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Chapter 6: Hate Learning
What past life is this?
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Gu Wuyi quickly explained, "No, I’m just afraid you'll get tired."
"Silly boy." Madam Zhou smiled with comfort, handing Miaomiao to him. "Take your brother to play in the yard, I'll go make dinner."
Gu Xiao'er immediately put down his schoolbag. "Grandma, I’ll light the fire."
"Your grandpa can handle that."
Gu Xiao'er thought for a moment. "Then I'll help wash the vegetables."
"They’re already washed."
Gu Xiao'er frowned, wondering what a child his age could do.
"Should I help carry the firewood?"
Madam Zhou couldn’t help but laugh. "Much better than your uncle. When he was your age, I had to beat him with a stick before he could move. Grandma doesn’t need your help. Since your uncle started making that pesticide barrels and using phosphate fertilizer, your grandfather and I don’t need to go out to pull weeds or gather manure, and we don’t have to fetch water. The work has been cut in half, and sometimes we're so idle that our bones ache."
Gu Er pointed to the animal pen. "What about that?"
"Your grandpa’s there." Madam Zhou gently pushed him. "Go play. If there’s nothing to do, go to the factory and see when he gets off work. Be careful when crossing the street."
But he still wanted to go to the kitchen.
Old Qin pushed him out. "When we get old and can’t move anymore, it won’t be too late for you to be filial. Being filial now is just blind filial piety."
The young boy thought for a moment and agreed. "Miaomiao, I’ll take you to find Uncle—find your daddy."
The child looked outside.
Gu Wuyi extended his hand.
The child immediately reached out.
Xiao’er held his other hand.
Old Qin heard the door open, peeked outside, and saw the two older kids holding the little child’s hands. "Having these three kids is quite nice. I was worried that with so many kids, Miaomiao being the biological one, no girl would want to marry Feng’er. Actually, he doesn’t really want to marry either, does he?"
Madam Zhou: "If I weren’t afraid of people saying he’s so capable yet doesn’t even have a son, I wouldn’t have bothered to let him go on blind dates. It’s just to avoid future fights and quarrels with a daughter-in-law."
"You really think like this?"
Madam Zhou: "Why wouldn’t I? My son is so outstanding; I’d hate to let some outsider take advantage—"
"Divide the family!"
A sudden shout startled everyone. The match in Old Qin’s hand burned him, Madam Zhou nearly cut her own hand, Miaomiao swallowed the word "Daddy" that was about to come out, and Qin Feng froze mid-step. Realizing what happened, he quickly picked up his obedient son.
Then, all six members of the family instinctively looked toward the sound.
Old Qin pointed east and whispered, "What’s going on at your eldest sister-in-law’s house now?"
Madam Zhou listened carefully and confirmed it was indeed the voice of her niece-in-law. She couldn’t help but gloat and began recounting what had happened earlier that afternoon.
Old Qin couldn’t help but laugh too. "Serves them right. Luckily, we have Miaomiao today. Otherwise, they’d paint Feng as an incompetent, unfilial son and claim it’s for his own good. Don’t get upset, and don’t overthink it."
At the kitchen door, Qin Feng overheard this and asked, "Who’s talking about me again?"
Old Qin hurriedly shushed him, glanced toward the east, and then explained the situation he had just heard from his wife.
Qin Feng understood. "I just heard the words ‘divide the family’ and thought I misheard."
Madam Zhou: "No, you didn’t. If they don’t split up now, it’ll happen by autumn. Your aunt’s comment about treating her daughter-in-law like a servant wasn’t something I made up. Lots of people know about it. Your cousin’s wife looked into it and confirmed it’s true. Even if they don’t divide the family, she’s not going to do all the work like before, treating your aunt like some matriarchal empress."
Qin Feng: "My cousin’s wife isn’t stupid. Even if you didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t put up with it forever."
Old Qin: "Keep your voice down. Don’t let her hear you."
Gu Er couldn’t help but interject, "Grandpa, are you scared of her? Grandpa, I’ll help you!"
"Help me with what?" Old Qin glared at him. "You’re just a kid. Take your brother to play. Adults are talking, it's none of your business."
In the past, Gu Er found it hard to get used to being scolded like this. He thought Old Qin was just like his uncle—polite outside but a tyrant at home. He regretted not learning more about the Qin family beforehand.
Seeing his expression change, Qin Feng explained to him, "The houses in the village are big, so if you lower your voice, people can’t hear you. Everyone in the village speaks loudly; it’s not that they don’t like you."
