Qin Yuanzheng interrogated Qin Qiao'an for half a day, but Qin Qiao'an stubbornly insisted that he had merely gone out to have fun with his classmates.
He hadn’t done anything wrong or bad, so Qin Yuanzheng couldn’t really hang him up and beat him.
That was the experience Qin Qiao'an had gained from matching wits with Qin Yuanzheng ever since he was little—and from following Han Ye around for so long.
Qin Yuanzheng was so furious that he was speechless.
Of course, he couldn’t just let this rebellious son off so easily.
In the end, Qin Yuanzheng made Qin Qiao'an stand in a horse stance in the courtyard on an empty stomach for an hour. He also warned him, “Starting tomorrow, if you’re not home before seven in the evening, I’m locking the door. You can sleep on the street. Understand?”
Qin Qiao'an nodded, then silently glanced at the wall surrounding the courtyard.
Qin Yuanzheng sneered. “There are spikes on top of the wall. Go ahead and climb it if you can.”
Qin Qiao'an: “…”
He stared at Qin Yuanzheng in shock, almost beginning to wonder whether he was really his biological son.
Otherwise, how could his father be so ruthless?
At that moment, Qin Qiao'an’s stomach was growling with hunger. Standing in a horse stance was usually easy enough, but now that he was hungry, his legs felt weak.
He was simply too hungry and had no strength.
So he could only nod pitifully. “I understand, dear Father. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely be home at six fifty-nine tomorrow. I won’t give you the chance to kick me out to sleep on the street.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “…”
Damn it. His fists were itching to hit him again.
This little rascal was constantly provoking him!
He really had no idea where this personality had come from.
More than once, Qin Yuanzheng had reflected on himself. Had he been this irritating when he was young?
Even a dog would go around Qin Qiao'an to avoid him.
Just then, Qiao Lanshu came out of the house as well. She had heard the argument between father and son.
Qin Qiao'an was far too rebellious, while Qin Yuanzheng was furious. Qiao Lanshu felt sorry for both of them.
So she took Qin Yuanzheng’s hand and said softly, “All right, all right. Don’t be angry with him. You get angry every time—be careful you don’t ruin your health. It’s very late. Come inside and rest.”
As she spoke, Qiao Lanshu pulled Qin Yuanzheng toward the house.
Qin Yuanzheng had still wanted to lecture Qin Qiao'an a little more, but since his wife had come to take him inside, he followed her back into the house.
Still, he remained irritated. “Tell me, what will it take for that brat to grow up and act sensibly?”
He wanted to discipline him physically, but he was afraid of hurting the child. Qin Yuanzheng knew exactly how strong he was.
But if he went easy on him, the little brat wasn’t afraid of being beaten at all. Even after getting thrashed, he would remain just as unruly.
He had even considered sending Qin Qiao'an to the military to undergo some training and suffer a little. In the end, the boy actually liked the idea. Qin Qiao'an had even clamored to go himself.
Qin Yuanzheng was completely at a loss.
When it came to raising children, he realized that he truly had no idea what to do.
If only every child were as obedient and sensible as Xiaxia.
She was practically an angel.
Qiao Lanshu said softly, “Take it slowly. Don’t be angry. Han Ye was even more mischievous when he was younger, but he always knew where to draw the line and never did anything outrageous.”
Qin Yuanzheng let out a cold snort. “If they ever do anything outrageous, I’ll tie them up, hang them from a tree, and use them as punching bags.”
Qiao Lanshu laughed again. Qin Yuanzheng was all bark and no bite. Deep down, he couldn’t bear to hit the children.
Otherwise, Qin Qiao'an wouldn’t be provoking him every day.
Qin Qiao'an knew perfectly well that Qin Yuanzheng didn’t dare to beat him seriously, which was why he behaved so recklessly.
…
Han Ye had watched the married couple return to the house from the courtyard. As soon as they were gone, he hurried over to An'an’s side and lowered his voice.
“Qin Qiao'an! Seriously, you knew your dad would really hit you, so why did you deliberately provoke him? Would it kill you to say a few less words?”
Han Ye had been sweating bullets for Qin Qiao'an just now.
This troublesome little brother was getting bolder and bolder. Han Ye himself didn’t even dare to provoke Qin Yuanzheng.
As soon as Qin Yuanzheng left, Qin Qiao'an immediately plopped down on the ground. There was no way he was going to keep holding the horse stance. Every minute of slacking off was a minute earned.
Sitting on the ground, he said dejectedly, “Bro, I’m really innocent. How did I provoke Dad? He’s the one who’s narrow-minded and always likes to lecture me. I didn’t even hold it against him. I’m already being very filial.”
Han Ye: “…”
Han Ye was completely speechless. “How did you not provoke him? What did you say just now?”
