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Chapter 24: Retribution
One who does not understand the suffering of others should not advise them to be virtuous.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Qin Feng was filled with rage as he walked away.
Xue Qing looked outside: "What, was there a car accident?"
"I'll go take a look, you all make way." The police ran over.
Qin Feng and the others instinctively stepped back to make room.
Xue Qing couldn't help but say, "Let's go take a look."
Wu Zheng replied, "What’s so interesting about a car accident?"
Qin Feng nodded, "Taking care of the matter is more important." He said, wiping the child's tears.
Unfortunately, they came across the spot where the child had been hurt, and the child trembled in pain.
Qin Feng immediately stopped wiping, gently supporting the child's head and letting him lean against his chest.
The child sobbed quietly against his shoulder.
Seeing the child like this, Xue Qing couldn't help but curse, "What kind of person does something so disgusting?"
Qin Feng said, "Even if it's not disgusting, they wouldn't do so many things."
The director was curious.
Qin Feng roughly explained what happened yesterday to her.
The director couldn't help but say, "Luckily your brother-in-law adopted him. If he had been sent to an orphanage..." She sighed, "We really wouldn’t know how to place him."
The police officer helping with the paperwork couldn't help but look at her.
The director added, "There are insufficient funds."
The police officer thought about how tough their own lives were and didn’t dare say more: "Everyone is in the same boat. When we go out on cases, we either make do with water or nibble on plain buns."
The director was also aware of the government's situation—there was no surplus.
"I was just saying that." The director, afraid he might think too much, forced a smile.
The police officer casually said, "The reforms are in place, things should get better and better from now on."
"That's good. I’ll thank you on behalf of the children." After the police had finished their work, the director nudged the two children beside her and said to Wu Zheng and Xue Qing, "Quick, call them 'mom' and 'dad'."
The two little girls, barely five years old, blinked their eyes and moved their mouths but couldn't call out.
The director grew anxious, "Call them!"
Xue Qing smiled and said, "It's okay."
Wu Zheng nodded, "To them, we might as well be strangers. They'll be fine once they get used to us."
The director couldn't help but say, "With you saying that, I’m relieved."
Qin Feng said, "Don't worry. Their decision to adopt the children wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing, they will treat them well."
What the director was most worried about was this point.
Over the years, she had seen cases where adopted children were treated like servants, others who were sent back to the orphanage, and some who were raised for two years only to be given away once the parents had their own biological children.
There were all sorts of situations, but very few people treated them well.
However, she couldn’t prevent adoptions just because of that, because the orphanage could only guarantee their basic needs, not provide them with good food, clothes, or the peace of mind to study. It was also powerless to support them through middle school or even high school.
Although there were subsidies, it was just a drop in the ocean for the orphanage.
Wu Zheng asked, "Shall we go then?"
Qin Feng nodded, "Let’s go."
Wu Zheng reached out to take one of the little girls' hands, but the child dodged him and clung to the director’s arm.
He missed the chance, feeling awkward and surprised, his expression becoming a bit unnatural.
The director quickly explained, "The child is young and scared."
Wu Zheng wasn't good with children and couldn't help but look at Xue Qing.
Xue Qing tried to reach out her hand, but the other child didn’t give her hers. Instead, the child looked at the director with longing.
The couple couldn't help but turn to Qin Feng.
Qin Feng: "Aren’t you worried they’ll want to go with me again?"
Wu Zheng shook his head: "These two are different from the others. The two your brother-in-law adopted obviously have strong opinions."
Qin Feng: "That’s because those two children were in a worse situation than them, and only looked out for themselves."
Xue Qing glanced at him.
Qin Feng: "The children are so young, they’re basically like blank slates, yet they can say that having a mother is the same as having none. What do you think?"
Wu Zheng thought that no matter how bad it was, it was still better than being in an orphanage.
Qin Feng shook his head when he saw Wu Zheng’s expression, "Wang Meijuan isn’t human."
Wu Zheng realized that Wang Meijuan was Qin Ying’s classmate, and Qin Feng had met her before, so he probably understood her better than anyone else. He didn’t say more, "So, what should we do now?"
Qin Feng turned to the director and asked, "Can you please send them off?"
The director nodded, "Sure."
"Then let’s go." Qin Feng said, holding the child who was still crying.
"Uncle Qin!"
Qin Feng paused and looked around.
"Uncle Qin, we’re here!"
