Chapter 32

Hearing those two words, Qian Guosheng immediately realized his daughter was poking fun at his soft-hearted nature, making his old face flush with embarrassment.

While crunching on an apple, Qian Jianing pointed at her dad and said, “Dad, why do you think my little uncle never dares to ask Uncle and Big Aunt for money all these years? Why doesn’t Grandma ever cry and make a scene with them? Because they simply ignore them—whether they cry or throw tantrums, it’s all for nothing. So eventually they stopped bothering. But you…” Qian Jianing looked at her father mercilessly. “Before it even gets to the tears and the drama, you’re already feeling guilty and giving in. Dad, I just don’t get you. Why are you so soft? That’s your own brother and you still spoil him like that? Not to be harsh, but if my own brother ever turned out like that, never mind giving him money—see if I didn’t beat him to a pulp first!”

As he munched on a cucumber, Qian Jiafeng shivered and quickly raised the vegetable like a hand in oath, “Sis, I swear I won’t turn out like our uncle. Please don’t beat me. If you end up kicking me into a tree, with my size, we’ll have to pay for the damage!”

“Smooth talker,” Qian Jianing laughed and pulled a bright red apple from the crate, handing it to Li Wanzhen. “Mom, you eat one too. These apples are delicious. Eat one a day and all those aches and cramps in your back and legs will be gone in no time.”

Li Wanzhen took the apple and chuckled, “You talk like it’s a miracle pill.”

Qian Jianing’s grandmother’s place wasn’t far. By the time they finished their apples and a sip of water, they had arrived. Qian Guosheng parked the tricycle at the courtyard gate, and the group unloaded the vegetables, fruits, and cake they had brought. As they walked inside, they called out, “Mom (Grandma), we’re here!”

The door opened, and a woman in her fifties came out—a rural woman with a warm face. Upon seeing Qian Jianing’s family, she smiled, “Wanzhen’s back! Oh my, Xiaomi has grown a lot these past two months, and Jiafeng’s gained quite a bit of weight too!”

Li Wanzhen greeted her with a smile, “Sister-in-law.” After the kids called her “Auntie,” she added, “It’s summer break, and they’ve just been lying around eating all day, nothing but putting on weight.”

“A little chubby is good—boys look sturdier that way.” The woman ushered them in and, noting all the boxes and bags they had brought, scolded lightly, “This is your own family—you’re not visiting strangers! Why bring so much stuff?”

Li Wanzhen smiled and replied, “Just some food—and a cake Xiaomi made. It’s nothing.”

They carried the goods into the house. Inside, a group of men and women helped support an elderly lady in her eighties. Her eyes landed on the plastic boxes filled with fruits and vegetables, and she couldn’t help but comment, “There are vegetables growing in the backyard. Why bring these all the way here? It’s enough that you came.”

Seeing the grandmother she hadn’t met in decades in either of her lifetimes made Qian Jianing feel a pang of sadness. In her memory, this woman was exceptionally kind and wise. She had raised five children alone, each with different paths in life, but she never expected help from those who were better off. Instead, she always told them to handle their own affairs—not to rely on siblings. Once you got married, you weren’t part of the same family anymore.

Although Li Wanzhen and her siblings followed that principle, their relationships stayed close. Whenever someone had trouble, the others would always show up to help. And the one being helped never took it for granted—a generous meal was the least they would offer in return.

Qian Jianing couldn’t help but wonder—how could two grandmothers, from the same town no less, be so drastically different?

Qian Guosheng’s family had left home around eight in the morning, and it was just after ten when they arrived. In the courtyard, chickens had just been slaughtered, and two still-jumping carp were swimming in a pail, ready to be prepped.

Qian Jianing put the vegetables she brought into the kitchen and handed the box of apples to Qian Jiafeng. “Take them inside and share them with everyone.” Then she rolled up her sleeves to prepare the fish.

Her oldest and second aunts from her mother’s side saw Qian Jianing in the kitchen and hurried over to push her out. “You finally come and visit—go rest inside and play with your cousins. Let the adults handle the cooking. What are you doing in here?”

