Chapter 74 Fighting Back Against Mom, He Pinched Me

"I'm not pregnant," Gao Xiuxiu said, annoyed.

"How could you not be pregnant?" Grandma Fang said in disbelief. "Your period hasn't come yet, so you're most likely pregnant. Maybe it's too early in the pregnancy for the doctor to tell. I told you hospitals are money-guzzling places, but you insisted on going. Pregnancy is pregnancy. You've had children before, don't you know that?"

Grandma Fang was cursing the doctors at the hospital, saying they were crazy, that their skills were terrible, and all they knew was how to charge money.

"If you want to get checked, wait a few months," Grandma Fang said. "You must be pregnant. You still need to take the medicine, the medicine to prevent miscarriage."

Grandma Fang hadn't forgotten to find medicine for Gao Xiuxiu, saying, "You have to have a boy, this pregnancy absolutely has to be a boy, you understand?"

"..." Gao Xiuxiu heard Grandma Fang's words and wondered if the hospital really hadn't found the problem.

"You're pregnant, you need to rest properly," Grandma Fang said. "Don't think about work all the time. You and Xudong don't have a son yet, you need to have one. If you have a son, when you go out, people won't say you didn't have a son, and they won't look down on you. If you don't have a son, people will criticize you, saying you're no different from a hen that can't lay eggs."

Grandma Fang had said these things to Gao Xiuxiu many times, putting a lot of pressure on Gao Xiuxiu herself, not to mention others. Grandma Fang firmly believed that Gao Xiuxiu was pregnant, and Gao Xiuxiu also longed to be pregnant.

Then, Gao Xiuxiu decided to believe Grandma Fang's words; whether she was pregnant or not, they would know in a while. The hospital hadn't detected it yet, probably because it was early in the pregnancy; they would be able to detect the baby later.

That night, when Qin Zihang went to bed, he was reluctant to leave his mother and wanted to stay with her. Song Fenglan simply let Qin Zihang sleep with her, and Qin Yizhou looked at his son sleeping in the middle, feeling quite helpless. His wife had already made her decision, and Qin Yizhou couldn't very well let the child sleep in the next room.

Song Fenglan is leaving early the day after tomorrow. She told her family today that she wouldn't wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow she needs to pack her things and arrange other matters, and it's uncertain how much time she'll have left.

"She's asleep," Qin Yizhou said softly.

"You should sleep too," Song Fenglan said.

"Be careful when you're on a business trip," Qin Yizhou said.

“It’s not just me; I have my two assistants and Cao Fang too,” Song Fenglan said. “Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

"It's always good to be more careful." Qin Yizhou looked at Qin Zihang, who was already asleep. "My son and I will wait for you to come back."

“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded.

The next morning, after dropping her son off at school, Song Fenglan went to work and assigned tasks to her team members. When she returned, she wanted to see their results. Song Fenglan hoped they would all achieve their goals, and not wait for her to come back and tell her they couldn't, giving her a whole host of excuses.

Although the world is essentially a giant makeshift operation, they still need to put in a lot more effort. Some people in the research institute don't have high levels of education, but they got in because of some earlier policies. Since they're in the institute, they have to complete certain tasks; they can't just sit there and watch—that's unrealistic.

Song Fenglan has two assistants, one male and one female, both of whom joined the research institute after graduating from university. They are somewhat capable, but not quite enough, so Song Fenglan mentors and trains them, providing guidance and instruction as needed. The two assistants are about the same age as Song Fenglan, or even a little older.

Initially, these two weren't Song Fenglan's assistants; they got the position through a competitive application process. After becoming Song Fenglan's assistants, they worked very hard, helping Song Fenglan organize her office. Without anyone saying a word, these two knew they had to support and protect Song Fenglan.

After the meeting, Song Fenglan went to the laboratory to put away some documents and data. She was also taking some confidential documents with her on this business trip, documents that would be shared with research institutes in the Northwest. Most of these confidential documents were compiled by Song Fenglan herself, while some were given to her by the institute.

By the time Song Fenglan got home after a long day, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening.

