-TRIGGER WARNING: ELUDES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT AND PEDOPHELIA, NOTHING TO DO WITH MC AND ML JUST TALKING ABOUT A SAD CASE-
-THIS HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY PROOFREAD AND EDITED YET PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES-
Chapter 10: He felt a certain manly, protective desire in his heart, but his body was still young and clumsy.
Le Ge told Wei Qian to work the day shift first, and then move to a night shift once his arm was out of the cast.
The night shift at the nightclub was paid very well, with two groups of people rotating shifts. One shift was only four hours, but the money made was three times more than the daytime shift, which meant that he could make a very generous living for his family by working only four hours a day - of course, it was the thugs who got the high pay, not the bitter cleaning boys like Mazi.
With Wei Qian's qualifications, he would not have been able to work this glorious night shift, but as a sign of closeness, Le Ge personally instructed the manager to make an exception and promote him.
Mazi was envious, but Wei Qian didn't seem happy instead, he smoked more aggressively.
The future was dangerous and confusing. Even though Wei Qian was a money-grubber, it is hard for him to express his joy at the extra income.
That day, when Song Xiaobao and Wei Zhiyuan came home from school, Wei Qian cut a small watermelon of more than two kilograms in half and let them dig in with spoons. After, they had to finish their homework.
Song Xiaobao sat cross-legged on the sofa, her mouth full of watermelon juice, and said excitedly as she ate, "Ge, Niu Niu Jie [TN: Jie- older sister] is dead."
Wei Qian was stunned: "Who?"
"Niu Niu Jie, she was so tall, she had two small holes on her face [TN: dimples], her eyes were like this, her hair… was like this and she lived in a small bungalow”, As Song Xiaobao described the eyes she used her hands to stretch out her eyelids and when describing the hair she pulled up her hair. Her description consisted of excessive body language, it was clear to see how she had failed Chinese during first grade.
Wei Qian leaned back and distanced himself from her bit: "You, sit still and talk properly, you’re spitting in my face - dead? How did she die?"
"Like this." After talking, Song Xiaobao rolled up her eyes and fell to the side holding half of the watermelon, a line of watermelon juice dripped out from the corner of her mouth in a timely manner.
Wei Qian: "......"
Although his little sister was still young, she had an uncanny ability to mimic certain phenomena to their essence. For the first time, Wei Qian felt that it was a pity that this girl was not good looking, otherwise, when she grew up, she might’ve been able to become an actress.
Wei Zhiyuan added calmly from the side, "Died from eating rat poison."
Song Xiaobao revived from her death and hastily asked, "How do you know that?"
Wei Zhiyuan said calmly, like a man who had seen all the world had to offer, "She was foaming at the mouth and her face was a certain colour, she must have died from eating rat poison, I've seen it before."
Song Xiaobao said admiringly, "How come you've seen everything? Is rat poison good?"
Wei Zhiyuan's eyebrows raised at her stupid question, and after three seconds, he decided to go along with this idiot with the lack of blood going to the brain. So, he said in a serious tone, "It's not bad, it's brightly coloured, the red ones are watermelon-flavoured, the green ones are apple-flavoured, and rats love to eat it."
Song Xiaobao said wistfully, "Is it crunchy?"
Wei Zhiyuan: "Crunchy."
Wei Qian: "......"
After all, Wei Zhiyuan was a child, Wei Qian could actually tell that he sometimes deliberately played dumb. However, Wei Qian had always thought that Xiao Yuan was just trying to please Xiao Bao and had not thought it was for him.
...... After all, he had rarely been cared for in his life, and even he would neglect himself.
Originally, this was something that wouldn't attract much of Wei Qian’s attention, after all, he hadn't been able to remember who " Niu Niu " was through Xiao Bao's account.
In the evening, Sanpang and Mazi brought food together and came to Wei Qian’s house to cook. When they were serving the food, Sanpang deliberately kicked Wei Qian: "Laozi came here to personally serve you, didn’t I? Don't sit there and wait for food, don't you still have a spare hand? Go get the dishes!"
Wei Qian raised his voice: "Mazi!"
Mazi responded promptly and was about to do his work for him, but was scared back by a glare from Sanpang.
"Mazi," Wei Qian commented leisurely as he slowly rose to his feet, "You're a real wimp!"
Mazi was not ashamed but proud of himself and said gleefully, "Yes!"
Wei Qian: "......"
Wei Qian wandered into the kitchen, opened a cupboard with his toe, and lazily glanced into the living room where the two little brats had finally settled down. Both were occupying a corner of the table and doing their homework opposite each other.
Wei Qian was suddenly in an irrepressibly good mood, feeling that the house looked like a home with these two little living creatures in it.
"Qian'er," said Sanpang suddenly, "Keep an eye on our sister Xiaobao for the next two days, don't let her run around after school."
Wei Qian responded casually, "What's wrong?"