“Exactly. You’re still a kid. Go eat some candy and watch TV.”

The two aunts tried to drag her back into the room, but Qian Jianing shook them off with a grin. “Aunty, I’ve been practicing my cooking all summer! Today, let me show my love for Grandma by making her a meal.”

The older aunt looked hesitant. Cooking for a summer might mean you can avoid undercooking, but proper skills? Unlikely. All this fish and meat wasn’t cheap—if she botched it, it’d be a waste.

Not knowing how to get out of the situation, fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Li Wanzhen heard the commotion and came over. She felt sorry that her daughter had been so busy and tired lately from running her business and had wanted her to relax for a day. She quickly tried to coax her, “Why don’t you go rest in the house, sweetheart? I’ll cook.”

“I’m not tired, Mom.” Qian Jianing swiftly grabbed a fish from the pail and cleaned it up skillfully. “Grandma’s never tasted my cooking. Let me show her my appreciation. I’ll do the birthday banquet.”

Seeing Qian Jianing wouldn’t budge, Li Wanzhen simply rolled up her sleeves too. “Then I’ll help—and learn a few tricks while I’m at it.”

The two aunts were at a loss. First, they couldn’t stop her from working, and now her mother joined in. “Oh come on, you two shouldn’t be working.”

“Exactly! Mom’s definitely going to scold us later.”

“We’re not outsiders,” Li Wanzhen said with a laugh. “Besides, this is the perfect chance for you to taste Xiaomi’s cooking. I promise, once you try it, you’ll be asking for seconds.”

With that settled, they reluctantly let them pitch in. Still, the aunts couldn’t just sit still. One began washing vegetables while the other picked up the cleaned chicken to start chopping.

Qian Jianing quickly stopped her and laughed, “Let’s keep the chicken whole—it’ll look better for the feast.”

“How do you stew a whole chicken?” the older aunt asked, baffled.

Qian Jianing rubbed the chicken down with yellow wine, tucked its head under the wings and the claws into the cavity. She then stuffed the cavity with bits of ham she’d brought, along with mushrooms and water chestnuts. Once everything was in place, she put the chicken into a clay pot to cook.

Watching Qian Jianing’s brisk and clean movements, the older aunt was amazed. “Xiaomi, this doesn’t look like someone who only practiced for one summer. She’s quicker than me!”

Alongside the chicken, fish was another must-have for the birthday feast. Qian Jianing remembered that her grandmother liked sweet-and-sour flavors, so she decided to make a sweet-and-sour carp.

The fish had been bought in advance from a nearby county—it was a Yellow River carp with firm and tender flesh. She removed the smelly tendons from the sides, made decorative peony-style cuts on both sides, and marinated it in scallions, ginger, and yellow wine. Then she placed the fish into a deep-frying wok and shaped it into a leaping carp posture, frying it to a crisp golden brown. Finally, she drizzled it with sweet-and-sour sauce.

The two aunts stared, dumbfounded. They had always lived in the township and rarely even visited restaurants—let alone seen such beautiful dishes.

“Oh my, Xiaomi is amazing. She even makes such pretty dishes. No wonder she’s a school kid—she’s way more capable than us illiterates.”

“No kidding. Kids these days should definitely study hard. Even if they don’t get into college, with skills like this, they’ll never go hungry.”

Qian Jianing: “…” You seem to have a strange understanding of school. They don’t actually teach this stuff! I’m in high school—not the New Oriental Culinary School, okay?

After finishing the fish, the rest of the dishes were much quicker. Using the vegetables she’d brought, and firing up multiple stoves, Qian Jianing soon laid out a whole birthday feast.

Li Wanzhen had brought braised beef, pig’s head meat, smoked pork leg, and five-spice tripe from home and sliced and plated them beautifully.

The family courtyard was large, and the weather wasn’t too cold, so they set the big table up outside. All five of Old Lady Li’s children and their families gathered around, filling the round table completely.

Dish after dish was arranged around the table: divine chicken stew, sweet-and-sour Yellow River carp, tofu pouches, fried lotus root sandwiches, sticky rice meatballs, caramel duck chunks… Qian Jianing had prepared all the local specialties. These dishes were all labor-intensive and usually reserved for wedding banquets—few families could manage them at home.

