BTYFOV Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Being Naughty and Getting a Beating

What’s going on with this little head?

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Madam Zhou was feeling frustrated, but she couldn't do anything to Qin Ying, so she glared at him and said, "Eat your food!"

Qin Feng shrugged nonchalantly.

Gu Xiao'er first handed his grandmother a salted duck egg, then gave her a century egg that had already been peeled and cleaned at home.

When Old Qin saw the century egg made with a chicken egg, he suddenly remembered something. "Xiao Feng, your mom said she’d give twenty century eggs to Xue Qing and another twenty to Feng Mai Maio when they're ready. You haven’t done that yet, have you?"

Qin Feng replied, "I haven’t had the chance."

Madam Zhou calculated how many they'd eaten in the past few days. "You should still have over fifty. Make sure to count them and deliver them to them at noon."

Qin Feng shook his head slightly. "No need. Just give it to them when they come to buy popsicles at noon." He then reminded Gu Wuyi to leave a few for them.

Old Qin recalled that Gu Wuyi had made popsicles several times yesterday. "Da Xiaozi, money isn’t something you can earn endlessly. Don’t make any more after you sell these; make more in the afternoon."

Gu Wuyi’s first reaction was to look at his father.

Qin Feng agreed. "Your grandpa’s right. You two are still young. The most important thing is to study and play."

The two brothers were doubtful and unsure how to respond for a moment.

Old Qin glared at his son. "Can’t you teach them something good?"

"I’m teaching them right. A happy childhood leads to a bright future." Qin Feng had a happy childhood in his past life, but it was full of play without the guidance of parents or any companionship. As a result, he felt empty when he grew up and often used alcohol to numb himself. But these two children lacked neither his company nor his supervision over their studies, so it was perfect for them to play more.

Old Qin glanced at his son. "I’ve taught for half my life, and this is the first time I’ve heard someone say such things."

"That's why, after half a lifetime of teaching, I’m the only successful student you've taught," Qin Feng replied.

Old Qin raised his hand.

The three children all looked at him, making Old Qin feel uneasy, and he quickly lowered his hand.

Qin Feng held back his laughter and said, "Boys, you can divide the twelve hours of the day into four parts: one for eating, one for studying, one for playing, and one for earning money."

"Three hours of studying?" Old Qin suddenly turned to him.

Qin Feng asked in return, "Isn't it normal for a school day to have only about four hours of classes?"

Old Qin did the math. Excluding lessons like calligraphy, penmanship, and singing, there were only five periods in a day. Each period lasted forty-five minutes, so it wasn’t much more than what they had during the holiday.

"Well, you're right," Old Qin admitted, unable to argue further.

Gu Wuyi felt deeply moved but was also put in a difficult position. "What should we play?"

To Qin Feng, there were many things to play, like ice skating, skateboarding, going to the youth center to play ping pong, kicking a soccer ball with friends, or simply going home to watch TV and play games.

But those things were hard to achieve in this era. For one, there was no TV to watch. Even the classic drama Journey to the West on holidays wouldn’t be available for another six months.

Qin Feng thought for a moment. "I'm actually talking about the summer vacation. Dad will know when the time comes. For now, you can arrange your free time as you like. After all, harvesting wheat is tiring. In the coming days, you can sleep all day, and Dad won’t care."

Gu Xiao'er glanced at his older brother. Actually, their dad probably didn’t know either.

Gu Wuyi slightly shook his head.

—It seemed like he wasn’t someone who would be stopped by play, but perhaps he was too shy to speak freely in front of his elders.

How coincidental!

Old Qin and Madam Zhou also thought the same.

Two days later, after finishing their work in the fields, the elderly couple took half of the wheat to Qin Feng’s house. Qin Feng’s yard had a concrete area, perfect for drying the wheat, and they could keep an eye on Qin Feng to make sure he didn’t mess around. Plus, they could make popsicles for the two older grandsons.

Qin Feng, unaware of the truth, came back from work one noon and saw the elderly couple napping on the sofa in the living room. He couldn’t help but say, "Xiaoda and Xiao’er won’t start school for a few more days. Just make sure no birds eat the wheat. You two can go home now."

Madam Zhou opened her eyes. "Are you tired of us?"

Qin Feng had intended to chat with the villagers but instead said, "Aren’t you cutting grass for the sheeps anymore?"

Old Qin replied, "Who cuts grass for sheeps at noon? And anyway, all the good grass has already been cut. Where else would we cut it?"

