Chapter 30 After finishing their meal around the fourth watch, Father Qian, slightly tipsy, returned to his room to sleep, and Mother Qian also went to rest. Qian Qing then pulled her older sister aside to talk, while Zhou Hao dragged a stool to sit by the doorway. He watched Qianqian crouch over the small table at the entrance, writing characters, all the while waiting for Wang Hua. In fact, ever since returning from his business trip, Zhou Hao had wanted to beat Wang Hua up, but his wife had stopped him. Today presented such a perfect opportunity that it would be foolish to let it slip away. Regardless of whether Wang Hua came looking for a fight today, Zhou Hao intended to punch him first anyway. Wan Zhenzhen's character was already twisted, but Wang Hua couldn't wash his hands clean either. Had Wang Hua been upright, he would have reacted appropriately when Wan Zhenzhen started spreading rumors on the second day after their wedding.

Wan Zhenzhen's nature was obvious: whenever someone surpassed her, she immediately backed down. Judging by her tendency to flee at the slightest trouble, she truly lacked sense, never considering consequences before acting. Dealing with foolish people is always troublesome; this was precisely why, as soon as Qian Qing mentioned it, Zhou Hao decided they should move out quickly. The danger posed by fools lies in their unpredictable actions—no one, not even the heavens, can foresee what they might do next. The impact could be minor or major; essentially, they are people who might cause chaos at any moment. But Wang Hua was different. He wasn't stupid; in fact, he was clever. His support for Wan Zhenzhen becoming an individual entrepreneur demonstrated his keen sense of the environment. With a normal mind yet ambitions soaring sky-high, even if Zhou Hao didn't beat him up, the two were already on opposite sides.

Recalling his wife's words, Zhou Hao remembered that by year's end, he should be promoted to deputy captain of the maintenance team. Once promoted, Wang Hua's jealousy would only intensify. So why hesitate? Better to settle things with fists first. Basking in the sunlight, Zhou Hao occasionally softened his tone to guide Huang Qianqian. Initially somewhat afraid of her uncle-by-marriage, Qianqian grew fond of him as she watched him curl his long limbs onto the tiny stool, patiently explaining how to solve arithmetic problems. Smiling warmly, Qian Yu teased Qian Qing, "Your husband clearly loves children. Why not hurry up and give him one?"

Qian Qing sidestepped the topic: "That's still far off. We plan to work hard for a few years before having children. By the way, Sister, what do you think about what I just mentioned?"

Qian Qing hadn't directly told her sister what business they would pursue because she herself had no luxury of choice. Currently, she had nearly two thousand yuan in capital—enough to set up a street stall, but insufficient to purchase a storefront. Therefore, she wanted to take her sister along to conduct market research: first, to scout stalls near the school gate for potential stock like stationery and snacks; second, to visit the wholesale market in the provincial capital and investigate opportunities in clothing, shoes, hats, socks, and scarves. This trip wouldn't be made in vain; they would definitely bring back some goods to test the waters. Since Zhou Hao had his job, the only helper Qian Qing could rely on was her sister.

"Zhou Hao has friends in the provincial capital, so we'll have someone to guide us there. However, we still need to inspect the goods ourselves, and the train journey back and forth will be crowded. Sister, if you're undecided, just come with me once, consider it keeping me company. You and Brother-in-law grow vegetables in the countryside; how much can you earn monthly? I know you worry about leaving Qianqian alone and fear she might be mistreated by the Huang family. But Qianqian is already six years old and will soon enter primary school. Do you really intend to let her attend the village school? If we earn some money, pay the non-resident tuition fees, and bring the child to the city, she'll receive a better education in the future."

Qian Yu's hesitation centered entirely on her daughter. Since giving birth to Qianqian, she had never conceived again; in the past two years, she had even had an IUD inserted. With only this one daughter in this lifetime, Qianqian represented the continuation of her life and its very core. Qian Qing's persuasion struck exactly the right chord. After brief hesitation, Qian Yu nodded firmly.

"Alright, I'll do whatever you say. Even if nothing else, I'm certainly capable of carrying packages for you."

Her own mother was helping look after the child, and now her younger sister, despite earning little, was reaching out to lift her up. She wasn't ungrateful.

"I still have eighty yuan here. I'll cover the train fares for our trip to the provincial capital."

Qian Qing didn't hesitate to push back: "I'll take care of the accommodation."

"Sister, I won't hide anything from you. I have two thousand yuan on hand. Stocking the small stall might cost a few hundred. My own budget is to invest another thousand in inventory. With what's left, I can lend it to you. If you trust me, why not stock some goods too? Once you earn money back, you can repay me the principal. How about that?"

Selling clothes, shoes, and socks was different from running an ice lolly stall. The ice lolly stall had been hers alone; now that she and her sister were going into business together, it was best to lay everything out clearly from the start. Qian Yu was deeply moved: "Deal!"