Li Wanzhen helped her own mother out of the house. The old lady was stunned when she saw the table brimming with colorful, fragrant, and delicious food. “Xiaomi made all this?”

“She sure did. Our Xiaomi is super handy—once she reads a recipe, she can cook it,” Li Wanzhen said proudly. She also placed the cake Qian Jianing had made on the table. “Mom, this is a cake Jianing made for you.”

Cake was still a luxury—there was only one bakery in town, and the cakes were tiny and outrageously expensive. The last time the family had one was for the oldest uncle’s grandson’s birthday—and the adults didn’t even eat any, letting the kids split it, one bite each.

“Cake?” Old Lady Li looked at the big box in the center of the table in confusion. Weren’t cakes supposed to be tiny slices? How many slices is a cake that big? That must cost a fortune.

Li Wanzhen slowly lifted the lid, revealing a two-tiered cake. The bottom layer was a full twelve inches across, covered with clouds symbolizing good luck. The top layer, around ten inches wide, was decorated with pure white cream and featured a pumpkin-carved Shou star deity holding a longevity peach in his hands. On either side were a crane and a pine tree—symbols of long life. In front, written in bold red cream, was a powerful longevity character.

Not just Old Lady Li—even the rest of the family had never seen such a beautiful cake. The eldest uncle even stood up and touched the Shou star figure, trying to see what it was made of.

“This is too beautiful.” Old Lady Li was overjoyed and a little uneasy. “You really made this? You didn’t buy it? This must’ve cost a fortune.”

“No, I made it,” Qian Jianing said, smiling warmly at the kind old woman. “I was bored during the summer and started learning how to make stuff like this on my own.”

“Wow, that’s really amazing.” A group of people looked at Qian Jianing with admiring glances. Her cooking skills had far exceeded their expectations, and they were at a loss for words—other than saying “amazing,” they simply couldn’t think of anything else.

Qian Jianing stood up and served a bowl of chicken soup to Old Lady Li. Although the chicken wasn’t brought by Qian Jianing, it was a young rooster that the family had raised for over half a year, with especially tender meat.

Old Lady Li inhaled the rich aroma from the bowl and couldn’t help but take a sip—indeed, the meat was tender, the soup thick, and the taste simply delightful.

Seeing Old Lady Li drink the soup, the others quickly picked up their chopsticks and helped themselves to the dishes they had eyed earlier. The spread was a well-balanced mix of meat and vegetables, with the meat savory and fragrant, and the vegetables light and tasty. Used to their own plain and simple home-cooked food, everyone was instantly enamored by the delicious meal. They became so absorbed in eating that they even forgot about the usual birthday toasts typically seen at such banquets.

Qian Jianing had been planning to toast her grandmother, but the old lady was happily gnawing on a drumstick. Even though she only had a few teeth left, they worked just fine—she went straight for the meat dishes with her chopsticks.

The kids’ favorite was the sweet and sour carp. Not only was the fish presented in a beautiful shape and vibrant color, but its texture was crispy on the outside and tender inside. It was perfectly sweet and sour, soft and flavorful. The children kept reaching for it until only fish bones were left. Even then they weren’t satisfied—they scraped the remaining sauce from the plate with spoons and licked it clean.

Li Wanzhen, sitting beside Old Lady Li, picked up a piece of soft, stewed pork head for her and said, “This was marinated last night by Jianing and me.” The marinated pork head was rich, soft, and flavorful—fatty yet not greasy. Old Lady Li barely needed to chew before it melted in her mouth. She couldn’t resist picking up another bite herself.

In previous birthday feasts, all the food had been prepared by Old Lady Li’s two daughters-in-law. Although it was also full of meat and fish, the food tended to be overly greasy. The old lady would feel nauseous after just a few bites and dared not eat much more.

