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Chapter 13: Put Up For Adoption
You know shit!
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Wang Genbao’s heart trembled for a moment. How does he know again?
Could it be because he studied abroad and has seen more of the world?
But aren’t people supposed to become duller the more they study?
After all, they spend all day in some so-called ivory tower, disconnected from outsiders, with simple minds.
Why is this brother-in-law of his so different from others?
Old Qin couldn’t help but ask, "Do you really want to divorce?"
Wang Genbao immediately stopped his wild thoughts. “How could I? I wouldn’t dare even if I had the guts. Dad, what I just said was all in anger. It wasn’t because I’m upset about your favoritism; it’s because of the neighbors all around us. They—” He glanced at Qin Feng, seeing him busy washing the child’s hands, then mustered up the courage to say, “They aren’t as well-off as Xiao Ying and me, and they’re not as capable as our Xiao Feng but he earns much more than us, and he always squeezes me and mock us for only being able to run small businesses.”
Qin Ying came in carrying a tray of steamed buns. “What nonsense are you talking about now?”
Qin Feng chuckled lightly. “Do you think I’ll believe him? I’m not stupid. When I went to your house last year to help build the oven, do you think I didn’t see what your neighbors were like?”
The forced smile on Wang Genbao’s face froze.
How could he have forgotten about that?
Over half a month ago, Qin Feng had gone to the department store to shop and even visited his house once, though it was just to deliver some eggs. Coincidentally, it was a weekend, the weather was nice, and the neighbors were all outside basking in the sun and gossiping.
Qin Feng wiped Miaomiao’s hands and told his two older sons to wash their hands. “Wang Genbao—”
Madam Zhou paused mid-step. “Call him brother-in-law!” She glared at Qin Feng before setting the bowls and chopsticks on the table.
Qin Feng smiled and looked at Wang Genbao with a squint.
—Are you worthy?
Wang Genbao’s face flushed red, and he stammered, “Mom, Xiao Feng and I aren’t that far apart in age. It doesn’t matter what he calls me.”
Madam Zhou breath hitched. Just looking at him made her feel disgusted.
How had they not realized before how shameless and spineless he was?
Old Qin furrowed his brows slightly. This level of shamelessness—was he trying to borrow money again?
There was no way they could lend him money.
Qin Feng’s salary was high, and with the new locomotive test drive being a success, he’d even earned a bonus. He alone could easily support the entire family. And as for himself, as long as no major disasters struck, the little money he had saved in the bank would likely remain untouched for the rest of his life.
Wang Genbao surely knew this too.
If they lent money to Wang Genbao, and he claimed he needed it or couldn’t repay it, what could Old Qin do—pressure his own daughter?
The money would be as good as gone, like throwing a meat bun to a dog, never to return.
On the other hand, if Wang Genbao were decent, Old Qin might even consider letting go of the money. But this man—Qin Feng had just mentioned divorce, and he didn’t even seem angry about it.
Who’s to say he wouldn’t take the money today and divorce Qin Ying tomorrow?
Old Qin spoke bluntly, “Even with what you’ve said, I still won’t lend you money.”
“Huh?” Wang Genbao panicked and stole a glance at Qin Feng. Seeing that Qin Feng wasn’t angry, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “I know it’s money you and Mom worked hard to save. What I said earlier was just out of frustration, I wasn’t seriously thinking about asking you for money.”
Qin Feng nodded. “Just eyeing my salary, then? After all, I’ve got money to help raise other people’s kids, isn’t that right?”
Wang Genbao froze, suddenly looking at Gu Wuyi and Gu Qingkuang—the two brothers glared at him like little feral beasts.
“That’s not true at all. Actually, I was thinking about buying a large electric oven so Xiao Ying could have it easier. Electric ovens don’t require constant tending like wood-fired ones.” Wang Genbao paused, then said earnestly, “To be honest, I think selling bread isn’t as profitable as selling other things.”
Qin Feng responded bluntly, “You know shit!"
Wang Genbao choked on his words, unable to catch his breath.
Qin Ying was displeased. Was her brother trying to sever ties with her?
How could he embarrass his brother-in-law like this?
“Xiao Feng, your brother-in-law is just being honest,” Qin Ying said, unable to resist giving her parents a meaningful glance.
Both Madam Zhou and Old Qin lowered their heads at the same time.
—In the past, when people said, "A married daughter is like water splashed out," they didn’t believe it.
Qin Ying was livid and turned to her younger brother.
Qin Feng pretended not to see her anger and fixed his gaze on Wang Genbao, asking, “Have you calculated the costs?”
Wang Genbao was completely baffled by the question.
