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Jiang Xue listened to Zhang Qiu's question, her face turning red as she said, "Mom loves to eat lamb and chicken, and eggplant too, but we have eggplant in the yard, so we don't need to buy that."
"Alright, then let's go buy some meat first."
Zhang Qiu pushed the shopping cart to the lamb counter, looking at the neatly arranged fresh lamb inside. She selected half a rack of lamb. The remaining space in the cart was instantly filled. Jiang Xue quietly said, "Isn't this too much to buy?"
"We need to buy it. You've been home for several days, and you haven't been eating or sleeping well at school. This time you really need to replenish yourself."
"Aren't you afraid I'll turn into Fatty?"
"I'm not worried; if you become chubby, it'll be nice to hold you in winter, and you'll be warmer."
"Go die!" Jiang Xue shot Zhang Qiu a glare.
Amidst their playful banter, the three finished shopping at the supermarket. They had half a fresh rack of lamb, some sliced lamb rolls, a plucked native chicken, and two crucian carp. They bought various vegetables and fruits as well and pushed two shopping carts to the checkout. After paying, they pushed the carts to the entrance of the supermarket and loaded everything into the tricycle's compartment, returning home in high spirits.
Once they got home, Aunt He had already started a fire using the earthen stove in the main room. In a large black pot, rice was boiling up and down. Aunt He used a ladle to scoop it out and smiled when she saw Zhang Qiu and the others return, saying, "I made the rice first; this way of cooking makes it taste good, something you can't find in the city."
When Aunt He saw what was in the electric tricycle's compartment, she exclaimed, "Why did you buy so much?"
"I think it's a lot too, but Zhang Qiu insisted on buying it. I told her you love to eat lamb," Jiang Xue deliberately left the opportunity for Zhang Qiu to respond, and Aunt He indeed smiled widely.
The three of them pulled Aunt He away from the stove. Zhang Qiu placed half a rack of lamb on the cutting board and began chopping it into pieces with a cleaver. Jiang Xue filled a basin with water to wash it while Tao Ya prepared seasonings nearby. Aunt He insisted on helping but eventually gave in to everyone’s insistence and went to cut vegetables instead. All the ingredients were fresh vegetables grown in their own garden, which Aunt He cherished deeply.
During breaks while cooking, Aunt He occasionally chatted with Zhang Qiu to inquire about news. Naturally, Zhang Qiu understood Aunt He's intentions; which parent doesn't care about their children? Zhang Qiu answered every question cooperatively. But the real highlight would come during lunch.
At noon, Aunt He, Jiang Xue, Zhang Qiu, and Tao Ya were gathered around a rectangular wooden table filled with sumptuous dishes. Aunt He praised Zhang Qiu's cooking skills while subtly inquiring about the bar. From Aunt He's expression when she mentioned the bar, Zhang Qiu sensed that she seemed a bit sensitive about the industry she was in.
Aunt He picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Zhang Qiu's bowl, smiling as she said, "Xue'er has been well taken care of at school, thank you."
"Auntie, you are too polite. It's what I should do."
"Is working at the bar tiring? I've lived for so many years and have never been to a bar. What do they do there?"
"It's mainly about providing a place for relaxation. People today face a lot of pressure, whether from family or work. The bar is a place to release that pressure; tired people come here to have a drink, listen to music, and chat. That's about it. Auntie, you should go out and have fun whenever you have time; we can enjoy ourselves however we want in our own place."
Jiang Xue added timely, "Mom, Zhang Qiu can play the guitar too. If you go, I'll have him play for you."
"Haha, Mom is not going to places where young people hang out." Aunt He laughed and nodded, her gaze still on Zhang Qiu as she continued, "What does Xue'er mainly help you with?"
Zhang Qiu glanced at Jiang Xue, thinking this question was difficult to answer. Jiang Xue pondered her mother's words and guessed that she wasn't too keen on her working at the bar. So she replied, "Actually, I don't do much; I've helped them buy meals before, but aside from that, I rarely stay at the bar."
"Oh, I see." Aunt He nodded thoughtfully, her eyes scanning Jiang Xue.
Just then, there was a loud noise at the door as it swung open and a man walked in from south to north. Zhang Qiu noticed that Aunt He's expression instantly darkened. She looked questioningly at Jiang Xue, who nodded slightly. Zhang Qiu already had a plan in mind. This man must be Jiang Xue's nominal stepfather—the damn bastard.
The man staggered over and paused when he pushed open the door to the main room. His nose twitched as he looked at the lavish spread on the table and then at Jiang Xue sitting there; his eyes lit up slightly. When he noticed two unfamiliar faces at the table, confusion crossed his face.
Zhang Qiu kept her gaze fixed on the man. He wasn't very tall, had greasy hair, and wore a gray short-sleeved shirt with a dark stain around the collar. His blue jeans were smeared with some unknown substance, and he wore a pair of cloth shoes. As he got closer, an unpleasant odor of alcohol mixed with sweat wafted over.
