Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

His name was Finney, an ordinary worker in a factory owned by the Heisen family, thirteen years old. The weathered look on his face far exceeded what one would expect for his age, so much so that when Zhang Renfeng first met him, he misjudged his age, thinking he was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.

In this light, his emotional outbursts seem to have a reasonable explanation. A thirteen-year-old is naturally at an age where he is prone to impulsiveness, and he had long harbored resentment towards the Hysen family; this incident was simply the trigger for his outburst.

The factories owned by the Haisen family operate on a shift system, and there are many children his age working there. After resuming operations, the factory must operate 24 hours a day. According to Finney, he has been working at the factory for the past two months. There is a housing complex nearby specifically for the workers, where they eat and sleep. After working non-stop for three months, he only got one day off.

When I got home, the sky had fallen.

His older sister had disappeared, leaving behind only a letter. Finney didn't recognize most of the words, but he could at least read the signature.

He had just barged into the Hysen family mansion, shouting that he wanted a "standoff," hoping to produce this letter as evidence. Unfortunately, the people there had no intention of arguing with him. In their eyes, the mere fact that Finney dared to barge in and shout was enough to warrant a death sentence.

Xiaomei took the letter and read it from beginning to end, her brow furrowing slightly.

She seemed somewhat incredulous. After thinking for a while, she looked at it carefully again from the beginning before saying, "Um, Finney... are you sure it was him who 'kidnapped' your sister?"

"That can still be fake!"

Finney had caught her breath and her voice was much calmer than before, but anger was bad for her health. She covered her forehead and said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with pain, "Our father and mother... were both killed by the Haisen family! Father worked day and night for them in the factory. The paraffin vapor blackened his lungs, and the phlegm he coughed up had a blue glow from kerosene!"

“My father died in the factory. His employee badge was cut off, and all his belongings were taken away. My mother used the factory’s compensation money to buy a bottle of cheap brandy and died drunk on the train tracks.”

"Such deep-seated hatred is all thanks to the Heysen family... Could it be that my sister would willingly go with Henry Heysen?"

"Uh..." Seeing his agitated state, Xiaomei didn't know what to say for a moment, and just looked at Zhang Renfeng for help.

Old Zhang immediately realized that the contents of the letter were likely quite different from what the boy had described.

He waved to Xiaomei, signaling her to come out with him for a moment, and then closed the door behind him.

"What did the letter say?"

Xiaomei's expression at this moment was truly a mix of emotions. She didn't even know how to summarize it, so she could only say, "Anyway... let me read it to you."

----

Dear Finney, hello

This letter was left at your sister's request. She doesn't understand writing very well, so she dictated it to me and I wrote it down.

I love your sister Jenny deeply. Her kindness and gentleness have touched me deeply. We met at the racetrack, and she is the best girl I have ever met. She has been staying with me lately, and left this letter to explain the situation so you wouldn't worry. Don't worry, she will be very happy with me.

The conditions in that place were too harsh, so I moved her to a more suitable house in the north of Minnesota, next to the racetrack, in a house with a pointed roof. I will take good care of her, and you are welcome to visit her if you wish.

Please send my regards to you on behalf of your sister.

She misses you very much.

Henry Heysen

----

"Ha..." After listening, Zhang Renfeng showed a "you fucking kidding me" expression, as if he had a lot to say, but after holding it in for a long time, he could only squeeze out an interjection.

This is really too difficult to evaluate.

Things were completely contrary to what Finney had imagined. At least, judging from the contents of the letter, his sister, named "Jenny," did not view the Hysen family as enemies like he did. In fact, Henry Hysen took good care of her and was even willing to write such a letter for her. Anything written down could become leverage, and the fact that he was willing to write a letter was enough to say a lot.

"I told you this before," Zhang Renfeng sighed. "Who can really tell right from wrong in these kinds of family squabbles? Once you get involved, it never ends."

"I never expected it to turn out like this..." Xiaomei looked complicated, tilted her head towards the room, and muttered, "Should I tell him the truth? I feel like if I tell him directly, he might not be able to handle it and just faint."

“It’s their family matter, there’s nothing to hide. We’re all outsiders, so let’s not complicate things further.” Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment, then quickly made a decision: “Just say what you have to say.”

----

……

Xiaomei genuinely felt sorry for him, but no matter how much she sympathized, the facts were the facts and couldn't be changed.

Finney's personality was rather extreme, which was related to the tragic deaths of his parents. He didn't even bother to ask a literate person what the letter said. Based on his own understanding, he assumed that Henry had kidnapped and raped his sister, and thus suffered a brutal beating for no reason.

But now, he hasn't escaped this mental beating either.

Zhang Renfeng recounted the contents of the letter in as calm a tone as possible. The letter, only a few lines long and containing little information, was quickly finished. But Finney listened, dumbfounded, completely frozen, like a broken doll, his lips moving only slightly.

