Chapter 12: No Going Back

Her hair was still wet, so Chen Liyang rubbed it with a dry towel until it stopped dripping. Then he carried her to the sofa in the living room and turned on a cartoon for her.

Normally, watching TV was forbidden in this house, so Wanning’s attention was instantly captured by the cartoon.

Only then did Chen Liyang have time to attend to his own tasks. He first put away the groceries and items he had bought where they belonged.

Then he walked into his bedroom. Unable to tell which clothes on the sofa were clean and which were dirty, he simply picked them all up and dumped them into the washing machine.

As for the blanket, he didn’t even plan to wash it. It was far too filthy, likely teeming with bacteria, and he was afraid he might get sick if he used it.

Chen Liyang spent the entire morning cleaning his room.

Looking at the fruits of his labor, he felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

The room, which had been so dirty and cluttered that there was nowhere even to step, now looked bright, clean, and completely refreshed.

Gazing out the window at the sweet osmanthus tree, Chen Liyang felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of calm settle over his heart.

The beads of sweat on his forehead and the fatigue in his body served as constant reminders that he could never go back.

Stepping out of the room, Chen Liyang looked at the little girl engrossed in the TV. He had assumed she was watching an exciting scene, only to realize it was just a commercial.

Seeing how attentively she was watching, Chen Liyang didn’t disturb her. Instead, he picked up the groceries he had left on the table and carried them into the kitchen.

In another half hour, the kids would be coming home from school.

Since money was tight, he had only bought basic ingredients: potatoes, celtuce^[1], and ten Yuan worth of lean pork to make a soup with enoki mushrooms.

Combined with the water spinach growing in the yard, it would make a perfect meal of three dishes and a soup.

The moment class ended, Zhou Chengdong sprinted out of the classroom. He had to rush home to cook lunch.

Just as he entered the courtyard, he almost thought he had walked into the wrong place.

The courtyard was completely filled with hanging laundry.

He recognized the clothes. Aside from the ones they had washed the night before, the rest all belonged to Chen Liyang.

What’s more, those clothes hadn’t been hanging there when they left for school this morning.

It was obvious who had washed them. Zhou Chengdong recalled what Chen Liyang had said that morning.

Had he really turned over a new leaf? But could a dog really stop eating shit?

He only knew one truth: domestic abuse happened either zero times or an infinite number of times.

No matter how nice his words sounded, Zhou Chengdong still didn’t believe he would truly change.

With that thought, Zhou Chengdong didn’t linger. He hurried inside, knowing he still had to prepare lunch.

However, the moment he stepped into the house, he saw Wanning watching TV. If he remembered correctly, Chen Liyang never allowed them to watch TV.

Assuming his little sister was watching secretly while Chen Liyang wasn’t around, his first instinct was to turn it off.

Otherwise, if Chen Liyang caught her, all hell would break loose again.

It was only when he heard the sizzle of stir-frying from the kitchen that his hand paused on the remote. His eyes involuntarily drifted toward the kitchen.

Walking slowly toward it, he saw Chen Liyang wearing an apron, stir-frying water spinach.

On the stovetop sat two finished dishes: shredded potatoes and stir-fried celtuce.

Watching that familiar, busy figure, Zhou Chengdong couldn’t help but remember when Chen Liyang had first married their mother.

Back then, he had a gentle temperament and never lost his temper. He had always eagerly taken on the household chores, ensuring they came home from school every day to a warm meal he had cooked.

That was what had led Zhou Chengdong, who had initially been somewhat resistant to him, to slowly accept his presence.

Just when he thought that kind of life would last forever…

…their mother went abroad, and he changed completely.

His temperament turned violent. At first, he merely vented his temper at them, but later he resorted to physical abuse, leaving them constantly covered in a mix of old and new bruises.

After that, all the household chores fell onto the brothers’ shoulders.

Chen Liyang transformed from a hardworking, devoted family man into a lazy, fickle abuser.

Because of that, Zhou Chengdong had never imagined a day would come when Chen Liyang would pick up the spatula and cook again.

Sensing someone watching him, Chen Liyang turned his head and saw Zhou Chengdong staring at him. He offered a faint smile. “You’re back? Lunch will be ready in just a moment!”

With that, he went back to stir-frying.

“Big Brother, I’m here to help you make lunch!” Zhou Chengnan called out as he arrived, looking at the person standing at the kitchen doorway.

Only when he saw Chen Liyang holding the spatula himself did he feel the sun must have risen in the west.

A man who hadn’t set foot in the kitchen for ages was actually cooking today.

Could he have poisoned the food, planning to kill them all?

While his mind ran wild, the third and fourth brothers returned one after another.

Upon learning that Chen Liyang was cooking today, their thoughts matched the second brother’s: they couldn’t help but suspect he had poisoned the food.

However, Zhou Chengbei’s attention was quickly drawn to the cartoon. He had forgotten how long it had been since he last watched TV.

“Big Brother, did you turn on the TV for Wanning?” he asked, eyes glued to the screen.

Zhou Chengdong shook his head. “Wanning was already watching it when I got home. It was probably him who turned it on for her.”

Who “him” referred to was something they all understood without saying.

Still, they were deeply curious about what kind of scheme Chen Liyang had in mind to make such a dramatic shift, acting as though he had become an entirely different person.

Before long, Chen Liyang finished cooking.

It was hot in the kitchen. After stir-frying just a few dishes, his clothes were completely soaked, clinging uncomfortably to his skin.

Noticing the eldest and second brothers still standing by the door, Chen Liyang waved them over. “Come bring the dishes to the table and scoop out the rice. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat first. I’m going to take a quick shower!”

With that, he left the kitchen, grabbed a change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.

Watching him disappear into the bathroom, Zhou Chengdong and Zhou Chengnan finally entered the kitchen.

The dishes Chen Liyang had just cooked sat on the stove. To be honest, their presentation was quite average, far inferior to what he used to make when he first joined the family.

Perhaps his skills had grown rusty after not cooking for so long. But for the boys, who hadn’t had a three-dish, one-soup meal since moving to the urban village, this was practically a royal banquet. Compared to filling their stomachs, appearance didn’t matter at all.

After bringing the dishes to the dining table in the living room, they filled six bowls with rice.

However, none of them picked up their chopsticks. Although Chen Liyang had told them to eat first if they were hungry, memories of past beatings meant none of them dared to set such a precedent. They had no choice but to sit quietly at the table and wait for Chen Liyang to finish his shower so they could eat together.

Chen Liyang washed up quickly, wrapping things up in just three minutes. Stepping out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, he saw the five of them sitting around the table without a single person touching their food.

“Didn’t I say you could eat first if you were hungry? Why are you all just sitting there?” he asked, walking over to the dining table.

Ever since he transmigrated, he felt he had been on his best behavior. Why were they all still so terrified of him?

“Y-You… you eat first…” Zhou Chengbei said in a quiet voice, trembling with nerves.