But today the meat dishes made by Qian Jianing were not oily at all. Even though the old lady kept reminding herself not to eat too much meat, once she tasted the flavorful, non-greasy, lean-yet-tender dishes, she couldn’t stop. With her easygoing nature, she finally decided to indulge in a satisfying meal—diarrhea or not, it was worth it.

With over twenty dishes on the table, the group finished everything in just half an hour. The bowls and plates were clean, not even a drop of soup remained. Still, they hovered over the table with chopsticks in hand, hoping to find something else to nibble on.

“Jianing’s cooking is way better than that of the restaurants in town.” The eldest uncle had eaten at a town restaurant before and thought the food there was already mouthwatering. But compared with today’s banquet, it now tasted coarse like pig feed. “With her skills, Jianing could be a head chef at a restaurant in Zishi.”

Qian Jianing smiled but said nothing. Qian Jiafeng, younger and less reserved, blurted out, “No way, recently we had a guest from the provincial capital, and he said my sister’s cooking was better than the food at restaurants in the capital!”

“Wow!” The whole family exclaimed in amazement, looking at Qian Jianing with admiration and awe. The provincial capital—they had never even been there, let alone eaten at those restaurants. And yet here was Jianing, who cooked better than those city chefs. Simply unbelievable.

Qian Jiafeng rubbed his belly and fixed his eyes on the cake in the center of the table, his chubby face showing an expression of drooling anticipation. “Sis, can we eat the cake now?”

Qian Jianing looked at Old Lady Li. She immediately replied, “Eat! Let’s have it right now.”

Qian Jianing got up, carefully removed the food sculptures on top of the cake, and placed them in front of Old Lady Li. When the old lady touched the smooth texture, she finally believed it was made from pumpkin. Holding the sculpted birthday figurine, she examined it closely and praised, “Was this really carved with a knife? It looks more realistic than any porcelain sold in stores.”

The eldest aunt picked up the nearby crane sculpture and sniffed it. Immediately, she shouted excitedly, “It smells like turnip!”

Everyone gasped in amazement, passing the sculptures around as gingerly as if they were priceless treasures. After viewing them, they gently returned them in front of the old lady, planning to put them on display in the cabinet after the meal.

Old Lady Li looked at the beautiful cake, beaming with joy. She had suffered her entire life—when she was young, she couldn’t even get enough to eat, let alone celebrate birthdays. Only in recent years had things improved, and her children were now filial enough to plan birthday celebrations. Though many elderly women in town had birthday banquets, she felt like hers was one of a kind—with such a beautiful cake.

The cake Qian Jianing brought was enormous. Not only did each child get a big piece, but there was plenty for the adults too. Even the men who didn’t usually like sweets couldn’t resist this rare treat. Curiosity got the best of them, and they had to taste what made this cake so special.

“Sis, this cake is really delicious,” Qian Jiafeng said, his face covered in cream. “When it’s my birthday, can you make me one too?”

Qian Jiafeng’s birthday was in the twelfth lunar month, right during winter break. Qian Jianing smiled, and just as Qian Jiafeng was lighting up with joy, she added casually, “Only if you rank top five in your grade.”

Qian Jiafeng instantly deflated. “Sis, that goal is way too high. I’m currently ranked twenty-fifth.”

“Rank twenty-five? And you still have the nerve to call yourself my brother?” Qian Jianing glanced at him. “If you don’t get it, I can tutor you.”

Qian Jiafeng quietly turned his head and continued munching on cake. Why think about depressing stuff on such a nice day? Might as well enjoy another slice of cake.

After the meal, everyone finally had time to talk and remembered they hadn’t toasted the old lady yet. Quickly, they picked up their wine glasses and offered birthday wishes. Qian Jianing got up and went to the kitchen. Seeing there were still some fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and cucumbers left, she whipped up a few simple cold dishes and brought them out.

“You’re busy again?” the eldest aunt exclaimed in surprise, pulling her over. “You’ve been working all afternoon. Let me do it.”

Qian Jianing quickly gave her a radiant smile and replied a bit shyly, “It wasn’t that tiring. These are just quick and simple dishes—something for everyone to have with their drinks.”

