BTYFOV Chapter 43

 Chapter 43: Support

Everyone is equal before the law

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

The brothers knew.

The gatekeeper nearby also understood what was said, "That kid is shy, so he can't directly say you two can be classmates for a year. He wants to be friends with you."

Gu Wuyi suddenly widened his eyes, tongue-tied.

The direct senior brother of the Chu family's heir wants to be friends with him?

To be friends?

…

Oh my!

The mouse is going to be the bridesmaid for the cat!!!

【The mouse is going to be the bridesmaid for the cat [耗子要給貓當伴娘了] It expresses disbelief at an absurd or ironic situation, like opposites forming an unlikely alliance. In nature, a mouse and a cat are natural enemies, and it would be unthinkable for a mouse to participate in a joyous or cooperative event like being a bridesmaid for a cat.】

The gatekeeper chuckled, "He just wants to be friends with you, not become brothers with you or recognize Engineer Qin Gong as his father."

Gu Wuyi concealed his indescribable expression, unable to speak the truth, so he half-jokingly said, "I just bought a watermelon, made a friend. Hopefully, he'll still be a future university student, unless something unexpected happens?"

Gatekeeper: "You're not bad either."

Gu Wuyi opened his mouth but swallowed back all his grievances.

The three brothers finally realized that something was wrong with him.

They glanced at each other, but refrained from voicing their doubts in front of others.

Around six o'clock, as the weather cooled down, people sitting indoors with fans came out for fresh air. The little brothers' popsicle business picked up, and the business for the Lin father and son also did well.

At half past six, Gu Wuyi prepared to leave for home. As he turned, he saw the Lin father and son. Thinking of Lin Xiaobo's offered hand of friendship, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.

In their past lives, the four brothers had no direct grievances with the Chu family. The ones who deceived him about his kidney were his biological parents, and no one from the Chu family had shown up. However, they had been targeted one after another, starting from when he discovered the deception and prepared to retaliate.

Letting him accept Lin Xiaobo without any reservations, Gu Wuyi couldn't do it. 

But letting him give up, Gu Wuyi would be willing, but he didn't want to be cheap.

After much hesitation, considering that they were still young and it would be ten years before Lin Xiaobo even knew the lawyer surnamed Chu, Gu Wuyi walked over and said, “My grandparents should have dinner ready. We should head home now.” He paused, then added, “If you want to find me to play or if you need anything, just let the gatekeeper know. He knows you and knows where our house is.”

Lin Xiaobo nodded.

The watermelon farmer, Uncle Lin, was delighted that his son had made a new friend, and one who was the child of a PhD graduate at that.

He didn’t envy those who held power or made a fortune; he admired those who were well-educated and excelled at studying the most.

Seeing his son not knowing how to respond, he gave him a pat on the back.

The skinny young Lin Xiaobo staggered slightly and hurriedly said, “Got it.” Noticing his father glaring at him, he quickly added, “I—we might come back to sell—to sell watermelons soon!”

Gu Wuyi waved at him and, along with his younger brothers, pushed the icebox back home.

Uncle Lin gave his son a glare and lowered his voice, “What? Selling watermelons with me is so shameful?”

“No!” Lin Xiaobo responded without a hint of hesitation, “It’s just... we have no real connection to them. What if they were just being polite?”

Uncle Lin thought about it. “That’s true. But at least their kid has the manners to let you know before heading home.”

Young Lin Xiaobo didn’t want to continue the conversation. “Should we take the remaining ones back to make watermelon jam?”

Uncle Lin picked out one of the better ones. “Keep an eye on things!”

The teenager instinctively watched him.

Uncle Lin went to the gatekeeper to give him a watermelon as thanks for allowing them to sell watermelons outside the gate.

Young Lin Xiaobo couldn’t help but frown.

When Uncle Lin came back and saw his son’s stiff expression, he knew his son was being proud again. “This isn’t about currying favor. It’s called expressing gratitude. I’ve checked—this road belongs to the Northern Railway Factory. Even the trees here were planted by their workers.

“Don’t underestimate a small gatekeeper. Those trusted to be gatekeepers are often people the leadership relies on. If anyone ever decides to stop us from selling here, the gatekeeper could just say a word to the leadership, and that’d settle it.”

The teenager understood. "But I still think it's not good."

Uncle Lin couldn’t be bothered to argue further. He turned the cart around and gave his son another glare.

Young Lin Xiaobo immediately climbed onto the cart.

Gu Wuyi heard a "giddy-up" and turned to see the father and son heading east.

