Chapter 16
Chapter 16
In the early hours of the morning, at five o’clock, Wei Qian finally made his way home, and thoughtfully picked up breakfast for his family along the way.tUvGCIHHtHteCQotTcxflPjftqpRXM
His hair was soaked through with dew, and the expression on his face was one of a man who looked as though he was about to lay siege to a city.kFlBoBVRXzkuzmiBcBtINESbaEUkod
LOAWDTcutJgaScbWaking up in a strange place, Song Laotai was confronted with this terrifying visage first thing in the morning and nearly had a heart attack from the fright, hardly daring to breathe.bRpGnXltyUzNrJejykCHdrswIFrpVt
EjMRJcyJhvVkWofWei Qian had bought soy milk and fried dough sticks—obviously prepared by someone else. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, utterly confused.uxXeXHeboLWSgsqLVnXPWNNAJaGszI
reWfTyzIXKbWguVAnxiously pondering, Wei Qian thought if it turned out that Mazi had been nowhere but the hospital, keeping his mother company, he’d surely beat the bastard until he turned into a bag of mashed pork, thoroughly cooked.lYCGigtBaPAhGsMYqzjeeXTYdevdvl
BAgEDHxPZOztuHUHowever, it seemed he might never get the chance.qMGxAeiFHmhLSlYgZNLXqTLLebczXy
dHPhsmwJvYqEXlXSan Pang failed to find Mazi in the hospital. Despite exhausting all their efforts, there was no sign of Mazi until a few days later, when a vague and ambiguous piece of news emerged—Mazi was rumored to be dead.jgsCZUTfVKTMuFnRhDfLLHbecodvLK
CVvdTLFhbjhPymWYet, how he died or the reason behind his death remained unclear, with rampant speculation and chaos ensuing, as no one could provide a definitive account.LTBvXXjzXgVgxMAlmJkpBukoghDXUM
DbnkRIXISqkbEPEIt seemed as though there was a deliberate silence surrounding the incident, with those in the know being tight-lipped.tqYwqZhUTKiPVlLvBFsifwlSMrkopB
YkSOiaVuKLvAIUMWith thousands of rumors and not a single useful piece of information, the torment of not knowing whether someone was alive or dead was excruciating, as if being roasted over a fire. However, in the hearts of Wei Qian and San Pang, there lingered a belief that Mazi couldn’t have just vanished without a trace. They continued their search, though notably avoided mentioning Le Ge, particularly Wei Qian, who harbored a deep resentment and wariness towards him.tEzJVOqyBJRkDfRxoKyFDDtZOvwqtU
vsNpEAaKdTRkQFTMazi’s mother repeatedly inquired about her son, forcing Wei Qian and San Pang to concoct various lies on the spot. Occasionally, their stories didn’t align, leading to elaborate schemes to cover their tracks.wdtyEAEpTzDMBZEBVTwgvFTjnejGQN
utpoIsPVVOnRNRHWei Qian, being only human, inevitably found his energy limited and inadvertently neglected his own family.aMjghszRknGxtBCQicohWVxgiwwkGK
ZIJYnwTLJKHFQsEFor Song Laotai, this neglect presented a golden opportunity. She set about her scheme of setting a figurative fire in Wei Qian’s backyard, making daily efforts to bond with Xiao Bao. This was easy to accomplish—children often form irreplaceable emotional connections with adult female relatives during their growth, finding solace in mothers, grandmothers, or maternal grandmothers, a comfort that even the closest male relatives cannot replace.CcQCMgPWvyubFrIkblIUtyGjJFagAg
MTgggpXurApwDBYMoreover, although Wei Qian was fond of Xiao Bao, his way of showing affection wasn’t the pampering kind typical of most families. His concern was kept inside, rarely expressed aloud, and sometimes, when impatient or in a bad mood, he could even scold the little girl. Xiao Bao, in her short life, had never experienced the detailed care and comfort from an elder female relative, making her switch of allegiance merely a matter of time.wSYVsIMjAofTfrIIXCWSjWTTCfwSGj