Qin Feng looked down to see the two little ones happily running toward him.
"You two..." Qin Feng instinctively looked around for his sister and brother-in-law.
The eldest, Fu Qingyun, said: "Your sister and brother-in-law are over there," pointing toward a crowded area. "My mom had a car accident."
"What?" Xue Qing, who was walking behind, exclaimed and quickly rushed over.
Fu Qingyun: "She had a car accident, lost a lot of blood, and it looks like she won’t survive." He said it with a strange feeling, as this didn't happened in his past life.
Wu Zheng and Xue Qing couldn’t help but look toward the crowd, but the area was so packed with people that they couldn’t see what was happening.
Then Wu Zheng turned to the children, who were smiling, and cautiously asked, "You two... aren’t you sad?"
Fu Qingyun shook his head, wondering what there was to be sad about.
"Still, she’s your mother."
Fu Qingyun sneered. If it weren't for that mother, he and his brother wouldn’t have been separated for so many years. By the time he found his brother, he had lost all semblance of a person.
If it weren’t for that mother, they wouldn't have fallen into becoming beggars.
If it weren’t for that mother asking him for money when she knew he had it, and when he refused, she would slander him, saying he abandoned her, ruining his reputation. How else would he have ended up mentally unstable, been misled by others, and being sent to a mental hospital?
If it weren’t for that mother using her identity as a mother to get into his brother’s house, his brother’s plan wouldn’t have been exposed, and he wouldn’t have lost his life.
For a mother like that to be hit by a car... It was too merciful.
Wu Zheng’s face turned dark; what exactly did this child mean?
Qin Feng gently patted the child’s head.
The warm hand made Fu Qingyun froze for a moment before he instinctively looked up.
Qin Feng said to Wu Zheng: "The saying 'there are no bad parents' is nonsense. Don't believe me? Ask the director."
The director nodded: "Comrade Wu, if all parents were responsible, there wouldn't be more and more children in orphanages every year. It’s still better when they’re abandoned at the orphanage door right after birth. The ones who are beaten to the point of not looking like children, and then abandoned... they are the truly pitiable ones."
Fu Qingyun lifted his shirt and turned his back.
Wu Zheng saw the bruises on his back, old and purple, and his heart tightened with discomfort.
Qin Feng: "You can't advise others to be kind if you don't know their suffering."
Fu Qingyun couldn't help but turn around and say, "Uncle Qin, I like you."
—As expected, he is the father chosen by big brother.
Qin Feng: "Don’t ever say that again. If my brother-in-law hears it, you'll probably end up with new injuries. My sister is counting on a son to take care of her in old age. Be good and listen to them, and they’ll treat you well."
Fu Qingyun couldn't help but mutter, "Good, but it won’t last long."
"What did you say?" Qin Feng didn’t hear clearly.
The child said loudly, "I’ll listen to Uncle Qin. Uncle Qin, can we go find those two older brothers to play later?"
"No!" Qin Feng rejected him outright. "If my sister asked you, then you can go. Otherwise, pretend you don’t know me from now on."
The child nodded reluctantly. "Got it."
Qin Feng called out toward the crowd, "Qin Ying!"
Qin Ying squeezed her way through the people and came toward him, her face pale.
Qin Feng noticed her expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Qin Ying opened her mouth but trembled for a long time before pointing toward the crowd. "Meijuan... Meijuan had a car accident..."
Qin Feng was about to say something when he saw Wang Genbao running over as well. He paused for a moment before saying, "Serves her right. Heaven will punish the wicked."
Wang Genbao suspected Qin Feng was cursing him again. "Who are you talking about?"
Qin Feng replied, "I’ve never done anything evil, so it’s obviously not about me."
"You—" Wang Genbao pointed at him, but when he saw the public security bureau behind Qin Feng, he immediately restrained himself. He grabbed Fu Qingyun and started walking away. "Let’s go!"
Qin Ying picked up the younger child and followed.
Wu Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "Where are you going?"
Wang Genbao didn’t even turn his head.
Wu Zheng looked at Qin Feng.
Qin Feng said, "Of course, they’re going home."
"But, but—" Wu Zheng pointed toward the crowd, trying to say something but couldn’t get the words out.
Qin Feng explained, "The paperwork is done. Those two kids are now his sons. He has nothing to do with Wang Meijuan anymore."
Wu Zheng opened his mouth, wanting to say he understood the logic, but it still felt too harsh.