Qin Qiao'an replied righteously, “He told me to be home before seven, and I said I’d be home at six fifty-nine. Isn’t that perfectly reasonable? I didn’t say I’d come home at seven-oh-one. I was already giving him plenty of consideration.”
Han Ye lightly kicked him. “Just wait until Uncle Qin hangs you up and beats you. If I’m not home then, no one will be there to save you.”
Qin Qiao'an grabbed Han Ye’s arm and pulled himself to his feet, completely unconcerned. “I’m not afraid. My mom loves me. She’ll definitely save me.”
Han Ye: “…”
All right. Han Ye was utterly speechless now.
The two brothers went to the kitchen in perfect unspoken agreement.
Qin Qiao'an sat down in a chair and sighed repeatedly. “Bro, I’m so hungry. I’m seriously about to starve to death.”
Han Ye lowered his voice. “Keep your voice down. I’ll make you some noodles.”
With that, Han Ye began rummaging through the cupboards for dried noodles.
Qin Qiao'an couldn’t cook, but Han Ye could at least boil food until it was done. As for the taste…
Qin Qiao'an thought it over. Never mind, never mind. As long as it didn’t make him sick, it would be fine.
He was too hungry to be picky about flavor.
While the brothers were rummaging through the kitchen, Xiaxia walked in.
She looked at the two of them with deep disapproval. “What are you doing?”
Han Ye immediately put a finger to his lips and said, “We’re making your brother some noodles.”
Xiaxia glanced at Qin Qiao'an. He was filthy, his clothes soaked through with sweat, and there was dirt all over him.
She said with obvious distaste, “You should take a shower first.”
Qin Qiao'an sat there without moving and said weakly, “I’m almost starving to death, and you want me to shower… I think Mom doesn’t love me anymore. She doesn’t care about me at all. She didn’t leave me any food, and even after I begged her, she still wouldn’t make me any noodles.”
Xiaxia shook her head and walked over. She took a packet of dried noodles from the cupboard and said, “I’ll make them for you. Go take a shower.”
Qin Qiao'an brightened immediately and jumped to his feet. “I knew my little sister was the best! Xiaxia, what would I ever do without you? I could never repay your kindness, not even in a lifetime.”
Xiaxia: “…”
Even Han Ye couldn’t stand listening to him anymore. He grabbed Qin Qiao'an and dragged him outside. “Go take your shower. You talk way too much.”
…
Qin Yuanzheng was sitting inside the house, listening to the noisy commotion outside. He said unhappily, “Weren’t we supposed to let him go hungry for the whole night so he’d learn his lesson?”
Qiao Lanshu stood beside him and said softly, “The child is still growing. He gets a lot of exercise and digests food quickly. If we don’t let him eat dinner, he probably won’t be able to sleep all night. Then he’ll get up and make a fuss in the middle of the night, and the whole family won’t get any sleep.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “…”
Qin Yuanzheng took advantage of the moment and pulled Qiao Lanshu into his arms. “You’re just too softhearted,” he told her. “You’re always indulging them. You’ll spoil them rotten.”
Qiao Lanshu sighed and said quietly, “I was thinking about how they’ll be joining the army in the future. Won’t they suffer enough once they’re there? Since they’re at home now, let them have some fun. As long as they don’t fall behind in their studies, we can afford to be a little more relaxed about everything else.”
Qin Yuanzheng lowered his voice. “I have a feeling that kid Qiao'an might be dating already.”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
These days, just hearing something like that was enough to put Qiao Lanshu on high alert.
She sat up straight and looked at Qin Yuanzheng. “Did he say that himself? How old is he? He’s only just started seventh grade. Does a boy that age even know what love is?”
Qiao Lanshu still remembered what had happened with Han Ye when he was in eighth grade!
In the past, she had been fairly open-minded about her children dating young. But after that incident, she had become extremely wary of it—in fact, she was completely opposed to it.
She wouldn’t allow the children to date in middle or high school.
At the very least, they would have to wait until they joined the army and got into a military academy before she would let them think about relationships.
Qin Yuanzheng reassured her, “No, An'an didn’t say anything. That was just my guess.”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
Qiao Lanshu slid off him, climbed onto the kang, and lay down. Her brows furrowed with worry. “Could he really have started dating while he was away these past two months?”
Qin Yuanzheng moved closer and hugged her through the quilt. “He refuses to say anything. I’ll keep an eye on him for the next couple of days…”
Qiao Lanshu reached out and pushed him away, glaring at him. “Move. You’re so hot.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “???”
He looked at her, feeling a little wronged. “You’re under the quilt too. How can you be hot?”
Qiao Lanshu shifted farther toward the inside and turned her head away, ignoring him.
Qin Yuanzheng felt as if the sky had collapsed. His wife actually wouldn’t let him hold her anymore.
What did their son’s dating have to do with him now? He didn’t want to worry about anything else. He only wanted to ask his wife why she had suddenly stopped talking to him.
Could it be that he was getting old?
