Tonight, in front of her sisters, he is the master!

When Cheng Xueming and his wife returned home, it was already quite late.

By the time they stepped inside, everyone except Madam Feng was back. Even the youngest sister-in-law, Feng Jiamei, who usually came home the latest after school, had returned.

Eldest sister-in-law Ke Yumei was helping in the kitchen with dinner, and second sister-in-law Sun Juan was inside scolding her daughter and son.

“Xueming, are you free tomorrow?” Feng Jiazhao, the eldest brother-in-law, greeted Cheng Xueming. “Things are nearly settled with Old Xie’s side. Our Yan Film Studio wants to meet with you, the author and screenwriter, for a face-to-face talk.”

“Hello, brother. Tomorrow, right?” Cheng Xueming nodded. “Sure, I should be free. Call me first thing in the morning!”

Director Xie Jin was working on storyboarding and was said to be locked away all day in the Yan Film Studio’s guesthouse, urging Cheng Xueming to join him in seclusion. He believed inspiration was born from creative collisions and face-to-face exchanges.

But Cheng Xueming had been busy with the atomic bomb project these past few days; he didn’t have time to accompany Xie Jin, an older man, in isolation.

“Dad, the sample edition from People’s Literature has come out, and Old Wu has already approved it. It’s scheduled to be published first thing tomorrow morning!” Cheng Xueming told his father-in-law, Feng, after entering the main room, recounting his visit to the Humanities Society today.

“Old Wu has given the go-ahead? If it’s published tomorrow, then the first edition must have already been printed at the factory by now!” Feng set down the newspaper in his hand, nodding thoughtfully.

Since the publication must come out first thing tomorrow, People’s Literature had already begun full-scale printing this afternoon and would be ready to ship out by nightfall to train stations, distributing copies nationwide.

After all, People’s Literature carries the prestigious “People’s” label, with a national reach far beyond just a local distribution in Yanjing.

“Also, Old Wu has approved the reprint of Mom’s article in October. It will be published as a special supplement next Monday!” Cheng Xueming continued.

“Oh? Really?” Feng was momentarily stunned by this unexpected news but quickly realized its significance and smiled. “Looks like your mom and Old Liu owe this opportunity to you. A little reward for your efforts, then!”

They were all savvy insiders. The October magazine had just resumed publication and hadn’t yet expanded its influence fully. Under such circumstances, it was rare to get approval for a special supplement.

After all, adding a supplement involved considerable expenses, and the magazine itself couldn’t decide unilaterally. It had to request approval from higher authorities.

Only with official consent could a supplement be added, securing the necessary funds for publication.

Otherwise, no supplement could be added unless Liu Xinwu personally paid out of pocket.

Paying out of pocket?

The cost of a single supplement issue was huge — just the author’s fee alone could reach several thousand yuan, not to mention proofreading, printing, and transportation costs. Without tens of thousands of yuan, it wasn’t feasible.

So without upper-level support, it was just wishful thinking.

Now, with Old Wu approving the reprint in October and scheduling it for next Monday, it was clearly thanks to Cheng Xueming. His mother and Old Liu would owe him this favor going forward.

“That’s exactly what I thought!” Cheng Xueming said briefly. After a brief chat with his father-in-law, he retreated to his own room.

Taking advantage of Feng Jiuyou’s time helping in the kitchen, Cheng Xueming quickly hid the 300-yuan illustration fee in his secret stash.

“Big Elder Cheng, help me analyze this problem... Big Elder Cheng, what are you sneaking around hiding from my sister?” Just as Cheng Xueming was about to tuck the “Marxism-Leninism” book containing his secret stash back into the bookshelf, his youngest sister-in-law Feng Jiamei suddenly burst in from behind, calling out.

“Ah! Jiamei! Are you a cat? Why don’t you make some noise when you walk?” Cheng Xueming was startled and quickly scolded her. “Besides, you didn’t knock. Be careful or your sister will scold you!”

He hastily shoved the book back into the shelf.

“Big Elder Cheng, you’re sneaky but blame me?” Feng Jiamei glanced at the “Marxism-Leninism” book with a sly look in her eyes, then dropped her study materials on the desk. “Look, help me with this problem. How do I solve it?”

It was geometry, her weak point—typical for girls, perhaps.