Qin Feng: "Do you have some misunderstanding about my brother-in-law?"
Xue Qing couldn’t help but worry about the two children. "Will he really treat them well?"
Qin Feng nodded. "Although my brother-in-law is selfish beyond belief, he strongly favors boys over girls. Besides, even if he only treats them well for two years, that’s already enough."
Wu Zheng didn’t quite understand.
The director explained, “Once a child turns eight, they can decide for themselves who they want to stay with. If Comrade Qin’s brother-in-law doesn’t treat them well, they can go to the police and terminate the adoption. But the prerequisite is that someone is willing to adopt them."
Wu Zheng nodded in understanding. “No wonder. Yesterday, when I said I wasn’t adopting them and you couldn’t either, they immediately chose to go with your brother-in-law. Otherwise, if they were left with Wang Meijuan, any adoptive parents would probably be worse than him.”
Qin Feng thought to himself that, in the original timeline, their adoptive parents were indeed worse than that scumbag Wang Genbao.
“Let’s head out,” Qin Feng suggested.
Wu Zheng cautiously asked, “About Wang Meijuan…”
Qin Feng replied, “The police just processed her paperwork. There should be a record of her at the station. In time, they’ll contact her family or her husband’s family.”
“Then let’s go,” Xue Qing said, feeling disgusted by Wang Meijuan and not wanting to bring bad luck upon themselves. “Let’s not scare the kids.”
The moment Wu Zheng heard “kids,” he immediately walked toward the bus stop.
As they boarded the bus, the ambulance finally arrived.
Wu Zheng glanced back. The crowd made way for the ambulance, and he caught sight of a large pool of blood on the ground. “Looks like she won’t make it.”
Qin Feng couldn’t help but remark, "It's a bargain for her husband."
Wu Zheng looked confused.
Qin Feng didn’t elaborate.
Wu Zheng’s mother had died during childbirth, and his father had raised him and his siblings on his own. Qin Feng understood Wu Zheng’s deep attachment to his parents.
But his sympathy for someone like Wang Meijuan—a woman who sold her own children—made Qin Feng feel conflicted.
Qin Feng already had three children of his own, which kept him more than busy. He didn’t have the energy to give anyone a lecture, especially since Wu Zheng was nearly ten years older than him. Saying too much might only make Wu Zheng think he was a naive bookworm.
Still, he didn’t want Wu Zheng to notice his reluctance to engage in conversation. Instead, he turned his attention to the little one on his lap, gently turning the child to face him. “Does it still hurt?”
The child’s tears welled up again.
Qin Feng immediately regretted asking. “Want Daddy to blow on it?”
The child nodded tearfully.
Qin Feng gently picked him up and softly blew on his swollen, reddened cheek.
The cool breeze momentarily stopped the child’s tears, but it couldn’t make him forget the pain.
When they got home and saw the elderly couple, the child couldn’t hold back his tears again after being asked what happened.
Old Qin was furious. “I’ll go find her!”
Qin Feng said calmly, “Where are you going to look for her?”
“To her house! Don’t tell me she’s already gone?”
Qin Feng nodded.
Madam Zhou gasped in shock. “That fast?”
Qin Feng explained, “She’s not headed to the provincial city. She’s at the hospital. Or maybe… she’s already on her way to the underworld.”
The elderly couple looked puzzled.
Qin Feng lowered his voice, wary of eavesdroppers. “She probably ran off in a panic, afraid that I’d come after her. She wasn’t paying attention and got hit by a passing bus.”
The elderly couple stood there, dumbfounded.
Qin Feng added, “Serves her right.”
Just as he finished speaking, the wall clock chimed once.
Qin Feng glanced at the clock. It was 11:30.
His two older sons finished school at 11:45.
“Mom, keep an eye on Miaomiao. I’m going to pick up the boys.”
Madam Zhou took the child from him. “It’s so close by. They know the way home.”
Qin Feng smiled. “Ever since they transferred to the village school, I don’t think I’ve gone to pick them up even once. I should take a look. Besides, they’d probably be happy to see me.”
The two brothers couldn’t believe it. When they saw Qin Feng waiting at the school gate, they were completely stunned.
Qin Feng walked over and took one child in each hand. "What’s the matter?"
“It’s really you?” Gu Xiao’er pinched his own cheek.
Qin Feng chuckled. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
It sure did.
Gu Xiao’er hopped excitedly. “Dad! Dad! Why did you come?”
