Chapter 31 – First Watch
Wan Mu’s vision darkened; she was on the verge of fainting.
What sin did she commit in her past life to give birth to such a fool!
Zhou Hao and Qian Qing exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unspoken disbelief.
There is nothing more dangerous than a fool who believes himself clever.
Wan Zhenzhen likely intended to cast the old Qian family in a bad light before their neighbors, making it seem as though they were bullying others by leveraging their influence. She also hoped to mend fences with Wang Hua through this display of protecting her husband.
With her mindset, she probably never even considered whether getting pregnant over a month into a mere two-week marriage raised any red flags.
Qian Qing thought to herself, no wonder she had stayed cooped up at her parents’ home these past few days without stirring; clearly, she was nurturing her pregnancy.
Although societal attitudes were more open now than in previous years, bringing such matters into the public eye still looked bad, especially since Wan Zhenzhen and Wang Hua had barely spent any time together before their wedding.
But then again, considering this was Wan Zhenzhen, those seemingly unreasonable aspects suddenly made perfect sense.
It seemed that ever since Wan Zhenzhen was reborn, she had consciously sought to get close to Wang Hua, with her ultimate aim still fixed on her.
Qian Qing exchanged a glance with Zhou Hao; he too understood that no further trouble should be stirred at this moment. Since Wan Zhenzhen had exposed her own shortcomings, it was best for outsiders not to meddle.
Zhou Hao helped Wang Hua to her feet while Qian Qing offered a half-hearted attempt to smooth things over: “Sorry about this misunderstanding. Zhou Hao just acted impulsively; please don’t take it to heart.”
Wang Hua…
Wang Hua felt as though he was about to explode.
Was Wan Zhenzhen insane? Was she completely out of her mind?
If this matter came to light, the Wan family might at worst suffer some gossip and pointed fingers, but what would become of him?
Wang Hua trembled with fear, his mind flooded with radio news reports about individuals arrested for crimes of hooliganism and executed by firing squad.
He instinctively reached for Qian Qing’s arm; today, only Qian Qing and Zhou Hao were from the oilfield. As long as neither of them spoke, the news would never reach the compound.
As long as they didn’t say that Wan Zhenzhen had admitted it herself, it wouldn’t be a major issue! Zhou Hao, quick-eyed and faster-handed, pinched his hand, making Wang Hua grimace in pain.
Seeing this, Wan Zhenzhen immediately pushed forward again, trying to pry Zhou Hao’s fingers loose.
“Zhou Hao! I said it! If you have any anger, take it out on me!”
Wang Hua: “…Can you just shut up!”
Suddenly, Wan’s mother rushed over, grabbed Wan Zhenzhen, and slapped her hard across both cheeks before dragging her home, her eyes blazing with fury.
—She couldn’t be left outside any longer; who knew what other foolish words might slip from her mouth.
Not long after the mother and daughter went inside, Wan Zhenzhen’s muffled sobs began to drift out from within the house.
The neighbors watched a spectacular show, then clicked their tongues and dispersed. Who would have thought? This quiet little girl from the Wan family turned out to be so bold!
Scandalous gossip is always the most appetizing; it’s predictable that the Wan family’s domestic affairs will become infamous in the next month or two.
Father and Mother Qian stood at the doorway, watching the dramatic spectacle up close for quite some time, both feeling a shiver of sympathy.
—Thank goodness their family didn’t end up with a daughter like Wan Zhenzhen.
Wang Hua’s cheek was swollen, making it difficult for him to speak clearly. He struggled to say, “Can you…?”
Zhou Hao figured out what he meant in an instant.
“Sorry, I got a bit too heavy-handed.”
Wang Hua shook his head vigorously. Too heavy? Nonsense! As long as you two keep this to yourselves, feel free to be even heavier-handed!
Zhou Hao chuckled softly, then turned and led his wife back inside.
Wang Hua reached out behind him, his mind a chaotic mess. What did Zhou Hao mean by that? Would he actually say anything to others?
