especially lively. Li Feng held Ah Lin in his arms while Tang Chunming carried the slightly lighter Ah Sen. The two children were dressed in festive red outfits, making them look as celebratory as can be.

The first task of the New Year was to visit the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors. This visit was particularly important, as the Li family patriarch was going to officially record Tang Chunming’s name into the family register. While the register would only include his surname “Tang,” completing this ceremony signified his formal integration into the Li family. After their marriage, Li Feng had already transferred Tang Chunming’s household registration under his name, ending the independent household status he had worked so hard to achieve, which had lasted less than a year.

“Happy New Year!”

“Wishing you prosperity and good fortune!”

“Congratulations and best wishes for the New Year!”

When people met, they exchanged New Year’s greetings. No matter how unpleasant the previous year had been, no one would let it show now. Everyone wore cheerful expressions, believing that a good start would lead to smooth sailing and prosperity in the year ahead.

The Li family treated Tang Chunming with extra warmth. Now that he was officially part of the family, their bond felt even closer. In hindsight, they thought Li Feng had made a great choice in his spouse. Even the way they looked at the two children was full of affection.

The village chief’s family had arrived early. As the head of the village and the Li family patriarch, the position had been passed down from his father. However, the chief was also widely respected for his fairness, which secured his role. Without this, families of other surnames would have likely opposed him.

Li Chengzu and Li Chengzong, the chief’s two sons, were originally standing solemnly behind their father. But as soon as they saw Li Feng and his family arrive, they broke into wide smiles. Each of them had prepared red envelopes to give to Ah Lin and Ah Sen. After all, as elders, they had to show proper generosity.

“Thank you, Big Uncle and Little Uncle,” Ah Lin said as he accepted the red envelopes. The mismatched titles made Shen Fulang burst into laughter. He took Ah Lin, kissed him a few times, and returned him to Li Feng’s arms, but not before secretly slipping another red envelope into Ah Lin’s pocket—and one into Ah Sen’s as well.

The ancestral hall originally belonged solely to the Li family. However, after outsiders settled in Pingshan Village, they proposed adding their own ancestral tablets to the hall. In exchange, they contributed to the maintenance costs of the building. This was partly due to the Li family not being a particularly powerful clan; when the other surnames united, the Li family had no choice but to compromise.

As a result, the crowd outside the hall that morning wasn’t just Li family members but also included people from the Zhao, Zhang, and other families.

“Zhao Daniu still hasn’t come back?” Zhang Xiu, who was now also part of the Li family, came over to speak quietly with Tang Chunming.

Tang Chunming was surprised. Zhao Daniu, who was known to be taciturn and unremarkable, had actually caused a stir by leaving home and not returning? And on top of that, he had reportedly taken the money intended for Zhao Laosan. This incident had spread, and even Tang Chunming knew about it. Zhao Daniu’s actions were truly unexpected.

“Didn’t the Zhao family send anyone to look for him? Are they so sure he ran off with the money and didn’t encounter some other problem?” Tang Chunming asked, puzzled. Lately, he had been too busy to pay attention to village gossip.

“Zhao Laosan just returned from the county. He must’ve searched thoroughly there, but it seems he didn’t find anything. Otherwise, he would’ve brought Zhao Daniu back by now,” Zhang Xiu said, gesturing subtly toward Zhao Laosan. The man no longer had the confidence he’d exuded when he passed the scholar’s exam. Even the Zhao family’s Third Great-Uncle looked grim, his face somber even on New Year’s Day.

Zhang Xiu noticed Third Great-Uncle’s expression and couldn’t hide his smirk. Nudging Tang Chunming, he whispered, “Have you sorted out the matter with the two children and the clan? Will it go through today?”

Understanding his meaning, Tang Chunming smiled knowingly and glanced at Li Feng, who was chatting with the village chief and Dashan. “It’s all settled. They said as long as Ah Feng agrees, it’s fine.”

Zhang Xiu chuckled gleefully, barely able to contain himself. After a moment, he said, “I can’t wait to see the Zhao family’s reaction. They probably never saw this coming and might’ve been waiting for you to go begging to them.”

Tang Chunming scoffed. Beg them? Not a chance! Glancing at Ah Sen, who was carefree and happy in his arms, he silently vowed never to let the child have anything to do with the Zhao family.

“Hey, even Qian Jia’s Sun Ge’er is out and about. It’s been a while since anyone’s seen him,” someone outside the ancestral hall remarked, drawing the attention of Zhang Xiu and Tang Chunming.

They turned to look. Although it was hard to see through the layers of winter clothing, Sun Ge’er had always been thin, and now he seemed even more so. His pregnant belly was clearly visible.

