"What? I wouldn't dare call myself a strongman. I'm just a self-taught fighter. At most, I'm agile, strong, and have high combat skills. I'm not good at taking advantage of others, so I'm only suitable for situations where I don't need to use my brain and just fight. If it requires using my brain or scheming, then I'm no good at it."
Qin Yi burst into laughter at this self-deprecating remark, while Su Hong was also somewhat amused and exasperated.
"The way you're talking makes it sound like you're some kind of simple-minded, physically strong animal."
Mingzhu was laughing so hard.
"You don't know her. She always says she's lazy, and she really is. She'd rather use her arms and legs than her brain."
"Can you blame me? Compared to using both my brain and my hands, I only need to use one thing, which saves me time and effort. Isn't that great?"
"Yes, yes, no one is as smart as you."
The little one, having not seen his mother for a short day, was exceptionally clingy. As soon as they got home, he clung to his mother and wouldn't let go. Jian Dan had no time to think about anything else; her heart instantly melted.
"Did you miss your mom? Did you listen to grandma? Were you naughty?"
"Grandma gave me this, it's delicious, brother, play with it."
"Really? Do you like playing with your brother?"
"I like it, brother is good, but I don't have a mother, Xiao Heng is crying."
Um?
How could a child say something like "I don't have a mother"?
Qin Qinghuai and Qin Qinghuai exchanged a glance, both thinking that perhaps some child had overheard the adults talking, misinterpreted it, and Xiao Heng had overheard it, leading to a misunderstanding.
"Girl, who said Xiao Heng doesn't have a mother?"
The child is innocent, but learns to speak very well.
"A little boy was swearing and calling me a bad guy. Xiao Heng cried, and Grandma cried too."
He simply stopped smiling.
"Why? Did you say that while you were playing? Or did you two have a fight?"
“We didn’t argue. He tried to take my egg, but Xiao Heng wouldn’t let me. He just kept nagging and saying, ‘You don’t have a mother. You poor egg.’”
Eggs?
"Son, let me tell you, Xiao Heng's parents both work in other cities, that's why they don't have time to spend with them, you know? Every time they send back pretty clothes, delicious roast duck, and sweet pastries, it's all bought by Xiao Heng's mother, remember?"
If the scene were any different, she would laugh out loud. Does this innocent girl even know what "egg" means?
But right now, I can't laugh; I have to straighten the child's posture first.
What the child said was indeed unintentional during play, but young children don't understand and can't distinguish right from wrong. It's also possible that the child overheard the parents talking, whether it was gossip or just stating a fact.
People might be saying that their parents aren't around, but a child's priorities are always different from an adult's.
But children who are only a few years old can only remember what they can hear and understand, such as what is related to their friends.
There is no mother.
The child may not have meant any harm; perhaps they just blurted it out in anger. However, to the child's ears, those words are like a cold, sharp blade, wounding them deeply.
Since Xiao Heng is young, his family usually tries to avoid talking about this topic. He plays around a lot and falls asleep as soon as he gets tired, so he probably doesn't have the energy to think about it.
But what about the other children?
This isn't the worst situation for Qin Guan and Xiao Heng; their parents are simply not around.
However, Qin Jing knew about the situation at home with Qin Ming and Qin Shao. Qin Jing knew about Fang He's situation. The two older women might not have explained it in detail, but they were not three or five years old, so it's possible that they were completely unaware.
Qin Qinghuai has also become much more serious.
"This matter is indeed a hidden danger."
"Yes, it seems like we've never heard them mention their mother. Do they know the truth in their hearts, or did Qin Jing say something to them? That they should be more sensible since they're living under someone else's roof?"
Qin Qinghuai sighed.
"It's not impossible. Qin Jing has a strong sense of responsibility, and since coming here, that responsibility has only grown heavier. Knowing that his grandparents came here because of his mother, he must feel incredibly guilty. Now, the elderly are taking care of them, and the burden on his heart..."
As parents get older, especially people of their age, they don't pay much attention to their children's mental health. They generally think that as long as their children are fed and clothed, they have a good life.
Sigh! It's obvious it's my fault; I neglected them and treated them like children.
Even Jian Dan sighed. It's hard to say without mentioning it. The three middle children are alright, especially Qin Jing and the youngest Qin Heng; they always evoke a bit more pity.
"Xiao Heng is alright, he's still young. If all else fails, we can bring him over to stay with the little one for a few days, let him eat and drink, and then call my second sister-in-law, let her say a few words, just to hear her voice. That should be enough to fool her."
But Qin Jing, he is just too sensible, you know?
Although they are his grandparents and you are his uncle, I always feel that this child has a sense of guilt, a heavy burden in his heart.
"Or, I'll talk to Xiao An and the others tomorrow and ask them to come over and mentor the younger ones when they have time. Besides, you see, Xiao An and the others have been training with us for several years now, so shouldn't we arrange something for Qin Jing too? Keep him busy and fulfilled, wouldn't that be better?"
"Oh, right, I heard Xiao Rui mention that you used to lead them running, going up the mountain, and practicing basic skills."
"That's not really true. The main problem is that I don't know how to teach systematically. I just take them along because I think it's useful. I was willing to go up the mountain at the time, so it was just a side trip."
Then, I simply handed over all the housework to them. You know what, during the time they were there, I really didn't lift a finger. I did all the laundry, cooking, gardening, and everything else. You could say that except for the things I insisted on doing myself when I was at work, they took care of everything else.
One winter, in particular, a wild boar came to the village, and I accidentally got kicked. You see, they wouldn't let me get out of bed, they practically fed me, they even brought my food to my mouth.”
Qin Qinghuai had been listening attentively, but by the end, his brows furrowed.
"You got kicked by a wild boar? Is it serious? Are you fully recovered now?"
This is the key point; a simple, speechless smile suffices.
“Brother, it’s been years. It was just a carelessness back then. It’s not a big problem. I was watched over by the two of them all winter and lay there all winter. My serious injuries have long since healed.”
Seeing Qin Qinghuai's still somewhat disapproving look, Jian Dan didn't give a perfunctory answer.
"There's nothing we can do about it. When wild boars come down from the mountain, we can't just stand by and watch them hurt people. Don't worry, I'll be more careful in the future."
He quickly steered the conversation back on track.
"By the way, how do you plan to tell Qin Jing?"
Qin Qinghuai wanted to sigh again.
"I'm worried too. I can talk to the soldiers and convince them, but when I think about Qin Jing, I just don't know where to start."
"Is there anything else troubling you, you old fox?"
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