BTYFOV Chapter 41

 Chapter 41: Detention

Am I so Useless?

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Qin Feng asked with a smile, “Guess?”

Gu Wuyi suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief. “No, no—could it be a girl?”

Qin Feng nodded slightly.

The four brothers simultaneously dropped their jaws.

—How is that possible???

Miaomiao glanced at each of her four brothers one by one, then turned to his dad, puzzled. “What’s wrong with having a girl?”

Gu Wuyi couldn’t explain.

Could the old Chinese doctor have made a mistake? He couldn’t help but ask himself that.

Impossible!

Gu Wuyi secretly took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “Did Grandpa Zhou say it to you personally?”

“Would my uncle lie to me?” Qin Feng found the question amusing. “The most popular dish at his shop, aside from the seafood noodles, is the marinated meat noodles that I taught him to make. Although I only gave him verbal instructions, it’s also because at the restaurant has never had an off-season.”

Gu Wuyi quickly shook his head. “We’re not doubting Grandpa Zhou.”

Fu Qingyun, who rarely spoke in front of Qin Feng, couldn’t hold back. “The old Chinese doctor who checked Qin Ying’s pulse has never made a mistake. Wang Genbao said so.”

Qin Feng chuckled. “And you believe what he says?”

Fu Qingyun’s expression changed slightly, and he glanced at Gu Wuyi.

Qin Feng didn’t notice and continued, “The old Chinese doctor is even less reliable. Traditional Chinese medicine depends on reputation. If they occasionally make a mistake, they’ll come up with excuses, like saying they weren’t feeling well that day or that their mind was foggy.”

Gu Wuyi shook his head firmly. “He’s really accurate!” Afraid Qin Feng wouldn’t believe him, he made something up. “Someone in our residence even consulted him once.”

Qin Feng, having lived in the staff residence for nearly three years, still didn’t recognize everyone due to the large number of families. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Gu Wuyi nodded. “One time, I overheard an auntie from the women’s restroom next door saying so. I just don’t know who she is.”

Qin Feng looked uncertain. “Are you serious?”

Gu Wuyi nodded.

"Then I’ll ask Uncle again when I see him next time. Vegetables in the city are expensive, but everything is cheap in the village. He’ll be coming to buy supplies this weekend," Qin Feng said as he walked toward the study to check the calendar.

Afterward, he went to his two eldest sons' bedroom. “Four more days. Remember to remind me.”

The brothers were more concerned about this matter than he was and nodded in agreement.

Miaomiao, confused, asked, “Why do you care whether it’s a boy or a girl?” He tugged on Gu Wuyi’s sleeve. “Big Brother, count the money!”

Gu Wuyi smiled and explained, “I’m worried if she has a girl, she might change her mind and come back to find your Third and Fourth Brothers.”

The child paused and sized up his two brothers.

Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun were genuinely concerned—not because they were gloating, but because they feared their peaceful days might be disrupted again.

Seeing both brothers nod without hesitation, the child turned to his dad. “Is the public security bureau run by Wang Genbao’s family?”

Qin Feng was confused by the question.

“Why does he think he can do whatever he wants?” The child looked even more puzzled than his father.

Qin Feng froze for a moment, then laughed. “Good kid! You’re right. The public security bureau doesn’t belong to Wang Genbao. He doesn’t get to go back on his word.”

He then turned to his four older sons. “Count the money properly and get a good night’s sleep. You’ve got school tomorrow.”

Fu Qingyun cautiously asked, “So Uncle will…”

Qin Feng nodded. “It’s just a matter of a word.”

The two brothers felt relieved.

But the thought of Qin Feng getting so busy that he’d forget to eat and sleep kept them from feeling completely at ease.

On Sunday after breakfast, the brothers pushed the freezer outside. Gu Xiao’er and Miaomiao stayed home to sell popsicles, while Gu Wuyi dragged Qin Feng to the village.

However, as soon as they reached the main gate, the gatekeeper stopped them.

Previously, the freezer couldn’t be moved, so they could only sell from home.

