BTYFOV Chapter 35

 Chapter 35: Taking Care of Someone's Behalf

Why are you covering my mouth?

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

The news of pregnancy wasn’t unfamiliar to the elderly couple, so their first instinct was to nod knowingly. However, as they quickly realized what “Qin Ying is pregnant” actually meant, it was as if thunder had struck them both. Old Qin and Madam Zhou stood there, stunned, their heads spinning, unable to speak.

Seeing the two of them so dumbfounded, Uncle Zhou wasn’t surprised. When he first noticed Qin Ying’s belly had grown, he too thought his eyes were deceiving him. He even asked the diners at his restaurant if her condition looked like pregnancy. The diners firmly assured him she must be at least five months along. Uncle Zhou was so shocked he nearly dropped a bowl.

Gu Wuyi’s money slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. Miaomiao gasped, “Ah!” The elderly couple snapped out of their daze, but they still felt as if they were dreaming.

Gu Xiao’er grabbed Uncle Zhou’s hand and asked anxiously, “What did you just say?”

Uncle Zhou wasn’t in the mood to mind the child’s rudeness. He sighed and said, “Qin Ying—your aunt—she’s pregnant again.”

Gu Xiao’er’s mouth fell open slightly in disbelief, his hand loosening instinctively.

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but ask, “But what about Qingyun and Lingyun?”

“Well…” Uncle Zhou was stumped by the question. The reason he came to deliver the news was because he was worried for his niece. How could she possibly raise five children? Even if they could afford a nanny to help with cooking, there was still no way to manage, especially with a newborn who would need constant care.

Uncle Zhou thought for a long moment but still couldn’t figure out a solution. He eventually turned to his sister and brother-in-law.

Old Qin waved his hand feebly. “She can do whatever she wants. I already said back when they adopted Qingyun and Lingyun—from now on, we’ll just treat them as distant relatives.”

“And what if they come to you for help?” Uncle Zhou asked.

Madam Zhou countered, “Why would they come to us? It wasn’t us who asked them to adopt the two kids, and it sure wasn’t us who told her to get pregnant again.”

Uncle Zhou nodded in agreement. That made sense.

But then it struck him—Wang Genbao might not be so reasonable.

Uncle Zhou glanced at the curious Miaomiao and immediately felt relieved. If Wang Genbao dared to cause trouble, his eldest nephew wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate in kind.

“I was so anxious that I completely forgot Xiao Feng is back,” Uncle Zhou said, letting out a relaxed chuckle. “The restaurant will get busy soon. I’d better head back.”

Old Qin casually asked, “How did you get here?”

“I took the bus,” Uncle Zhou replied.

“There’s still time,” Old Qin said, waving him off. "I'll take you there."

Uncle Zhou instinctively wanted to refuse the offer but noticed that Old Qin seemed to have something to say, so he followed him outside.

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but ask, “You’re leaving already?”

Uncle Zhou nodded. “I came in a rush today and didn’t bring anything. I’ll come back another day and bring you kids some candy.”

Gu Wuyi opened his mouth but said nothing. He wasn’t worried about candy; he was worried about Qingyun and Lingyun.

Wang Genbao already had two daughters and wasn’t interested in having more girls. The child Qin Ying was carrying was very likely a boy—otherwise, the Qin Ying that Uncle Zhou saw should have been returning from the hospital after an abortion.

Even though there was no way to determine a baby’s gender using medical equipment these days, some old traditional Chinese doctors were said to be able to tell through pulse readings—with uncanny accuracy.

Gu Wuyi had once known an old Chinese doctor who made a living doing exactly that.

At the time, Wuyi had been puzzled and asked why such a skilled doctor didn’t work at a proper Chinese medicine hospital. The old doctor simply replied, “Hospitals have strict rules. If I worked there, how would I make money from reading pulses?” That response left Gu Wuyi speechless.

Uncle Zhou noticed that the boy wanted to say more but hesitated. Realizing he might have misunderstood the child’s concerns, he said, “Are you worried about your aunt? That’s not something a kid should be worrying about.” He nodded toward his sister before walking out the door.

Madam Zhou instinctively reached out, wanting to call him back, but didn’t know what to say. She could only watch as he walked further and further away.