Fu Qingyun noticed and also looked back. “They’ve left?”

Gu Wuyi nodded.

“What happened?” Fu Qingyun asked in a low voice.

Gu Wuyi glanced toward Miaomiao. Their group’s secret couldn’t be revealed to the child; otherwise, Engineer Qin would eventually find out.

Fu Qingyun understood and decided to wait until the child was asleep to talk about it. He changed the topic instead. “Are they fishermen from the coast?”

Gu Wuyi instinctively shook his head. In fact, he didn’t know where Lin Xiaobo’s hometown was—only that he was from a coastal area. “They don’t smell like fish. They came to sell in the morning and then came again in the afternoon, so they’re probably only about ten li (around 5 km) away. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so quick. The watermelons they brought in the afternoon were freshly picked.”

Fu Qingyun calculated the time when Uncle Lin goes home for dinner and the time he picks melons. “They might be from the area near Grandpa Zhou’s family.”

Gu Wuyi didn’t want to stay in the dark. “He’ll probably come again next weekend. I’ll ask Grandpa Zhou then.”

“Grandpa Zhou is coming over again?”

Gu Wuyi nodded. “The preserved eggs Grandpa is making for him are almost ready.”

However, before the weekend, the preserved eggs were ready to eat.

On Saturday, the second day after the boys finished their exams, Old Qin peeled about ten preserved eggs. Each egg was cut into six pieces and served as a cold dish.

At noon, Qin Feng came home for lunch and saw a large plate of preserved eggs in the center of the table. He couldn’t help but click his tongue—homemade farmhouse dishes were truly abundant.

If it were one of the restaurants he used to frequent in his past life, three servings wouldn’t be as much as this one plate.

Old Qin didn’t know Qin Feng was thinking about such trivial nonsense. “Not enough? We have eight people, and peeling 15 isn’t too much. Should I peel two more?”

Qin Feng shook his head. “I just feel like this plate is a lot. A plate this size at Binhai Grand Hotel would cost the price of 40 preserved eggs.”

Old Qin laughed. “I thought it was something serious. Wash your hands; I’ll go serve the rice.” With that, he headed out.

“Using the earthen pot to steam it?” Qin Feng followed him outside to pump water.

Old Qin replied, “We have a lot of people in our family, one bowl each wouldn’t fit in that little electric rice cooker you bought.”

Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun instinctively looked at Qin Feng.

Qin Feng hadn’t expected them to be so sensitive. Thinking boys were usually careless—like himself—he spoke honestly, “That pot was originally bought for you and my mom.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou quickly came out of the kitchen. “Don’t buy any more.”

“I’m not. I’ll buy a new steel pot later, specifically for steaming rice. That small rice cooker can just be used for cooking porridge or plain noodle soup in the mornings.”

Steel pots are inexpensive, so Madam Zhou felt reassured. “The rice is ready. Old man, add more firewood.”

Old Qin understood.

By the time Qin Feng and the children brought the food to the main room and sat down, his mother came over with a plate of crispy rice crust.

The golden crust looked very tempting, and Miaomiao immediately stood up.

Qin Feng gave a light cough.

The little boy looked puzzled.

Qin Feng said, “Do you want to keep your teeth?”

Miaomiao reflexively pressed his lips together.

Madam Zhou chuckled and broke off a long strip for him. “Chew with your molars.”

The child still looked at his father first.

Qin Feng gave a slight nod, and only then did the boy dare to take the piece.

But unlike before, when he’d throw food into his mouth with his eyes closed, this time, he nibbled cautiously, afraid that if he bit too hard, he might loosen a tooth and end up with a mouthful of blood.

The boy had just started losing his baby teeth this year, with his front teeth being the first to go.

Qin Feng noticed the child’s new teeth growing in. “Do the new teeth feel itchy?”

The boy nodded and pouted as he swallowed the crispy rice. “Big Brother said not to lick them, or they’ll grow crooked.”

Qin Feng said, “Your big brother is right.” He then turned to Gu Wuyi. “You and Xiao'er eat more. The three of them should only have small pieces each.”

Fu Qingyun and Fu Lingyun were also losing their baby teeth, with many missing and the remaining ones quite loose.

Gu Wuyi spent every day with his younger brothers. Since he was the eldest brother in his past life, he was used to taking care of them and knew their situations well. “I know. Dad, you should eat more too.”

The elderly couple’s teeth were also somewhat loose. Without waiting for his parents, Qin Feng took a large piece of crispy rice crust for himself.