Recently, Qin Feng had designed a base for the freezer with four wheels and had it welded by the factory’s electrician. Now, the freezer sat on a metal frame and could be pushed anywhere—even Miaomiao could move it. Knowing this, the gatekeeper allowed Qin Feng to move the freezer to the gate.

Next to the staff residence’s gate, there were many trees, and behind the trees was the quarter’s wall. It was a shady spot from noon to evening. Many people came there to cool off daily, and there was also a bus stop nearby. The area saw a constant flow of people all day long.

Qin Feng had lived in the area for a few years and was well aware of the foot traffic outside the gate. However, he was curious about why the gatekeeper was suddenly so enthusiastic. Did he need a favor? After all, money was involved.

“It’s better not to. I only have a limited number of molds, and what I make each day is just enough. If I start selling here, my coworkers at the factory won’t have any left when they get off work in the afternoon.”

The gatekeeper blurted out, “Why don’t you buy more molds? Otherwise, all the money will be made by outsiders.”

Qin Feng chuckled. “You could set up a box for yourself. When your wife is around to watch the guardhouse, you can go restock. You’d earn enough for your daily expenses with just one box of popsicles a day. If you’re worried the factory leadership won’t allow it, I can talk to the logistics manager for you.”

The gatekeeper waved his hand. “What do I need that much money for at my age? You’ve got five kids who are growing up fast. I’ve also heard they’re excellent students and future university material. Where will you get all the money for that? And you can’t touch Engineer Gu’s money.”

Seeing that the gatekeeper seemed genuinely concerned, Qin Feng smiled. “You have a point. I’ll check my finances later. We’ve got to prioritize our own people first, right?”

The gatekeeper nodded and casually asked, “Where are you headed?”

“I’m going to visit my parents to see if they need any help.” Qin Feng nodded to him before extending his arm to shield his three sons as they crossed the street.

The gatekeeper’s wife came out of the kitchen and saw Qin Feng carefully crossing the street, looking in every direction like a secret agent meeting with an underground party member. She sighed, “Engineer Qin is such a good man. I’ve lived most of my life and met all kinds of people, but I’ve never seen anyone like Engineer Qin. Tell me, what kind of good karma must Teacher Qin have from a past life to end up with a son like that?”

The gatekeeper thought for a moment. “Maybe it’s because his sister was too irresponsible. The whole family relied on him, and over time, he just naturally became so dependable.”

On the matter of responsibility, the gatekeeper was right.

Qin Feng had studied hard and shamelessly sought guidance from Engineer Gu, all in the hope of making something of himself and providing a good life for his family. He worried about everything because his parents were too honest and never knew how to stand up for themselves when bullied by his uncles. His mother, in particular, was practically blind to the reality around her. Over time, Qin Feng became accustomed to taking charge of all matters, big and small.

If his parents from his past life had traveled to this world, even if Qin Feng looked exactly the same as before, they wouldn’t have recognized him. Back then, it was his parents who took care of everything.

In their eyes, Qin Feng used to be as easy to fool as his current mother is now.

That being said, given how calculating the people around him were, Qin Feng couldn’t help but suspect that the gatekeeper had something up his sleeve. His parents had more free time than he and the kids did, often chatting with others. So, when he got home, he told them about the gatekeeper’s suggestion.

Then he added, “I usually don’t interact much with the gatekeeper. Why is he suddenly being so kind?”

Old Qin understood. Ever since Qin Feng returned, he had frequently encountered this kind of sudden concern — mostly from people looking to build a good relationship with his family.

Some people didn’t expect Qin Feng to offer any major help. For example, if their child had average grades, they would ask Old Qin whether it was better for the child to attend a vocational school or try their luck with high school.

Old Qin, an elementary school teacher who only taught first and second-grade math, didn’t know much about such things. But he knew they weren’t really asking him, so he would bring it up with Qin Feng during meals.

There was one such family a couple of years ago.