Neither Gu Wuyi nor Gu Xiao’er felt like going out to buy any treats.

Even Miaomiao, who noticed his grandma and two older brothers acting strangely, could sense that something big had happened. He didn’t dare pull them outside to play like he usually would.

The four of them—one elder and three kids—stood there in silence, unsure of what to do, for quite a while. Then, Old Qin slowly walked back inside.

Madam Zhou rushed to ask, “What did my big brother say?”

Old Qin replied, “What could he say? He told me that Qin Ying probably got up in the morning, still half-asleep, and forgot that her uncle runs a restaurant right at the street corner by her house—across from both the primary and middle schools. Or maybe she forgot that her uncle sells noodles in the mornings and just strolled over to buy breakfast nearby. That’s when he happened to catch her.” He paused before continuing, “My brother was so shocked that he forgot to ask her anything. By the time he remembered, she was already gone. After discussing it with the family, they decided this wasn’t something they could keep from us, so he came straight here to tell us.”

It matched Gu Wuyi’s guess pretty closely, with only a few minor differences. He asked, “Grandpa, isn’t it possible that Aunt did it on purpose so Grandpa Zhou would see her?”

Old Qin shook his head. It wasn’t that he looked down on his daughter, but she simply didn’t have that kind of cunning.

Then again, after a moment’s thought, he wasn’t so sure. Because Wang Genbao did.

And Qin Ying always believed that Wang Genbao was the one who treated her best. If Wang Genbao told her to do something like that, she’d at most hesitate for three seconds before agreeing to go along with his schemes.

Realizing this, Old Qin felt a headache coming on. “Forget it. Let’s just cook dinner,” he said to his wife. “Xiao Feng will be off work soon.”

“You’re still in the mood to eat?” Madam Zhou asked, clearly annoyed.

Old Qin glanced at the three children. “If you’re not hungry, do you think they aren’t?”

Madam Zhou followed his gaze and immediately understood. The kids were growing, and skipping even one meal could leave them anxious and restless. It was the dead of winter now, and they needed more food to sustain their energy than usual.

Gu Wuyi cautiously offered, “Grandma, how about Xiao’er and I cook instead?”

Madam Zhou asked out of habit, “What can you make?”

“Noodles. I can sauté some green onions and ginger in lard, then add water. Once it boils, I’ll cook the noodles and throw in some cabbage leaves. If we still have eggs, I can crack a few in as well.”

Madam Zhou raised an eyebrow. “No salt?”

“I’ll add that just before serving.”

Seeing that he really knew how to cook, Madam Zhou nodded. “Fine. You can cook later.”

Cooking noodles wouldn’t take long—ten minutes at most, even with cold water. Qin Feng usually didn’t get home until noon.

So Madam Zhou waved them off. “Go play for a bit.”

Gu Wuyi figured the elderly couple would just sit around brooding if they stayed home. They wouldn’t be discussing how to deal with the possibility of Qin Ying showing up pregnant, so he took his two younger brothers and headed toward the village’s small shop.

However, as they were leaving the shop, they spotted Qin Feng standing at the village entrance, chatting with someone.

Gu Wuyi and Gu Qingkuang exchanged surprised glances. They could both tell the other hadn’t expected this.

“Big Brother, Second Brother, why did you stop?” Miaomiao asked curiously.

Caught off guard, Gu Wuyi hurriedly covered his little brother’s mouth—but it was already too late.

The shop was no more than fifteen meters from the village entrance. Despite Miaomiao’s young voice still carrying a hint of childishness, it was loud, clear, and sharp, cutting through the cold air effortlessly.

“What’s going on?” Qin Feng asked, already making his way toward them.

Miaomiao, still curious, tilted his head up to look at his big brother.

"Why are you covering my mouth?" Miaomiao complained, confused.

Gu Wuyi sighed deeply.

Just as Qin Feng reached them, he overheard the conversation and chuckled. “What are you, a little philosopher now? You’re barely a kid.”

Gu Wuyi shook his head. “Even so, I’m not just making things up to sound dramatic.”

Qin Feng was surprised. “You actually know what’s bothering you?”

In the past, Gu Wuyi hadn’t known much. He had dropped out of school before finishing middle school and had to wander from place to place with his younger brothers. Aside from math, most of what he’d learned had been forgotten.