Qin Feng was momentarily speechless. "Alright, if you’re not bored, forget I said anything." Not wanting to argue, he quickly changed the subject. "What’s for lunch?"

Gu Wuyi came downstairs. "Grandma said we’re having cold noodles. They're ready, just waiting for you to mix them."

Qin Feng looked up. "Where’s your brother?"

"Xiao'er and Miaomiao are asleep."

Qin Feng said, "Let them sleep. They’ve been tired these past few days." He then curiously asked, "Aren’t you tired?"

Gu Wuyi was a little, but since the elderly couple was downstairs, he felt embarrassed to sleep.

Qin Feng noticed him hesitating and not knowing how to respond. "Eat first and then go take a nap." He then turned to look at his parents. "What about you two?"

The elderly couple was actually worried about the animals at home, and they couldn’t just keep lingering here.

Madam Zhou said, "Don’t worry about it!"

Qin Feng opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond. His mom seemed to be in a bad mood today.

"I won’t worry about it," Qin Feng replied helplessly, then grabbed a towel and went out to wash his face.

Madam Zhou immediately waved to Gu Wuyi.

The boy went over and quietly asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Has your dad not been paid yet?"

Gu Wuyi glanced at the calendar on the wall. "It should be in the next couple of days. They have a lot of workers at the factory, so they usually pay the regular workers first because they need money for rice. Dad’s wage is high, and the bonuses are hard to calculate, so they’re usually paid last."

Madam Zhou lowered her voice and said, "Your dad is careful when working, but forgetful in daily life. He doesn’t even remember how much money he has. When he takes a shower, you sneak a look in his pants pocket and see if there’s any money. If there is, take half of it. If he asks, just say I took it."

Gu Wuyi slightly opened his mouth.

—Wasn’t this teaching him to steal money?

Madam Zhou said, "I’m doing this for your own good. If he doesn’t have money, he won’t waste it."

"But my dad isn’t stupid."

Madam Zhou glared at him.

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but say, "I’ll give it a try."

"What are you trying?"

Both the elder and the younger felt a surge of nervousness.

Qin Feng looked them over, sensing their unease, and didn't dare to look them in the eye. "Are you two conspiring against me?"

Madam Zhou was incredulous and immediately looked at her husband.

—Is your son even human?

Old Qin thought about how his son usually listened to reason, so he decided to speak directly. "Earlier, the oldest and second boys asked you what to play, and you said you'd tell them once the summer vacation started. Are you planning to secretly buy them some random things behind our backs?"

"When did I ever buy random things?" Qin Feng couldn’t help but ask.

Old Qin pointed to the fridge. "Let’s not talk about anything else. Ice pop molds—buy a few, and that’s enough. But you, on the other hand, took advantage of having money and bought a whole box. You also—"

"Stop! I’ve explained it before. Wholesale is cheaper, and they can use it until they’re eighteen. When you average it out, it’s even less than what they’d spend on ice pops every summer."

Old Qin thought about it and indeed recalled Qin Feng saying that. "Well, forget about the ice pops. I heard your factory paid the wages, and your pockets are full. The weekend’s coming up, how do you plan to spend it, Engineer Qin?"

Qin Feng had actually thought about it. "I haven’t decided yet. By the way, did you put your money back in the bank?"

Old Qin nodded.

Qin Feng pulled a roll of money from his pocket.

Madam Zhou quickly gave Gu Wuyi a meaningful look.

Gu Wuyi didn’t dare to snatch it.

Madam Zhou glared at him in frustration, then quickly stood up and tried to grab it.

Qin Feng was quick; his body reacted before his mind did, and he dodged her.

Madam Zhou missed.

Qin Feng understood. "So this is why you’ve been hiding inside all day, just waiting for me to hand out the wages?" He pulled out ten yuan. "Isn’t this enough to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and some meat for the month?"

Madam Zhou didn’t take the money. "Let me see how much there is in total."

Qin Feng didn’t have a bonus, but he had a business trip allowance from last month. If Madam Zhou found out, he wouldn’t be able to lowball the price when buying shoes and footballs for the three kids later, so he asked, "Do you want it? If not, forget it."

Madam Zhou took the money. "Even a mosquito is meat."

Old Qin asked, "Why keep so much money on you? We don’t need you to buy anything for the house."

Qin Feng replied, "A man feels calm when he has money. My mom always says that."

Madam Zhou retorted, "I also say that a man with money turns bad. Haven’t you remembered that?"