That said, Gu Wuyi and his siblings were all aware of how large their family was and how their appetites kept growing. Compared to other households, where managing to eat two meals of mixed-grain steamed buns a day would be considered fortunate, they felt entirely content even with a table of vegetarian dishes—smashed cucumbers, cold tomatoes, blanched green beans, a bowl of chilled jelly noodles, and preserved eggs.

After the meal, Gu Wuyi and Fu Qingyun promptly started clearing the dishes.

Madam Zhou habitually said, “Leave it. I’ll do it.”

Qin Feng interjected, “Let them handle it. How many more years do you think you’ll be able to keep doing this? If I go on a business trip and they don’t know how to do anything, are they just supposed to survive on air?”

Gu Wuyi nodded. “Dad’s right. Grandma, just take a rest.”

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but mutter, “What kind of eldest grandson spends all day in the kitchen?”

Qin Feng rolled his eyes. “What kind of outdated thinking is that? Decades ago, the Chairman already said men and women are equal, and women can hold up half the sky.” He paused, suppressing the urge to mention how in his past life, his mom was far more business-savvy and decisive than his dad. Every time the company needed to pivot, it was his mom who made the call. “Whatever men can do, women can too. And whatever women can do, men can as well—except for giving birth. But who knows, maybe in a few decades, men might be able to do that too.”

Madam Zhou’s breath caught.

Old Qin choked on his own saliva.

The brothers nearly dropped their bowls.

Qin Feng laughed. “Is it really that shocking?”

Old Qin glared at him. “Stop saying such nonsense. If word gets out, people will think you’re crazy. Don’t expect your father to defend you.” As he spoke, he suddenly remembered the neighbors two houses over. “Da Xiaozi, go outside and check if anyone’s eavesdropping by the wall.”

Gu Wuyi hurried outside and found the area empty. Relieved, he called back, “No one’s there.”

Old Qin relaxed and resumed lecturing his son. “Earlier, your uncle mentioned your cousins when he came over. I didn’t comment at the time because I knew it wasn’t easy for him.”

“Something happened?” Qin Feng asked quickly.

Old Qin said, "It would actually be better if something went wrong. The real worry is that your uncle teaches his craft to his daughters, helps them open a shop, and then their shop ends up earning more than his."

Gu Wuyi found it odd. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Old Qin nodded. "Making money is good. But what do you think your aunt will feel about it? All her family's money goes to her brothers, and when she marries into her husband's family, she has to share her in-laws' money with her husband's brothers and sisters. What kind of logic is that?"

Gu Wuyi responded, "She could ask her own family for money, right?"

Old Qin nodded again. "When her parents get old, she'll have to take turns caring for them with her brothers. But in reality, there are far fewer married daughters who take their parents in to care for them compared to those who just send money to their maiden family. Similarly, your uncle's daughters-in-law wouldn’t want to share the money with younger sisters-in-law, nor would they help take care of your uncle and aunt. If they don't ask their family for money, they also won't leave their in-laws to return home and care for their own parents when the time comes. This is just how the unspoken rules of society work."

Gu Wuyi thought for a moment. "Grandpa, are you saying those uncles of mine only think about getting benefits now and don't plan to take turns caring for the elders later?"

Old Qin sighed. "Of course. If they were willing to take turns, they could just tell your grandpa Zhou directly."

Gu Wuyi couldn't help but think of Qin Ying. "Isn't this just like Wang Genbao's situation?"

Old Qin nodded, looking at his son. "When you dealt with Qin Ying and Wang Genbao, your head was so clear. How is it that when it comes to your uncle, your sharp mind suddenly stops working?"

Sensing the tension, Fu Qingyun quickly changed the subject. "Grandpa, all this happens in families with multiple children. But what if there’s just one son and one daughter?"

Qin Feng answered, "Then the solution is simple: only child marry other only child. The daughter cares for her parents, and the son cares for his. If the parents want, they can all live together and be cared for jointly.

"If the care isn't sufficient, they can hire caregivers, leave a bit of money to their kids if they feel like it, and the rest goes to whoever takes care of them in their final days. And if the kids only want money and never planned to care for them, then those cold-hearted children won’t get a thing. The money will either go to someone else or, better yet, be donated to the country."

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but agree, "That does sound fair."

Qin Feng added, "That’s exactly what I’ll do when I’m old—whoever takes care of me gets my money."

Old Qin gave him a sidelong glance. "And what if your children end up more successful than you, earning in a month what you make in a year? Who would care about your little stash of money?"