After being reborn, he realized that his knowledge was barely better than a primary schooler’s—except for math. However, since living with Qin Feng, things had changed. Qin Feng never hesitated to spend money on books, and Gu Wuyi, wanting to become a worthy son, followed his lead. When Qin Feng read Song poetry, he would read Song poetry. When Qin Feng recited Tang poems, he would memorize Tang poems. Although he skipped over unfamiliar characters and difficult verses, after two years, he had made progress—enough to grasp the deeper meanings of what Qin Feng said.

Seeing him nod, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, tell me—what’s troubling you so much that you sighed the moment you saw me? Don’t tell me someone’s trying to set me up again. Your dad barely sleeps six hours a week lately. Even if I wanted to date, I don’t have the energy.”

Gu Wuyi knew he couldn’t delay sharing what Grandpa Zhou had told them. With Chinese New Year just twenty days away, there was no doubt that Qin Ying would come to visit. So, as they walked home, he relayed everything.

Qin Feng suddenly stopped in his tracks. “Maybe it’s just that she’s wearing too many layers because it’s winter?”

“She’s been pregnant before, so Uncle Zhou knows what that looks like. Besides, it wasn’t just him—his customers noticed it too. Could they all be wrong?” Gu Wuyi replied, before voicing his own thoughts. “I was as shocked as you at first. But thinking it over… even if Qingyun and Lingyun don’t call him ‘Dad’ yet, even if they see him as their real father, he’s still not the same as Wang Genbao. A man like Wang Genbao, who’s so obsessed with having a son, wanting his own bloodline isn’t surprising, right?”

Qin Feng shook his head slightly. It wasn’t just about what was normal or not.

The city orphanage couldn’t afford to raise too many children, so they were happy when families adopted. The government wouldn’t impose fines for third or fourth children on adoptive families. But if a family adopted orphans and then had another child themselves, the authorities might treat it as a fifth child and impose a hefty fine.

Someone like Wang Genbao, who was always calculating everything to his advantage, wouldn’t have taken such a risk without first finding out how the fines would be applied.

If it truly counted as a fifth child, there was a real chance the two adopted children would have already been abandoned.

And that would be a sin.

In the original timeline, at least, Qingyun and Lingyun had been 15 or 16 years old when they couldn’t stay with their adoptive family anymore. At that age, even scavenging for junk to sell would have kept them from starving.

But now…

"Dad?" Gu Wuyi tugged at his arm.

Qin Feng snapped out of his thoughts. "I noticed Qingyun and Lingyun seem to like you. Have they come looking for you recently?"

Gu Wuyi instinctively shook his head, then stared at him in shock. "Could it be?"

"Others might not, but Wang Genbao is hard to predict." Qin Feng grew more concerned. "You guys head home first. I'll go to the village entrance and the factory gate to ask around if anyone's seen those two half-grown kids looking for us."

Gu Wuyi told Gu Xiao'er to take Miaomiao back home first.

Miaomiao, worried after not seeing his dad for a while, grabbed his father's hand and wouldn’t let go.

Qin Feng, helpless, had no choice but to take all three kids to the factory gate, then went to the staff residence to ask the gatekeeper, and finally spoke with the elderly villagers who often chatted around the village entrance.

After confirming none of them had seen the two children, Qin Feng felt a weight lift off his chest.

If they had been kicked out into the bitter winter, even if they were wearing thick coats and hiding in a pile of straw, they wouldn’t have lasted three days.

But Gu Wuyi couldn’t shake his worry. It wasn’t about Qingyun and Lingyun not looking for him—it was the fear that as soon as they got on a bus, they’d be targeted by human traffickers, grabbed before they could get off, their mouths covered, and carried away.

“Dad, should we go to their house and check?”

Qin Feng shook his head. “I was too rushed earlier and forgot. If Wang Genbao let my sister have a child, it’s certain she’s having a boy. Now that they’re about to have a son, Wang Genbao would never risk doing anything illegal.”

"So, that means Qingyun and Lingyun are still at his house?"

Qin Feng nodded. "Nine out of ten times."