Hey! Don’t go! Make yourself clear!
Qian Qing fetched a towel for Zhou Hao to dry his hands, then sat beside him, her eyes fixed intently on him.
Others might not know, but she knew all too well.
Zhou Hao might appear cold on the outside, but he actually harbors a mischievous streak. Take today’s incident, for instance; another person might have seized the opportunity to demand favors from Wang Hua, or outright told him to keep Wan Zhenzhen in check, or at the very least, insisted that Wang Hua let the matter of the beating drop.
But not Zhou Hao. He said nothing, deliberately keeping Wang Hua in a state of anxious uncertainty. Burdened by such unease, Wang Hua would end up doing far more than Zhou Hao ever required.
Zhou Hao shook his hands, instantly switching back to his usual demeanor.
“Wife, when shall we head home?”
Qian Qing extended a single finger, pushing away Zhou Hao’s handsome face as he leaned in.
“Just wait a moment; I need to say a few words to my parents.”
Qianqian’s face flushed crimson. Her uncle-by-marriage was simply too handsome! She scampered over to Zhou Hao, tilting her head up to gaze at him, her large, sparkling eyes brimming with envy.
Zhou Hao was equally fond of this little niece. He lifted her onto his shoulders and asked, “Sister, shall I take Qianqian out for a stroll?”
Qian Yu felt a mix of emotions, yet she smiled and said, “Go ahead, Qianqian. Be good, okay?”
Qianqian clung to Zhou Hao’s hair, nodding vigorously like a chick pecking at rice.
Uncle is so tall! Sitting on his shoulders, she can see so far!
Zhou Hao has gone out, and Qian Yu has also entered the inner room; now all four members of the Qian family are gathered, sitting in a circle.
Although Mother Qian felt that Zhou Hao’s actions just now were satisfying, she still harbored some fear: “Could this cause any trouble for Zhou Hao?”
Zhou Hao had struck hard just now; she worried he might have actually injured someone.
Qian Qing: “It’s fine; he held back.”
He wasn’t a real martial artist anyway; how could he have caused any serious harm?
Qian’s father, his face stiff with disapproval, muttered, “…It still doesn’t look good if word gets out. You were far too impulsive; they’re our neighbors…”
Qian’s mother cut him off sharply: “Just shut up!”
No one saw through it as clearly as this old woman did! Zhou Hao hadn’t struck out in a fit of rage; he was plainly standing up for his own family.
They had lived here for a long time, yet they had no sons. Their two daughters were both married off and neither lived nearby. Moreover, now that Qian Qing had earned some money, who knew which neighbor in the building might be harboring ill intentions?
In a few days, both the eldest and youngest daughters will head to the provincial capital, leaving only the elders and the young ones at home. If Zhou Hao hadn’t come today to stand up for them, their lives would never know peace again.
Mother Qian felt deeply moved. Although her younger daughter’s guidance had strengthened her resolve lately, she could still sense certain differences. For instance, just a few days ago, when she asked someone who had borrowed money from her to repay it, that person kept making excuses and refusing to pay. And even though the neighbors in the building often faced setbacks, whenever they needed to borrow something, their first instinct was still to come to her house.
This behavior was like a ball of cotton—soft enough to absorb your furious punches, yet offering no solid point to strike.
Mother Qian did not believe that having two daughters made her family inferior. Qian Qing and Qian Yu were both rare and wonderful children; it was their misfortune to be born into a family with such difficult circumstances.
Now that both children are racing ahead, as parents, they cannot afford to lag behind and become a burden.
Qian Qing was highly satisfied with the results of her teaching. Although her parents held some old-fashioned views, her mother had long been harboring deep dissatisfaction due to last year’s work issues. This was precisely why Qian Qing managed to turn her mother’s mindset around in just a few days.
The words she spoke were likely thoughts that had already churned repeatedly in her mother’s mind; her mother had simply suppressed them without taking action. Now, after Qian Qing’s intensive persuasion, her mother no longer blindly obeyed her father in every matter. With her mother on board, her father wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble.
