Things had gone smoothly on Bai Jiu’s end, but the aftermath left her in a cold sweat. She had been careless during this transaction. Not only was she followed, but she had also nearly been completely exposed. If it hadn’t been for her spatial dimension, she would have suffered a devastating loss. She made a mental note of this hidden grievance.
"People shouldn’t be too trusting," she reminded herself.
Her heart was still trembling on the way back. She didn’t dare mention any of this to Gao Zhijun. Fortunately, she wouldn’t need to sneak out like this anymore. Even if she needed to buy something, she didn’t necessarily have to show her face. The research institute had a small supply cooperative. While it couldn’t compare to the ones in the city, it was more than enough for everyday necessities.
But not long after stepping through her front door, she heard Shu Kang crying and shouting. His wails were so loud that they carried all the way into her courtyard. She certainly hadn’t forgotten that Zhengyang and Xiuxiu were still next door at Aunt Xu’s place. Grabbing two packages of pastries, she immediately headed back out.
"Why are you covered in mud, child? Where have you been?" Bai Jiu heard Aunt Xu asking Shu Kang as soon as she arrived.
"Where are Zhengyang and Xiuxiu?" Aunt Xu asked anxiously, noticing no one else outside. She had planned to till the soil today, but she couldn’t keep the kids cooped up. Shu Kang had made a fuss about going out to play, and left with no choice, she had let the three children go out together. Now that only one had returned, how could she not panic?
Bai Jiu hadn’t seen her own children either, so she quickly stepped into the courtyard. "Aunt Xu."
Seeing Bai Jiu walk in, Aunt Xu’s heart inexplicably tightened. "You’re back, Bai Jiu," she greeted, looking a bit sheepish.
"Yes. What happened to Shu Kang?" Bai Jiu asked, carrying the pastries toward the two of them. "Where are Zhengyang and Xiuxiu? Did they go out to play?" Not seeing them made her anxious. After what had happened last time, she was always a little on edge about their safety.
"WAAH! Aunt Bai, Zhengyang is fighting someone, and I couldn’t pull him away!" Shu Kang didn’t share his grandmother’s nervousness. He only knew that seeing an adult meant he had backup.
Hearing that Zhengyang was in a fight, Bai Jiu panicked. "Quick, take me there!" The color instantly drained from her face.
Shu Kang stopped crying. "Okay, follow me, Aunt Bai."
Aunt Xu, temporarily forgotten, hastily followed them.
The path Shu Kang led them down was unfamiliar to Bai Jiu. It was behind the family compound, a place she had never been before. After walking for about two minutes, they finally arrived. As soon as she got there, Bai Jiu saw a group of children huddled together. Two other women were also sprinting toward the scene in a panic.
"Stop fighting! Stop it!" the two women yelled as they ran.
What they didn’t realize was that the fight was already over. The children were now just gathered around, verbally condemning one of the boys. It was only when Bai Jiu got closer that she could hear what they were saying. However, seeing the adults arrive, the children fell silent and scattered, clearing a space in the middle.
Bai Jiu hurriedly walked over to her two children. Seeing the red swelling on Zhengyang’s face, she felt a mix of heartache and anger. She didn’t reprimand him right away; instead, she focused on his injuries.
"Does it hurt?" She wanted to touch his face but was afraid of causing him pain.
Seeing his mother, Zhengyang’s tears began to fall uncontrollably. He hadn’t felt wronged during the fight, but now, the grievances hit him all at once.
"Mom!" he cried, throwing his arms around her.
"Don’t cry, it’s okay. Mom is here," Bai Jiu coaxed, her own eyes growing misty out of distress. She kept gently patting his back to calm him down.
The boy who had been fighting Zhengyang was in a much more miserable state. His mother marched over and started beating him without a word.
"Mom, I was wrong! Stop hitting me, I was wrong!" The little guy apologized with lightning speed.