oBIwZLKSVZGVocAWas it better to have a grandmother who sweet-talked and made delicious meals every day, or a brother who always wore a creditor’s face, indifferent to whether the meals were properly cooked or not?ONQGIxOHNZeEWwaBltGbpeMcDqHDFF
MuUVvoiIlNsdfPOSince Song Laotai’s arrival, the children’s living conditions improved significantly, almost to the point of having quality.zLppistZcAikGcDzQRmzbRdGApNKSs
NQdlRbZhIfOclWeDespite this, Song Laotai could not win over Wei Zhiyuan.NlysStcVJxZaNsefDEyMSsEkAzvCvE
aspiKwMyxqTFQtdWei Zhiyuan was like a wild wolf that could never be fully tamed, showing bursts of hostility towards Song Laotai, the “outsider” who had suddenly intruded into their home. Despite his attempts to appear sensible, his resistance was palpable.TtcnNTgZsLAoRTKyarVPGmRudENLhV
ucOGQqMFvSVWJfiSong Laotai initially wanted to ally with him, but was surprised to find that despite his young age, he was staunchly loyal, unwavering in his allegiance to his rough brother, regardless of her efforts to please him.PcBhXVhjVqcHbioyeHmpvTVQNaYCQE
eKejizBnCuIwVUkEventually, Song Laotai gave up on this front, realizing that this child was less talkative but very shrewd, a true lone wolf who would take the food but not the affection.ZitsxRgpHqsmhzXIzKDeWlOWPDSnXr
uRGkxUFXLehHclJThus, Song Laotai focused her efforts solely on winning over Xiao Bao.hIdXNqbSxEadDjopdabWnNJqPfHjMX
hnetogcITjRwDIIShe often jokingly asked Xiao Bao with a tone meant for playing with children, “Who do you like the most? Grandma or brother?”ezkEGMHYdWkyaFMCyMSChuHbAzycZq
vvmaZsnAfzedZyhThis was her way of testing the progress of her grand strategy of peaceful evolution.RpFPBBpLTIOhAAKliaRlBIyXoknqHZ
MTytuQoBdbXnNawUnlike the naive Song Xiao Bao, Wei Zhiyuan sensed the malicious intent of the old lady the first time she asked this question. He immediately adopted a strategy of non-violent non-cooperation—he stopped dining with the grandmother and grandchild, preferring to go hungry until late at night, waiting for his elder brother to come back so they could eat whatever was left together.ftbAXdciWRbQfowrjxgOfjUSSpImct
drLDkzdaPQvzfKUAt first, Song Xiao Bao would mimic him, waiting together. But within a few days, this fickle little traitor surrendered to the tempting food.ZbUAvECbWMRekSiYJiTaAMwVkavxhJ
RXdAVcNcCotbHoUWei Zhiyuan had anticipated this day. His fondness for comfort and laziness wasn’t new, and in this aspect, the enemy was overwhelmingly strong. He was no match.fAkdIGEQQvxNHuvOgPISDNOizXilue
YvlTjnhignmkjRkHowever, deep down, Wei Zhiyuan wasn’t too upset about Song Xiao Bao’s betrayal. Instead, he felt a sneaky pleasure.PWcqubPYHhIZcbbbRaprLzNmnMmSRk
HnHxFsAhIscMdqcWei Zhiyuan knew he shouldn’t think this way, but he couldn’t help it.uCHQFxizXmypYOQTnULFSQfVzvHOJb
KtujnGrnrXOPAAi“The thought of ‘without Song Xiao Bao, brother will be mine alone'” tempted him constantly, like a seed taking root and sprouting in his heart, indestructible by fire, and bursting into life again with the slightest breeze.WsSadbrNHwQpCwHhloUdqMCwdsWnIw
iZUUskCzoAUQbtxInitially, Song Xiao Bao would laugh off or sidestep Song Laotai’s childish question, indicating her preference for her brother. Gradually, she started to soften, saying she liked “both.” Song Laotai was quite pleased with herself, thinking she was on the verge of success, until one day, Song Xiao Bao’s answer changed to “I like whoever is nice to me.”RdcUKyrWudIUkhElAFEYeXHMEatPrN
BsdAsYbusXlquFVThat’s when Song Laotai knew the time had come.toeSsHDZnZbRIFrnVVEWQQNVkIEise