Qin Zihang and his son were still waiting for her at home. They both knew she was going on a business trip tomorrow and were hoping to spend the evening with Song Fenglan.

"Mom, Mom," Qin Zihang called out to Song Fenglan several times.

"I'm here," Song Fenglan said. "I need to call your eldest uncle in a bit and tell them I have to go on a business trip. That way, when your grandparents go back, they won't call and find that Mom isn't home."

"Okay." Qin Zihang nodded obediently.

When Brother Song received a call from Song Fenglan, he learned that she was going on a business trip, and he understood his sister's intention.

"I'll tell my parents when they get back," Brother Song said. "When are you coming to the capital on a business trip?"

"I don't know when it will be ready," Song Fenglan said. "I just wanted to let you know that Mom and Dad have gone back. Call them and let Yizhou know."

"Okay." Brother Song nodded. "If anything happens, remember to call me."

"Big brother, please keep a close eye on things and don't let the Tang family affect Mom and Dad's mood," Song Fenglan said. "Who do they think they are, expecting Mom and Dad to help them?"

"I heard that the factory over there has already appointed a new leadership team," Brother Song said. "Everyone has their own role, and at this point, it's no use asking their parents for help. This is a state-owned factory, not something we can decide. The personnel appointments have already been made, and they can't be changed arbitrarily."

“Yes, that’s true, we can’t change it arbitrarily,” Song Fenglan said. “That’s how it is, I still need to pack my things.”

"Check the weather," Brother Song said. "It's still quite cold at this time of year, especially in the north. Bring plenty of warmer clothes, don't just bring thin ones."

"I know, if it gets cold, I have clothes to wear, so I won't get cold," Song Fenglan said. "I'll hang up now."

"Okay," Brother Song said.

After hanging up the phone, Brother Song looked at Sister-in-law Song, who was sitting to the side peeling an apple.

"My little sister is really busy," Brother Song remarked.

“My younger sister is a capable person, and those who are capable should do more.” Sister-in-law Song handed the peeled apple to Brother Song. “Among all of you brothers and sisters, my younger sister is smart and beautiful. We can absolutely trust her.”

“She’s just so reassuring,” Brother Song said. “My little sister wasn’t like this when she was little. It wasn’t that she was naughty, but she wasn’t this sensible. She was so sensible that it broke my heart.”

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all those things happened in the family, how could my little sister not work harder?" Sister-in-law Song said. "My little sister is taking her future into her own hands."

"Hmm." Brother Song took a bite of the apple. Whenever he thought about his sister's experiences, he still felt sorry for her.

Sister-in-law Song understood her husband's thoughts. As the eldest sister-in-law, she never objected to her husband's family sending things to her younger sister, as that was something the younger sister was entitled to. Sister-in-law Song greatly admired Song Fenglan; in such difficult circumstances, Song Fenglan had managed to find a way to make a living.

Qin Zihang woke up early so he could see his mother off on her business trip. Last night,

When Qin Zihang was sleeping, he held Song Fenglan's hand tightly, as if afraid that his mother would go on a business trip.

"Mom." Qin Zihang woke up before his mother did. When he saw his mother open her eyes, he quickly called out to her.

"I'm here," Song Fenglan said. "Mom is leaving soon, so remember to listen to your father and the others, and study hard in class."

"Yes, when I get home from school, I have to do my homework, practice writing, and do math problems." Qin Zihang counted on his fingers. "Also, after a day, I can draw a little red flower. Let's see how many little red flowers I draw before Mom comes home."

"Yes." Song Fenglan kissed her son's cheek. "My sweet little Hangbao."

"Mom, I'll be a good girl. Please come back soon." Qin Zihang said, "I'll miss you, and I'll want to cry. I don't want to cry, and Mom, please don't make me cry either. My eyes will be red and I won't look good."

"Come back soon, Mom will miss you too." Song Fenglan hugged Qin Zihang. "Mom will bring you a gift when she comes back."

"I don't want gifts, I want my mom," Qin Zihang said. "As long as my mom is by my side, that's enough."