Qin Feng almost laughed. His mom really had a point both ways. "Mom, you’ve said it yourself, you’d rather I turn bad and go on dates with women every weekend."

Madam Zhou was speechless.

Qin Feng waved at her. "You two shouldn’t worry about it. You’re more stingy than a pixiu (a mythical Chinese creature known for hoarding wealth)."

Madam Zhou couldn't help asking, "What does that mean?"

Gu Wuyi looked at his grandfather.

Old Qin explained, "It means you only take in but never give out."

Madam Zhou shot a glare upstairs. "It’s just because he’s read a few more decades of books than I have."

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Grandma, let’s mix the noodles."

Madam Zhou sighed, then suddenly remembered something she had said earlier. "My Xiaoda, don’t forget."

Old Qin propped himself up with the handrail, waving his hand at her. "Don’t think about it. Your son definitely locked the money in the cabinet."

Qin Feng indeed had locked it up.

In that cabinet were not only the land use rights for their house but also his savings book and the gold, silver, and jade items given to him by the old monk.

The key was hidden in a place his parents would never expect—under the leg of the desk against the wall.

Madam Zhou didn’t believe it, so after dinner when Qin Feng went to work, she sneaked into his bedroom, opened the door, and started searching. There wasn’t even a penny in the wardrobe.

"Is your son's birth year a rat?" Madam Zhou was puzzled.

Old Qin responded, "You think everyone is like you? Not everyone hides things under the quilt or pillow, or in the wardrobe. Small change is just put on top of the wardrobe."

Madam Zhou looked at the two locked cabinets in the desk drawer and said, "It must be in here."

Old Qin nodded. "But don't touch them. Only one of the cabinets should have money. The other one should have his documents."

When Madam Zhou heard "documents," she hesitated and didn’t want to mess with them. "I’ll spare him this time." She then headed to the room next door. "Xiaoda didn’t manage this month, but he’ll try again next month."

Old Qin felt a headache coming on. "Don’t teach the kids wrong things." He tugged at her. "Da Xiaozi, don’t let the younger ones sleep too long. We’ll be back at 5:30."

Gu Wuyi followed them down and locked the front door from the inside.

Madam Zhou was still unwilling to give up. "How about a bet? If he doesn’t go out this weekend, I—"

"When are you going back to your parents’ house?" Old Qin interrupted.

Madam Zhou paused, then recalled that Qin Feng had given her brother some ideas.

The kids earned three yuan a day by selling two to three half-boxes of popsicles. If her brother could get two boxes, he could make at least five yuan a day.

Aside from the days when it rained or they had to work on the farm, if they worked twenty days a month, that would be a hundred yuan.

Ordinary workers at the Northern Railway Factory seemed to make only about forty to fifty yuan a month.

Although it was tough work, it wasn't as exhausting as bending over to cut wheat.

Thinking of this, Madam Zhou stopped paying attention to her son. "Does Qin Feng not care anymore?"

Old Qin replied, "He’s already figured it out, what’s there to manage?" After a pause, he added, "You know, neither the Qin nor the Zhou family is particularly clever, so how come we have a son like him, so crafty?"

Madam Zhou couldn’t figure it out either. "It’s just luck, I guess." She then thought about her brother. "I wish my parents’ house was this close to the city."

Old Qin thought about Madam Zhou’s family being over ten miles away, with dirt roads. The travel time alone would take two hours each day, and there was also the possibility of heatstroke. "Why don’t we ask Xiao Feng later? He’s always coming up with ideas."

Madam Zhou said, "I’m going back to my parents' house now. I’ll ask him when I return tonight."

Old Qin glanced at the scorching sun. "I’ll go. I’ll borrow a bicycle from someone." He thought of how in the village, everyone treated their bicycles like treasures. Even if they lent him one, they’d still be uneasy about it. So, he decided to go back to the staff quarters and borrow one from Qin Feng’s neighbor.

Just a few steps out, he bumped into Feng Mai Miao, who was on her way to work.

Feng Mai Miao happened to have something to ask him. She wanted Old Qin to help her make some century eggs, and she would provide all the materials. When they were done, she would thank him properly.

Old Qin, hearing this, decided to borrow the bicycle from her, but declined her offer of thanks.

Feng Mai Miao and her husband worked at the factory and usually didn’t need a bicycle, so she quickly went to get one for Old Qin, telling him not to rush to return it.

With the bicycle, Old Qin returned from his mother-in-law's house around four o'clock.

Since it had been a long time since he had ridden for so many miles, he felt a bit uncomfortable when he arrived at the staff quarters.

