Chapter 315: You Really Think I Didn

Wang Qiang and Wang Yonggan pushed their bicycles out the door one after the other.

Two years ago, Wang Qiang's family didn't own a single bicycle; now they had three.

His father Wang Daguang had one, his eldest son Wang Fajin had one, and his second son Wang Yonggan had one.

Li Ye said: "Qiangzi, let me give you a ride? You just ate, don't get a cramp."

Wang Qiang shook his head: "Brother, I'll carry you—I've got energy."

The two bicycles rode from the western part of the county to the southwest, arriving in no time.

Even from afar, Li Ye saw a flickering light at his front gate—like a bonfire.

As they drew closer, it was unmistakable.

A pile of firewood burned fiercely at the gate, and his two adopted sisters, Li Juan and Li Ying, were circling it, stomping their feet.

"What are you two doing at the gate? Playing with fire?"

Li Juan lifted her head, squinted, then exclaimed in delight: "Brother, weren't you supposed to drive back? Why are you on a bicycle?"

Li Ying quickly whispered: "Don't ask—your bike must've broken down. He's already upset. Don't say more."

"Oh oh oh~"

Li Juan replied twice, then turned and shouted into the yard: "Mom, my brother's back!"

Li Ying paused, then shouted even louder: "Dad, my brother's back!!"

Li Ye found it amusing. He dismounted at the gate and instinctively ruffled both girls' heads.

His hands met icy cold.

So that's what it was! He'd thought they were dancing by the bonfire—turns out they were freezing and warming themselves.

"It's so cold—why aren't you inside warming up? What are you doing out here?"

"Hehe, Dad said you'd be home by now, so me and Sister waited outside. We've got plenty of firewood—no need to worry about cold."

"Don't tell me you're not cold—you'll freeze solid! Get inside right now!"

Li Ye scolded them gently, herding the two girls inside, but didn't notice the gloom on Wang Qiang's face behind him.

Inside the Li home, as Wang Qiang had said, the whole family was still awake.

Li Zhongfa and Li Kaibian greeted Li Ye, Wang Qiang, and Fan Chunhua and her two sons into the main room. Grandma Wu Juying and Han Chunmei kept bringing dishes from the kitchen, and soon the table held four plates and six bowls.

Li Ye asked: "Grandpa, Grandma, you haven't eaten yet?"

Wu Juying smiled: "We adults ate already. The two girls had a little something. They said they'd wait for you to eat together. Hurry up—it's just right."

Li Juan and Li Ying happily fetched chopsticks and spoons, setting a full set for Li Ye and the three Wangs.

Fan Chunhua hurried to say: "Auntie, Uncle, we've already eaten. It was Qiangzi who said he needed to speak with your eldest brother, so we came so late."

"Speak to me?" Li Zhongfa asked Wang Qiang, puzzled: "Qiangzi, what do you need to tell me?"

Wang Qiang smiled: "Nothing much. When I was young, I learned martial arts from you, Master. These past two years, my brother took me out into the world—I've gained skill and experience."

"If you hadn't taken me in back then, if my brother hadn't taken me along, I might still be a nobody. I used to be too tongue-tied to even say thank you—but today, I must."

"Qiangzi, what are you talking about?"

Li Ye nudged Wang Qiang, who was growing too emotional, cutting him off.

Grandpa Li Zhongfa looked surprised but quickly said: "Qiangzi, you're being too formal. Even a hero needs three helpers! Your little Ye brother took you out into the world—didn't you help him too?

Back then, when I survived gunfire and bullets, it was thanks to a few brothers who risked their lives for me."

Wu Juying waited until Li Zhongfa finished his reflection, then smiled: "Qiangzi, we know who you are. We don't care about flowery words."

"By the way, I heard you've got a girl in Beijing—why didn't you bring her to let me see?"

Wang Qiang chuckled awkwardly: "Sister Xiao Yue took her to the guesthouse. Tomorrow I'll bring her to meet you, Master and Grandma."

"Then it's settled."

Wu Juying glanced at Fan Chunhua, her expression complex: "You've got to let your Master check whether that girl outside is trustworthy."

Wang Qiang hurried to say: "She's trustworthy, she's trustworthy."

"Hehe~"

Fan Chunhua listened to Wu Juying's laugh, stared at the four plates and six bowls, and felt like she was sitting on needles—she wanted to leave right now.

She was also deeply resentful toward Wang Qiang.

【Just a thank-you—why couldn't you say it any other time? Why now?】

Wang Qiang, ever the sensible one, ate a little and left.

Li Ye and the two girls saw them off at the gate. Then Li Juan quietly whispered to Li Ye.