"Okay, Mom will come back soon to be with our Hangbao." Song Fenglan smiled, looking at her son, trying to remember what he looked like now. "Look at you, you need to eat well, don't lose weight. If you're thin, you'll just be bones instead of chubby, and you won't be a cute little baby anymore."

“I’ll eat well. Since Mom’s not home, I can eat more.” Qin Zihang stretched out his hand. “Mom, my hands are so thick now.”

“It’s good to be strong,” Song Fenglan said.

Song Fenglan ate breakfast before leaving the house; her two assistants and Cao Fang were already waiting for her. The group boarded the car and headed to the train station; they had sleeper tickets.

Once on the train, Song Fenglan still missed her son a little. She suddenly realized she didn't have many photos of him and decided to take him to have his picture taken another day. Song Fenglan had originally wanted to bring some photos of her son, but since she had so few, she decided not to bring them.

"Engineer Song." Liu Xue'er was Song Fenglan's female assistant. She had married early and had a daughter. When Liu Xue'er competed to become Song Fenglan's assistant, she had just given birth not long ago and her performance was not very good. The main reason she became Song Fenglan's assistant was because of her gender.

Since Song Fenglan is a woman, it would be best if she had a female assistant.

Liu Xueer handed Song Fenglan an egg, "Have you had breakfast?"

"I've eaten," Song Fenglan said, taking the egg and cracking it open.

"The wind and sand are strong in the Northwest," Liu Xue'er said. "You might not be able to adapt to the new environment, so eat more now."

Liu Xueer understood her role; her research abilities were somewhat lacking, so she was better suited to do other things well.

"You eat too," Song Fenglan said.

“My daughter is still very young, and I’m a little reluctant to leave her. But it’s good that she’s here now, so it’s a good time to wean her,” Liu Xue’er said. “I was going to wean her a long time ago, but she kept whining and wanted to stay with me late at night, so I didn’t wean her.”

“It’s about a year old now,” Song Fenglan said.

“Yes,” Liu Xue’er said. “She’s over a year old now. I only have one daughter, so I inevitably spoil her a bit and didn’t think about weaning her so early. Her teeth have all come in, and I don’t have much breast milk left, so it’s time to wean her. If she wants to drink, she can drink formula.”

“It’s fine to drink formula,” Song Fenglan said. “He should eat solid food first, then drink formula. Children this age can’t just drink milk; it’s not nutritious enough. My child still drinks formula. We’ve earned some money, so we buy him some good quality formula and malted milk powder so he can drink it and grow better.”

Song Fenglan cared deeply about her son's health; she wanted to raise him to be strong and healthy. Only when her son was strong and healthy could he be better off and less prone to health problems. If her son was unwell and sickly, the adults would worry about him too.

Song Fenglan's other male assistant didn't say much; he glanced around. Cao Fang sat there listening; she was still single and unmarried.

After childbirth, a woman's physical strength declines significantly for a period of time, and her overall condition deteriorates considerably. It's clearly unsuitable to expect someone in such a state to protect another person. Women do indeed face certain limitations in some professions.

“I’ve never been to the Northwest, so I don’t know what it’s like there. I’ve only heard about it from other people,” Liu Xue’er said. “My parents are from the far south, where it rarely snows. When I was born, it snowed. Although the snow melted quickly, my parents were still very happy and that’s why they named me that.”

"Not bad," Song Fenglan said.

"I was thinking, if it rains, will they call me Liu Yu'er, or 'Hail,' Liu Hail?" Liu Xue'er said with a smile. "But then I thought it wouldn't be right. They don't expect hail, and a name like Liu Hail doesn't sound good. They wouldn't do something like that to their daughter."

“Your parents must love you a lot.” Seeing the smile on Liu Xue’er’s face, Song Fenglan couldn’t help but think that it was a smile that only someone who was spoiled by their parents could have.

“It’s not bad,” Liu Xueer said. “I have older brothers and sisters, and my parents treat me well; they haven’t neglected me too much.”

Liu Xueer thought she was lucky to have been born at the right time. She was recommended to go to university, found a good boyfriend, and got a job at a research institute. Liu Xueer was very satisfied with her life; she was doing better than many women her age.