“It’s still early for lunch, and I wasn’t busy, so I thought I’d come to see you.”
Gu Wuyi asked, “Did you finish the paperwork?”
Qin Feng nodded. “Yeah, but those two kids are still shy. The orphanage director is staying at Wu Zheng’s house with them.”
Gu Wuyi said knowingly, “Of course. They don’t know if Uncle Wu is a good person or not.”
Qin Feng smiled and nodded. As they walked, he asked, “Do you have any homework?”
“We do, but we already finished it!” Gu Xiao’er proudly looked at him. “Dad, see how obedient I am?”
Qin Feng shook his head with a smile.
“You don’t believe me?”
Qin Feng teased, “Not just because you wanted to play?”
“No way! I did it so I could help Grandma light the fire.”
Qin Feng casually replied, “Then you can light the fire later.”
Without hesitation, Gu Xiao’er nodded in agreement.
However, when they got home and saw Miaomiao’s swollen cheek, Gu Xiao’er lost it. He grabbed the metal shovel and stormed out.
Old Qin quickly pulled him back. “You’re not even taller than the shovel! Where are you going?”
“I’m going to settle the score! How dare she hit my little brother! Does she think the Qin family has no one to stand up for us?” Gu Xiao’er angrily pushed away his hand, ready to go fight.
Old Qin easily took the shovel from him. “You can’t even beat an old man like me. Who are you planning to fight?”
Gu Xiao’er froze, looking at his scrawny arms and legs, and instantly wilted.
"Don't go causing trouble for your dad," Old Qin said as he shut the door and dragged Gu Xiao’er back inside. "Besides, she’s probably already at the funeral home by now."
Gu Wuyi, who had been coaxing Miaomiao with candy, suddenly turned to him.
Old Qin shared what he had heard from Qin Feng.
Gu Wuyi’s hand shook, and the candy fell to the ground.
Old Qin quickly reassured him, "Don't be scared. It’s nothing to be afraid of."
Gu Wuyi opened his mouth, wanting to explain that he wasn’t scared — he was just shocked. How did she die so suddenly?
But the words stuck in his throat.
After a moment of silence, Gu Wuyi asked, "Wasn't she planning to go find her husband?"
Qin Feng shook his head. "She hadn’t gone yet." He took Miaomiao from Madam Zhou’s arms. "Mom, could you cook some noodle soup?"
Madam Zhou glanced at her two older grandsons and noticed they both looked dazed, as if in shock. She figured they probably wouldn’t have the appetite for anything else. So she asked Old Qin to help light the fire while she went to pick some fresh greens from the garden.
When the old couple left the room, Gu Wuyi snapped out of his daze. "Wouldn't that be letting that scumbag surnamed Fu off too easily?"
Qin Feng nodded. "There's no perfect solution in this world."
Gu Wuyi’s mind started turning. Maybe there is a way.
"Dad, since the paperwork for those two kids is done, does that mean they can go to school now?"
Qin Feng nodded. "Still worried about them?"
Gu Wuyi shook his head. "Not anymore."
He already knew which primary school Qin Ying’s eldest daughter attended.
That evening, while doing homework, Gu Wuyi wrote a letter. When Qin Feng went to the restroom, Gu Wuyi snuck into his bedroom, took an envelope and some stamps, sealed the letter, and later, while taking Miaomiao out to play, slipped the letter into the mailbox inside the gate.
A week later, eight-year-old Fu Qingyun received a letter.
He couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone at school with the same name.
Otherwise, who would write a letter to a kid like him?
Seeing the sender's name and the scrawled handwriting that looked like ghostly scribbles, Fu Qingyun was overjoyed. In a fluster, he tore open the letter. Inside, besides a page full of writing, there was also a blank sheet of paper, an envelope, and a stamp.
Half a month later, the Wang family in the Xicheng District received a letter.
While the fields shimmered golden with ripened wheat, Madam Zhou and Old Qin began sharpening their sickles in preparation for the harvest. Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the Fu household in the provincial capital.
Gu Wuyi calculated the time and figured that the Wang family should have found the scumbag surnamed Fu by now to seek justice — after all, Wang Meijuan had gotten into that accident because she was rushing to find him. Delighted at the thought, he began humming a children’s song while helping Madam Zhou draw water to wash the sharpened sickles.
Old Qin was puzzled. "Why are you in such a good mood today?"
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