Xiangyang, holding a watermelon, asked Qin Gang, "Uncle Qin, are you able to get it?"
Qin Gang reached out, grabbed a branch, tore it off, and asked him, "How many do you want?"
Xiangyang: "Five...six!"
The dormitory supervisor watched helplessly as this burly man picked the pomegranate.
Xiangyang put all the pomegranates into a plastic bag, then turned to the dormitory supervisor and said, "Auntie, I'll take my uncle to the dormitory to play for a while."
"Okay, okay then," the dormitory supervisor said, not daring to look at Qin Gang too much. "Okay! Okay! Register... or not, it's fine, just play for a while... just play for a while."
Xiang Yang said to Qin Gang, "Let's go!"
As soon as Xiang Yang led Qin Gang inside, the corridor was filled with people looking at him.
When the three people in the dormitory saw someone push open the door, they knew it would be Xiangyang, and they didn't even turn their heads.
While slurping his noodles, Cao Xingwang said, "Yangyang, where did you go just now? You ran out in a flash, and our teacher was dumbfounded."
Xiangyang placed the food, watermelon, and pomegranate on the table.
"Holy crap!" Wang Xin's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with excitement when he saw the pomegranate.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd seen out of the corner of his eye, but it was definitely something terrifying. He slowly shuffled his neck over, and when he saw it clearly, he shrank back, muttering incoherently, "...Holy crap!"
Zhang Yu reached his head out from behind the bed curtains.
Cao Xingwang, who said "What's wrong?" and followed their gazes, was speechless.
"..."
Finally, Wang Xin, clinging to the bedpost, stammered, "Big...Big brother, what are you here for?"
Xiangyang: "This is my 'dad'."
"Um...ah?" Cao Xingwang's mind couldn't process it. "You, your father is dead? Your father...your father..."
Xiangyang took out the food.
Wang Xin realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Oh! Dad! Pui! Uncle! Hello, Uncle!"
Zhang Yu was the calmest, though he didn't dare to raise his voice, and greeted him with, "Hello, Big Brother."
Wang Xin: "..."
Xiangyang called out to them, "Eat pomegranates!"
Xiang Yang called out to Qin Gang, "Have a chicken leg!"
Zhang Yu got off the bed and gave the other two a wink.
Xiangyang briefly explained Qin Gang's work and situation to them, implying that he might bring Qin Gang back to the dormitory from time to time, and hoped that everyone could understand.
The three of them dared not utter a sound.
Xiangyang then chatted with Qin Gang: "Uncle Qin, where are you living now?"
Qin Gang meant to say that he would drive his motorcycle home as soon as he left, but he said instead, "I live in a temporary housing unit at the construction site."
Upon hearing this, Xiangyang felt it wouldn't work.
What if Qin Gang can't take the hardship anymore one day, quits, and goes back to his old ways?
But we can't just put Qin Gang in the dormitory.
It seems I should visit him more often in the future and offer him warmth and support.
Xiangyang: Uncle Qin, can I go to the construction site dormitory with you tonight? I'll go check it out.
Qin Gang wanted to smoke, so he took out a cigarette case.
Wang Xin, with a fawning expression, immediately pulled out a lighter.
Qin Gang opened the cigarette pack, only to find it empty.
"I have some! I have some!" Cao Xingwang stepped onto the bed, took out a pack of cigarettes, and immediately offered one to Qin Gang.
Xiang Yang: "..."
Qin was about to accept the cigarette when he felt Xiang Yang's gaze. Only then did he realize that he was in the student dormitory, and his outstretched hand twitched.
Xiangyang said, "He doesn't smoke."
"Huh?" Wang Xin and Cao Xingwang were taken aback, feeling that the atmosphere was a bit strange.
Xiang Yang asked Qin Gang, "Do you smoke?"
Qin Gang withdrew his hand.
Zhang Yu secretly popped the pomegranate seeds into his mouth one by one.
"See?" Xiangyang pushed the cigarette back from Cao Xingwang's hand and said, "He doesn't smoke, and it's getting late, so I'll see him out first."
After seeing Qin Gang off from the dormitory building, Xiang Yang went back and told the rest of them, "If you want to smoke, smoke yourselves. Don't corrupt my 'dad'!"
Cao Xingwang, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, struck a cool pose, "Look at how your 'dad' looks, do you need us to lead him astray?!"
Xiangyang: "My 'dad' is doing great! Don't compare yourselves to him, you thugs and scoundrels!"
The two of them laughed.
Zhang Yu was the only one eating a pomegranate, his gaze towards Xiang Yang carrying a hint of unspoken words.
Xiang Yang noticed Zhang Yu and, seeing that he seemed about to say something, asked, "What's wrong?"
"..." Zhang Yu knew it wasn't the right time to talk about this, so he changed the subject, "You're really not coming back tonight, what about the room checks?"
"Hey, I'll take care of this!" Cao Xingwang said with great pride.
Xiangyang didn't take Zhang Yu's awkwardness to heart, and after a while, he went to class with them.
Xiangyang was especially happy today. After returning with Qin Gang, he met Qin Gang's fellow villagers and was offered drinks. He drank one cup after another with great gusto.
Qin Gang tried to drink on his behalf, but Xiang Yang was unhappy, feeling that Qin Gang was a spoilsport, and even clinked glasses with him.
Seeing that he was really happy, Qin Gang didn't stop him, but he didn't let him just drink alcohol, so he picked out some food for him.
A group of fellow villagers watched and thought that Qin Gang had a really good temper. Despite all the years he had been working away from home, he didn't seem to have gone astray.
They didn't know, but Zhu Erliang did.
Zhu Erliang looked at it, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
This is neither a younger brother nor a son.
This is a boy, but not a wife.
Xiangyang was drunk, and he hugged Qin Gang, chuckling and calling him, "Dad~"
Zhu Erliang paused in his act of biting into a peanut.
"Hey!" One of Qin Gang's fellow villagers, having clearly heard the voice, burst out laughing. "Brother Qin, why didn't you say this was your godson?"
Zhu Erliang thought to himself, how come even he didn't know about this?
That makes sense!
Son, even though it's dry, it's still understandable that it hurts.
Zhu Erliang asked cheerfully, "Brother Qin, how come I didn't even know about this? This kid, he went to a prestigious university, he's got potential! When did we meet?"
Qin Gang put his arm around Xiang Yang, took out a tissue, and wiped his mouth. "He's not my godson."
The people looked at each other, puzzled, and then someone said, "Didn't this kid just call Brother Qin 'Dad'?"
Qin Gang: "Just kidding."
Are you kidding me?
The group of people were stunned by this sentence, and then they just watched helplessly as Qin Gang picked up Xiangyang and headed towards his place.
The group of people left with nothing to watch, racking their brains, could only say to Zhu Erliang, "Why are these city people so eager to be someone's son, calling someone 'Dad' and playing with them?"
Zhu Erliang had a bad feeling, but he didn't dare to think about it.
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