“Some of the girls who went to school with me got married right after graduating from junior high school,” Liu Xueer said. “They didn’t continue their studies and got married early. I’ve only had one child, while they’ve already had two or three.”

“There is a big difference between studying and not studying.” Song Fenglan recalled her classmates. After the Song family’s accident, her relationship with those classmates deteriorated rapidly, and the already precarious friendship was completely destroyed.

After all, the atmosphere was already tense before the Song family was sent to the farm.

"So I want my daughter to study hard in the future. Everyone has to take the college entrance examination. It's not like having a good family background can guarantee you a place in university," Liu Xueer said.

Liu Xueer came from a good family background and had some connections, so the university spot went to her. Liu Xueer benefited greatly; her classmates with better grades didn't go to university, while she, with worse grades, did.

Now that the college entrance examination has been reinstated, some of Liu Xue'er's former classmates have taken it and been admitted to universities. Liu Xue'er feels that those people are truly amazing; after so many years, they can still get into university. If it were her, she's afraid she would have a very hard time getting in. Not to mention now, even in the past, Liu Xue'er doesn't think her grades would have been good enough to get into university.

"..." Song Fenglan did not mention the matter of recommending someone for university, as she did not agree with recommending someone for university without considering their grades.

This was a product of a particular era, and Song Fenglan didn't look down on people like Liu Xueer. But it's undeniable that Liu Xueer's abilities were indeed much inferior; sometimes, lacking talent is a truly terrifying thing.

"I'm lucky, but good things can't always happen to our family," Liu Xue'er said. "My daughter will have to work harder from now on. Engineer Song, your child will also be going to university, right?"

“There is an exam,” Song Fenglan said.

Liu Xueer chatted with Song Fenglan about everyday things, and the people around them, seeing Song Fenglan and her companion, did not suspect that they were going on a secret mission.

"Are you going to apply to Nancheng University?" Liu Xueer asked.

“Not necessarily. He might also apply to a university in the capital,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s still early, he’s still young, and nobody knows what will happen in the future. As parents, we can’t decide too many things for our child; it’s up to him.”

“Yes, it depends on them,” Liu Xueer agreed.

Qin Zihang went to school, but he wasn't in a good mood, unlike his usual lively self. He thought about his mother's business trip; he wouldn't see her when he got back, and he'd have to wait until she returned. This made him feel incredibly sad.

Why does Mom have to go on business trips? It would be so much better if Mom didn't have to go on business trips.

But Mom is doing this to protect Hangbao, so Hangbao has to support Mom.

During breaks, Qin Zihang didn't want to go out and play; he wanted to study hard.

"Zihang, Zihang, let's go play!" Tian Junhua said.

Since Zhang Xiaohu couldn't run around much because he was using crutches, Tian Junhua would ask Qin Zihang to play with him. Tian Junhua also thought that while Zhang Xiaohu's legs were still weak, he should spend more time with Qin Zihang, as this would surely improve their relationship.

"I'm not playing anymore, I'm going to read a book for a while," Qin Zihang said.

"But...didn't you say before that reading all the time would make you stupid? You said you had to play around after class." Tian Junhua still remembered what Qin Zihang had said.

"Did I say that?" Qin Zihang tilted his head.

“Yes, I did.” Tian Junhua nodded vigorously. “I’m not mistaken.”

"Then let's take a break," Qin Zihang said. "Mom said that studying all the time can damage your eyes."

"..." Tian Junhua sensed that Qin Zihang seemed a bit listless. "Zihang, did your mother scold you? No, your mother is so nice, did your father scold you?"

"No, my mom is away on a business trip. I won't see her for several days," Qin Zihang said. "I miss my mom."

"Will I never see my mother again?" Tian Junhua wondered.

"I'll be able to see her for a while," Qin Zihang emphasized. "My mother is away on a business trip, but she'll be back."

"I'm relieved to see my mother again," Tian Junhua said. "Your mother didn't go to be a mother to another child, did she?"