However, as his mother tried to hit him, he ran in circles, completely evading her strikes. It was obvious he got beaten often; otherwise, he wouldn’t be this experienced at dodging.
After chasing him around to no avail, Deng Meina finally gave up. "You little brat, stand still! I won’t hit you anymore." She knew her own child well. If she didn’t say that, he could keep her running all day.
Sure enough, the moment she said it, the boy stopped. "I won’t run, I won’t run," he said, his face full of fawning innocence.
Now that she had a moment to breathe, Deng Meina turned to observe the victim.
"I’m so sorry, miss. My boy is just too mischievous. Is your child alright?" Deng Meina didn’t even know how many times she had cleaned up her son’s messes.
Meanwhile, Bai Jiu had managed to ask about the cause of the fight, leaving her caught between tears and laughter. It was all because the two boys were arguing over whose dad was more impressive.
"Hello there. It’s nothing serious," Bai Jiu replied politely. She didn’t say he was completely fine, only that it was "nothing serious." With her son hurt, she was too pained and angry to easily say she didn’t mind.
Looking at the injuries on Zhengyang’s face, Deng Meina felt incredibly guilty. She thought to herself that she never should have sent this brat to his uncle’s place; every year he came back, he’d get into fights with the kids in the compound, causing her endless headaches.
"The child’s face is hurt. Why don’t we go to the infirmary to get it checked out? We can’t let it get worse," Deng Meina offered sincerely.
Bai Jiu glanced at Zhengyang, who was now looking a bit embarrassed.
"Mom, I don’t want to go," he muttered. He had lost the fight and felt too humiliated to be seen by a doctor.
Bai Jiu thought about it. They weren’t short of medicine at home, so there was no need to force him to do something he hated.
"Alright, we won’t go," Bai Jiu said, patting Zhengyang’s head before standing up with a polite smile. "He doesn’t want to go, so there’s no need." She still didn’t say "it’s fine" or "no worries." She simply relayed her son’s wishes.
Feeling intensely awkward, Deng Meina rubbed her nose. "You brat, get over here and apologize to your little brother! How can you have the nerve to bully someone so much younger than you? Do you have no shame?" She vented all her lingering frustration onto her son.
Deng Meina’s son was named Lan Jing. He was eight years old this year, two years older than Shu Kang. No wonder the latter had run crying for the adults. Lan Jing was a big, strapping boy, a full half-head taller than Zhengyang.
Seeing such a big kid beat up a four-year-old made Bai Jiu quite displeased.
Lan Jing, however, was exceptionally good at reading the room, and he was a seasoned pro at apologizing. He walked up to Zhengyang. "I’m sorry. But I still think my dad is more awesome." He gave the apology, but he refused to concede the argument. "I’m only apologizing for hitting you. Anyway, my dad is way better than your dad," the brat added with a smug look on his face.
Hearing these childish words, Deng Meina’s face turned beet red. If it weren’t for the fact that her son’s injuries were somewhat serious, Bai Jiu would have laughed.
She hadn’t expected Zhengyang to hold Gao Zhijun in such high regard. She had assumed that since the father and son hadn’t spent much time together, their relationship wouldn’t be this close. But to her surprise, it seemed that in every child’s heart, their parents were always their towering pillars of support.
Zhengyang snorted. "My dad is more awesome. If you don’t believe me, let’s fight again." He absolutely refused to admit defeat on this point.
Bai Jiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "That’s enough. Do you even know what his dad does for a living? Yet you’re still boasting that your dad is better," Bai Jiu chided, exasperatedly tapping the top of Zhengyang’s head.
At that moment, Xiuxiu spoke up.
"Mom, I know! His dad researches airplanes!" Xiuxiu hadn’t cried during her brother’s fight this time. Not only did she not cry, but she had also been standing on the sidelines throwing mud, getting herself completely covered in muck.
Seeing her daughter’s state, Bai Jiu was even more amused and exasperated.
"Did you go rolling in a mud pit?" she asked, gently wiping the dirt from the little girl’s face.