"That’s good," Gu Wuyi sighed in relief. "Otherwise—otherwise it’d be too pitiful."

Qin Feng muttered, "Yeah. Let’s go home now."

“Are you not going to check on your sister?” Gu Wuyi asked.

Qin Feng shrugged. "Maybe Wang Genbao can afford to punish her, but he can also afford to take care of her."

Gu Wuyi wanted to ask: Is he still the same Wang Genbao?

But for now, all he could do was pray.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have any other options. Lingyun wasn't even eight yet. If it came to a public security bureau, the authorities wouldn't respect his opinion, asking if he wanted to stay with his foster parents or sever ties with them. The decision would be left up to Wang Genbao.

"How come your sister is nothing like you?"

Qin Feng thought to himself, I traveled through time and lived 24 more years than her.

Realizing this, Qin Feng was suddenly frightened. Adding up both his previous and current life, he was already fifty-one. He over half a hundred years old.

Gu Wuyi noticed his change in expression and became concerned. "What’s wrong?"

Qin Feng babbled, "After you said that, what if my sister isn’t really my parents' biological child?"

"No—no way, right?" Gu Wuyi stammered.

Qin Feng thought about Qin Ying’s appearance. Although she didn’t look like their mom or the maternal side of the family, she resembled Old Qin quite a lot.

His father, with his looks and height, couldn’t have married a woman as capable and diligent as their mom if it weren’t for their second marriage.

"I'm just talking nonsense," Qin Feng feigned disappointment.

Gu Wuyi almost laughed. "Dad’s probably still confused from being shocked by her pregnancy."

Qin Feng merely pursed his lips, silently agreeing.

Gu Xiao'er kicked a stone out of his path, his little mouth unable to hold back a curse. "Do they still have any humanity?"

"Probably not," Qin Feng replied.

Gu Xiao'er looked at him curiously. "Dad seems unphased? You’re just shocked that your sister’s pregnant again."

"Once you’ve seen enough, you’ll be just like me." Even if Wang Genbao really did abandon the two kids, Qin Feng wouldn’t be surprised, because he’d heard similar stories in his past life.

There was an actress who, unable to conceive, adopted a pair of twins. Later, when she had her own biological child, she gave the twins away. From then on, the two children were never heard from again.

That actress had immigrated abroad two years ago, but she was much wealthier than Wang Genbao. She could afford to hire a nanny to care for the children. If she didn’t want to raise them, she could have sent them back to her home country and severed ties with them, since she could afford the return costs. But she didn’t. Instead, she gave the children to foreigners.

Qin Feng couldn’t help but think of this when recalling it and found himself leaning toward a conspiracy theory.

Because the timing was too coincidental, right after she adopted the twins, she became pregnant. It was only three years after adopting the two children that she gave birth to her second child.

What was even more coincidental was that the ever-intrusive media had never captured the twins, and the actress, who loved showing off her children, never posted pictures of them.

Gu Xiao'er didn't know what was going through Qin Feng's mind. He wanted to explain that he'd experienced a lot and met all kinds of people, and that it was rare to encounter someone as obsessed with having a son as Wang Genbao.

Most people who adopted a boy wouldn’t have more children and would treasure the adopted son like a gem.

But Gu Xiao'er didn’t dare to say a word.

"Dad, I think we can't expect a good New Year this year," he said.

Qin Feng coldly replied, "If he doesn’t let me have peace, he won’t have peace either." After a pause, he added, "But there should be no problem before the New Year. Otherwise, they would’ve already come to find us."

Gu Xiao'er thought about it and agreed. After all, Qin Ying wasn’t just newly pregnant; she was already showing.

She probably planned to tell them when she came for the New Year visit on the second day of the New Year.

After Uncle Zhou returned home, he analyzed Qin Ying's intentions with his family and also felt that they probably planned to lay everything out on the second day of the New Year.

In the past, Qin Feng or his parents would either go to Zhou's house on the third or fourth day of the New Year, and the Zhou family would come back for a New Year visit on the fifth or sixth day, when there were fewer relatives at home.

This year, after the small New Year celebration, Uncle Zhou's small restaurant closed, and as he passed by Wuli Village, he asked Qin Feng to visit his house on the first day of the New Year.

