Xiaxia didn’t really feel like dealing with these people.
She sized up the two girls in front of her, as well as Li Taohua standing behind them.
She shook her head and said, “I’m not interested. Move aside—I’m going home.”
With that, she pushed past them and headed toward the military compound.
The two girls glanced at Xiaxia’s face and followed her for a few steps.
“Come on, don’t you like dressing up and looking pretty? Just look at you—your clothes are so plain, your hair is all frizzy, and your hands too. You’d look so nice with some nail polish.”
Xiaxia looked at them and asked curiously, “You two are dressed up so beautifully. What are you going to do?”
She glanced at Li Taohua and noticed that Li Taohua had been following behind the two girls the whole time without saying much.
The two girls smiled. “We’re going dancing! Lots of people come to watch, and you can make plenty of money. Do you want to earn some?”
The other girl added, “What’s the point of going to school? Once you finish junior high, you’ll still have to go out and work for money, won’t you? You might as well go dancing while you’re young. You can make three hundred yuan a month. Do you want to come?”
Xiaxia shook her head, her face expressionless. “No, thank you.”
The two girls fell silent.
By then, they had reached the entrance to the military compound, so the two girls left with Li Taohua.
Before leaving, they were still smiling at Xiaxia.
“If you ever change your mind, come find us! Bye-bye!”
Xiaxia turned around and watched them walk away. Li Taohua also looked back at her.
The look in Li Taohua’s eyes was full of disgust.
But whether it was truly disgust, jealousy, or disgust brought on by jealousy was difficult to say.
When Xiaxia returned home in the military compound, Qiao Lanshu was already cooking in the kitchen.
She had been extremely busy with work lately. Whenever she could get home early, she would cook for the children.
Han Ye had suddenly fallen in love with studying after entering high school. Every day, he holed up in his room, fiddling with various military equipment models.
The house was quiet and peaceful. Xiaxia went into the kitchen, washed her hands, and asked, “Mom, my brother still isn’t home?”
Qiao Lanshu chopped vegetables as she replied, “No. That boy has completely let himself go since starting middle school. He’s never home and who knows what he’s doing outside.”
Looking at Xiaxia, who was helping her wash vegetables and tend the stove, Qiao Lanshu said with satisfaction, “My little darling is still the most thoughtful. You know to come home early and help your mother, unlike those two little troublemakers.”
Han Ye was holed up in his room, completely absorbed in whatever he was tinkering with.
As for Qin Qiao'an, no one knew what he was doing outside. Qiao Lanshu could only hope he wasn’t getting into trouble.
She sighed.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Xiaxia said. “My brother won’t be the one getting the short end of the stick.”
Qiao Lanshu snorted. “I’m not worried about him being taken advantage of. I’m worried he’ll take advantage of someone else, and then they’ll come knocking on our door.”
Xiaxia fell silent.
A little after six, Qin Yuanzheng came home as well.
As soon as he arrived, Qiao Lanshu got ready to serve dinner.
Qin Yuanzheng washed his hands and had just sat down when he cast a casual glance around the table. His brow immediately furrowed.
“Qin Qiao'an still isn’t home?”
Qiao Lanshu sighed. “No. Who knows what he’s doing out there?”
Men were always so careless. Unlike Qiao Lanshu, they didn’t tend to overthink things. She was forever worrying about the children, fretting herself sick.
Qin Yuanzheng said, “Eat. Don’t save him anything tonight. If he can’t make it home by mealtime, he can go hungry.”
His expression darkened slightly. He had been busy recently and hadn’t had time to discipline the boy. Now that things had eased up, he would have to make time to give Qin Qiao'an a proper scolding.
Qin Qiao'an didn’t return home until nearly eight that evening.
He rode his bicycle into the courtyard in a whirlwind.
After propping the bicycle against the wall, he ran toward the house, shouting, “Mom! Mom! I’m hungry! I’m starving!”
His voice was still echoing through the courtyard when he burst inside.
But the only person in the house was Qin Yuanzheng, sitting on the living room sofa and reading the newspaper. Everyone else was gone.
Qin Qiao'an still had no idea how serious the situation was.
Qin Qiao'an still had no idea how serious the situation was.
Sweaty and panting, he ran to the table, grabbed the water pitcher, poured himself a glass, and gulped it down in one go. Only then did he ask, “Dad, where’s Mom?”
Qin Yuanzheng gave him several disdainful looks, turned a page of his newspaper, and replied unhurriedly, “Your mother’s in her room working. Don’t go bother her.”
“Oh,” Qin Qiao'an said before running to the kitchen to look for food. “Dad, is there anything to eat? I’m starving.”
Qiao Lanshu usually left food and dishes for him every day, and Qin Qiao'an was used to coming home no matter how late and still finding a meal waiting.
But this time, he was disappointed.
He searched the kitchen from top to bottom. Forget food—even the dishes and chopsticks had been washed spotless. He checked the pots, only to find them scrubbed until they gleamed.