Sanpang said, "You know Niu Niu, right?"
Wei Qian: "Hm?"
"The one living just ahead has pigtails, and is a year older than Xiao Bao." Sanpang glanced into the two small houses, lowered his voice and said in Wei Qian's ear, "That girl died this afternoon, she took rat poison and died alone."
Wei Qian was too lazy to listen to other people's bullshit, he couldn't even think about his own bullshit, so he gave Sanpang an impatient look, "I think you have nothing better to do than to talk, Pang, all day long it's either matchmaking or something stupid like three rats and four eyes, you ......"
Sanpang had a grave expression as he irresponsibly slapped Wei Qian’s injured arm, "Keep your fucking voice down!"
"Hiss ......fuck you ......"
Sanpang said seriously, "Listen to me! That little girl was defiled by someone, the child was timid, several days past and she did not dare to tell any adults. Those last two days it was hot, I heard that her whole area underneath was festering. I have no idea how much she suffered, still daring not to say anything and instead of committing suicide with rat poison – you should treat your sister a little better, okay?”
Wei Qian frowned at him: "Bullshit ......"
"Who is bullshitting you? Who's bullshitting about this, people are dead! Am I really that lacking in morals?" Sanpang glared at him, "I'm being fucking serious with you, keep an eye on our sister for the next couple of days, you hear me?"
Wei Qian found it hard to comprehend, he gestured at his waist, "That little brat has tiny arms and legs, wouldn’t only a chopstick be able to fit down there? What's so great about that? Who was it? What’s wrong with them?"
"Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall, all you know about is money and fighting every day.” Sanpang waved his hand impatiently, "Some people just can't get hard with normal women, there are those who like the kind of kids who haven't grown up, and then there are those who like men [TN: Foreshadowing?huehuehue. Anyway, nothing wrong with liking men I’d just like to add] - Niu Niu's mother is crying like a psycho, yelling for the police, and now her grandmother has locked her up at home. "
Hearing the word "man", Wei Qian frowned uncomfortably and asked, "Why don't you let the police know that her grandmother is delusional?"
"The old lady is stubborn; she thinks that if this incident is reported to the police and their family will not be able to raise their heads in public. Anyway,......," Sanpang suddenly stopped talking, because when he looked up, he saw Wei Zhiyuan leaning by the kitchen door at some point and he didn't know how much he had heard.
Sanpang was startled: "Oh, this unlucky [TN: Like carrying a bad omen I think] child, why does he walk without a sound, just like a weasel!"
Wei Zhiyuan, the weasel, looked as if he hadn't heard them both and said, "I'm helping my dage with the dishes."
"Hey, this little weasel, he's quite filial!" Sanpang's big bushel-like slap was pasted onto the back of Wei Zhiyuan's head, almost wrapping his little head entirely and he hastily pushed his back, "Go now."
After saying that, he and Wei Qian looked at each other, and the two of them coincidentally stopped the conversation they had just had.
For several days after that, Wei Qian took the two children to and from school.
That good for nothing primary school started way too late into the morning and ended too early in the evening. This made it very difficult for Wei Qian to adjust his schedule.
The early morning was barely manageable, In the afternoon when students were dismissed was particularly cruel. At 3, Wei Qian still hadn’t left work. He had to run with his arm in plaster, and rush to the school as fast as he could every day. Then hurriedly take the little kids home, on the way buying them each a 50-cent “double popsicle “and then locking them in the house before rushing off.
He quite literally ran with his legs. Because Wei Qian had to transfer to the night shift there were already many people who secretly looked at him unfavourably, he was afraid of delaying too long and allowing others to say something, but he also didn’t want to spend money on a car.
Like this, he perfected an ability to run faster than the bus.
Song Xiaobao, who had no heart, didn't know how to care for her brother and was quite satisfied with this life. This was because every day she had one and a half of a 50-cent “double popsicle “ to eat ......
The extra half came from Wei Zhiyuan, who would usually break the double sticks and eat half himself, leaving the remaining half for Xiaobao. Most of the time, the remaining half was given to Xiaobao.
Ate a lot but never worked - Wei Zhiyuan had completely figured out this little sister's character and was very good at dealing with her.
After ten days of running back and forth like a donkey, when Wei Qian went to the hospital for a review, he was scolded by the doctor on the spot and given a serious warning: "If you keep doing this, your arm will end up like a path with 18 bends and won’t be able to heal!”
Wei Qian felt like he had lost face as Mazi was waiting outside with the two little ones, both the big one and two little one’s had not yet seen the world, and Wei Qian felt very humiliated to be lectured in front of them, he felt as though he’d lost his reputation as a powerful dage.
Wei Zhiyuan did not say a word but felt as if he had been punched in the heart, which was sore and painful.
He felt a certain manly, protective desire in his heart, but his body was still young and clumsy.