Though meat usually pairs better with alcohol, at this point, even Qian Jianing’s vegetarian dishes were more appetizing than others’ meat dishes. Even the already-stuffed grandma, still hiccupping from being too full, couldn’t resist picking up her chopsticks to snack on the sweet-and-sour tomatoes.

“Why do I feel like our Xiaomi’s tomato salad even tastes better than other people’s?” Old Lady Li said with her mouth full, her words slightly muffled. “Could it be that skillful hands really make everything taste better?”

Qian Jianing’s eyes curved into a smile. “It’s mostly because I bought high-quality ingredients this time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dragged them all this way.”

As they drank, the conversation inevitably turned to the children. Those who had graduated and were working were asked if they were dating, and those still in school were asked about their recent grades.

“How’s Xiaomi doing in school lately?” the second aunt asked Li Wanzhen while picking up a cucumber slice. “You haven’t visited since summer break started. Xiao Cui didn’t do well this time—I was hoping Jianing could tutor her.”

The second uncle’s family also had two children—the older son was already working, and the younger daughter, Xiao Cui, was the same age as Qian Jianing and a junior in high school in town.

Li Wanzhen whispered, “We didn’t come during summer break because Jianing didn’t do well on her final exams.” The second aunt looked surprised—she couldn’t recall a time when Jianing ever scored poorly.

Li Wanzhen continued, “You know how determined Xiaomi is. She just refused to visit and stayed home studying all summer. Since the new term started, she got first in the grade on both tests. The other day, I ran into her homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang, who said she’s been very focused in class lately—not as restless as before. If she stays on track like this, Tsinghua University and Peking University should be within reach.”

The second aunt gasped in awe, her face full of admiration and envy. “Tsinghua University and Peking University…” She turned to her daughter beside her and said, “Xiao Cui, you should learn from your cousin.”

Xiao Cui looked completely defeated.

Seeing this, Qian Jianing felt slightly awkward too. In this day and age, many parents still don’t understand much about education. They habitually compare their children to others in hopes of inspiring competitiveness, without considering how those comparisons impact their kids emotionally.

Watching her cousin gloomily pick at her cake, Qian Jianing smiled and said, “I’m the type who only knows how to bury her head in books. Xiao Cui is different—she’s got skillful hands and makes dolls and sews bags that are super lifelike. Second Aunt, all roads lead to Rome. It doesn’t always have to be Tsinghua University or Peking University. The most important thing is to choose a career path that she truly loves.”

Qian Jianing knew that her cousin had a real passion for making clothes. Since entering high school and seeing her grades hover around the middle, she had often thought about dropping out to become an apprentice at a tailor shop, but her mother refused. She wanted her to go to college and rise above the crowd.

“You can’t seriously aim to be a tailor,” the second aunt muttered. Then she looked up at Qian Jianing. “Xiaomi, try to talk some sense into your cousin. If she’s going to be a tailor, why even go to high school? She could have done that after elementary school.”

Xiao Cui looked frustrated and lifted her head. “I don’t even want to be in school anymore. Mom, look at how few students from our town’s high school actually get into college each year. I’m just average—there’s no chance. Why waste all that money? I’d rather go apprentice now.”

“Xiao Cui, if you become a tailor’s apprentice, you’ll be stuck making clothes in this small town for life. With more and more ready-to-wear options available, people prefer to shop at stores or roadside stalls. The demand for custom tailoring is shrinking. And without systematic professional training, it’ll be very hard to break into the high-end custom market.”

The second aunt nudged Xiao Cui. “Listen to your cousin. She’s in a top high school in the city. She knows a lot more than you do.”

“Second Aunt, please don’t say that. I only know this because I happened to hear people talking about it, and since Xiao Cui is interested, I asked more. Xiao Cui, if you really love making clothes, I suggest you start learning to draw now, and aim to get into a provincial technical school for fashion design. That way, you can become a professional designer. Not only can you work in a field you love, but you could end up designing clothes that sell all over the country.”

Xiao Cui was stunned by the vision Qian Jianing painted. With a ring of cream still around her lips, she stared blankly at Qian Jianing. “A fashion designer? Can I really do that?”