Gu Wuyi couldn’t hold back any longer: “What my dad means is, have you calculated the prices of what you want to sell compared to the costs of bread and cakes? And yet you just assume selling bread and cakes isn’t profitable.”
Wang Genbao, who had muddled his way through primary and middle school, couldn’t calculate anything, let alone costs.
If it hadn’t been for the revolutionary turmoil back then, which left most students distracted from their studies, Wang Genbao’s lack of knowledge compared to his peers would’ve been glaringly obvious, and he would’ve had no chance of smoothly tricking Qin Ying into marrying him.
The bread and cakes Qin Ying sold were all priced according to calculations Qin Feng had done for her.
He even bought her three scales of different sizes to weigh small ingredients like raisins and nuts.
This gave Wang Genbao the mistaken impression that doing business was simple: just make the goods and sell them.
He had no idea that even the small baking shed Qin Feng had built was enough to stump 80% to 90% of people who wanted to start a bread business.
Unable to answer, Wang Genbao instinctively turned to Qin Ying. “You have to calculate costs?”
Qin Ying was speechless.
Madam Zhou couldn’t help but interject, “And to think you work at a food factory.”
Wang Genbao replied, “Mom, you don’t understand. Our factory is huge. Besides the production workshop, there’s a packaging workshop, transportation, and also—”
Madam Zhou, unwilling to waste words on him, cut straight to the point: “So, how do they decide the price of each piece of bread?”
Without thinking, Wang Genbao said, “By size and weight, of course—” but he couldn’t finish the sentence. His face turned unusually awkward.
Old Qin asked, “You’ve been working at the food factory for ten years now, haven’t you?”
Wang Genbao nodded without hesitation.
Qin Feng let out a cold laugh, a sound that sent a chill through Wang Genbao’s liver—did his brother-in-law know again?
The elderly couple turned toward Qin Feng.
—What’s wrong with him now?
Qin Feng said, “He only started working at the food factory two months before his blind date with my sister. Pretending it’s been ten years? That’s just exaggeration.”
Wang Genbao’s face shifted, revealing a mix of embarrassment, guilt, and fear.
Then, as if realizing something, he turned toward Qin Ying.
Qin Ying instinctively shook her head.
It wasn’t her who told them.
Qin Feng sneered, “My sister didn’t even dare to tell us you were a temp worker. And you had the nerve to tell people you had a steady job just to get them to introduce you to someone?”
Wang Genbao opened his mouth, but after struggling for a long time, he couldn’t get a word out, looking like he was severely constipated.
Gu Wuyi burst out laughing.
The man who could lie without remorse finally had his day!
“Wondering how my dad knows everything?”
Wang Genbao desperately wanted to nod but couldn’t swallow his pride. He stole a glance at Qin Feng.
Qin Feng, already irritated by him, looked away and focused on tearing a bit of steamed bun for Miaomiao. He scooped half a spoon of sesame salt, wrapped it in the bun, and handed it to the child.
Gu Xiao’er grinned cheekily and said, “Because my dad’s smart! One look at your shifty eyes, and he knows what bad ideas you’re cooking up.”
In the past, Wang Genbao would’ve retorted, Bragging doesn’t cost anything.
Today, however, he didn’t dare utter a word. The more he said, the worse it would get.
Qin Feng turned to his sister. “There aren’t many people selling clothes on the street. Whether you do clothing or small accessories, you’d still make money. But have you thought about this? You only have two daughters. And him?” Qin Feng glanced at Wang Genbao. “He’s always wanted a son. If he got money, even if he didn’t divorce you, he might secretly support a second wife.”
“Cough!”
“Pfft!”
The entire family, except for little Miaomiao, who didn’t understand anything, choked on the revelation.
The child looked around at them in confusion and then turned to his dad.
Qin Feng pressed the little head of his child back down. “Eat your food, don’t mind them.” He glanced around at his family—such a big deal over nothing.
Taking a bite of a steamed bun, Qin Feng remained calm.
Madam Zhou didn’t bother wiping her mouth and grabbed his hand. “What did you just say?”
Qin Feng replied, "Ask your daughter and son-in-law."
Wang Genbao snapped back to attention and quickly defended himself, “That’s nonsense! If I ever had such intentions, may heaven strike me down!”
“I didn’t say now,” Qin Feng said, casting him a sidelong glance.
Wang Genbao’s breath hitched. “Even if I did take out a loan, I wouldn’t use it recklessly!”
Qin Feng looked at his sister and said, “This is just a precaution. But don’t worry; worst case, you two just divorce.”
The old couple and the younger pair all sighed in relief.
It turns out that he said it on purpose because he hoped they would get divorced.
Qin Feng shook his head in exasperation, his tone light but meaningful: “Nothing is absolute. People’s hearts can change.”
The four tensed up again.