Qin Qiao'an rummaged through every corner of the kitchen, circling around two or three times before finally realizing that his beloved mother had not left him any dinner.
Not even a single grain of rice!
Qin Qiao'an felt as though the sky had fallen.
He ran out of the kitchen and charged toward Qiao Lanshu’s room. Qin Yuanzheng saw him but didn’t stop him.
It wouldn’t do any good to ask Qiao Lanshu. If she hadn’t left him dinner, then she hadn’t left him dinner.
He was destined to go hungry that night.
Qin Qiao'an rushed to Qiao Lanshu’s room. The door was open, and she was sitting at her desk preparing lesson plans.
With an exaggeratedly miserable expression, Qin Qiao'an ran inside. “Mom, why didn’t you leave me any food today? Are you trying to starve me to death?”
At six feet tall, Qin Qiao'an half-crouched beside Qiao Lanshu, leaned against her shoulder, covered his face, and pretended to cry.
Qiao Lanshu shook her shoulder, thoroughly exasperated. “Stop making noise. I’m working.”
Qin Qiao'an pitifully draped himself over the desk. His stomach was growling with hunger, so loudly that even Qiao Lanshu could hear it.
She glanced at his stomach and said sarcastically, “You didn’t come home until after dark, so I assumed someone outside had treated you to dinner. What’s wrong? Hungry now?”
Qin Qiao'an nodded miserably and rubbed his stomach. “I am, Mom. I’m really hungry. Is there anything left to eat?”
Qiao Lanshu crossed her arms and looked at him. “Tell me. What have you been doing outside every night lately, coming home so late?”
As soon as she asked, Qiao Lanshu felt that the words sounded strangely familiar.
After all, she had said the same thing countless times when Han Ye was younger.
And now, years later, she had to say it all over again—only this time, she was talking to someone else.
Qin Qiao'an was nothing like Han Ye when it came to obedience.
Han Ye wasn’t her biological son. Since Qin Yuanzheng and Qiao Lanshu had rescued and raised him from childhood, he sometimes held himself back and generally listened whenever Qiao Lanshu told him to do something.
But Qin Qiao'an was their biological son. He felt secure in their indulgence, and he was especially good at making a fuss and refusing to reason with anyone.
He clung to Qiao Lanshu’s arm and whined pitifully, “Oh, Mom, I’m so hungry right now. I’m really starving. Can’t you let me fill my stomach first before you start questioning me?”
Qiao Lanshu was getting dizzy from all the shaking. She said sternly, “No.”
Qin Qiao’an continued shaking her. “Come on, Mom, are you trying to starve me to death? Am I not your most beloved child? Mom, Mom, I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten a single bite since noon. I’m still growing, and if I don’t eat, I won’t grow any taller.”
Qiao Lanshu had once worried that her own height might affect Qin Qiao’an, so she had been especially particular about making sure he and his sister ate properly.
They had to eat three meals a day, and they had to eat their fill. She often bought eggs and meat for them, while Qin Yuanzheng would buy goat’s milk. Whenever money was a little less tight, Qiao Lanshu was also willing to spend on milk or powdered milk for them.
Now that Qin Qiao’an was in his first year of middle school, he had already grown to six feet tall.
Xiaxia was in sixth grade and already five foot three. She was still young and could grow quite a bit more.
Qiao Lanshu hadn’t worried about their height for a long time. If Qin Qiao’an hadn’t brought it up, she might have forgotten all about it.
Qiao Lanshu was just about to speak when Qin Yuanzheng’s cold voice suddenly came from the doorway.
“Qin Qiao’an, how old are you? And you’re still clinging to your mother like that? What kind of behavior is that? Get out here!”
Qin Qiao’an fell silent.
He wasn’t afraid of his mother, but he was still rather intimidated by his father.
Even so, he stubbornly argued, “Dad, what’s wrong with hugging my mom? She’s my own mother. I’ll hug her if I want to.”
The moment he finished speaking, Qin Yuanzheng strode into the room, grabbed him by the collar, and said icily, “You’re just asking for a beating.”
Qin Qiao’an was over six feet tall, yet his father simply grabbed him and dragged him out.
Qiao Lanshu watched the father and son bickering as they went and shook her head.
She had actually been planning to go to the kitchen and make noodles for her son.
But after remembering what Qin Yuanzheng had said that evening—that she had to give An’an a proper scolding, or he would keep acting this way and might even cause serious trouble—she held herself back.
Still, hearing the screams coming from the courtyard made her heart ache.
She knew Qin Yuanzheng would show restraint. Qin Qiao’an also knew his mother would feel sorry for him, which was why he was deliberately screaming so loudly, hoping she would come out and rescue him.
Even so, Qiao Lanshu couldn’t hold back. She left the room and hurried to Han Ye’s door, knocking on it.