Qian Jianing looked at her with smiling eyes. “Why not? As long as you want to, anything is possible.”

Xiao Cui reached up to wipe the cream off her lips, then nodded firmly. “Mom, I want to study art. I want to become a fashion designer in the future.”

Although it was still working with clothes, the phrase “fashion designer” definitely sounded classy. Her second aunt immediately nodded. “Okay, if you want to learn, I’ll support you. But…” She looked a bit troubled as she turned to Qian Jianing. “Where can she study art?”

There definitely wasn’t anywhere in town, not even a proper art teacher at the local middle school. But according to what Qian Jianing knew, there was a specialized art school in the city.

Qian Jianing thought for a moment and said, “How about you go next weekend? Let my dad take you to the art school in the city and ask around, see how to enroll? But if she’s really going to study, Xiao Cui will have to work harder from now on. She’ll need to keep up with both general studies and the specialized courses.”

Hearing that she could do what she loved in the future, Xiao Cui’s little face was full of excitement. “It’ll be hard for just these two years. As long as I can be a fashion designer, I can endure anything.” She thought of her grades, a bit embarrassed, and asked Qian Jianing, “Sister Xiaomi, could you tutor me a bit today? I’m not doing very well in school.”

Qian Jianing smiled and nodded. “I happen to be free this afternoon too. Let’s go after you finish your cake.”

Xiao Cui quickly gulped down the rest of her cake and dragged Qian Jianing outside.

Her two uncles’ homes weren’t far apart—just across the street. Xiao Cui pulled Qian Jianing all the way home in one breath, took out her key, and unlocked the door.

Qian Jianing used to come back only once a month. When she did, she usually visited both her maternal and paternal grandparents. She only occasionally stopped by her second uncle’s during the New Year.

It had been over six months since her last visit, and Xiao Cui’s room had changed a bit. The curtains were now a soft blue with little flowers and pretty lace trims. The bed was covered with various sized dolls dressed in all kinds of clothes.

Seeing Qian Jianing eyeing the dolls on her bed, Xiao Cui said shyly, “I made them all myself, just for fun. If you like any, take one.”

Qian Jianing quickly waved her hands. “These are your treasures—” she hadn’t finished speaking when Xiao Cui picked up the biggest and prettiest doll and shoved it in her arms. “It’s yours.”

The two girls exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

Xiao Cui’s desk had unfinished homework on it. Qian Jianing glanced over—four math questions, two wrong. She explained the errors and realized Xiao Cui had a shaky grasp of her first-year material. So she had her pull out her sophomore textbooks and began reviewing from the beginning.

Thanks to her exceptional memory, Qian Jianing remembered even the commas in the textbooks, let alone the key points in the math book. She listed all the concepts on paper and walked Xiao Cui through them one by one. When she saw Xiao Cui understood, she gave her practice problems, then moved on to the next topic.

High school math in those days wasn’t particularly difficult, and since they were only a little into sophomore year, there wasn’t too much material. Previously, Xiao Cui hadn’t studied properly and did poorly, but now with a clear goal, she focused extra hard, afraid to miss a single thing.

Meanwhile, at Qian Jianing’s eldest uncle’s house, the family had just finished dinner and chatted for a while. Qian Guosheng, a bit tipsy, sat on a stool in the courtyard and started dozing off.

Seeing this, the second uncle invited Li Wanzhen and Qian Guosheng to rest at their place for the night. In the past, Qian Guosheng would’ve stayed at his older brother’s, but the morning incident had left him shaken—he was actually scared to go home. Halfheartedly, he agreed to go to his second brother’s house instead.

Qian Jianing and Xiao Cui studied from noon until past 10 p.m., with the second aunt coming in several times to urge them to go to bed. The next morning, after they woke up, Qian Jianing finished the rest of the material in one go.

By then, it was already past 10 a.m. Seeing that his daughter had finished helping, Qian Guosheng had no more excuses to delay and reluctantly got on the vehicle.

Seeing Qian Guosheng looking utterly defeated, Qian Jianing couldn’t help but tease, “Dad, if you’re really that scared, we can just drive back home.”