Aunt He quickly stood up to support the swaying man and asked, "Why are you back so early today?"
The man pushed Aunt He aside and shouted, "I'm not coming back! How can I know if you all are eating well behind my back? I'm out here working hard, and you don't even call me when there's good food at home. You all are something else!"
"That's not it. I wanted to wait until tonight to let you eat," Aunt He tried to explain.
The man ignored her completely, his breath reeking of alcohol. He turned to Jiang Xue and directly cursed, "So you've been out there looking for a wild man, huh? You don't even go to your Auntie's house anymore, is that it?"
Jiang Xue trembled with anger. The man staggered toward her, but Zhang Qiu moved quickly to stand in front of Jiang Xue. After the man had pushed Aunt He, Zhang Qiu was already furious; now that he was cursing Jiang Xue, Zhang Qiu could no longer tolerate it.
The man looked at Zhang Qiu blocking his path and said, "This is none of your business. Get lost!"
Zhang Qiu stared into the man's eyes and replied slowly, "I am the wild man you speak of."
The man's eyebrows raised as he sized up Zhang Qiu. Suddenly, he lunged forward to push Zhang Qiu aside, but Zhang Qiu stood firm. He grabbed the man's right wrist and gradually applied pressure. The man gasped in pain as his hands slipped away from Zhang Qiu's clothing. Zhang Qiu released him suddenly, causing the man to rub his wrist while stepping back two paces. After assessing the situation, he pointed at Jiang Xue and cursed, "You think you're clever? You've brought a helper to deal with me!"
After cursing Jiang Xue, the man grabbed Aunt He's hair and yanked her over, shouting, "And you! Did you conspire with your daughter or what?"
"Let go of my mom!" Jiang Xue cried as she lunged at the man.
Zhang Qiu intercepted her and shot a look at Tao Ya first. Tao Ya, stunned by the family drama unfolding before her eyes, snapped back to reality and helped Zhang Qiu hold Jiang Xue back. Zhang Qiu stepped closer to the man and shouted, "Let go of Auntie!"
"You think just because you say so I'll let go? Who do you think you are?" The man's grip tightened further, forcing Aunt He to lean back to alleviate the tearing pain in her scalp.
"I'll count to three. If you don't let her go, you'll face the consequences!"
Qiu Wan disregarded the lavish spread on the table and lifted her right foot high before bringing it down heavily. The rectangular wooden table split in half instantly, sending bowls and dishes crashing to the ground in a cacophony of noise.
The man widened his eyes, fully aware of how sturdy the wooden table at home was. The fact that this person could shatter it with a single kick made him realize that if such a kick landed on him, it would surely result in a fracture. Weighing the pros and cons, the man pointed at Zhang Qiu and shouted, "You, step back first. I can let her go, but you must not make a move. Let me tell you, this is my home, and my family matters are not for an outsider like you to meddle in."
Though the man spoke harshly, his eyes were frantic, and his tone lacked the previous dominance; he seemed to be half sober now. Zhang Qiu retreated while saying, "Don't worry, as long as you let Aunt He go, I will not make a move."
Zhang Qiu had backed up against the wall, yet the man still held onto Aunt He's hair tightly. Jiang Xue shouted, "Let go of my mom!"
With a forceful shove, the man pushed Aunt He towards Zhang Qiu. Unfortunately, she stumbled over a bench and fell towards the ground. The broken shards of bowls on the floor were sharp; if she fell on them, it would surely injure her. Aunt He had already closed her eyes in despair while Jiang Xue screamed loudly beside her.
In that critical moment, Zhang Qiu dashed forward in a few quick steps, launching himself like a bullet. He caught Aunt He around her waist, and their combined momentum sent them crashing into a pile of firewood next to the stove. Fortunately, the wood had already burned down during cooking, leaving only some dry corn stalks behind. The two of them fell onto it without serious injury other than getting their clothes dirty.
Jiang Xue hurried over; Zhang Qiu was already up while Aunt He remained dazed on the pile of firewood. Jiang Xue embraced her mother and cried out, "Mom, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Aunt He recalled everything that had just happened and suddenly turned to look at Zhang Qiu. Remembering that he had saved her made tears well up in her eyes. "Child, are you okay?"
"Don't worry, Auntie, I'm fine." Zhang Qiu moved his body a bit; aside from some scratches on his arm, he had no other issues. Together with Jiang Xue, they helped Aunt He up while Tao Ya also came over to help dust off her clothes. Aunt He looked at the three children with mixed feelings. Especially thinking about how she had been worried about Zhang Qiu and feared he would let Jiang Xue down made her feel guilty. Now seeing that he risked himself to save her made her realize that someone who would do that for her wouldn’t betray her daughter. However, this man was indeed too ruthless.
Aunt He shot a resentful glance at the man, who was also startled by what had just transpired; his drunkenness had vanished completely and his mind was now crystal clear. Seeing that nothing serious had happened gave him slight relief, but his gaze was evasive and filled with guilt as he dared not face them directly.
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