After drinking some huo xiang zheng qi (a traditional Chinese remedy), having a popsicle, and sitting under the fan for over half an hour, he started feeling better.

Gu Wuyi, seeing this, curiously asked, "Grandpa, why did you go to Grandma's house at this time? What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow morning?"

Old Qin replied, "A day's delay means a day's wages lost."

Gu Wuyi thought for a moment and then asked, "What did Grandpa Zhou say?"

"He hesitated a bit. Mainly because he hasn’t done it before, and he’s worried about the red armbands."

Without thinking, Gu Wuyi said, "No need to be afraid!"

Old Qin chuckled.

— This kid speaks so casually.

Gu Wuyi nodded confidently, "Really. The red armbands like to walk around the streets, right? Just don’t let Grandpa Zhou go out on the street, and that should solve it."

Old Qin didn’t understand.

Gu Wuyi pointed south and said, "Let Grandpa Zhou sell at the factory gate. The gatekeeper knows my dad. If there’s really a red armband, just let Grandpa Zhou go inside the gate."

Old Qin thought about it carefully and realized that it was a good idea. He couldn’t help but pull him into a hug. "How did you come up with this idea?"

"This is how I came up with it." Gu Wuyi, praised, couldn’t help but show a bit of pride.

Old Qin rubbed his little head and said, "There’s still one problem. Think of a way for Grandpa Zhou. He’s poor but proud. If he comes to our house for lunch, he’ll definitely feel embarrassed. How can we get him to earn money without exhausting himself?"

Gu Wuyi thought for a moment and suggested, "What about renting a place?"

Old Qin didn’t immediately understand.

Gu Wuyi explained, "Rent someone’s house. If the city is too expensive, you could rent a house in the village."

"That's right!" Old Qin slapped his thigh. "My eldest brother-in-law is always muttering that brothers should settle accounts clearly and not take advantage of our family. I'll just ask him for rent." He stood up as he spoke.

Gu Xiao'er, who had been sitting on the cool mat playing with the little one, couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa isn't going to the Zhou family again, is he?"

"No, not going. If he comes again, I’ll have to lay down the law. Go back and tell your grandmother, so she doesn’t worry." Old Qin reached the door, then stopped. "If he goes to sell by the factory gate, won’t he be stealing your business?"

Gu Wuyi asked in return, "If Grandpa Zhou doesn’t sell, does that mean no one else will?"

Old Qin chuckled, speechless.

Gu Wuyi followed him outside to close the door.

Gu Xiao'er, seeing him come back, asked, "Brother, should we make watermelon-flavored ones later? I bet the popsicles factory doesn’t have those."

Gu Wuyi nodded, "Let’s also make red bean and mung bean. Just these three kinds a day. The popsicles factory has milk-flavored ones and salted water popsicles, but they mass-produce, so their cost is lower. They can sell ten and give one free. We can’t afford that, so we have to be creative."

The little one was confused and asked, "What's creative?"

Gu Wuyi sat down next to him. "You don’t know yet? That’s because you haven’t gone to school. Let me teach you to count. Later, when people come to buy from us, Miaomiao will know how much two popsicles cost."

Lately, every time they counted money, Gu Wuyi would tell the child what the money could buy. He’d also made cakes and bread for the little one, so the child thought it was all bought with money, and began liking money more and more each day.

Before Gu Wuyi could get up, the little one was already heading upstairs.

Gu Xiao'er quickly stopped him, "Where are you going?"

"To get the textbook." The child said in a soft, serious voice.

Gu Wuyi laughed, "I'll go get them."

About an hour later, Madam Zhou and Old Qin came to collect the wheat. They saw the three children lying on the mat, their heads close together, reading seriously, and quietly stepped back out.

However, the noise from collecting the wheat was loud, and the children still heard it.

The little one ran outside and started jumping on the wheat grains.

The wheat, which had been sun-dried all day, was scorching hot, and the child couldn't help but shiver.

Gu Wuyi quickly pulled the little one out and gave him a smack on the bottom. "Are you stupid?"

The child looked up with tear-filled eyes, feeling wronged.

Just then, Qin Feng came in. The little one found his protector and rushed over, crying loudly.

The Qin family's small courtyard had an iron gate, and Qin Feng had seen the earlier scene. "Your brother is doing this for your own good." He grabbed the little one's leg, turning it around. "Is your foot red? That's the wheat being hot. Will you be mischievous again in the future?"

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