"Brother, a few days ago, Aunt Liu came over and told Grandpa that girls from outside aren't reliable. She wanted him to tell Qiangzi to marry a girl from Dongbian Daliuxiang."

Li Ye looked at his gossipy little sister and smiled: "Really?"

Li Juan nodded: "It's true! I heard Dad and Mom say Aunt Liu wants a local daughter-in-law—someone easy to boss around."

Li Ying quickly added: "And salary—if the bride stays in our county, she can't split the family. Qiangzi still has to send money home every month."

"."

Li Ye couldn't help laughing.

Aunt Liu had plenty of scheming, but no vision—she couldn't see how times had changed.

In Wu Juying's generation, the mother-in-law was absolute authority. One shout of "All of you, kneel!" and no one dared stand—not even the dog, or it'd get beaten.

By Han Chunmei's generation, women were still hardworking but occasionally dared to argue back.

But by Huang Suwen's generation, their minds were fixed on their own husbands and children—expecting them to obey their mother-in-law was unrealistic.

In another twenty years—

Never mind. Talking about it brings tears.

Wang Qiang pushed his bicycle out of the Li home, never once mounting it—he walked the whole way.

"Qiangzi, did you twist your ankle? Why aren't you riding? If you're not riding, we're leaving!"

Fan Chunhua and Wang Yonggan had both felt uncomfortable inside the Li home, so their words came out sharp.

But Wang Qiang felt worse.

He stopped, propped the bike against the roadside, and turned to face Fan Chunhua.

"Mom, did you see it?"

"See what?"

"See what?" Wang Qiang raised his hand, pointing to his chest, voice thick with emotion: "Didn't you see clearly just now in Master's house? I'm your own son!"

Fan Chunhua: "."

Wang Qiang swept his arm toward the Li home: "You're my real mother—but Xiao Yue and Xiao Ye's mother is a stepmother."

"But when Xiao Ye came home, you saw how many dishes his stepmother left for him. Today, when I bring my girlfriend home, you give me a bowl of plain noodles?"

Wang Qiang's tears finally fell.

He was truly hurt.

When he left home after the Spring Festival, he truly believed he'd become the family's pillar.

But is this the treatment a family pillar gets?

Right now, Wang Qiang felt like he was still that stupid kid who got scolded for eating one extra bowl of rice.

Still that fool who'd rather eat a bite at Jin Peng's house than go home—where no one even looked for him.

"Honestly, I don't care what I eat. If you don't save me food, I don't blame you—I've gotten used to it these years."

Wang Qiang let tears stream down his face, voice breaking: "But she walked eight hundred miles with me! Her brother's watching from behind. This is slapping me in the face! I'm Wang Qiang—I'm someone who cares about his dignity now!"

"Slap slap slap~"

Wang Qiang slapped his own face hard.

He didn't know what to do.

Huang Gang hadn't said a word today—but what would he say to his mother when he returned to Beijing?

Wang Qiang had lived in Beijing for two years—he knew how proud Beijing people were.

You give me an inch, I give you a foot. If you don't treat us as people, no force in the world will bring us back.

Fan Chunhua had no reply. She didn't even know how she'd gone wrong.

For so many years, she'd simply gotten used to it.

Then Wang Yonggan, the second son, finally couldn't hold back: "Third brother, what are you saying? Are you filial? We prepared wine and dishes—you came back late!"

"Besides, what's so bad about plain wheat noodles? How many times did you even eat them back then?"

"Fuck your big brother!"

Wang Qiang shouted a Beijing curse and kicked Wang Yonggan hard.

He couldn't say anything to his mother—she'd given him life—but he'd long grown tired of this older brother.

"Third brother, you—"

Wang Yonggan felt like he couldn't breathe. If not for his thick winter clothes, that kick might've killed him.

But then he realized Wang Qiang wasn't done—he charged forward like a tank.

"Boom boom boom~"

"Do you think I'm really stupid? Was it your idea to push that girl from Daliuxiang?

I send home eighty yuan every month—now when I bring a girlfriend home, why is there nothing to eat? Do you really think I don't know who's behind this?"

"Bang bang bang~"

Wang Qiang vented all his rage on Wang Yonggan.

"Your new three-room tile house isn't bad! I heard your new girlfriend isn't bad either! You eat my food and use my things, yet you put on airs—do you really think I'm easy to bully~?"

"."

The Wang family all thought Wang Qiang had been working as a driver outside these past two years!

But no one knew others had already begun calling him "Qiang Ge."

Holding a position, one cultivates its aura; if you don't show your teeth, they think you're just a naive fool for a year?

I went, but got the time wrong—I mistook eleven o'clock for twelve. Otherwise, I could've continued the next part and sent it out—only to realize after posting.

(End of Chapter)