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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 146: Second Uncle's Outburst
Auntie was happily calculating her own interests when an unexpected scene unfolded. Second Uncle suddenly sprang up from the sofa and shouted at Auntie, "Enough! Are you not ashamed? Your niece is still in prison, and you're already scheming about money."
Auntie stared at the suddenly enraged Second Uncle with disbelief, her eyes wide open. Shocked and frightened, her mind went blank.
"What are you looking at? Come home with me."
Second Uncle shouted again, then turned to Zhang Zhi Hua and He Mei, saying, "I'm sorry; it's my family's fault." Finally, he addressed Zhang Qiu, "I can see that you truly care for Jiang Xue. Just treat her well; we don't want a bride price."
Upon hearing the words "don't want a bride price," Auntie's mind snapped back into focus. She rushed forward, raising her hands to frantically tug at Second Uncle while cursing, "You can't be serious! Even you dare to bully me? How dare you shout at me? Have you no shame?"
Auntie was both furious and indignant. In their household, she was always the one in charge; Second Uncle never had a say. But today, for some unknown reason, he dared to yell at her and even returned the hundred thousand yuan. This was unacceptable. Thinking of the hundred thousand yuan made Auntie pull harder on Second Uncle, even tearing his faded jacket in the process.
Zhang Qiu watched in confusion as everything unfolded; it all felt too sudden. Looking at her parents and Wang Jinghan, she saw they were just as shocked by the scene before them.
Suddenly, there was a loud slap, and Auntie's shouting came to an abrupt halt. After a second or two of silence, it was replaced by piercing cries. Second Uncle stood frozen, his right hand suspended in mid-air as Auntie covered her left cheek and cried loudly but dared not retaliate against him.
"Stop crying!" Second Uncle shouted again. Auntie indeed ceased her cries but continued to sob intermittently.
"Sorry for disturbing you," Second Uncle said apologetically to Zhang Zhi Hua and He Mei as he slightly bowed before forcibly dragging Auntie out of the room. Before Zhang Qiu and the others could recover from their shock, only Second Uncle and Auntie's retreating figures remained.
Zhang Zhi Hua, who had difficulty moving, quickly said to He Mei, "Go check outside; make sure nothing happens."
He Mei rushed out while Zhang Qiu followed closely behind. Wang Jinghan hurriedly grabbed Zhang Qiu's arm and scolded, "Slow down; you’re still injured." Then she personally supported Zhang Qiu as they walked outside. Zhang Zhi Hua watched this unfold with a complex expression on his face.
Outside the door, Second Uncle pulled Auntie along the roadside heading south. Auntie followed like a hen that had been scolded, obediently trailing behind him. Zhang Qiu noticed that Auntie occasionally glanced back, but Second Uncle strode ahead without looking back at all, completely shedding the timid demeanor he had when he arrived.
Seeing that Second Uncle had walked far away, Zhang Qiu said, "Mom, let's go back inside."
He Mei glanced at Zhang Qiu and took off her outer coat, draping it over Zhang Qiu's shoulders. "Why are you out here with your bare arms?" Her tone was filled with love, showing no hint of reproach.
Wang Jinghan smiled and said, "You should just go back with Auntie. I need to head home too."
"Stay for dinner before you leave," He Mei urged.
"No, Auntie, I really have to go. Zhang Qiu can't engage in strenuous activities; please keep an eye on him," Wang Jinghan replied.
"This child, just eat before you go. It won't take long; dinner is almost ready, and I'll just stir-fry a few dishes," He Mei said warmly, holding Wang Jinghan's hand.
Wang Jinghan smiled and politely declined. Zhang Qiu quickly interjected, "Mom, let her go. She's not a stranger; there's nothing to fuss about. Her grandmother is strict; she has to be home by nine, and it's almost eight now."
He Mei nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Then Auntie will help you hail a taxi." She thought to herself that it's good for a girl to return home on time at night.
"Thank you, Auntie. You should go cook for Uncle and Zhang Qiu now. I'll head out the south gate; there are plenty of taxis on the way," Wang Jinghan said as she prepared to leave. Zhang Qiu quickly stopped her, saying, "Wait a moment."
"What's wrong? Is your wound bothering you?" Wang Jinghan turned around to look at Zhang Qiu, concern evident in her eyes.
Zhang Qiu smiled and pointed towards the living room. "You forgot that jacket."
"Oh right, I completely forgot! I'll go get it," Wang Jinghan said and went into the living room to retrieve her jacket. She then bid farewell to Zhang Zhi Hua. Zhang Zhi Hua also invited her to stay for dinner, but Wang Jinghan smiled and declined. She stepped outside and said goodbye to both Zhang Qiu and his mother before heading south.
Zhang Qiu watched Wang Jinghan's figure grow fainter in the darkness until she completely disappeared from sight before returning inside with He Mei.
He Mei instructed, "Son, sit there quietly and don't move around too much; take care of your wound."
"Don't worry, Mom," Zhang Qiu replied with a smile. After the earlier commotion, his wound did feel slightly painful.
He Mei went to the kitchen to prepare dinner while Zhang Qiu sat back on the sofa, watching Zhang Zhi Hua deep in thought. He asked, "Dad, what are you thinking about?"
"Ah?" Zhang Zhi Hua said when he saw Zhang Qiu come in, "It's nothing."
"Dad, thank you so much for what you did just now," Zhang Qiu said gratefully, looking at his father. The way his father had acted earlier had made his eyes well up with tears; if he hadn't been holding back, he would have cried.
Zhang Zhi Hua chuckled, "As your dad, I should do this for you." Then he became serious again. "Listen, Jiang Xue is a good girl. I won't allow you to hurt her. If you dare, I will break your legs."
"Dad, how could I possibly hurt her? You can rest assured about that." Mentioning Jiang Xue reminded Zhang Qiu of Auntie's attitude earlier. Jiang Xue was truly unfortunate; not only did she have her own misfortunes, but she also had relatives like that. But she should be independent now; he felt like he was dragging her down. Zhang Qiu sighed repeatedly, vowing to himself that he would make Jiang Xue happy.
He Mei prepared dinner, and the family ate quietly. He Mei tried to ask a few questions several times but was stopped by Zhang Zhi Hua's glare. After finishing the meal, Zhang Zhi Hua said, "Son, after eating, go rest quickly. You still have injuries; be careful not to bump them."
Zhang Qiu replied and said goodnight to his parents before heading back to his bedroom.
In the living room on the first floor, He Mei and Zhang Zhi Hua listened to Zhang Qiu's footsteps and the sound of the door closing as they whispered to each other.
The next morning, when Zhang Qiu opened his eyes, the first feeling was one of drowsiness; he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep without a care in the world. However, Zhang Qiu couldn't do that; there were many things waiting for him at school. After running his fingers through his messy hair, Zhang Qiu got out of bed.
He pulled back the curtains, and a ray of light streamed in. The air was gray and hazy, as if covered by a layer of gauze. He opened the window, and a cool breeze rushed in, instantly waking him up significantly.
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