The contents of the letter made his earlier anger, despair, and pain seem as ridiculous as a clown's.

His trembling eyelids made Zhang Renfeng realize once again that this disheveled boy was only thirteen years old.

……

"This...this...this can't be, it can't be like this..." He stopped shouting and making a scene, but as if his bones had suddenly been removed, he knelt heavily on the ground with a thud, his lips trembling as he repeated, "Sister..."

"That's what the letter says, we have no reason to lie to you." Seeing his reaction, Zhang Renfeng sighed inwardly, "What's the point?"

Finney couldn't accept it, nor could he answer the question. His eyes were lifeless, and he just kept shaking his head.

"Your sister's name is Jenny, right?" Xiaomei had no choice but to change the subject. "Does she work in a factory like you?"

“She…she is…she’s a little better off than us. She’s a ranch caretaker, working at a ranch north of Brightlight City. She was originally a milkmaid, but because of her cleverness, she was promoted to look after their racehorses.”

"What about her relationship with Henry...?"

“I don’t know, she never told me anything.” Finney choked back tears, clutching his head in anguish, a pain that contradicted his long-held worldview. “How…how could this be? Kindness? Gentleness? How could she show such an attitude towards the person who killed our parents! Is the person mentioned in the letter really my sister?”

……

"You two...I..."

He clutched his shirt to his chest, gritted his teeth, struggled to sit up, and pleaded, "Could I... ask you for one more thing?"

Chapter 608: Love and Affection

Everyone says seeing is believing, and Finney simply couldn't believe something he hadn't seen with his own eyes.

He started frantically making excuses for his sister, such as that she had been deceived.

Hatred of the Heysen family was almost ingrained in the core of his worldview, and he was unwilling to admit that his sister, who shared the same blood as him, would betray this belief.

But he was too weak; in his current state, he could barely even leave the room. Naturally, he didn't have the strength to witness the whole affair firsthand.

He had no benefits to offer in exchange, but seeing his miserable, barely breathing state, Zhang Renfeng agreed. He would go to the address on the letter on his behalf and see for himself what the truth was.

Since it was still early, and they had planned to wander around the vicinity of Mingdeng City anyway to plan their escape route after the assassination, they decided to go there as well.

As night fell, the city truly lived up to its name, lighting up with countless lights that shone brightly in the darkness, making the place seem even more lively. The number of people on the streets and alleys didn't decrease; in fact, it increased.

"..." Before they were even halfway there, Xiaomei had already frowned and was deep in thought.

"Isn't it troublesome?" Zhang Renfeng said half-jokingly. "It's not so easy to meddle in other people's family affairs."

“No, that’s not it. I just find it strange.” Xiaomei discovered a blind spot in the incident. “In the letter Henry left, he said that Jenny was a ‘kind and gentle’ girl. But Fanny also said that his sister was promoted to take care of the racehorses because she was ‘clever.’ Are these two people really talking about the same person?”

“That’s normal,” Zhang Renfeng said casually, clearly not having thought about it that thoroughly. “The same person can have many different faces in the eyes of different people. Take me for example, my reputation in New Orleans and New Elizabeth is completely at opposite ends.”

“I wasn’t talking about you, Mr. Zhang. What I meant was…” Xiaomei hesitated for a moment before speaking, “This world is very realistic. The only girl who can attract men simply by being kind and gentle is Snow White from a fairy tale.”

"Moreover, the difference in their family backgrounds is so great. Money, power, social status... even without family feuds, there is an enormous chasm between Henry and Jenny."

“Maybe it’s true love?” Zhang Renfeng shrugged. “Perhaps Jenny didn’t directly connect her parents’ deaths with Henry. She just fell in love with him the moment she saw him.”

"..."

Xiaomei glanced at him sideways, her gaze filled with a hint of speechlessness.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng understood what she meant.

“Mr. Zhang, you…” Xiaomei hesitated, then mumbled, “You… did you really have three wives?”

How could she be so oblivious to matters of love and sex? — That was her unspoken thought.

Strictly speaking, Zhang Renfeng only had one official "wife," namely his first wife, Bai. The other two were a maid who came with Bai and was taken in out of pity, Qiu Yun; neither could be considered his legal wife.

However, even this only marriage was arranged by his parents and a matchmaker. From beginning to end, Zhang Renfeng was very passive and didn't participate much.

Bai was gentle, humble, and quite submissive. After their marriage, the young couple didn't experience any emotional turmoil. There were a few physical encounters, though, but this fierce ox almost ruined the field; often, the field was already damaged before the ox had even finished plowing.

Therefore, his understanding of romantic relationships was still based on supernatural tales, believing that love between men and women was simply a matter of mutual affection. However, this idea, akin to "true love conquers all," was completely out of touch with reality and lacked even Xiaomei's profound understanding.

“Think about it, Jenny’s job is to look after racehorses, right? So, who owns this racecourse?”