WrFSmWwuZJaEtFOHalf a year had passed, entering winter, when a thin layer of ice formed on the pond, Wei Qian and his companions could finally confirm that Mazi was dead—this time, it was official news released by the local police. They announced that a recent crackdown on a drug smuggling case resulted in the capture of three suspects. During the arrest, they encountered fierce resistance from the criminals, leading to one being fatally shot.GYnaeVrTZJZdSrgtKLNgMDgGvGzeEs
juCfBrjwnRHfWyEThe individual killed was Mazi.HYwsBEKEjxWbOikfYIdwUQiFEqACSn
lStAGXbZsRulYffBefore that fiercely hot Mid-Autumn Festival night, someone had given Mazi a significant amount of money, a handgun, a cellphone, and a kilogram of heroin.KOXfEsvzWlkXuWhhnNLJFEFYDYuFYp
kiHomJUTPBztolQMazi had a feeling something was off. Despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed, he wasn’t foolish enough to be completely clueless. Neither he nor his brothers were deeply entrenched in the underworld or on the straight and narrow; they were more like fish and shrimp struggling to survive in the cracks, well aware of the dangers that easy money brought in a dog-eat-dog world.XJgVIFYtoLftKtfPWSXDhPsvNtgjxD
BIGJZJFLhamwyGLBut those people had dug up everything on him, knowing he couldn’t refuse no matter what.vGsYDzABySyJYxKtULTQrPZzEUTFDU
hhXTWNlyxkZomvkMazi didn’t want to drag his elder brother San Pang and Qian into this mess. Life was hard for all of them, scrimping and saving every penny for him and his mother. The guilt kept him up many nights.uxEQyrXHxaIHHhZczKeZXbeofCIdgV
vDVQJDKiTaDEhHGPerhaps if he had been shameless enough, he wouldn’t have ended up on this dead-end path.txgWCulpCdLeRVVfPmZosbwZLcjpEa
MaRxMVHXcRxqckaOn the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, after eating the most expensive mooncake of his life in the hospital, he divided the money into three parts, returning two to Wei Qian and San Pang, and buried the last part at the entrance of his modest home under an acacia tree, as a nest egg for his mother.UAbUTeEjhaWKRMuqpnfbzVvGHRDZpW
RDNyLRvOHePwhprThen, dazedly following the instructions over the phone, he ventured out with the gun and drugs…AhVjmjJpHkTOcbcJSVsiofZnexgxUv
FtlmTnswajWGYTVIn his final moments, he didn’t know whom he was taking the fall for or even where he died.URkSEsYgwOgdPVMewHTIhkxssKeaHJ
wWUYQaVCLZFqZAWHis life was humble, and his death, confused.pLAniiCdBCaLUXEpuDpgktiIfiGtff
IuucBTNFeLuVMnYThat day, Wei Qian got drunk in a dingy tavern, slacking off for the first time even though he always took his role seriously.aSEXYyhAbVFkDMeKNUVuQEHRqTJIfd
HMGKwOWyYaXscemAlthough Mazi’s death was murky, Wei Qian had a clear understanding of the situation.hkeMqhTTGqLQkRuJptMiviWyPUiuLw
MocsazILfkZWdSgThe nightclub was owned by Le Ge, a man whose need for control bordered on neurotic. Wei Qian couldn’t believe anyone could traffic drugs on his territory without his involvement. And with the incident blowing up, making headlines from national to local news, Le Xiaofeng remained unaffected, standing firm. Was he truly untouchable, or did someone take the fall to clear his path?ttBMuFXdqdYEmCCEaMBgghBUbBYldo
KZwUMNODdiiVaccIn his youth, the person he held sacred in his heart tragically took his foolish brother’s life with a sudden crash.KpmyQaoxCPABzRyPksgIfhCwHSljvn
eKGwPUKXtzrLJlCWei Qian had no desire to return home, facing a house full of both young and old. With a heart burdened by immense grievances, he had no choice but to suppress his feelings, pushing himself nearly to the breaking point.GTfoceyIoBYnOcLTPEkiqpNncQZfwt