Old Qin realized he had scared him and quickly clarified, saying that if they truly didn’t like him, they wouldn’t have let Qin Feng adopt them.
Gu Er noticed that Old Qin himself seemed startled, so he figured he might have just been overly sensitive.
A few days later, Gu Er discovered that Old Qin often yelled at Qin Feng too, even hitting him when he was upset, yet Qin Feng didn’t mind at all. Only then did Gu Er feel reassured.
After a month, Gu Er grew accustomed to it. He casually smirked and glanced at Old Qin before taking the child from Qin Feng’s arms.
The little one liked his dad’s broad embrace but shook his head, his eyes irresistibly drawn to the pot, where a fragrant aroma wafted out.
Madam Zhou noticed and gently flipped the contents of the pot a few times before fishing out the large shrimp to drain the oil.
Qin Feng asked, “What oil did you use to fry them?”
Madam Zhou replied, “Soybean oil your father bought.”
“No wonder there’s so much foam.”
Madam Zhou nodded. “Exactly. Adding a bit of lard would help, but I was worried Miaomiao wouldn’t like it, so I didn’t dare. I’ll set this oil aside later and use it to fry soybeans with sauce for Miaomiao.”
Qin Feng suggested, “Make it tomorrow morning. Wu Yi—”
“Why are you calling him Wu Yi?” his father interrupted.
Qin Feng sighed and called out, “Xiaoda, sprinkle a little salt on the shrimp and take it to the living room to eat with your brother.”
〚Xiaoda [小大] means little oldest or oldest son/child〛
Surprised, Gu Laoda asked, “We’re eating it too?”
Qin Feng looked even more perplexed. “Of course. Do you think Miaomiao can eat all of it? He’ll have two or three at most—he’s not used to it and shouldn’t eat too much. You can help him peel the shells, or save half for me, Grandpa, and Grandma.”
Both eldest and second boy poured out a large portion.
Noticing this, Madam Zhou, holding the bowl for the oil, added some back. “We don’t need to grow taller; eating more would be wasted on us.” Before he could respond, she added, “You, on the other hand, need to grow tall and take good care of your uncle when you’re older.” Then she gave him a gentle shove.
Gu Wuyi felt his nose sting and suddenly wanted to cry.
Back when he lived with his aunt—his own biological aunt—she always resented how much they ate.
“What’s wrong?” Madam Zhou asked when she saw him lower his head.
Gu Wuyi shook his head and blinked back the tears in his eyes. “Should I give Miaomiao two or three shrimp?”
Qin Feng chuckled. “Why are you overthinking such a small thing? Peel two for him first, and if he likes them, peel another one.” As he spoke, he set the little boy down and poured some warm water for him to wash his hands.
Old Qin peeked at the bowl and thought there wouldn’t be enough for the two older grandsons. “Old lady, should we cook another dish?”
Madam Zhou crumbled two blocks of tofu into the frying pan and began to stir-fry. “There’s still a bowl of steamed egg custard on the rack in the rice cooker. Each of them can have half a bowl, drink some porridge, and eat half a steamed bun—that should be enough.”
Qin Feng handed the youngest child to the older boys and walked into the kitchen. “Tofu is pretty filling too.”
Madam Zhou nodded and turned to her son. “Don’t you have some noodles in the pantry? If they’re still hungry before bed, just use your stove to cook some noodles and make a poached egg for each of them.”
“Got it.” Qin Feng nodded and went to get bowls and chopsticks.
Noticing steam rising faintly from the large pot, he lifted the lid to see steamed buns inside. After bringing the bowls and chopsticks to the table, he went back to retrieve the buns.
At this time of year, fresh vegetables were scarce. The best choice, tender and flavorful, was spinach.
After scooping the tofu out of the pan, Madam Zhou started stir-frying the spinach.
The fire was strong, and the spinach only needed a few quick flips before it was ready.
Considering Miaomiao’s small hands and short arms, Madam Zhou found him a small bowl and filled it with a bit of tofu for him to scoop up with his spoon.
With half a bowl of egg custard and half a bowl of tofu in front of him, Miaomiao fell into a deep dilemma.
—Which one should I eat first?
Gu Er guided him, “Miaomiao, watch me: one bite of egg custard, then one bite of tofu.”
The little boy’s eyes lit up, and he lowered his head, the tiger hat on his head drooping down on both sides.
Qin Feng adjusted the drooping straps. “Mom, maybe we should cut these straps off later.”
“Sure.” Madam Zhou nodded. “He’s big enough now to wear the hat without needing the straps to keep it on.”