Initially, Tang Chunming had thought Sun Ge’er might lose the child due to his poor health and lack of proper rest. Elder He had mentioned that the situation was dangerous, given Sun Ge’er’s weak constitution and his inability to take care of himself. However, Elder He had also issued a stern warning, saying that if he didn’t start taking better care of himself, it would be difficult for him to conceive again.

It seemed Elder He’s words had worked. Sun Ge’er must’ve realized the importance of the child, as the trouble he caused had significantly decreased, and he had been quietly staying home to rest.

“Their kid didn’t come?” Tang Chunming asked curiously. That child was truly bold—so young yet daring enough to venture alone into the mountains, where he encountered wolves. It was a miracle he only sustained minor injuries and managed to keep his life.

“Technically, that boy belongs to the Qin family. Why would he come to our village’s ancestral hall? He’s probably back home. Today, he’s like you—he’ll be added to the Zhang family’s genealogy and pay respects to the Zhang ancestors,” Zhang Xiu explained from the side.

The Li Conggen family was the last to arrive. When they did, none of the elders of the Li family showed them a welcoming face. If it weren’t for the fact that it was New Year’s Day, they likely would have openly expressed their displeasure. Making so many people wait just for them—how arrogant!

“Open the ancestral hall!”

The doors to the room housing the ancestral tablets swung open. Standing at the back with Ah Sen in his arms, Tang Chunming couldn’t help but feel a chill. Goosebumps rose on his arms, and he rubbed them while holding Ah Sen tightly. The room felt eerie and cold. In his previous life, he wouldn’t have been superstitious about such things, but after everything he had experienced, he held a newfound respect for the supernatural.

Li Feng approached him, whispered a few words into his ear, and then placed Ah Lin beside him before heading forward.

Though the memories of the original owner of this body provided some context, the ceremony still felt novel to Tang Chunming. In his past life, clans had long since fallen out of fashion in his village. The family genealogy was lost, and no one cared enough to restore it. Although some families, after becoming wealthy outside the village, returned to repair their genealogies, the Tang family was small and scattered, with no one to bother with such matters.

“Li family, Tang clan.”

Tang Chunming hadn’t reacted when Zhang Xiu and Shen Fulang hurriedly nudged him. That was his name being called. Breaking into a cold sweat, he realized he had been listed as “Li Tang-shi”—essentially reduced to just a surname.

“Bring the two children over as well,” one of the Li family elders instructed.

“Coming!” Tang Chunming responded quickly, carrying Ah Sen and calling Ah Lin to follow as they walked toward Li Feng.

This scene left the Zhao family confused and puzzled. Suddenly, someone in the crowd muttered something, and the Zhao family’s faces immediately turned to disbelief. Could it really be as they feared? If so, this was a massive embarrassment for the Zhao family. Those aware of the Third Great-Uncle’s ambitions were even more certain now: the old man had truly shot himself in the foot this time.

After Tang Chunming followed Li Feng in paying respects to the Li ancestors, an elder overseeing the genealogy opened the Li family records and said to Li Feng, “Write your spouse’s name next to yours, along with the names of the two children. From today onward, they are officially members of the Li family. One will be Li Lin, and the other will be Li Sen. I hope they bring honor to the Li family in the future.”

This wasn’t something that had been decided on a whim today. Li Feng had been working on this for some time. First, he secured the support of the village chief, who then accompanied him in visiting the elders of the clan. Once more than half of the elders agreed, any remaining objections became irrelevant.

Most members of the Li family didn’t have strong opinions about the matter. The two children wouldn’t be inheriting any of the Li family’s property, and Tang Chunming was capable of earning his own money. Why create conflict over this and risk upsetting Li Feng and Tang Chunming? After all, many of their younger relatives would likely rely on Li Feng and Tang Chunming to make money together in the future.

Any lingering doubts were dispelled the moment the elder spoke. It was now official: the two children left behind by Zhao Dahu were to be recorded in the Li family genealogy and would no longer be considered part of the Zhao family. The Third Great-Uncle wanted to believe he had misheard, but the reality in front of him made it clear—he hadn’t. Li Feng, magnanimous as he was, wasn’t as petty as they had assumed.

“Wait a moment!” the Third Great-Uncle shouted without thinking. Beside him, Zhao Laosan was completely dumbfounded. How could things have turned out this way? Even the Zhao matriarch couldn’t believe his ears and grabbed Wang Chunhua to demand an explanation. “What on earth is happening in there?”

Wang Chunhua, though equally shocked, couldn’t suppress his growing jealousy toward Tang Chunming. However, due to his recent falling-out with the Zhao matriarch, he relished the opportunity to gloat. “Heh, Zhao Dahu’s bloodline is about to end. Those two brats will belong to the Li family now. Li Feng is truly generous—even willing to share the wealth he earns in the future with those two kids. They’re lucky to have found such a stepfather.”