On the morning of the second day of the New Year, Uncle Zhou asked his wife and daughter-in-law to wait at home for relatives to come, while he and his eldest son went to return the New Year greetings to Madam Zhou.

Returning New Year greetings was traditionally something the younger generation would do.

The villagers of Wuli Village were shocked when they saw Uncle Zhou, as an older brother, visiting his sister for New Year greetings. They were hesitant to ask directly if something was wrong at home, given it was the New Year.

Uncle Zhou didn’t have the energy to respond to them. He just nodded and smiled, pushing his bicycle toward home.

His hurried departure only made the villagers more curious.

However, they didn’t remain puzzled for long.

About half an hour later, when Wang Genbao and Qin Ying appeared with the children, the villagers noticed Qin Ying’s large belly and immediately understood.

Some curious onlookers, who liked a bit of excitement, followed their family, glancing at her belly while chatting with her.

Qin Feng heard his sister's voice as he walked out of the house and saw that many people were following them. Wang Genbao and Qin Ying shamelessly laughed and joked with the villagers, causing his expression to turn grim.

When the villagers saw Qin Feng's serious face, as if someone owed him tens of thousands of dollars, they immediately stopped in their tracks, afraid to approach.

Seeing this, Qin Ying couldn't help but say, "It's New Year's Day, who are you showing this to?"

Slap!

A loud slap struck Qin Ying's face, making the villagers, who hadn't gone far, stop in their tracks. No one dared to approach anymore.

Qin Feng turned and headed back to the yard.

Wang Genbao yelled, "Stop!"

Qin Feng stopped, turned around, and fixed a fiery gaze on him, cracking his knuckles.

Wang Genbao felt guilty at first, then thought to himself, "What am I guilty for?" He pointed at Qin Feng and said, "What gives you the right to hit Xiao Ying? Did we owe you something?"

Qin Feng replied, "The fact that you came here to disgust me on New Year's Day!"

Wang Genbao stammered, "You, you, you—"

"Mom!" Qin Ying cried out, her voice trembling.

Her two daughters, scared, grabbed each other's hands.

Madam Zhou, who had come out from the main room, softened when she saw the expression on her granddaughters' face. But then she thought about them being Wang's children and turned her face away, looking at Qin Ying and saying, "I dare not be your mother."

Qin Ying choked and asked, "Even if you're going to beat me to death, you should at least let me know what I did wrong, right?"

Madam Zhou laughed in anger and looked at Qin Ying's belly.

Qin Ying forgot her tears and said, "Mom knows, huh?" A faint hint of pride appeared on her face.

Madam Zhou wondered if she had misunderstood, thinking that there was nothing to be proud of about being pregnant. After all, what woman didn’t give birth?

"Whether you know or not is your business, but it has nothing to do with us, as long as you don't bother us."

The smug look on Qin Ying's face immediately disappeared, and she turned her gaze to Wang Genbao.

Wang Genbao, wearing a forced smile, said, "What’s with this tone, Mom? You’re Qin Ying's biological mother. On New Year’s Day, where else would you go but here?"

"Go wherever you want!" Madam Zhou was irritated as soon as she saw him. After speaking, she turned around and went back into the house. When she noticed the three grandchildren coming out of the room, she shooed them back inside, almost as if she were herding ducks.

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but glance back at Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun.

The two little brothers just pursed their lips.

Gu Wuyi understood that they were telling him not to interfere and to keep quiet for now.

But Qin Ying was anxious and couldn’t help but follow them.

Qin Feng stopped her.

Qin Ying was furious: "This isn't your house!"

Qin Feng's breath hitched, but he didn't stop her.

Wang Genbao, feeling very pleased with himself, shot him a glance, then made a gesture to the four children, picking up two baskets and catching up to Qin Ying.

The Qin family’s main room was only one large room. Usually, it seemed spacious, but when Old Qin and Madam Zhou came in with three children, and Qin Ying and Wang Genbao came in with four children, the room was crowded.

Old Qin told Gu Wuyi to take the younger siblings outside to play.

Gu Wuyi wasn't a small child, but worried about scaring the pure, innocent Miaomiao, so he took him by the hand, grabbed a beanbag, and went outside to play catch.

Uncle Zhou told his eldest son to guard the door and keep an eye on the kids.