Zhang Renfeng replied, "Of course it belongs to the Haisen family."

“So, Henry Hyson, in terms of the power structure, is her superior’s superior’s superior… God knows how many superiors he has.” Xiaomei’s tone was very certain. “In this relationship, Jenny is in an absolutely subordinate position.”

"How much effort does a subordinate have to put into getting the attention, or even the affection, of a superior? If all she has is 'gentleness and kindness,' let alone love, he wouldn't even give her a second glance, not even if she were standing right next to him."

"To stand out from the crowd and get noticed by those in power, you definitely need to put in the effort. You need to sell yourself at the right time and place, hitting their emotional needs perfectly. Otherwise, given Henry's status, what kind of woman couldn't he have his way with in this city? How could he possibly be loyal to an ordinary girl from the horse farm?"

Xiaomei spoke quite clearly, even somewhat bluntly.

Power determines everything, and it is unlikely that two people with unequal power structures can have genuine feelings for each other.

----

North of Mingdeng City, there is a racecourse.

A majestic three-story mansion with a pointed roof stands not far away. Centered around the house, vast pastures are divided into several sections by fences. The setting sun shines on the sea of ​​grass, bathing the animals in a glow, making them appear plump and healthy, with plenty of grass and water!

The size here is not much different from that of the white bison ranch in Sanma Town.

The letter only mentioned the house, but didn't mention that there was even a matching ranch around it!

Xiaomei's tone was filled with mixed emotions, "Jenny...does she live there?"

The luxurious and grand mansion, bathed in the setting sun, seemed to be plated with a layer of gold leaf, making it appear even more noble. It always reminded them of the scene where Finney, his face contorted with rage, stormed into the Heisenberg family's gate without hesitation; for some reason, a dull ache always lingered in their hearts.

"Just go and take a look and you'll find out."

……

"ah----!!!"

Shouts of battle came from not far away.

Looking in the direction of the sound, a group of young people were scattered in a semi-circle, surrounding a lady dressed elegantly in a long dress, who was surrounded by stars in the center.

Their onlookers were watching two young knights on horseback, one taller and the other more robust. They wore little armor, each wielding a wooden spear.

They tightened the reins, propelling their horses more than ten meters away, then suddenly spurred them, galloping towards each other as they shouted from their backs and thrust their wooden spears at each other.

"Snapped!"

One spear grazed past the opponent's shoulder, while the other's spear grazed past their waist.

The two passed each other without hitting each other.

"it is good!"

"Wow!"

"Well played! That was fantastic!"

……

This exchange of blows elicited applause and screams of excitement from the crowd. Most of them had never witnessed a knightly duel before; they were simply watching for the spectacle. To them, simply making noise and performing actions on horseback was already quite an achievement.

----

Zhang Renfeng stared in disbelief and asked from the bottom of his heart, "What's so good about it?"

Chapter 609: Bullfighting

This tense duel between the knights continued for several more rounds, and from Zhang Renfeng's perspective, it was truly an eyesore.

The group of onlookers were all dressed very similarly—flannel shirts on top, cheap waterproof tarpaulin jackets over them, indigo twill jeans on the bottom, leg warmers, and high-top leather boots, with a piece of cloth tied around their legs; this was the classic attire of ranch workers.

Before he could even step forward, some of the onlookers had already noticed him and Xiaomei.

One of the herdsmen, looking pleased with himself, trotted over and blocked their way, an impatient expression on his face, shooing them away, "The horses here are all racehorses, not for sale. Go away, go away!"

“You’ve got it wrong. We’re here to find someone.” Zhang Renfeng’s gaze passed over him and looked at the girl in the crowd. “Is that Jenny? Her brother asked us to come and find her. We’ll just say a few words and leave. It won’t take up too much time.”

"Where did Miss Jenny get another brother? You snobs, even if you wanted to get close to her, you should have come up with a better excuse." The young man scoffed disdainfully and shooed them away again, "Get lost, you yellow-skinned barbarians, don't disturb our mounted combat practice!"

"..."

To be fair, Zhang Renfeng was pretty much desensitized to being called "Huang Fan" (a derogatory term for a foreigner). He was still annoyed, but not as bothered as he had been at the beginning. If he had to correct the worldview of everyone in this land who called him "Huang Fan," he wouldn't be able to do anything else all year round. The problem was…

“Mounted combat?” Zhang Renfeng’s eyebrows twitched. He looked at the two “knights” who kept riding their horses back and forth and then missed their shots, and couldn’t help but laugh. “You call this mounted combat? All you see is them messing with their horses.”

He didn't deliberately lower his voice, nor did he hide his disdain; it was like a bucket of cold water poured on the high spirits of the onlookers.

These ranchers working on pastures and horse farms are at the age where they have fiery tempers. Their work allows them to graze their livestock in the vast open sky, unlike the oppressive work of working non-stop in a factory.