Qin Ying wanted to say something but hesitated, afraid that any word might hurt Wang Genbao’s feelings. After a long pause, she picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating.
The two brothers were visibly disappointed with her.
How can she be so confused about what is good and what is bad?
Can Dad still harm her? She is their father's biological sister, his only sister.
Gu Wuyi, recalling how the elderly couple treated them like real grandchildren—just yesterday, he’d casually mentioned wanting padded vests, and today, they’d already started making them—felt deeply reluctant to see them worrying themselves sick over Qin Ying’s affairs.
Gu Wuyi glanced at Wang Genbao. “Everyone can brag. An old lady in the staff residence over there also said that men become bad when they have money."
Wang Genbao frowned. “What do you understand?”
“I don’t understand? I’m a man too,” Gu Wuyi declared, puffing out his chest.
“Cough!”
The elderly couple choked again.
Wang Genbao was left speechless, unable to retort.
Qin Feng held back a laugh and nodded approvingly.
Seeing his father’s support, Gu Wuyi boldly continued, “Auntie, who manages the money in your house? And if you save money in the bank, whose name is it under?”
Qin Ying instinctively looked at Wang Genbao.
Gu Xiao’er caught on quickly. “That won’t do. In our house, Grandma manages all the money.”
“Exactly! Your grandpa would just blow through it if he had any,” Madam Zhou couldn’t resist chiming in.
Wang Genbao opened his mouth to respond but, catching sight of his brother-in-law’s gaze, swallowed his rebuttal. “I’ll hand over all the money to Xiao Ying when we get home.”
“It doesn’t matter who holds it,” Qin Ying couldn’t help but say.
Qin Feng shot her a sidelong glance.
Startled, Qin Ying quickly lowered her head.
Wang Genbao immediately added, “Since you said it doesn’t matter who holds it, then you should keep it. You’re more detail-oriented.”
Qin Ying raised her head, about to speak, but stopped herself.
Wang Genbao shook his head repeatedly, signaling her to save it for later at home.
Understanding the message, Qin Ying smiled and said, “That’s true! Xiao Feng, you work hard. Eat more vegetables.” She picked up some food for him.
Qin Feng moved his bowl away without giving any face.
Awkwardly, Qin Ying’s hand froze mid-air.
Old Qin pushed his bowl forward. “Give it to me,” he said, then glanced at his son, signaling him to ease up.
Qin Feng didn’t want to make the meal more uncomfortable for everyone. Deciding to let it slide, he pretended not to notice and tore off a piece of steamed bun, dipping it in fermented bean sauce before handing it to Miaomiao.
The child opened his mouth wide as he held onto Qin Feng’s hand.
Qin Feng brought the food to his mouth.
With a loud “ah-woom,” the child bit down.
Qin Ying instinctively looked at him and grew more fond as she watched. “Miaomiao is such a good boy, not picky at all.”
The elderly couple couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Catching their expressions in his peripheral vision, Qin Feng glanced at the child. Spotting two small “mustaches” at the corners of Miaomiao’s mouth, he wiped them off with the bun before handing it back to him.
“Daddy, eat,” the child said, grabbing Qin Feng’s hand and trying to feed him.
Qin Feng replied, “You finish eating this, and then Daddy will eat.”
The child immediately swallowed what was in his mouth and opened wide again with another “ah-woom.”
Madam Zhou asked, “Would you like some rice soup?”
Qin Feng touched the bowl, finding it still too hot. “Let’s wait a bit.” He then scooped a piece of tofu and handed it to the child.
This tofu had been made earlier in the day.
Madam Zhou originally thought of buying a fish but worried that Miaomiao might eat it and get sick. That morning, a tofu vendor had come to the village, so she had Old Qin trade a bowl of soybeans for two pieces of tofu.
However, they had already been eating tofu for two days straight. She didn’t want to serve it again tomorrow.
Taking the opportunity, Madam Zhou asked Qin Feng, “How about I butcher the chicken tomorrow? Your dad can go buy some Sichuan pepper and spices to stew it. Would Miaomiao be able to eat that?”
Qin Feng asked, “The rooster? Isn’t that being saved for the Dragon Boat Festival?”
“That’s still a ways off. By then, the little roosters we raised last year should be ready to eat,” Madam Zhou explained.
Old Qin added, “If not, we can just buy one from someone in the village.”
Qin Feng looked at the two older children. “Are you craving it?”
Caught off guard by the question, the brothers didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
After thinking for a second, Gu Wuyi asked, “What about you?”
Qin Feng deliberately teased, “What does it matter to you whether I’m craving it or not?”
“If Dad craves it, then so do I,” Gu Wuyi declared.