Initially, Qin Feng suggested vocational school. But, not wanting to make a hasty recommendation, he took Miaomiao along for a walk to visit the family after dinner. He learned that the child’s average performance was due to a severe imbalance in subjects. Qin Feng then advised them to send the child to high school to study science.

The family was of modest means, with many children. The whole household pinned their hopes on that child to change their fate, so they decided to follow Qin Feng’s advice.

By the end of last year, at the conclusion of the first semester of the second year of high school, the child’s overall grades had improved significantly compared to the first year. His parents were so shocked that they suspected him of cheating.

One afternoon, they marched over to Qin Feng’s house with his report card, asking whether the scores had been tampered with.

Knowing that they were completely clueless, Qin Feng patiently explained to them that the improvement was normal, given that there were no more drag-downs from humanities subjects. He reassured them that if the child worked hard during the second half of the third year, he had a good chance of getting into Binhai Normal University.

Old Qin brought up this story again and added, “The gatekeeper’s grandson is about to enter high school. Maybe he heard about that and wants your advice.”

“What advice?” Madam Zhou walked in, carrying a basket of long green melons that gave off a fresh fragrance. “The gatekeeper just doesn’t want outsiders to profit.”

Old Qin snorted, “Who would be foolish enough not to make money?”

Madam Zhou gave him a glance, flipped over a small bowl that had been covering the melons, picked out six ripe ones, and handed them to Gu Wuyi. “Eat them this afternoon. No more popsicles. If you get a chill again tonight, you’ll have a stomachache tomorrow for sure.”

“Get to the point,” Old Qin urged impatiently.

Madam Zhou explained, “The gatekeeper’s grandson is about to start high school. His son and daughter-in-law are taking the opportunity to ask him for money — for tuition and meal expenses.”

“But isn’t their home right next to No. 2 High School?” Qin Feng asked in surprise.

Madam Zhou nodded. “There’s just a wall between them. There’s no need for him to stay in the dormitory. They’re just finding ways to get money from him. The gatekeeper has told people in the village that he’s fine giving them money now, but he’s worried that when he’s old and sick, if he has no more money to give, his son and daughter-in-law might kick him and his wife out of the guardhouse. So, what’s the point of earning all that money?”

Qin Feng couldn’t help but remark, “I really didn’t see that coming.”

Madam Zhou said, “His son and daughter-in-law come over often to help with cleaning and washing. I never thought they’d be so attentive. Now that I think about it, those two are younger than your dad and me, and they’re not as particular as you are. Even in winter, we only wash the bedsheets every ten days or so. Why would they need their son and daughter-in-law to help out?”

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but add, “This is exactly what Grandpa always says: ‘Not being filial when you should be, and being blindly filial when you don't need to be.’”

Old Qin nodded and turned to look at his son.

Qin Feng didn’t want to take on more work, but he also didn’t want the gatekeeper — already disappointed in his son and daughter-in-law — to be let down again. “I told the gatekeeper the truth. We really don’t have that many molds.”

Gu Wuyi suggested, “After our homework, we can go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 7 or 8 a.m.”

There weren’t any customers early in the morning, so they could set up their popsicles stand at 10 a.m. instead.

Qin Feng thought for a moment and calculated the time. “Then you can make an extra batch.”

Fu Qingyun couldn’t hold back and shot Gu Wuyi a look — Stop talking about other people's affairs."

Gu Wuyi glanced at the elderly couple, who looked so cheerful, and decided it wasn’t the right time to bring up anything about Qin Ying that might upset them.

“How about we go check if the cicadas have started to emerge? Tonight, we can catch some and have Grandma cook them for us,” Gu Wuyi said, dragging the two brothers out before they could protest.

Outside the gate, both brothers glared at Gu Wuyi.

Gu Wuyi patiently explained his reasoning. “Grandpa Zhou will bring it up naturally. When old folks get together, they either talk about relatives or their kids. Sooner or later, the conversation will shift to Qin Ying. It’s better to wait for that than to upset them twice.”

Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun didn’t buy it. Grandpa Zhou wasn’t exactly the type to bring up Qin Ying on his own.