"No," Qin Zihang shook his head. "My mother would never become another child's mother. Are you trying to make me cry?"

Qin Zihang stared at Tian Junhua, increasingly convinced that this was a possibility.

"Give up, my mother can't be your mother," Qin Zihang said.

"Fine, I won't give it to you. I have my own mother," Tian Junhua said.

"We can be friends, we can play together, okay?"

"Let's play!" Qin Zihang said, indicating that they still needed to play for a while.

Qin Zihang took out a ping-pong paddle and ping-pong balls from his schoolbag, which his second uncle had bought for him. He also brought badminton shuttlecocks, but the badminton paddle was too big, so he didn't bring it; he only brought the ping-pong balls.

Zhang Xiaohu saw the ping-pong ball and wanted to play too, but the ball kept moving around and he didn't want to retrieve it. However, it didn't matter; Qin Zihang and Tian Junhua would retrieve the ball, so Zhang Xiaohu didn't have to for the time being.

The school bell rang, and a chubby boy stepped directly on Qin Zihang's ping-pong ball, ruining it.

"Oops, I didn't mean to," the chubby boy said.

This chubby kid did it on purpose. He had just seen Qin Zihang and the other two playing ping-pong, and his hands were itching to play. Everyone else had a chance to play, but he didn't, so he took advantage of the ping-pong ball falling to the ground and stomped on it hard.

"You did this on purpose." Tian Junhua rushed forward to push the chubby boy, but the boy, being heavy, was not knocked down.

"I didn't do it on purpose," the chubby boy said.

Qin Zihang pulled Tian Junhua along, "Let's tell the teacher."

If a fight doesn't break out, tell the teacher and let the teacher handle it.

Qin Zihang thought to himself that he didn't want to fight; if he did, his mother would be unhappy. Looking at the trampled ping-pong ball, Qin Zihang was furious. It was a gift from his second uncle. Although his second uncle had given him many ping-pong balls, not just one, Qin Zihang was still very unhappy. Who gets so many ping-pong balls trampled on?

When the teacher arrived, the teacher didn't know whether to say they hadn't fought or that they had tattled on each other at this time. But when there are problems between students, the teacher can't ignore them.

Since the teacher didn't see what happened, and the chubby boy said it wasn't intentional, the teacher assumed it wasn't intentional and didn't want to make malicious assumptions about him.

"Oh, he didn't do it on purpose," Qin Zihang said calmly.

"..." The teacher felt something was off about Qin Zihang's words, but since Qin Zihang didn't seem to care, the teacher didn't say anything more.

Qin Zihang's thinking was simple: since the teacher had already said that, he shouldn't upset the teacher. They could get back at the teacher later and say they didn't mean it. Qin Zihang also thought that if the teacher didn't care, then he could just wait for the chubby boy to go astray.

Mom said that if a little rascal isn't taught by adults, he'll turn into a big rascal, and big rascals won't have an easy time.

Qin Zihang is not afraid of the chubby boy. The chubby boy is a little rascal now, but once he becomes a big rascal, there will be no hope.

When school was over, Zhang Xiaohu's eyes lit up, and he collapsed in front of the chubby boy. The three of them had already planned to speak quietly so no one could hear them.

"Ouch, my foot hurts! He bumped into me! He bumped into me! He deliberately bumped into my crutch!" Zhang Xiaohu pointed at the chubby boy.

The chubby boy didn't bump into Zhang Xiaohu, but the two walked very close together, and no one else paid attention to them, let alone the teacher. This incident gave the teacher a headache; the chubby boy had indeed bumped into quite a few people.

When the child's parents came to pick him up, the fat woman was naturally very angry when she saw her child in that state.

The fat woman went directly to the little fat boy's biological mother. She didn't care about anything else and said the most hurtful things she could.

"The road is so wide, did your son have to hit my son?"

"If my son's leg doesn't get better, can your son take responsibility?"

"No other child is as fat as yours. Did your family take something from the government?"

...

The chubby boy's biological mother is a saleswoman, selling vegetables and such in the store, much like Gao Xiuxiu. It's an open secret that these saleswomen sometimes take things home from the store; everyone knows it's lucrative, and many people want to become saleswomen.