Once everything was in order, and there was no one eavesdropping from the wall, Uncle Zhou felt at ease and entered the house. He asked Qin Ying, "You've already got four kids. How will you manage if you have another one?"

Qin Ying nodded, "I don’t want to have another one either, but now that it’s here, I can’t just get rid of it."

Qin Feng couldn’t help but curse, "Bullshit! How have you been preventing pregnancy all these years?"

"I’m not talking to you, so shut up!" Qin Ying shouted loudly.

Qin Feng nodded and kept quiet, but he was curious about what his sister was planning.

Uncle Zhou didn’t like his niece, preferring his nephew instead. When his nephew was yelled at, his face instantly darkened. "Why can't you get rid of it?"

Qin Ying blurted out, "It’s a boy."

Uncle Zhou's breath caught, but he wasn’t surprised at all.

Madam Qian: "Aren't two boys enough?"

Qin Ying looked at Wang Genbao.

Wang Genbao slightly nodded, and she seemed encouraged by that, speaking directly: "After all, they're someone else's children, and they're hard to raise."

Madam Qian opened her mouth, ready to scold, but then thought there was no need anymore, because in the end, it would only be her who would suffer.

However, Uncle Zhou's bad temper couldn’t be controlled: "When you were adopting them, didn't your mother and your brother tell you that kids that big might be hard to raise?"

Qin Ying nodded, "They did. We thought since no one wanted them, if we gave them some food, they would be so grateful to us. But it's been nearly two years, and they still call us 'uncle' and 'aunt'—how ridiculous." She glanced at Qin Feng, "On the second day after the older and younger boys arrived at their house, they changed their tune."

Qin Feng sneered: "You don’t reflect on yourselves, but instead blame the kids for not being 'raised properly'?"

Wang Genbao: "No need for self-reflection, because those two kids want to be with you, not with us."

Qin Feng laughed angrily.

The children might be young, but they weren’t foolish—they could still tell whether they were truly cared for or not.

And now this bastard was blaming them?

Qin Feng's hand itched again.

Old Qin sighed and reminded them: "In the past, Xiao Feng had money, and now you should be richer than him, right?"

Wang Genbao pointed at Qin Feng: "He got fooled by his face."

Qin Feng, unable to tolerate it anymore, slapped him across the hand.

Wang Genbao, in reflex, swung his fist.

Qin Feng lifted his foot.

Wang Genbao was so frightened that he staggered backward.

Suddenly, Qin Ying, who had been sitting in the chair, jumped up, "Qin Feng, try moving and see what happens!"

Qin Feng: "Do you believe I’ll throw you out too?"

Qin Ying was frightened.

She believed Qin Feng truly would act on it.

Qin Feng coldly said, "Take your things and leave, the Qin family doesn’t welcome you."

"This is not your home!" Qin Ying shouted.

Old Qin stood up: "It’s my home. My home doesn’t welcome you."

The color drained from Qin Ying’s face.

Wang Genbao had not yet achieved his goal, "Father, you always say children are all the same. Besides, Xiaoda and Xiao’er were adopted under your authority. Why is it that when we adopt two kids, we become the bad guys?"

Old Qin didn’t want to waste any more words with him and sat back down, glaring at them both.

He wanted to see what Wang Genbao intended to do.

Wang Genbao said: "We can leave if you want. But look, Xiao Ying is pregnant, there’s no washing machine at home, she can’t sit down or get up easily. How can she take care of five children?"

Madam Zhou replied harshly: "So you’ve finally spoken the truth?"

Qin Feng couldn’t help but glance at Wang Genbao. He wasn’t someone who liked to talk nonsense.

"But it’s only temporary, once the baby is born, it’ll be fine."

Madam Zhou responded with a simple "Oh" without further comment.

Wang Genbao couldn’t help but furrow his brows. Things weren’t going as he expected.

"Mom, look, you have a rice cooker for cooking, a washing machine for laundry, and one person can cook enough for ten people—"

Qin Feng seemed to understand: "I advise you not to continue!"

Wang Genbao pretended not to hear and stared at Madam Zhou, asking, "Qingyun and Lingyun also like to play with the three brothers, do you think you could help us take care of them for a while?"

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