Gu Wuyi raised his hand. “I promise.”

Seeing his sincerity, the two brothers reluctantly decided to trust him — for now.

It was scorching hot at midday, around 31 or 32 degrees, so they didn’t have to wait long. Soon enough, Qin Feng’s eldest maternal uncle arrived. This time, he wasn’t alone — his wife had come along too.

Normally, Uncle Zhou came by himself, which made Madam Zhou a bit uneasy. “Why did Sister-in-law come too?”

Aunt smiled warmly. “There’s not much work in the fields right now, and it’s Sunday. I didn’t need to cook for the little ones — they all ran off to the shop. Your brother suggested I tag along and spend the day at your place. We’ll head back in the evening.”

Hearing that, Madam Zhou relaxed. She invited them in and offered them some melons. “These are from the fields.”

Aunt Zhou was surprised. "From the field? No one took them? The pumpkins and winter gourds I plant never last that long."

Madam Zhou gave her son a sideways glance. "Your nephew is quite something. He told the villagers that if anyone dares to steal, even chickens or vegetables, the police will get involved. Who would still dare touch our stuff?"

The couple couldn’t help but look at Qin Feng.

Madam Zhou continued, "A few days ago, one of the local troublemakers even came to explain to me personally. He said if our chickens go missing, it must’ve been a weasel, not him."

Uncle Zhou chuckled. "And people actually believe Xiao Feng when he says that? Everyone knows the police won’t bother with petty theft like stealing chickens or pulling up garlic shoots. If they did, they’d be worked to death!"

Qin Feng clarified, "What I meant is that if everyone reports those small crimes, the police and courts would indeed be overwhelmed. The problem is, people assume the police won’t care, so they rarely file reports."

Uncle Zhou couldn’t help but ask, "So the police do handle it?"

Qin Feng nodded. "Even if they can’t catch the thief, just having the police show up and patrol the village will keep everyone in line for at least a year or two."

Uncle Zhou finally understood.

Old Qin had initially thought his son was just scaring the villagers. Hearing this, he felt more at ease, knowing it wasn’t a bluff. He asked, "How’s business lately?"

Uncle Zhou said, "I took Xiao Feng’s advice and gritted my teeth to buy a fan and a fridge. Business has been steady every afternoon. Honestly, I feel like selling popsicles and soda makes more money than selling meals."

Old Qin was happy for his brother-in-law. "That’s good to hear! You should be able to make back the cost of the fridge and fan in one summer. After that, it’s all profit."

Qin Feng, thinking about his uncle’s entire family relying on those two small shops and still paying off a mortgage, suggested, "Why don’t you install an outlet by the door and move the fridge closer to the entrance? That way, passersby will see it, and you might get even more business."

Uncle Zhou seemed concerned. "Won’t that attract thieves?"

"Is no one at the shop at night?" Qin Feng asked.

Uncle Zhou nodded. "We live on the second floor."

Qin Feng didn’t know what to say for a moment. "And you don’t have a fan upstairs? Aren’t you worried about heatstroke?"

His aunt explained, "We can’t sleep on the ground floor. We can’t just push some tables together and use them as beds, can we? Imagine how awkward it’d be if customers saw that when they come in to eat!"

Qin Feng suggested, "A foldable wire bed." After a brief pause, he added, "If I happen to run into one of my classmates who works at the public security bureau, and he asks me why I went to the city, I'll tell him I went to check on you guys. He's always on duty, eating outside twenty-eight days a month. If he knows you sell food, he’ll probably drop by to support your business."

The elderly couple immediately understood.

If the police frequent a place, even the most daring thief wouldn’t risk breaking in. Otherwise, they might as well be robbing in broad daylight.

Thinking of this, Uncle Zhou immediately decided, "I'll buy a foldable wire bed when I get back."

Madam Zhou reminded them, "Don't just talk—eat the watermelon. What did you come to buy this time?"