He lowered his head and glanced at himself. His abs were still there, weren’t they?
Qin Yuanzheng moved closer again and braced both hands on the bed as he looked at her. “Honey, why are you angry?”
He reached out, took her chin, and turned her face toward him. His expression was serious. “Did I say something wrong again?”
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and sighed. “It’s not your fault. I’m just feeling irritated.”
Qin Yuanzheng refused to let it go. “It’s not my fault? You won’t even let me hold you anymore. Then it definitely has something to do with me.”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
Looking at him like this, Qiao Lanshu suddenly felt like teasing him.
She said, “I heard one of my coworkers say something recently. She said that when a middle-aged couple kisses, it can give you nightmares for several nights. We’ve been married for so many years, and you’re getting on in age yourself. Why are you still so clingy?”
Qin Yuanzheng: “???”
His brows drew tightly together, and he said solemnly, “Who did you hear that from? What nonsense.”
Qiao Lanshu thought for a moment. “Well, one of my coworkers at the office said it…”
Before she could finish, Qin Yuanzheng pinned her down and kissed her several times in a row.
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
Qin Yuanzheng held her face in both hands and asked, “Are you going to have nightmares? How many do you think you’ll have?”
Qiao Lanshu couldn’t help laughing. “They said it, not me. My man is so handsome—how could I possibly have nightmares?”
Qin Yuanzheng snorted. “So, are you going to let me hold you or not?”
Before Qiao Lanshu could answer, Qin Yuanzheng slipped beneath the quilt and wrapped her tightly in his arms. In a deep voice, he said, “Nothing else matters. You’re my wife. If I want to hold you, I’ll hold you.”
Qiao Lanshu shook her head with a smile and let him hold her.
After a while, Qiao Lanshu said again, “No, I’m still worried about An'an. How about I go ask him? He should tell me, shouldn’t he?”
She made as if to sit up, but Qin Yuanzheng pressed her back into his arms. “Forget it. You don’t need to ask him. He isn’t Han Ye—he’s not that honest with you. I’ll have someone keep an eye on him for the next couple of days. That little rascal had better not be up to anything bad.”
Qiao Lanshu sighed. “Children really do grow up and stop listening to their parents.”
Come to think of it, she needed to have a talk with Xiaxia, too. Xiaxia had to be kept under strict watch. She absolutely couldn’t start dating. She was so beautiful that no matter who she dated, she would be the one at a disadvantage.
And as a girl, she was even more vulnerable.
Qiao Lanshu had once thought that raising young children was the most troublesome part, and that things would get easier once she brought them up. Then she thought everything would be fine once they started elementary school. Later, she told herself it would be better once they reached middle school…
Now she had realized that whether they were in elementary or middle school, children would always find new ways to cause trouble.
Being a mother was never easy.
While Qiao Lanshu was worrying over all this, Qin Yuanzheng grew more and more dissatisfied. Before long, he had pinned Qiao Lanshu down and started pulling off her clothes.
Qiao Lanshu: “???”
She asked in surprise, “Didn’t we just… yesterday?”
Qin Yuanzheng’s expression darkened. “Don’t think that just because I’m getting older, I can’t perform anymore. I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”
She had even joked about nightmares? Hmph. He would keep her so busy that she wouldn’t have time to dream of nightmares at all. Let’s see if she dared to make fun of him again.
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
She was utterly helpless.
She had truly only been joking.
Who would have thought she had hit Qin Yuanzheng’s sore spot again?
Honestly, this man became harder and harder to placate with age.
…
Early the next morning, there were no classes, so Qiao Lanshu and the children were all at home.
Han Ye had gone back to the Han family that morning.
Only Qiao Lanshu, An'an, and Xiaxia were left at home.
Qiao Lanshu was planning to visit Zhong Mei’s department store. Over the past two years, Zhong Mei had first expanded her grocery shop. After earning some money, she invested it back into the business and opened a two-story department store. Business there was booming.
Qiao Lanshu had invested in it, and Zhong Mei gave her a share of the profits every month, almost like a salary. Qiao Lanshu saved all the money, planning to buy a few properties in a couple of years, once homes could be freely bought and sold.
After getting ready, Qiao Lanshu urged Qin Qiao'an, “An'an, hurry up. We’re about to leave.”
Qin Qiao'an came out of his room and said, “Mom, you and Xiaxia go ahead. I don’t feel like going out today.”
Qiao Lanshu exchanged a glance with Xiaxia, and the two of them looked at him. Xiaxia asked suspiciously, “You’re not going out, big brother? We’re going to Aunt Mei’s today. Aren’t you coming?”
Qin Qiao'an used to enjoy browsing around the department store.
Qin Qiao'an coughed and said with a perfectly serious expression, “Oh, I still have homework to do. You two go ahead. Mom, remember to bring me lunch. Oh, and I want egg tarts—buy me two.”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