The chubby woman wasn't afraid of offending the little fat boy's mother; after all, she wasn't the only salesperson. Her own son's legs were already in such bad shape, how could this kid still bump into Zhang Xiaohu?

Actually, it wasn't that Fatty's wife didn't realize Zhang Xiaohu wasn't in that much pain; the child might be faking it. But her son had never faked it before, so it was probably the little chubby boy's fault. Fatty's wife knew that this little chubby boy had bumped into his classmates quite a few times, and although the injuries weren't serious—just scrapes and bruises—no one bothered to make a fuss.

The chubby woman thought to herself that if she didn't care, her son would be bullied by the chubby boy later on. If she didn't care about this or that, people would just think she was easy to bully, not that she was kind-hearted. Kindness is often taken advantage of.

The little fat boy's biological mother was no match for the fat woman; she dragged the little fat boy away with a gloomy face.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me, he fell down by himself," the chubby boy said.

“It’s him, it’s him,” Tian Junhua said quickly.

“It wasn’t me, I told you it wasn’t me,” the chubby boy said.

"It was you! You stepped on our ping-pong ball and deliberately bumped into Zhang Xiaohu," Tian Junhua said.

“He doesn’t like us,” Qin Zihang said. “He knows my mother isn’t home.”

Qin Zihang looked at the fat woman with slightly red eyes, and the fat woman felt heartbroken seeing Qin Zihang like this.

"Zihang's mother isn't home, but I'm still at home," said the plump woman.

"Hangbao, Hangbao." Madam Su hugged Qin Zihang, feeling that Qin Zihang had suffered a great injustice.

As a result, other people looked at the chubby boy even more negatively.

"Mommy, he pinched me," a little girl said, pointing at the chubby boy.

Children are prone to conflict, and this chubby boy has offended quite a few people. One person says something, and another says something too; some people were shocked to hear their children say those things.

Some people are well aware of the situation. They know that their child is being wronged, but they still tell the child to bear it: "He doesn't bully others, but he bullies you. Is there something wrong with you?"

Parents who were unaware that their child had been wronged will naturally seek out the little fat boy's biological mother once they find out.

There are also people who have been harassed by the chubby boy's mother when they went grocery shopping. They also feel that the chubby boy and his mother have gone too far. If the chubby boy continues to be treated like this, won't their own children continue to be bullied?

These people were all indignant, and some even said they would go to the little fat boy's biological mother's workplace to complain, asking how someone like that could be allowed to work there.

The chubby boy's biological mother never expected things to escalate to this point. "Kids fighting and playing around is normal, it's not a big deal."

"Your child hit someone, and nothing happened to your child, so of course you'll say nothing happened." The child's parents aren't stupid; it's impossible for nothing to happen all the time.

Seeing this, Qin Zihang felt that the chubby boy and his mother deserved it. Qin Zihang was genuinely upset, not faking it. His mother was away on a business trip, and he was already in a bad mood. To make matters worse, the chubby boy stepped on the ping-pong ball his uncle had given him.

"Auntie, let's go back," Qin Zihang said.

Let those people cause trouble. Mom said not to stand next to them, or you'll get caught up in it.

They should observe the commotion from a distance and then leave.

Qin Zihang held Mrs. Su's hand and said, "Mom isn't home, so Hangbao needs to eat well and do his homework."

"Okay, let's go back." Madam Su took Qin Zihang back with her. She didn't care how others dealt with the little fat boy and his biological mother. The wicked will be punished by the wicked.

Mrs. Su wasn't harassed when she went grocery shopping because others knew she was Professor Su's partner, but she did see others being harassed by the little fat boy's mother.

Zhang Xiaohu was still groaning a few times when the chubby boy's mother paid him two yuan in compensation before the chubby girl took him away. The chubby girl hadn't initially intended to pay compensation, but since they offered it, she naturally accepted it; otherwise, people would have assumed she was guilty.