BzPQwkCyQpXaNLLBy the time San Pang found him, Wei Qian had already drowned his sorrows in alcohol to the point of becoming a mess.DCQmyShBRvEosCsFHDGegrownUVBPR
NWAZDxowlzyKIlS“San Ge…” The youth’s eyes could hardly focus, aimlessly staring at the small diner’s yellowing, darkening corner, his voice so weak it seemed obstructed by something in his throat.WvMYRFyUEAMoFeGTbxkylZmJcDCqtE
wpwBKLeoSKMCYHrSan Pang snatched the liquor bottle from his hand, “Isn’t losing one enough? Do you intend to drink yourself to death too?”VFfNpQNMurnxFjelMItTlTBJILJaoM
JDUbVYdtYbPznOPLed by San Pang, Wei Qian slumped onto the table, resting his head to one side, and softly said, “San Ge, imagine him, a stutterer, how can he explain his grievances clearly when he’s gone to the other side?”NQwVXKQUcrllQDaOiRwWqPoeEPhWyl
xojfKmeiOJdRfOpAs he spoke, tears silently streamed down from his inner eye corners, gliding over his straight nose, and slipping into his mouth.zlCCtdWCassNlllpDgNbmtuQFpmYrg
qCAKEHSNrxeJDTDWei Qian lay sprawled on the table, his elbow raised to cover his face.krIUviLkUGZBjleIfgxICUeVLAxMXs
QqdMbFRsRYkNkKxThen, swallowing his tears, he let out a hoarse laugh.uvTCsFMsYBwomfkBlrbfiUmMolyGXs
nadEQzsqzcjpZflIn this life, we’re brothers, with no next life to look forward to seeing you again.SMxjoQoIOBChMOwycdyExSgHmlyoZf
aWHqngvViNKSejzIt was Laba Festival, and snow had fallen, turning the streets into a mixture of muddy slush and ice.bvkFYZGseFqYaYDGtUNVZZMkslznGp
lRbkePYuIKzfwLBReeking of alcohol, Wei Qian pushed the door open to enter his home. Inside, Wei Zhiyuan was doing homework at a small corner table, while Song Laotai was teaching Xiao Bao how to make Laba garlic. The elder and the younger, initially chatting and laughing, fell into a miraculous silence the moment he entered.jyanJrReEignLSNpMTHKpcpmpgFJgn
jeumpwtLknfQRNUWei Qian was not usually a sensitive person, but the sudden change in atmosphere made him feel like an intruder in someone else’s home, an indescribable feeling mixed with the alcohol made him nauseous.rHIJdYIHquAsHniBhpoibjWTwZNONc
HVnxNoccOWGWcAsFortunately, Wei Zhiyuan looked up and called out to him as usual, “Brother.”fpQOXlIWHSqWccotRKEZyPSpHbxFJF
HGwWvGsJtGIbQuVSeeing Wei Qian’s likely dreadful expression, Wei Zhiyuan glanced at him and immediately jumped down from his chair, running over, “Brother, what’s wrong?”EZfAUuiPkQqxVyOrkZCgiJARWSKxvT
rGmGGFSnIfYbyhLWithout a word, Wei Qian waved his hand and turned to enter the bathroom, where he vomited until he was broken.UfZCempxiGGLEPHxiMZAGcqeNKKMya
xJYPCveRvrhJtQHHe felt his emotions surge inexplicably and tried to convince himself that the embarrassment he felt the moment he entered the room was an overreaction.sBdnmEYOueFOGSaVzOvtLvzaDRveWw
ndzfxqKLoTMqWDQHe was already overwhelmed, Wei Qian didn’t want to create problems for no reason. He desperately tried to comfort himself, thinking he was overthinking, but it was useless. He just felt terrible.yMzzrwPFdjRiUcHVXPaEvukrQjHrAw
xbqKGmUsKBbtXPSWei Zhiyuan immediately poured him some water and handed it to him, hugging his waist like an adult and patting his back. Wei Qian almost vomited everything out before he could barely straighten up and rinse his mouth with the cup of water.zcLpEenpwoiNhDjxfnXvLPeZTBEYNH
HbcrlSDCEAiaJIgHis head was splitting, and his heart was breaking, but in front of Wei Zhiyuan, he just casually asked, “Have you finished your homework?”XqUoBvspQImIUbSEZjqAZsAaNvQpMj
dymKNpfwbknuXxaWei Zhiyuan nodded, reaching out to support him, but Wei Qian unsteadily rejected the help.bKySrnErnbLBtNUSdwlVUykRvmbMnm
xiWUoULwyMiltgIBeneath Wei Qian’s pale, calm face, a tumultuous heart churned inside him like a volcano ready to erupt.RSgKAkmqHyCJINCxXsWwbancDMzMKf