Let Qian’s father properly undergo his wife’s “subtle influence.”
Qian Qing ignored her father’s aggrieved expression and steered the conversation elsewhere. “Mom, Zhou Hao and I have discussed it. We think you should continue running the small stall at the school gate. Zhou Hao is busy with work, and I’ll be out running errands, so leaving the stall to an outsider isn’t ideal. Zhou Hao has already spoken to the factory about finding you a temporary room in the apartment building closest to the stall. Later, once the new office building is completed, I’ll see if I can secure a proper storefront for you. How does that sound?”
Zhou Hao had more sources of information than Qian Qing. Upon returning home, he quickly gathered several pieces of news.
First, the factory had earmarked another plot of land near the No. 1 Factory Office Building. Second, the oilfield was establishing a new department responsible for real estate development. Third, the morning market street had finally been settled, with detailed management regulations currently being drafted.
Piecing these reports together, Zhou Hao shared Qian Qing’s view: the property opposite the Workers’ Children’s Primary School was likely intended for commercial storefronts. Whether these would be leased or sold, however, depended on further announcements from the factory.
Qian’s mother didn’t hesitate long before nodding. “I’ll go!”
If her daughter needed her, she would go!
Her health had been declining since last year, but what effort did it take to sell a few small items? Besides, she loved children; seeing a big group of them always made her happy.
Qian Qing suddenly thought of Qianqian. Turning to Qian Yu, she asked, “Qianqian is six now. The enrollment rules at the No. 1 School for Employees’ Children don’t seem too strict. Why don’t we ask around? If it’s possible, let’s send Qianqian there to start first grade.”
A few days ago, when Zhou Hao returned, Engineer Fang came over to invite them, and the two families gathered for a meal. Engineer Fang’s wife was cheerful and generous; they chatted at length about their daughter’s school enrollment.
For someone like Huang Qianqian, whose household registration wasn’t in the city, enrolling in the No. 1 Primary School for employees’ children required paying a temporary study fee, and she wouldn’t receive certain welfare benefits enjoyed by oilfield students. Fortunately, aside from the financial issue, everything else was treated equally.
Mother Qian grew excited: “Hurry and ask around. If it’s possible, let Qianqian live with me from now on; I can even cook for her.”
Qian Yu didn’t know what to do. Sending Qianqian to school in the oilfield would be tantamount to handing his daughter over to his mother to raise.
“I’ll go back and discuss it with Old Huang.”
After all, it was her sister’s family matter; Qian Qing mentioned it once and did not press further.
Instead, she turned to her mother to talk about the stall: “Mom, for this little stall, let’s split the profits fifty-fifty. I’ll handle sourcing and restocking, and you’ll be in charge of selling. Let’s operate like this for two semesters first; by next year, when we move to a proper storefront, we can decide how to proceed from there.”
Mother Qian seemed startled and waved her hand hastily, “What profit-sharing are you talking about? I’m just helping you mind the stall; I don’t need anything!”
Her youngest daughter was providing both the capital and the labor; she herself would merely sit there watching the stall, so why should she take any money?
Qian Qing insisted, “Zhou Hao and I have already discussed it; this is how it will be. In a few days, Zhou Hao will whitewash the guardhouse at the entrance and build a few shelves. Once my sister and I return from our wholesale trip, we’ll set everything up.”
She simply didn’t have the energy to manage this small kiosk by the gate. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would soon be handed over entirely to her mother, making a fifty-fifty split of the profits the best arrangement.
Qian’s father sat to the side, feeling utterly invisible. His eldest daughter, youngest daughter, and wife chattered back and forth, settling several major matters in an instant.
The eldest daughter was about to become a private entrepreneur, the youngest already was one, his wife was soon to follow suit, and even his granddaughter would be attending elementary school as a visiting student…
…Wasn’t he the only one simply going to work every day? Why did it feel like the entire world was turning into private entrepreneurs!