Chapter 22 Encountering Zhiqi Being Bullied
After having breakfast, Shen Mo tidied up the kitchen before leaving.
Jiang Ning was also very satisfied with this aspect of him. She liked to cook and would make a mess of the kitchen, but she didn't like to clean up at all.
After Shen Mo left, Jiang Ning was bored, so she practiced a set of Baduanjin exercises in the courtyard.
I was only halfway through the game when I heard a knock on the door. "Jiang Meizi."
Jiang Ning recognized the voice as that of Sister Li from next door.
She said, "The door isn't closed, sister-in-law, please come in."
As soon as Sister Li pushed open the door, she saw the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.
Sister-in-law Li was mesmerized, thinking to herself that Shen Mo was really lucky to have married such a beautiful woman.
Coming to her senses, Sister Li walked over and asked curiously, "Sister Jiang, what are you doing?"
Jiang Ning had just finished performing the last movement when she explained, "The Eight Pieces of Brocade can strengthen the body."
This was the first time Sister Li had heard of such a claim, and she couldn't help but ask, "Can you really improve your health just by doing this casually?"
Jiang Ning knew that traditional Chinese medicine was not very popular in this era, and that the other party probably wouldn't understand even if she tried to explain it. "It's just something to play around with."
"Look, while I was talking to you, I almost forgot why I came here." Sister Li handed the preserved vegetable and pork pie she had made to Jiang Ning, and said a little embarrassedly, "Jiang Ning, I didn't really thank you for the big bowl of meat yesterday. This is the preserved vegetable and pork pie I made today. There isn't much meat in it, so please don't mind."
Jiang Ning took it, "Don't mention it. If it weren't for the dried plum vegetables you gave me, I wouldn't have been able to make it."
Sister-in-law Li was also very outgoing. She laughed and said, "I have plenty of fish at my place. Come and get some after you're done eating. Don't be shy. I'm going fishing later, and I'll bring you one when I catch it."
Jiang Ning knows that people nowadays are simple and honest, with some being extremely calculating and others being the kind who will repay kindness tenfold.
"Fishing?"
She was quite curious about the fishing the other person mentioned.
Sister-in-law Li nodded, "Yes, there's a stream here, and there are lots of fish in it."
"Sister Li, I'll go with you."
I'm a bit bored right now.
Sister-in-law Li nodded and readily agreed, "Okay, I'll take you there and teach you. I'll get you an extra fishing net when I get back."
Sister-in-law Li went back to get the fishing net, while Jiang Ning took a bucket.
Jiang Ning carried the bucket and walked with Sister Li for about ten minutes until they reached the stream that Sister Li had mentioned.
It was a winding stream that flowed down from the rocks above, forming a small waterfall. The rocks were polished smooth by the stream, and the water was bright and clear, like a transparent mirror that could clearly reflect the blue sky.
Some people are washing clothes downstream.
Jiang Ning stood on the shore watching Li's wife cast the net into deeper water, and then waited by the water.
Waiting by the water was boring, so Jiang Ning said she wanted to go for a walk. Sister-in-law Li reminded her to be careful.
Jiang Ning didn't plan to go far, but instead kept her eyes on the stream.
The stream is now clear and clean, completely unpolluted by the overwhelming amount of garbage. There is a small path next to it, which should be a path that people have climbed out of.
Jiang Ning climbed up the path, where there was a stream that meandered down.
However, as soon as I climbed up, I saw four or five children taking a bath in the diving area above.
Jiang Ning was speechless; thankfully, she had no intention of drinking water from the wild.
The stream was of varying depths, making it quite dangerous to bathe in. Just as I was about to call the children away, I saw a slightly taller, rounder child push a thinner child into the water.
He was still muttering to himself, "Give me the fish in your arms, and I won't hold you down anymore."
Among the children watching, some remained silent, while another clapped and cheered.
Jiang Ning never expected that a child of only a few years old could be so malicious. It really is true that hell is empty and all the devils are here on earth.
"Hey, what are you all doing!"
Jiang Ning reprimanded her.