When Fatty's mother went grocery shopping, she would sometimes shortchange Little Fatty's mother. While everyone else received full weight, Fatty's mother would sometimes give her the wrong amount, even letting the weight on the scale droop. Little Fatty's mother was opportunistic and would rip people off. Fatty's mother often suffered from this.

Many people suffer in silence in these situations; many scales are weighed that way just to give less than the correct amount.

Back home, Fatty Sister looked at Zhang Xiaohu and asked, "What happened?"

“He bullied us. He stepped on the ping-pong ball that Zihang’s uncle gave him, and he even told the teacher that he didn’t do it on purpose and that we were framing him,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “That’s why we did it. He usually likes to bully his classmates.”

"Does he bully you usually?" the fat woman asked.

"No," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I was with Zihang. He didn't dare bump into us; he likes to bump into other classmates. Zihang's mother is away on a business trip and isn't here, so he just wanted to..."

They bullied Zihang's younger brother.

"He needs to learn a lesson. Like mother, like son," said the plump woman. "Whose idea was that?"

“It was…it was my idea!” Zhang Xiaohu said.

Fatty Sister didn't believe it was Zhang Xiaohu's idea; Zhang Xiaohu wasn't that clever. It was probably Qin Zihang's. But it didn't matter. Fatty Sister didn't think Qin Zihang was wrong. The chubby boy bullied others first, so others could retaliate.

"You should play with your little brother Zihang more." Sister-in-law Pang wished Zhang Xiaohu could think as quickly as Qin Zihang. It's just that her son's acting skills are a bit lacking. Fortunately, no one else suspects it. It's only because she, as his mother, can easily see through Zhang Xiaohu's fake actions.

“Of course, Zihang and I are good friends,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

Qin Zihang told Madam Su about his idea to have Zhang Xiaohu stage an accident with the chubby boy, and asked, "Auntie, isn't Hangbao very naughty?"

"Not bad." Madam Su hadn't expected Qin Zihang to do this, but she shared the same thought as Fatty Sister-in-law.

Qin Zihang had no other choice but to do this. If an adult were to intervene, they wouldn't be able to do much, making it easier for a child to act.

"Remember, protect yourself," Madam Su said. "Why did you tell everyone?"

“Because… Brother Xiaohu wasn’t really knocked down by him.” Qin Zihang fiddled with his fingers.

"It's alright, he was a bad person to begin with, this is just karma," Madam Su said. "Our Hangbao doesn't do things like this every day. When dealing with bad people, you have to outsmart them. If you can't beat them physically, you have to try other methods. You were right not to just run into them."

"Would Dad be unhappy if he found out?" Qin Zihang asked. "What about Mom?"

“Your mother, don’t you know?” Mrs. Su said, “She will definitely not blame you. As for your father, if he dares to blame you, you can tell your aunt.”

"Oh." Qin Zihang nodded.

That evening, after Qin Yizhou learned of Qin Zihang's actions, he realized that the adults weren't paying enough attention to the children; they had no idea that the chubby boy was bullying others. Since the chubby boy usually bullied others, but not Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu, Qin Yizhou naturally had no idea.

"Use your brain more," Qin Yizhou said. "Even your aunt says you're not bad, so how could I say you're bad?"

Qin Yizhou thought Qin Zihang was quite good; his son even knew to talk to adults about it. It's true, children are always scared when they do something like this for the first time.

“Sometimes, you don’t even need to use your hands; you can fight back just by using your brain,” Qin Yizhou said. “Those people are bad; they bully others, and others can’t always pretend nothing happened.”

“Those people’s parents all went to talk to them,” Qin Zihang said.

"Mmm." Qin Yizhou gently patted his son's head.

"Dad, I want to draw a little red flower." Qin Zihang didn't forget to draw a little red flower.

Qin Yizhou gave Qin Zihang a green crayon, but Qin Zihang shook his head.

“The little red flower is red, not green.” Qin Zihang can still distinguish colors clearly. “Dad, are you colorblind? Mom said she’s colorblind and can’t tell the difference between red and green.”

"Draw the leaves first," Qin Yizhou said. "After you draw the green leaves, draw the little red flowers."