The little boy noticed his dad wasn’t eating, so he scooped up a spoonful of egg custard and offered it to Qin Feng.
Qin Feng opened his mouth and ate it. “Not bad. Miaomiao, keep eating. Once you finish, Daddy will eat some shrimp. Shrimp are delicious too.”
The little boy glanced at the shrimp and couldn’t help but move his small mouth as if tasting them in his imagination.
Qin Feng chuckled. "You're still young, so you can't eat too much. If you overeat, your stomach will hurt. Do you know what it means to have a tummy ache?"
The little boy nodded repeatedly and reluctantly turned his gaze away from the shrimp.
Fortunately, his appetite was small, and he didn’t need to chew much. He quickly finished eating.
Worried that the unfamiliar environment might overwhelm him—he had even been scared by the big rooster in the yard earlier—Qin Feng moved him closer and let him lie across his lap.
The boy adored Qin Feng, so even if he couldn’t sit in his arms, lying near him was satisfying enough.
Seeing how well-behaved the child was, the elderly couple felt an ache in their hearts.
Gu Wuyi and his younger brother were also surprised by how obedient he was, but they mostly felt worried. How would he fare in the future? If he went off to university, wouldn’t he be bullied mercilessly?
They couldn't be allowed to continue like this; his temperament had to be changed.
After setting down his chopsticks, Gu Er said, “Miaomiao, let’s go play outside with your brother.”
As the saying goes, seventeen or eighteen are as dark as blindness.
〚Seventeen or eighteen are as dark as blindness [十七八合黑瞎] means nights around the 17th-18th lunar days are extremely dark〛
Tonight happened to be the eighteenth, and it was so dark outside that you couldn’t see your hand in front of you.
The little boy glanced out the window and decisively shook his head, staying glued to his father.
Madam Zhou said, “You shouldn’t run around either. The paths outside are uneven, and if you fall, you might knock out a tooth.”
Qin Feng couldn’t help but add, “His front tooth is already gone.”
“What?” Madam Zhou looked at the boy.
Gu Xiao’er quickly pressed his lips together, then, feeling it wasn’t safe enough, used his hand to cover his mouth.
Gu Laoda couldn’t bear to watch. Has his brain shrunk along with his body?
Qin Feng laughed. “Even if you hide it from Grandma today, she’ll see it tomorrow. Do you think you can cover it forever?”
Madam Zhou suddenly understood. “Oh, he’s losing his baby teeth.”
Hearing that she had guessed, Gu Xiao’er lowered his hand and nodded, his small face turning slightly red under the light.
Noticing the boy’s embarrassment, Old Qin stopped staring at him and turned to his son. “Did you throw his tooth onto the roof? That way, it’ll grow back faster and straighter.”
Qin Feng wanted to roll his eyes at his father—what ancient superstition was this?
“I threw it,” Qin Feng lied casually and quickly changed the subject, “Did you finish your homework?”
Gu Xiao’er instinctively replied, “We weren’t assigned any homework this afternoon.”
“Did you practice your handwriting?”
Gu Xiao’er’s expression subtly changed, revealing a trace of irritation between his brows.
In his past life, he had enjoyed school during the first and second grades. However, after his grandfather passed away and he moved to live with his aunt, he was constantly burdened with chores and had no time for homework, which led to the teacher’s criticism and failing grades. Over time, he developed a dislike for studying.
Later, when his brother took him out into the world, they spent days carrying boxes and selling popsicles and nights sleeping under bridges, leaving no chance for education. Eventually, when they made enough money, his brother sent him back to school, and he even got into college—not because he loved learning but because he didn’t want to disappoint his brother. Deep down, he still resented studying.
If it hadn’t been for his brother’s efforts to provide him with a good learning environment, his brother wouldn’t have been exploited by those heartless people and tricked into losing a kidney.
“I already know it all.”
Qin Feng believed him. Gu Xiao’er was smart, and primary school material was simple enough for him to grasp most new words and phrases in half a day.
However, the boy’s temperament was problematic. He was impatient, hot-headed, and prone to fighting. As a reader of this story in his past life, Qin Feng had no say over the characters. But now, having transmigrated into the book and become Gu Xiao’er’s adoptive father, he felt responsible for disciplining him. He couldn’t let him grow into a villian.
“I asked if you practiced your handwriting, not if you know it.”
Madam Zhou couldn’t help but chime in, “He really needs to practice. His writing is all crooked, like chicken scratches.”
Qin Feng put on a stern face. “Are you going to practice or not?”
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