Qin Feng chuckled and turned to his mother. “Alright, then kill it.” Then, noticing Wang Genbao and recalling how thin his two nieces were, looking almost malnourished, he added, “Xiaoda and Xiao’er aren’t even my biological children, but I’m still willing to kill a chicken to nourish them. Your eldest and second daughters are your own flesh and blood—are you willing to buy a chicken to nourish them?”
Wang Genbao strongly suspected he was being deliberately provoked.
If he said he was busy tomorrow or didn’t have enough money to buy one, Qin Feng would probably bring up the issue of having a son and start urging Qin Ying to divorce him.
“Of course, I’m willing,” Wang Genbao said, forcing a smile. He turned to Qin Ying and said, “Tomorrow morning, we’ll go early. Let’s wrap up the stall before noon and buy some mushrooms and wood ear fungus. We can eat the mushrooms and wood ears, and the girls can have the meat.”
Qin Ying glanced at her brother.
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow.
Qin Ying quickly nodded.
Qin Feng remarked, "Don't think I can't see it just because you told the kids not to say anything when they see me."
Wang Genbao laughed awkwardly. “How could that be? They’re not someone else’s kids. Besides, it’s just one chicken, not a big deal.”
Qin Feng sneered. If he really cared, those two girls wouldn’t look so scrawny—they’d be blooming like flowers. “Not saving up to buy a son from human traffickers?”
Clatter!
Wang Genbao’s chopsticks fell to the floor.
The elderly couple, just about to scold Qin Feng for talking nonsense, suddenly couldn’t say a word.
Qin Feng put down his chopsticks. He had only spoken casually, but Wang Genbao’s reaction made it clear he’d truly considered such a thing.
Qin Ying quickly interjected, “Xiao Feng, let’s eat. Whatever it is, we’ll talk after dinner.”
Qin Feng turned to his sister. “Do you know that this is illegal?”
Wang Genbao couldn’t help but laugh. “Why do you make everything sound so serious?”
“Buying and selling people isn’t illegal?” Qin Feng shot back.
Wang Genbao retorted, “You don’t know about ‘sending children to be raised,’ do you? If the parents voluntarily give us the child and we provide a bit of nutrition money, even in the capital, this wouldn’t be considered illegal.”
Qin Feng smiled and looked at him. "Who would be willing to give their perfectly healthy son to you?"
Wang Genbao's smile froze on his face.
Qin Feng stopped smiling and said seriously, "I told my sister before, the decision to have a son or a daughter is up to the man. You’ve had two daughters, and if you have another, it could very well be another daughter. My sister’s suffered enough; she has to pay a fine. She doesn’t plan to have any more children. If you dare to buy one, even if you don’t divorce, your marriage will still end!"
Madam Zhou and Old Qin opened their mouths but immediately swallowed their words upon seeing their son's expressionless face.
Qin Feng said, "I'm not joking with you." He looked at his sister. "If you don’t listen to me on this, don’t bother coming back to your family. Whether you live or die in the Wang family is none of our business."
Qin Ying subconsciously looked for her mother.
Madam Zhou wished for her daughter to have a son—raising a son could provide for one's old age.
But her son was not joking around, and he understood much more than they did. Madam Zhou also worried that their children wouldn’t be able to adapt. Not every child was as sensible as Xiaoda and Xiao’er, so she didn’t dare to make decisions for her daughter and lowered her head to avoid her gaze.
Qin Ying turned to her father.
Old Qin directly said, "We’re relying on your brother to support us in old age, so we can’t afford to disregard his opinion."
Qin Ying had no choice but to turn to Qin Feng. "Without a son, the eldest and second girl will be bullied in their in-laws’ homes, with no brothers to back them up."
"Would me backing you up help?" Qin Feng countered.
Qin Ying was at a loss for words and hesitantly said, "You— You have to see the situation..."
"If you'd listened to me and called off the engagement with him earlier, would we be dealing with all these issues now?"
Qin Ying felt embarrassed, and in front of Wang Genbao, she was too shy to tell the truth. "That was all in the past. What’s the point of talking about it now?"
"Then let’s not talk about it," Qin Feng said, glancing at the three children. "Are these three dead?"
Gu Wuyi paused, then realized what he meant and laughed. "I’m still alive."
Qin Ying was speechless.
Qin Feng smiled at his eldest son and then turned to Wang Genbao.
Wang Genbao pretended not to hear. "Let’s talk after dinner."
But once he said that, everyone knew what he was thinking.
Qin Feng frowned. "Let me say one last thing. No matter where that child came from, if you bring him home today, I’ll go to the police tomorrow. Unless you can keep it a secret from me forever."
Wang Genbao pondered for a moment. "Without a son, I don’t have much money. What will happen when we get old?”
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