Her sister-in-law handed a list to Qin Feng. "Look at it. Our youngest wrote it. Honestly, if it weren’t for your advice to send him to school, our whole family would still be illiterate. Even if you gave us a hundred tips, we wouldn’t dare open a business in the city."

When Qin Feng was accepted into university, his youngest cousin was already eight years old and still hadn’t started school. At the time, no one in the Zhou family believed education was necessary, as they hadn’t anticipated the college entrance exam system being restored.

Since Qin Feng’s success in getting into university made him a credible authority, the following year, his nine-year-old cousin finally entered first grade.

However, because he started school late, he was now nineteen years old and only in his second year of high school. He would enter his final year in the fall.

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but comment, "He's about to start his senior year, and you still let him help out at the shop?"

Her sister-in-law quickly clarified, "No, no. He wrote the list this morning before breakfast." Then, as she thought about her son's academic performance, she sighed, "Xiao Feng, I’m worried he won’t make it next year."

Qin Feng reassured her, "Don’t put too much pressure on him. With reform and opening up, the future is bright. University isn’t the only way to succeed. When I say knowledge changes destiny, I don’t mean only through college."

Uncle Zhou wholeheartedly agreed. "He’s already smarter than most when it comes to business. He’s knowledgeable, confident, and willing to take risks!"

Qin Feng nodded in agreement.

His aunt reflected on her youngest son's way of speaking—often sounding so sophisticated that she felt like she was listening to something incomprehensible. "You're right. Even that fool Wang Genbao manages to make money. I refuse to believe my son can’t do it too."

Hearing this, Gu Wuyi glanced at Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun, both of whom were getting visibly anxious to interject.

—What did I tell you?

Fu Qingyun gave a subtle nod, also noticing the sudden silence in the room. To break the tension, he chimed in with a playful remark, "Grandma, you’re absolutely right. By the way, has Wang Genbao been showing off at your shop and annoying you again?"

Qin Feng’s aunt was confused. “What’s he got to show off about?”

Fu Qingyun glanced at Qin Feng—so it really was a boy?

Qin Feng understood his look and seized the moment to ask, “Did Qin Ying have a girl?”

Uncle Zhou was surprised. “I didn’t mention it before?”

Qin Feng nodded. “You did. But since he hasn’t come looking for Qingyun and Lingyun, I’ve been wondering if there’s more to the story.”

Uncle Zhou chuckled. “I thought it was something serious. He wanted to look for them, but first, he had to find that traditional doctor who guaranteed he’d have a son. The doctor insisted he couldn’t have been wrong and claimed the baby must’ve been switched by a nurse right after birth.

“But Wang Genbao, being the suspicious type, had already stationed his brother and sister-in-law at the delivery room door to guard it. Not even a fly could’ve gotten through. So how could anyone have switched the baby?”

“When the doctor wouldn’t admit his mistake, Wang Genbao got angry and smashed the clinic’s signboard. That’s how I found out it’s illegal to reveal a baby’s gender before birth—probably to prevent selective abortions. That doctor knowingly broke the rules. Both of them got detained for half a month.”

Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun both visibly relaxed.

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but laugh. “Serves them right!”

Qin Feng added, “No wonder he’s been acting so out of character.” He noticed his mother’s slightly worried expression and asked, “He’s locked up, and Qin Ying has to take care of three kids by herself?”

Uncle Zhou, who had watched Qin Ying grow up and was a kind-hearted man, felt some pity after Wang Genbao got detained. He had his daughter-in-law check on Qin Ying, but secretly, so Qin Ying wouldn’t feel humiliated.

“Wang Genbao was so confident it would be a boy that he even hired a nanny before the baby was born.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou felt relieved.

Only then did Qin Feng speak up, “Mom, you can’t be like this. If she comes over crying and making a scene, are you really going to hand over Qingyun and Lingyun to her?”

Madam Zhou replied firmly, “You don’t understand. If everything was fine, she wouldn’t come looking for us.”

Qin Feng was surprised.

—So she’s not worried about Qin Ying suffering?

Seeing his reaction, Madam Zhou couldn’t help but glare at him. "Am I so useless?"

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