“Mom didn’t say to draw green leaves,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom only said to draw a little red flower. We shouldn’t add anything unnecessary.”

"..." Qin Yizhou had no choice but to give Qin Zihang a red crayon. The kid was really serious. He figured he shouldn't say anything to his son at this point; he felt that if he said anything more, his son would start crying for his mother.

In the past, when Song Fenglan worked overtime, she would at least come home, so Qin Yizhou never thought the child was so difficult to take care of. But now, on the first day of his wife's business trip, his son's expression was clearly off.

Qin Yizhou tried hard to recall his childhood. It seemed that his mother hadn't been away on business trips for that long; she was almost always by his side.

"Are you still painting?" Qin Yizhou asked. "Do you want to finish tomorrow's painting?"

“One flower a day, I’ll have to draw tomorrow’s.” Qin Zihang said, “If I draw it today and draw it again tomorrow, there will be too many. If Mom says I can’t do math, she’ll think I haven’t been studying hard. That won’t do, I can’t be that silly.”

Qin Yizhou's lips twitched slightly. Was his son worried that others would say he was stupid?

On the train, Song Fenglan was still awake. She thought of Qin Zihang; her son wasn't with her, and she wondered if he was sleeping well. The sleeper berth was rather cramped, so Song Fenglan couldn't turn around much. She lay flat on her back, closed her eyes, and rested for a while.

Qin Yizhou asked Qin Zihang if he wanted to sleep with him, but Qin Zihang was disgusted.

“Dad, you’re a grown-up now, you can sleep alone.” Qin Zihang’s voice was soft and sweet. He wanted to say these words with great authority, but it sounded cute all the time. “I can sleep alone, so can you. Mom’s not home, so you have to be good and strong, okay?”

"I understand!" Qin Yizhou was worried that Qin Zihang would miss his mother and be upset, which was why she thought of letting her son sleep with her. But instead, she was scolded by her son. Qin Yizhou thought she shouldn't have asked her son so much; her son didn't need a father, he needed a mother.

“Dad, you are a great man.” Qin Zihang patted his father’s arm lightly. “I will draw a little red flower every day, Dad, you can draw a little green grass every day.”

"No thanks," Qin Yizhou said. Who would draw green grass at this time of year if they wanted to wear a green hat on their head?

Qin Yizhou knew his son meant no harm, but it still felt strange.

"With our Hangbao painting, that's enough," Qin Yizhou said. "Dad, look at the Hangbao painting and confirm it. Don't forget."

"I won't forget, when there are more flowers, Mom will come back," Qin Zihang said. "I will listen to Mom."

Qin Yizhou only returned to his own room after Qin Zihang had gone to sleep on the bed.

On the train, Song Fenglan didn't sleep well, waking up several times. She checked her watch and saw it was still early. Everyone says children feel uneasy without their mothers, but actually, mothers also feel uneasy when their children aren't with them.

"Engineer Song, aren't you asleep yet?" Liu Xue'er whispered.

"Sleep, keep sleeping. Aren't you asleep?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I miss my daughter a little," Liu Xueer said. "I wonder how she is doing now."

Liu Xue'er imagined her daughter would cry loudly; what baby doesn't cry during weaning? The thought made Liu Xue'er's heart pound, and she felt uneasy.

Song Fenglan couldn't help but wonder if the institute thought that Liu Xueer had only recently given birth and that they had common topics, which was why they let Liu Xueer accompany them on the business trip.

"Go to sleep, maybe you'll dream about her," Song Fenglan said.

Early in the morning, Fatty went to the store to buy groceries. She noticed that one of the employees was missing, and Little Fatty's biological mother was not there. Fatty deliberately asked, "Did someone in your store take leave?"

"Someone quit to go back and look after their child." Gao Xiuxiu worked at this shop and knew the chubby boy's mother. She hadn't expected the other parents to complain to their workplace. The company told the chubby boy's mother not to come to the shop anymore. Since that person wasn't from the staff housing complex, and some of the other parents were, the company leaders had to give them an explanation. "Do you still want to buy eggs today? Are your chickens not hatching chicks anymore?"