But this was just basic math at the level of junior high or early high school. For Cheng Xueming, it was a breeze.

Since his rebirth, his mind felt like it was undergoing a second development. He was sharp, able to read three lines at a glance, almost photographic memory.

When his sister-in-law asked for help, he just skimmed the problem and quickly solved it—it was like using a homework help app.

Just a quick look, and the answer’s correctness was clear.

“You can’t even solve such a simple problem? Are you meditating in school all day?” he mocked.

“Come on, give me the pen!”

Cheng Xueming scorned his sister-in-law and grabbed the new fountain pen she had just bought, casually drawing an auxiliary line on the cube.

“Hey, don’t use a pen for auxiliary lines! There’s a pencil right here!” Feng Jiamei panicked when she saw him draw a solid line with a pen. “If you make a mistake, how am I supposed to erase it?”

“Make a mistake?!” Cheng Xueming felt his authority was being openly challenged and insulted. Impatient, he waved her off. “Go ask someone else who won’t make mistakes. I’m busy!”

“Pfft, fine, I’m going! I’ll tell my sister you’re refusing to help me!” Feng Jiamei stuck out her tongue playfully, threatening to tell on him but surprisingly didn’t persist.

“I’ve got over two thousand yuan in manuscript fees I haven’t shown your sister yet. What’s she gonna do when she finds out?” Cheng Xueming chuckled to himself as he shooed her away.

Tonight, in front of the Feng sisters, Cheng Xueming felt like the master.

He took the manuscript fee slips he was supposed to hand over to Feng Jiuyou and carefully put them away, planning to tease her a little later.

On the way home, he hadn’t said a word to Feng Jiuyou about receiving the fee slips—there was more than one.

He still needed to buy some sketch paper at the bookstore because helping the Humanities Society and Yanjing Literature with illustrations required materials.

And he had to keep it from Feng Jiuyou since it was freelance work that couldn’t be openly disclosed.

Not long after, Madam Feng returned, and the kitchen called everyone to eat. Cheng Xueming tidied up and stepped out, just in time to see Feng Jiamei whispering with her sister, occasionally glancing over at him.

Planning to tattletale? Let her try.

With two thousand yuan in hand, no matter what complaints the youngest sister-in-law made, her sister Feng Jiuyou would still be on his side tonight.

In fact, Cheng Xueming looked forward to what she might say—an early warning to tease her sister a bit.

That would make things more interesting.

At the dinner table, Madam Feng smiled brightly as she told Feng and the others about the special supplement at her workplace.

She also credited Cheng Xueming, her son-in-law, for making it possible. She said Old Liu had wanted to come by personally to thank everyone, but he had to oversee the sample edition’s release that evening, so he couldn’t make it.

Cheng Xueming politely responded with a few words.

“By the way, Old Liu wanted to return that manuscript fee slip to you, but I didn’t let him!” Madam Feng casually handed the manuscript fee slip in her pocket to... Cheng Xueming!

Usually, the fee slips she brought home went to her daughter Feng Jiuyou, but today was different.

For the first time ever, she bypassed her daughter and gave the fee slip directly to Cheng Xueming.

This was a sign... his standing in the family was rising!

“Mom, another manuscript fee slip? Let me see!” Before Cheng Xueming could take it, Feng Jiuyou snatched it off the table, giggling at him. “Didn’t Mom already pay you for this article? Why again?”

She examined the manuscript fee slip to see how much it was.

“People’s Literature gave another one today, calculated at seven yuan per thousand characters, so when I went to Mom’s workplace, I returned that slip to Teacher Liu!” Cheng Xueming explained to his money-minded wife.

“People’s Literature also paid? Then we really should return the fee to Mom’s October!” Feng Jiuyou nodded, understanding the double payment couldn’t be accepted.

“121 yuan?” She mulled over the amount, unsure which article it was for.

“The fee for the October supplement reprint. Old Liu paid the top industry reprint rate—four yuan per thousand characters.” Madam Feng shot a glare at her insistent daughter for snatching the slip so quickly, wishing she had let Cheng Xueming handle it first.

“Four yuan per thousand? Old Liu’s being generous this time! He was stingy before.” Feng Jiuyou was thrilled—who wouldn’t be pleased to receive reprint fees for a single article?