Han Ye had already put away his tools and taken off his gloves. He had placed the half-disassembled model airplane in a drawer.
He opened the door, and before Qiao Lanshu could say anything, he said, “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll go take a look.”
Qiao Lanshu nodded and lowered her voice. “Uncle Qin is very angry today. Go see what’s happening. Don’t let them actually start fighting.”
Han Ye nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I know what to do.”
In the past, whenever Qin Yuanzheng disciplined him, Qin Qiao’an had been the one to cover for him and sneak him food.
Now the situation had turned around.
Han Ye shook his head.
When he reached the courtyard, he saw Qin Yuanzheng exchanging blows with Qin Qiao’an. Qin Qiao’an had been training for years and had inherited Qin Yuanzheng’s talent, so he was extremely skilled at fighting. But because he was still young and lacked experience, he came off worse every time he sparred with Qin Yuanzheng.
What was more, he had an empty stomach that night and was feeling weak all over.
Whenever Qin Yuanzheng hit him, he howled in agony, making it sound as though Qin Yuanzheng had used all his strength.
Qin Yuanzheng and Han Ye both knew he was doing it on purpose, waiting for Qiao Lanshu to lose heart and come out to save him.
Unfortunately for him, Qiao Lanshu didn’t come out that evening.
In the end, Qin Qiao’an truly couldn’t hold on any longer. Qin Yuanzheng swept his feet out from under him, sending him sprawling onto the ground, and this time he really started crying.
His eyes red, Qin Qiao’an wailed, “Mom! Mom, Dad’s going to beat me to death! You didn’t even come out to see me!”
Qin Yuanzheng fell silent.
Han Ye fell silent too.
Qin Yuanzheng glared at him angrily. “Get up!”
Qin Qiao’an rolled around on the ground and shouted, “I’m not getting up! You’re going to beat me to death! Chief Qin, you’re going to kill your own son!”
Qin Yuanzheng was so furious that he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Han Ye hurried over and said, “Uncle Qin, why don’t you let it go? An’an didn’t really do anything wrong, did he? He just went out to play with his classmates and came home a little late. Maybe you could just make him come back earlier from now on?”
As he spoke, he kept winking at Qin Qiao’an.
Qin Yuanzheng walked over and sat down on the steps. Looking at Qin Qiao’an, he said, “Tell me. You’ve been coming home so late every day lately. What have you been doing?”
Qin Qiao’an climbed to his feet and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Touching his nose, he said, “I—I haven’t been doing anything.”
Qin Yuanzheng’s face darkened. “Don’t lie!”
Qin Qiao’an fell silent.
Qin Yuanzheng stared at him sternly. He had somehow produced a length of rough rope and was fiddling with it while keeping his eyes fixed on Qin Qiao’an.
The moment Qin Qiao’an and Han Ye saw the rope, their bodies went cold and sweat broke out on their foreheads.
Han Ye had once skipped school and gotten into a fight. Since Han Wenlin had been away on a business trip, Qin Yuanzheng had been the one to deal with him.
After they got home that day, Qin Yuanzheng had tied Han Ye up with that very rope, hung him from a tree, and given him a thorough whipping.
Of course, Qin Yuanzheng had known how to control his strength, and Han Ye hadn’t been injured.
But the fear he had felt at the time had stayed with him.
That night, Qiao Lanshu had secretly come out of the house, untied Han Ye, and let him return to his room to sleep.
After that, Han Ye had never done anything reckless again.
Han Ye turned to look at Qin Qiao’an.
The brothers exchanged a glance. Qin Qiao’an silently swallowed.
Qin Yuanzheng looked at him and asked again, “Don’t lie. Give me a proper explanation. What have you been going out to do lately?”
Qin Qiao’an squatted on the ground and poked at the dirt with a stick. After agonizing over it for a long while, he finally said, “Actually, I haven’t been doing anything. I’ve just been going out with my best friend. My friend doesn’t have a bicycle, so I have to give him a ride. We go to the library, the movie theater, places like that.”
Their former English tutor often took them to see movies, so the three of them were quite familiar with the theater.
But movie tickets weren’t cheap.
Besides, Qin Yuanzheng knew exactly how much money Qin Qiao’an had. He only had a little pocket money—enough for snacks and soft drinks, but certainly not enough to go to the movies all the time.
Qin Qiao’an scratched his head and added, “Actually, we don’t go that often. Most of the time, we go play by the river. There are lots of people there, and some of them fish. It’s pretty fun…”
Qin Yuanzheng let out a cold laugh. “It’s already dark. You go to the river at night to watch people fish? Do you think I’m going to believe that?”
Even Han Ye found that strange. He looked at Qin Qiao’an and asked, “Who did you go with? I know all your friends. Which one were you with?”
Qin Qiao’an fell silent.
He stared at Han Ye in disbelief, his eyes accusing him.
Big brother, why are you interrogating me too?