Qin Feng thought for a moment. "Then I’ll just live in a retirement home, where I don’t have to lift a finger or worry about meals. Comfortable and easy. Or maybe even a care facility."

"A care facility?" Old Qin asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Qin Feng explained, "It’s like a combination of a hospital and a nursing home."

Old Qin imagined the scenario and found it unimaginable. "You’ve got some wild ideas."

Qin Feng smiled but didn’t respond. His father hadn’t seen the prosperity of the future like he had, so no matter how much he explained, it would be hard for him to understand.

Gu Wuyi asked, "Dad, did people in the past say 'a good match in terms of social status' because of these things?"

"It’s partly because of that," Qin Feng replied.

Gu Wuyi continued, "Then what about now? If we’d known earlier, we should’ve had Grandpa Zhou’s in-laws invest in opening a shop for my cousins and their husbands."

Fu Qingyun interjected, "But they’d still need relatives like us."

Gu Wuyi thought about how those people were just ordinary folk, without the courage to open a shop in the city. He couldn’t help but sigh, "This is going to be a mess. Grandpa Zhou’s daughter-in-law is definitely going to stir up trouble."

Old Qin said, "Now you understand why I scolded your dad, right?"

Madam Zhou chuckled lightly.

Gu Wuyi was confused. "I don’t get it."

Old Qin explained, "My brother-in-law used to play the suona everywhere. He’s no fool—he probably already thought about it but just didn’t dare bring it up to his wife. Renting a place and opening a shop isn’t a small matter. You need pots, pans, bowls—everything. The place might need repairs, and you also need three months’ rent in advance."

Old Qin shook his head. "Big Brother is probably just worried they’ll be like Qin Ying, asking him for money."

Qin Feng agreed, "Uncle’s house hasn’t even paid off their mortgage yet. How could they think about opening another shop? Mom, just because a thief swindled you once doesn’t mean everyone’s a thief."

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but glare at him. "Do I know my brother, or do you know your uncle better?"

Qin Feng said, "Uncle’s coming tomorrow, right? Want me to ask him for you?"

Madam Zhou was at a loss for words.

Talking about such things openly would make her brother and sister-in-law feel awkward, and it would strain their relationship as relatives.

Seeing his mom back down, Qin Feng didn’t press further. Instead, he turned to his sons.
"Stop standing around here. The sooner you clean up, the sooner you can go back and make your popsicles."

Gu Wuyi picked up the bowls and chopsticks, Gu Xiao’er went to the kitchen to get a basin, Fu Qingyun wiped the table, and Fu Lingyun fetched a broom.

Seeing this, Qin Feng turned to Miaomiao.

The clever little one immediately said, "Please let Daddy arrange it."

Qin Feng said, "Move the bench to the corner, don’t leave it here in the way."

The child became like a spinning top, moving their benches to the corner of the wall.

The five children worked together, and in just a few minutes, they had tidied up both the kitchen and the main room.

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but sigh, "No wonder the people in the village want to have more children."

Qin Feng smiled, "So you would have me and Qin Ying? If you had a little daughter, with me as a role model, she’d definitely be more promising than Qin Ying."

Madam Zhou looked at Old Qin.

Old Qin sighed, "Your grandfather passed away before you were born." He looked around at the east and west sides. "Your grandmother was holding you while watching Qin Ying, and she still had to take care of them. How could she manage it all?"

Madam Zhou nodded, "I’m also afraid of having another one like your dad."

Old Qin immediately regretted helping him.

The children preparing to return to the staff residence couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Old Qin huffed and went out.

Qin Feng stood up and stretched, "You’re really bored, aren’t you?"

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but say, "When your cousin comes to reason with you, I won’t be so bored."

Qin Feng replied, "No, they won’t. When they complain about me to you, I’ll remind you not to let me know." He raised an eyebrow. "Do you know why? Because your son is capable, and they don’t dare offend me." He paused, "Actually, it’s also because they’re not capable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be fighting over a tiny piece of land with the little aunt."

Gu Wuyi paused, "But a married daughter doesn’t have land, right?"

Qin Feng nodded, "If Qin Ying married into the neighboring village, her land in our village would be taken away and given to the new bride. Similarly, in the neighboring village, her husband’s family would also give her land. This is one of the main reasons why married daughters rarely come back to ask for things from their parents."

Gu Wuyi understood, "In the village, land is the most important. Without extra land, you can’t save much money throughout the year. Even if parents want to give, they can’t."