“It’s just the industry standard. Don’t make a fuss,” Madam Feng said, unable to tolerate her daughter’s complaining. If she hadn’t secretly pushed her husband to submit to Yanjing Literature, Cheng Xueming’s “The Herdsman” would already have been published by October.

If that “The Herdsman” article—his first major reflection piece—had appeared in October last month, it would have skyrocketed their magazine’s influence. Then Old Wu wouldn’t have used lack of influence as an excuse to let someone else rush the atomic bomb piece.

If October had exclusive rights to this atomic bomb article following “The Herdsman’s” influence, Madam Feng couldn’t imagine how high their magazine’s status would rise thanks to her son-in-law.

But alas, it was just a thought.

So whenever Feng Jiuyou grumbled about October’s stinginess, Madam Feng grew increasingly annoyed.

“Alright, my fault, my fault, all my fault! From now on, whenever Xueming sends a new manuscript, I’ll bring it to your room first thing. Is that good enough?” Feng Jiuyou happily pocketed the manuscript fee, ignoring her youngest sister Feng Jiamei’s jealous glare, then sweet-talked her mother.

“Don’t just focus on Xueming. What about you?!” Madam Feng snapped. “You said you’d send me a manuscript this month. Where is it? I haven’t seen a single word from you! You’re a top Chinese major at Yan University—aren’t you ashamed?”

Feng Jiuyou was a born talker and liar, so Madam Feng never believed her.

Besides, she kept a close eye on squeezing her husband for money but also knew one must balance work and rest. The October supplement with the atomic bomb piece was out this month; no rush on the next article. Cheng Xueming had plenty of time to prepare.

She hoped he could deliver another blockbuster, so October could boast another exclusive hit.

“Hehe, I’m working on it!” Feng Jiuyou immediately slumped and tried to make excuses. “I just sent a manuscript to Yanjing Literature. A new article needs time to plan properly, Mom, don’t you agree?”

“Fine, plan carefully. Aim to publish next issue! Then you two will be a perfect couple, both publishing together!” Madam Feng smiled but was also worried. This son-in-law was too outstanding.

She had once looked down on this rustic, uneducated son-in-law, thinking her top university daughter deserved better. She always found fault with him.

Now it was the other way around. With his sudden rise, she worried her daughter wouldn’t keep pace.

So she had to push her daughter hard, to compete and catch up.

Whether she could or not was another matter, but she had to try. Falling behind step by step was the worst.

Just because her husband earned manuscript fees didn’t mean she could slack off.

“Really? Mom, you’ll publish both our manuscripts next issue?!” Feng Jiuyou’s eyes lit up in surprise and delight.

“Provided your manuscript is solid with no flaws. If people say October favors our family or uses connections, I’ll make you regret it!” Madam Feng warned, glaring at her daughter not to write carelessly.

“Alright, alright. With my son-in-law helping polish my writing, how bad can my manuscript be?” Feng Jiuyou boasted before even starting to write.

“I keep hitting the mark with Yanjing Literature, you see how good I am!” she crowed.

“Enough about Yanjing Literature! Why don’t you just live there already?” Madam Feng snapped, erupting as usual—their mother-daughter daily routine.

After dinner, Cheng Xueming returned inside with hot water from outside and saw Feng Jiamei and her sister whispering together again.

“Xueming, Jiamei said you’ve been hiding something from me. Is that true?” Feng Jiuyou asked with a teasing smile.

“No, Jiuyou, don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s probably tattling that I’m not tutoring her properly!” Cheng Xueming hurriedly explained, then turned to Feng Jiamei. “Forget all that. Just tell me, did that auxiliary line I drew help you or not?”

“Big Elder Cheng, don’t change the subject. Be honest with my sister and confess what you’re hiding!” Feng Jiamei put her hands on her hips, glaring triumphantly. “You were sneaking around alone in your room just now!”

“How is being in my own room sneaky? Jiamei, don’t slander me!” Cheng Xueming protested.

“Still denying it, huh?!” Feng Jiuyou chimed in. “It’s this ‘Marxism-Leninism’ book he was hiding. There must be something fishy inside!”

At that moment, Feng Jiamei took out the “Marxism-Leninism” book from Cheng Xueming’s secret stash.

“No, Jiuyou, listen to me!” Cheng Xueming’s face changed instantly as he tried to explain.

...

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