JbKDxApsDGifKgBAnd when he heard what Song Laotai was saying to his sister, that precarious balance finally shattered.KEQvuwfMZJOVYKWECiSQlpRwZkZsbP
YOggtnLDSHiCpWPHe heard that damn old woman indirectly scolding him while speaking to Song Xiaobao, saying, “Our Li Li, in the future, you must study hard, go to college, become a scientist, and not learn bad things from disreputable people, do you hear?”LMfrgkbWucjFLmlXeszHAozADcDlEz
yxGJDYOTuphVAbXIt wasn’t just her words; she deliberately looked back at Wei Qian, standing there gloomily as if she wasn’t afraid of him overhearing. After spending so much time understanding and investigating, the old lady had long realized that Wei Qian, who now prided himself as a “man of the underworld,” cared desperately about his face and would never really harm her, an old lady, at most trying to intimidate her with a fierce appearance.QeQxxuVtqATEMdZhursLHOHYhOBHTJ
dgFmDlREQIgOQgmEven Wei Zhiyuan caught the insinuation in her tone. He looked at his little sister, then at his big brother, and finally stared at Song Laotai with hatred.DyPlJHyaistApdYVHvtxGUGvdctOLP
owJKosigelxWHWFSong Laotai unrelentingly continued, “If you don’t study well, you will become the scum of society, understand? Those idle people are not good, grandma has told you, what are they called?”JbdJZhtVKVcKnMaojDylaRPjDKKLOZ
RSBESJPhLqCXjWZSong Xiaobao, the naive and foolish boy, said, “Hooligans!”mKJjttETcugcAfxNYZDQirlKXGFUPE
qZiPUgOxXCzlEoYThe old lady, with a serious expression, reached out and scraped her face: “Exactly, stinking hooligans. We are girls; we can’t always be with stinking hooligans, or else who would dare to marry you in the future? Your reputation will be ruined.”QAhPvoqRMgJMisnNqIjAlEokkmZFZa
irStxmNMEFrbKUyWei Zhiyuan’s face darkened, and he said emphatically, “My big brother is not a hooligan!”oaXNqBaqHovmdAyRzMQHJlcfFCPQLT
lHzqYskjGaVukmdSong Xiaobao was stunned, looking at him, then at the big brother, and finally at the grandma, only then realizing that this was a serious family crisis.hwTkEMDYyrMjfpfGgpJJiTSdpLmMsN
EaOmzPyqSESSNNMWei Zhiyuan, agitated, threw the cup aside, stepped forward, and pointed at the old lady’s nose, “My big brother is not a hooligan!”sLXxZSdglkWHwseQnlMEaSsJcTRnGi
utXpEmtKmrsGTkN“Enough, shut up, go inside and do your homework.” Wei Qian suppressed him with a slap, grabbed one in each hand, and threw Wei Zhiyuan and Song Xiaobao into the bedroom.JbKJQKYnNUlQxfxHmgwGxwUUPVAuaU
pGWvhoIIkRqXpOEWei Qian, somewhat careless in his daily life, occasionally felt awkward about the behavior of his family members but usually brushed it off. However, Song Laotai’s words were so direct and indirect that how could he not understand what she was implying?DVMHDqMSGfYxEKCnCpTTblWHrSlIye
jVyJLkZOlbfaXwXWei Qian sat down in front of Song Laotai with an imposing manner, looked at her unfavorably, and said bluntly, “Old thing, what do you want?”jIrQUdlxeRTemGruTMoJJwwGKgTLBv
QYilQWZUoveVBmYSong Laotai finally straightened her back, her entire demeanor like a mortar ready to fire.hYJADOmSegJgWTeitxwgZJpFsOgZlb
MqeITAoOWeiASmyThen she declared war on Wei Qian: “I’m taking Lili away.”SvxkhasatmkQsdvxZSRAovqmOgewDK
NOgGwKQiVxvFXFyThe author has a message: After the story reaches its lowest point, it should start to improve with “Having brothers in this life, no need to think about the next” – “Brothers” by Ren Xianqi.adloRiqNvRuenGIzikuudgWrHDEbfJ
OocTDPMNQqWnEdVKipzi – Song Laotai also means Grandma Song.ozMnwRPwRCVNgpAyqoWmqDBfyIeAZn
cKyzEEigTpMowSvtjxOpLKxZwlbJODxuhHzBmCSDmtQAs