The conflict between his growing desire to be strong and the limited physical conditions of a child constituted the main psychological conflict in Wei Zhiyuan's pre-adolescence.
In the middle of the night that day, Wei Qian heard ‘ping’ ‘ping’ sounds in the kitchen, and when he reached out his hand and felt next to him, he found the boy next to him had already awoken at some point. Wei Qian rubbed his eyes, lowered his head, spat out a curse and then entered the kitchen. He raised his hand to pull the kitchen light, used his other hand to block the incoming dazzling light and then impatiently said: “What foolishness are you up to when you don’t sleep for most of the night?”
Wei Zhiyuan was dragging along steel pipe and looked up at him innocently.
The half of the kitchen attached to the balcony was usually used for cooking, while the other half was used for piling up all kinds of miscellaneous things, including all kinds of murderous weapons that Wei Qian had casually thrown in there.
Wei Zhiyuan dragged a used steel pipe out of this pile of miscellaneous items, and this time he deliberately picked a shorter one that would fit in his hand. This was so that he would not drag it on the ground in disgrace like last time, and he would feel very powerful when he could hold the weapon in his hand.
Wei Qian froze, "What are you doing with that?"
Wei Zhiyuan glanced at Wei Qian’s arm which had a new bandage, straightened his chest and said, "I'm taking it to school, you don't have to come tomorrow. I'll bring Xiao Bao back, when I get home I'll make sure that she doesn't run around and will lock the door."
He said this with a certain attitude as if it was a matter of course as if he was a young adult who could carry the load.
Wei Qian felt the strange place where his heart became flustered, the boy he picked up was not a white-eyed [arrogant] wolf, but was sensible, and knew how to worry for as well as love others dearly. But on the surface, Wei Qian still frowned rudely and picked up Wei Zhiyuan with one hand as he turned on the faucet to wash the little one’s dirty hands: “You’re so capable – Wash your hands clean, actually go to bed this time and if you do this again I’ll beat you!”
Wei Zhiyuan obediently didn't argue, although his dage’s expression stank and his words were not pleasant, Wei Zhiyuan didn't care and loved to hear them. He was a child who had been really abused and could tell what was real malice and what was just a different form of concern.
But although Wei Zhiyuan didn't say anything at the time, the next day when Wei Qian wasn't looking, he still stuffed the pipe into his school bag.
In the afternoon, when Wei Qian ran to pick him up at his usual time, he was halfway there when he saw Xiao Yuan heading home with Xiao Bao.
These two brats had the audacity to go home on their own without waiting for him.
Because they were across the road, the two of them didn't see Wei Qian, and Wei Qian didn't go over, but only followed from afar from behind.
Although he was well-nourished and had grown a bit, the little boy was only two fingers taller than the little girl. Yet, he was like a strong protector with a serious expression, pulling his sister with one hand and holding a dirty steel pipe with the other, walking the short distance home as righteously as if he had broken through the Heaven's Gate formation.
Wei Qian did not know whether to laugh or cry, he watched the two children all the way home. Wei Zhiyuan very seriously told Xiao Bao to go inside first, then he held up the ridiculous steel pipe like an underground worker and poked his head out to scout around the house, but instead of detecting the enemy, he found his brother standing with his arms dangling, watching him from the foot of a wall not far away.
Wei Zhiyuan froze, and then he saw that Wei Qian was not angry with him but smiled at him.
Wei Qian lifted his distinctively youngster-like chin and nodded at Wei Zhiyuan, gesturing for him to lock the door.
Wei Zhiyuan obediently turned around and went inside, locked the door behind him, climbed onto the bed, peeled back the curtains, and laid on the window. He watched Wei Qian light a cigarette, smoked it in silence, sort of take a break, and then quickly turn around and walk away.
"Brother hasn't even had a sip of water yet." Wei Zhiyuan thought.
That night, when Wei Qian returned home, he was surprised to find that someone had cooled a glass of plain water for him in the enamel jar on the table. He reached out to touch it, not too hot and not too cold, the temperature was just right.
For a week after that, it was like that, Wei Zhiyuan took Xiaobao from school alone, and then Wei Qian watched them both from afar, watching them arrive home and lock the door before leaving.
Finally, a month after the Niu Niu incident, with no more untoward incidents in the neighbourhood and Wei Zhiyuan looking very reliable, Wei Qian decided not to pick them up anymore and the three of them resumed their respective lives.
As a result, an accident really happened.
Hello! I'm back!! So sorry for that big gap in no uploads was very busy!! Also, please feel free to totally tweet me @cocofujoshi if you have any concerns don't be scared!! It was a tweet that made me just decide to quickly push everything and just rush this chapter out so honestly it helps when I'm reminded! As said before I rushed this chapter out so footnotes and edits to the translation will be made soon! If you spot anything off let me know:) Have a nice day everyone :D Side Note: The lack of full stops in this novel will be the death of me, hard knowing where to add them lol.Support the author here