Her sudden voice startled the children, who all looked in her direction, as did the child who had been pushed into the water by the big boy.
Upon seeing the child, Jiang Ning's pupils contracted. "Zhiqi?!"
Zhiqi was soaking wet, his face was flushed, and his eyes were red and watery.
Seeing her child, whom she had taught with such care, being bullied like this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of anger and resentment welling up inside her, and her face immediately turned very ugly.
She was very angry when she saw this scene.
These children may be young, but does that mean they should make such mistakes?
Jiang Ning casually broke off a bamboo strip and walked over.
When the children realized she was up to no good, they immediately tried to run away, but the only way down was the one Jiang Ning had come up from.
As the children walked past her, one of them pushed Jiang Ning, but Jiang Ning grabbed him by the back of the neck. It was the same child who had just pressed Zhiqi's head down.
She raised her hand, and the bamboo stick struck the child's bottom directly. "Who taught you to treat others like this? What if someone dies? Can you take responsibility? You even dared to push me. Don't you have any manners?"
"Waaaah... Don't hit me! I'm going to tell Mommy! I'm going to tell Grandma!"
The little boy struggled in Jiang Ning's hands, his bottom burning with pain, and he cried very sadly.
Jiang Ning gave him a couple of slaps on the buttocks and then stopped. She was more worried about Zhiqi now, since she had just seen the boy push Zhiqi into the water.
She also vaguely remembered the child; the chubby boy was there when Zhiqi was bullied yesterday.
"Zhiqi, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Do they often bully you?"
Huo Zhiqi never expected to see Jiang Ning here, and even beat up Wang Xiaotian for her sake.
When Wang Xiaotian and his friends used to beat him, he would complain to Aunt Wang and Grandma Wang. Aunt Wang would kindly give him a piece of candy and then scold Wang Xiaotian, while Grandma Wang would warn him not to tell Uncle Wang about it, or she would not give him any food.
He had never experienced the feeling of being cared for and protected.
Looking at Jiang Ning's worried expression, Huo Zhiqi felt a surge of grievances well up inside him, but he held back his tears. "I, I'm fine."
Jiang Ning saw the injury on his arm, which clearly indicated he had been beaten, and immediately flew into a rage. "You're telling me this is nothing?"
He paused, then asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous by the water?"
While speaking, she didn't take out a handkerchief to wipe the water stains off Zhiqi's body.
Huo Zhiqi lowered his head and said, "I'll catch the fish."
Jiang Ning frowned, about to scold him again.
Then the little guy spoke up again, "Sister, you have a pond at home, right? You're going to raise fish, aren't you? I know there's a kind of beautiful fish in this stream that you can raise in your pond."
Jiang Ning was so angry that the words she was about to say got stuck in her throat.
She looked down at the fish he was tightly protecting in his arms.
Seven-star Thunder Dragonfish.
A type of fish that can be eaten and admired.
Its scales are brightly colored, and the combination of black spots and sequins creates a unique and beautiful pattern.
Jiang Ning asked, "Did you come here to catch fish for me to raise?"
Huo Zhiqi nodded.
He grew up by the water and is a very good swimmer; he can tell where the water is deep and where it is shallow.
After seeing that Sister Jiang and Uncle Shen had a pond yesterday, he thought about coming over to catch fish, and he happened to have seen a beautiful kind of fish here before.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xiaotian and his friends also skipped class and followed him, even trying to steal his fish.
He had been living in Wang Xiaotian's house. After he was bullied for the first time and his complaint went unanswered, Wang Xiaotian bullied him even more severely, not only calling him a bastard without parents, but also beating him.
He tolerated all of that, but since the fish was for Sister Jiang and he couldn't give it to her, he was bullied and pushed into the water.
Huo Zhiqi observed Jiang Ning's expression and, seeing that she looked unwell, lowered his head and remained silent.
Even if Sister Jiang wanted to hit him, he wouldn't say anything, after all, Wang Xiaotian had been beaten so badly just now.
After waiting and waiting, Jiang Ning finally patted his head and said, "Thank you, Zhiqi. I'll accept this fish."
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