Qin Feng said, "That’s one reason. The second reason is, typically, when daughters marry out, they don’t often return to their parents’ home. They have to take care of their children and the land. If their parents have a headache or feel unwell, it’s the sons who go get medicine and find a doctor. Married daughters know this, so they don’t have the courage to ask for things."

Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but say, "No wonder when Qin Ying argued with you, you never mentioned that Qin Ying should return the things Grandpa and Grandma gave her."

Qin Feng laughed, "It’s true that they were taking care of her back then. Besides, your grandparents’ money is theirs to give as they please. I hit Wang Genbao because your grandparents didn’t want to give him money, but he still made a fuss."

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but say, "We didn’t want to give it to him either, because his care for us isn’t worth us putting in so much."

Qin Feng looked at the little ones, "Got it now?"

Miaomiao was confused.

Qin Feng walked over and patted his little bald head, "Just remember, when Dad gets old, whether I give you money or not, you have to take care of me in my old age."

"Why?"

Qin Feng said, "That’s the legal obligation of support. My money can be seen as a tip that foreigners give to service staff. If they provide good service, I give them more tip. If they don’t provide good service but still want a tip, how can that be? Similarly, if you provide good service, and I give the tip to someone else, you don’t have to be too nice to me."

He added, "This is just an example. Service staff can be male or female. Just like now, your grandparents don’t like Qin Ying. When they can’t move anymore, if Qin Ying comes to take care of them, and I don’t take care of them, I won’t have the right to expect anything from your grandparents’ money."

Miaomiao curiously asked, "What if no one takes care of them?"

"Then don’t blame me for being harsh."

The child didn’t understand.

Qin Feng said, "Parents abandoning children is illegal, and likewise, children can’t abandon their parents."

Madam Zhou suddenly turned to her son.

Qin Feng shuddered under her gaze, "What’s wrong?"

"Does the law really require children to take care of their parents?"

Qin Feng nodded, "If children have enough to eat, parents must have enough to drink." He realized something was off as soon as he said it, "Didn’t you know?"

"Who knew the law was so detailed? I’ve never heard anyone mention this before."

Qin Feng laughed, "When you were Gu Wuyi’s age, it was still the Republic of China. These laws were all put in place after the founding of the country."

Madam Zhou walked up to Qin Feng and stopped, pointing at the northeast corner, "Our village people are the same."

Qin Feng said, "Everyone is equal before the law."

Gu Xiao'er asked curiously, "Are there people in our village who don’t take care of their parents?"

Madam Zhou hurriedly covered his mouth.

Gu Xiao’er was confused.

Qin Feng whispered, "If the elderly from that family knew about this and went to the police or court to sue their children, and those children found out it was me who said it, there’s an 80-90% chance they would come to our house and cause a scene."

Gu Xiao’er nodded quickly.

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but sigh.

Qin Feng’s gaze flickered for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. He led the children out.

The next day, Saturday, the weather was hot. Qin Feng went to buy sandals for them but didn’t let them follow.

However, when Qin Feng arrived in the city, he didn’t head straight to the department store. Instead, he wandered around near the public security bureau where his classmate worked.

Sure enough, not long after, Qin Feng ran into his middle school classmate.

His classmate was curious about why Qin Feng was out in such hot weather. Qin Feng bluntly said he was just getting some fresh air—things were troublesome back in Wuli Village, with a few people abandoning their parents.

In such hot weather, it was easy to suffer from heatstroke, and his classmate was worried about someone dying, so he asked Qin Feng what was going on.

Qin Feng said directly that it was difficult for even a good judge to resolve family matters, so he didn’t need to get involved.

When Qin Feng said this, his classmate became even more interested in helping.

Qin Feng didn’t want to cause any trouble for him, so he suggested that his friend consult his superior. He also recommended that they go to the village to educate people about the law, making the consequences sound serious.

His classmate immediately went to speak with his leader.

The leader, more experienced than his friend, agreed with Qin Feng’s assessment.

At noon, Qin Feng returned to the village with five children, all happily skipping around in their new sandals. He saw that the village was unusually lively.

Miaomiao couldn’t help but grab his father’s hand and whispered, "Are they fighting again?"

The people in the village love to fight and argue, and Qin Feng could hear insults being shouted every few days, so it wasn't surprising that he said this.

When he saw the police car, Qin Feng thought about what he had done earlier in the morning, "Not necessarily. Let's go take a look."

    PREV                    TOC                    NEXT