Her younger sister laying all her cards on the table like this showed real trust. Qian Yu wasn't so ungrateful as to miss that. A few hundred yuan as capital—who else would lend that to her? The two sisters exchanged a smile, warmth rising in both their hearts. **** Zhou Hao waited and waited, finally meeting Wang Hua by mid-afternoon. Wang Hua was completely dazed. Wan Zhenzhen's mother had rushed to his home and dropped a bombshell on his own mother: Wan Zhenzhen was pregnant! One and a half months along! Wang Hua's first instinct was that Wan Zhenzhen was lying, trying to trick him. After all, they'd only been intimate once or twice before marriage; how could she have gotten pregnant? But Wan Zhenzhen's mother's demeanor didn't seem fake, and Wan Zhenzhen herself wasn't clever enough to fabricate a pregnancy. —A doctor's examination would expose any deceit immediately. So it was true: Wan Zhenzhen was pregnant.

And this came just when he had firmly decided to divorce. Upon hearing the news, Old Lady Wang instantly forgot all of Wan Zhenzhen's troublesome behavior and urged him to fetch her daughter home immediately. No matter how much trouble Wan Zhenzhen caused, there was nothing to be done about it; her womb had proven fruitful. Who knew? The child in her belly might well be her golden grandson. She had to be brought back at once and cared for properly. With complicated feelings, Wang Hua followed his mother-in-law to pick up his wife. Along the way, she kept complaining loudly about how Zhou Hao had bullied them, but he barely listened; his mind was entirely occupied with Wan Zhenzhen's pregnancy. One and a half months. Wang Hua felt a swirl of conflicting emotions. He wanted a son, but why did fate place that son in Wan Zhenzhen's womb? Now, he dared not mention divorce again.

Wan Zhenzhen's pregnancy was the ultimate evidence. If things went badly and she reported him to the authorities, he'd be finished. They had been involved before marriage; Wan Zhenzhen could easily turn the tables and accuse him of misconduct. In that case, he could even face execution. A shiver ran through Wang Hua; fear gripped his heart. Fine, let her come back. With her belly swelling, she'd have to keep a low profile for the rest of the year. Once the child was born, tied down by motherhood, she wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble. Besides, this child had arrived at just the right time: it would restrain Wan Zhenzhen and make the compound residents temporarily forget her past misdeeds. After all, who could bear to quarrel with a pregnant woman? Seeing Wang Hua listening so attentively, Wan Zhenzhen's mother felt satisfied. Her eldest son-in-law was useless, but her younger son-in-law would surely restore her family's honor!

When they returned to the Matchstick Factory residential compound, Wan Baojin marched ahead like a general who had just won a battle, brimming with aggression. His second brother-in-law might be shorter, but he would surely defeat that "long bamboo pole"

! His mother had said thin people lacked strength; only someone plump like him was truly strong. Although his second brother-in-law wasn't fat, he was far sturdier than that "long bamboo pole"

and would definitely punch him until his teeth scattered across the floor! From then on, he could eat at the big fool's house every single meal! Arriving at the second floor, Wan Baojin spotted Zhou Hao sitting outside the door from afar, with Qianqian nestled beside him, listening as he read a storybook aloud. Wan Baojin bellowed: "My brother-in-law is here! Just watch him knock your teeth out!"

Zhou Hao gently pushed Qianqian inside, afraid she might get bumped or hurt in the commotion. Then he turned around, wearing a faint, ambiguous smile: "Come on, then."

Wang Hua: ??? Wang Hua: Come on for what? Zhou Hao gave him no chance to react. He grabbed Wang Hua by the collar and landed a punch straight on his face. What followed was a barrage of blows, each carrying force, targeting spots that hurt intensely yet remained invisible. Back when Zhou Hao attended technical secondary school, he had practiced martial arts. At that time, hooligans often harassed Qian Qing on her way to and from school. Whenever he was free, Zhou Hao would escort her and had even stepped in to fight those thugs. His practical combat experience far surpassed that of weaklings like Wang Hua.Wang Hua, enraged by the beating, tried to fight back but only made things worse. Zhou Hao moved swiftly and ruthlessly; being much taller, he simply grabbed Wang Hua's shoulder, causing such intense pain that Wang Hua didn't know what to do. Mother Wan cowered beside Wan Baojin as Wang Hua was pummeled for quite some time, feeling pain everywhere on his body.

Seeing that Zhou Hao had mostly vented his anger, Qian Qing was about to step in and say a few words when suddenly a figure darted out from the Wan household. Wan Zhenzhen rushed between the two men, screaming hoarsely, "Zhou Hao! What are you doing!"

Zhou Hao shook his hand and let go of Wang Hua, yet pretended to be confused: "Didn't your mother say she wanted Wang Hua to fight me?"

Wang Hua, with only one punch landing on his face, his cheek swollen, stammered, "…When did I ever say I wanted to fight?" Zhou Hao replied,

"Didn't your brother-in-law say you were going to beat me until I couldn't find my teeth?"

Wang Hua: … Seeing more and more people gathering around, Wan Zhenzhen stood before Wang Hua, tears streaming down her face.

"Zhou Hao, I know you're angry that I took Qian Qing's business. Then hit me instead! Don't hit Wang Hua! None of this has anything to do with him!"

She clutched her stomach, looking utterly terrified: "Hit me anywhere you like, just don't hit my belly."

"Because I'm already over a month pregnant."

… Zhou Hao: … Qian Qing: … Qian Qing's parents, who had come running at the commotion: … The onlooking crowd: … Mother Wan: … You big idiot, can't you just shut up?!