Qian Guosheng’s eyes lit up. “Really? Can we go back then?”

Qian Jianing sighed and held her forehead. “I really don’t understand. What exactly are you so afraid of?”

Qian Guosheng looked pitiful. “I don’t know, I just get nervous every time I see your grandma. Like I did something wrong to her or something.”

Qian Jianing understood—it was the result of years of brainwashing. She got into the tricycle and patted Qian Guosheng’s shoulder. “Remember what I said: play dumb and keep your mouth shut.” Then added, “And if you really can’t help it, just close your eyes and plug your ears.”

Qian Guosheng thought about it, then shook his head in frustration. “If I did that, she’d blow a fuse.” Li Wanzhen heard this and came up with an idea. She jumped off the vehicle and ran into the courtyard, coming back with two tufts of cotton. “Stuff these in your ears and you won’t hear her nagging anymore.”

Qian Guosheng laughed. “You really are clever.”

Though the Li and Qian families lived on opposite ends of town, it only took about ten minutes to get there by tricycle. As soon as they parked in front of Qian Guomao’s house, Qian Jianing’s aunt rushed out at the sound of the engine and started rattling off her words like a machine gun. “Qian Guocheng came home yesterday, black and blue all over. Said you wouldn’t repay his debts and even had the creditors send him to the coal mine. Your mom’s crying and yelling, demanding to talk to you.”

Qian Guosheng sighed heavily. “Why’d they let him come home? Would’ve been better to just send him straight to the mine.”

The aunt was surprised that Qian Guosheng had changed his tone so much and stared at him in disbelief. “Second brother, you finally came to your senses.”

Qian Guosheng gave a bitter smile. “What else can I do? If I pay off his gambling debt of over a hundred yuan, Wanzhen will divorce me right after. You think I’d destroy my family for him?”

Li Wanzhen sneered. “Good that you know. This time, just do what your daughter says. If you dare to agree to anything your mother says, I’ll leave you right here to stay with her.”

The aunt, rather than stopping the tension, fanned the flames. “Sounds good to me. The old family house is still standing—why not move in with your mom and take care of Qian Guocheng together?”

Hearing that, Qian Guosheng turned pale. “I’m definitely listening to my daughter.” He pulled out the cotton, rolled two pieces into earplugs, and stuffed them in like he didn’t hear anything anymore.

Li Wanzhen rolled her eyes, jumped off the tricycle, and the whole family headed inside.

As he opened the door and stepped into the east room, Qian Guosheng called out, “Mom.”

Immediately, a wailing storm broke out. Qian Guosheng paused, frowned, took out the cotton plugs from his ears, added a bit more stuffing, and shoved them back in. Satisfied with the effect, he continued walking in.

Everyone entered. Old Lady Qian sat on the kang bed, while Qian Guocheng slouched behind her, looking like a sorry excuse of a man.

Qian Guosheng walked in, said “Mom, I’m home,” and sat down on a stool near the doorway, eyes downward, calm and unmoved.

Zhao Xiu’e, Qian Jianing’s aunt, nearly burst out laughing. Who would’ve thought that this normally timid man had such a clever side—he even thought to plug his ears with cotton.

Old Lady Qian, seeing her second son sitting quietly with his head down, flew into a rage. “What kind of brother are you? Look at what your brother looks like after being beaten—how could you watch and do nothing? Tell me, is your brother more important or money?”

Qian Guosheng stayed silent, head bowed.

Seeing that he wasn’t looking guilty or upset as usual but just sitting there blankly, she became even angrier and kicked off one of her embroidered shoes.

As she hurled the shoe, Qian Jianing quickly grabbed the fly swatter from the cabinet and smacked the shoe back as it came flying across the room—straight into Qian Guocheng’s head. It hit him so hard he toppled over.

Clutching the thick-soled shoe, Qian Guocheng whimpered, “Mom, did you put steel plates in your soles? That hurt like hell!”

Old Lady Qian turned quickly and saw a big red bump swelling visibly on his forehead. She wailed in distress, “Oh dear, oh dear!” repeating in anguish.