Chapter 4: What Are You Up To?

“What are you two kids doing?”

“Stalling for time, obviously.”

Su Qinghu said if they could come up with a way to get meat ration tickets on the way home, she’d buy them some meat. So the two of them immediately started looking for loopholes and dragging their feet.

When she squinted at them, they even argued back, “You never said we couldn’t stop and think of a plan before moving on…”

True, she hadn’t said that.

Su Qinghu didn’t even get mad, just nodded, “Alright, you can stay here and think. But once you’ve figured it out, remember to come home.”

She took a couple of steps forward, then stopped, turned back to the two hesitating kids, and smiled gently, “Oh, and I forgot to mention—when the meat gets bought is up to me!”

She said those last words slowly and clearly, making sure the two brats heard her loud and clear.

“Mom, wait for me!” Erdan, the younger one, was quick to catch on and, sensing the threat, hurried after her.

Dadan, the older one, wasn’t about to let his brother go alone, and followed with a grin. When he caught up with Su Qinghu, he snatched the bag with the lunchbox and teacup from her hand, grinning as he trailed behind.

Su Qinghu didn’t stop him. Let him carry it—he’s nine, and the bag isn’t even as heavy as a schoolbag. What’s the problem?

As they walked, Dadan and Erdan racked their brains, constantly coming up with ideas and asking Su Qinghu if their plans met her “reasonable, fair, and legal” standard.

Su Qinghu’s answer was always the same: “What do you think?”

What do you think, what do you think… The two kids were nearly driven crazy by those words. But after she asked, they still had to answer.

They say no one knows you better than yourself. In this situation, it was like trying to find loopholes in your own words—you’d always catch yourself out.

They ended up talking themselves into a corner, with no way out…

By the time they’d walked two-thirds of the way home, the two kids realized they had no hope and wilted, looking as pitiful as could be under the blazing sun.

“Actually, I have a way,” Su Qinghu glanced at them, then looked away and kept walking. “As long as there’s still meat left when we get there, you can have meat today.”

Ever since the boys reminded her that you needed ration tickets to buy meat, she’d become much more careful with her words, always adding a condition up front.

But Dadan and Erdan’s eyes lit up, staring at her, waiting for her to go on. Erdan even lifted the hem of his sweaty shirt and fanned her, eager to please.

Su Qinghu stopped and patted Erdan’s head. “Alright, enough with the flattery. And your belly’s showing.”

Erdan didn’t care. “As long as you’re cool, Mom. I’m a boy, so what if my belly shows?”

His face was all “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel at home,” the perfect little bootlicker.

“Let me ask you, why did you pick all the pomegranate blossoms from the Liu family’s tree?” And stripped it bare, too…

Erdan answered frankly, “She falsely accused my brother of being a pervert. I told her to apologize and she wouldn’t, so I stripped her pomegranate tree—serves her right.”

His brother was the most important thing to him, and the pomegranate tree was the most important thing to the Liu family. So by messing with their tree, things were even.

After Erdan finished, Su Qinghu looked at Dadan. “What about you?”

“Nothing to say,” Dadan replied, lips pressed tight. If he couldn’t have meat, so be it—he wasn’t going to talk.

But the way he pursed his lips and the look in his eyes told a different story.

Su Qinghu didn’t press him, but turned back to Erdan. “So, where are those pomegranate blossoms you picked?”

Erdan dodged the question, “Are we really going to get meat today, fair and square?”

Trying to negotiate, huh?

This time, Su Qinghu was straightforward. “Of course. As long as there’s still meat left.”

“Heh heh.” Erdan was delighted with her answer, still fanning her as he replied, “They’re on a poplar tree not far from our house.”

Su Qinghu wasn’t surprised that such a young kid could climb trees—she was surprised by something else. “Why put them up there?”

Could it be he thought the same way she did? No way, right?

Erdan glanced at Su Qinghu but didn’t answer.

Why is this new mom sometimes smart, sometimes clueless… Why did he put them up there? Isn’t it obvious? Who does something bad and leaves evidence behind? Good deeds get you in trouble, too.

Plus, he’d been so mad at the time, he just wanted to dry out those pomegranate blossoms and toss one at the Liu family’s door every few days, just to annoy them…

Su Qinghu saw the look of disdain in his eyes and gave up asking, just ordered, “Later, go get those pomegranate blossoms and bring them back.”

“Why? Are you going to return them?” Erdan stuck his hands in his pockets and warned her, “That Liu woman has a nasty temper. If you dare put those blossoms in front of her, she’ll fight you! Or she’ll try to scam you for money. And that money’s all from my dad…”

“Besides, my brother didn’t do anything wrong.” He pouted, starting to mutter, “If I bring them back, are you going to beat us in front of her?”

Su Qinghu was baffled. “Why would I beat you? Other than the fact that you picked the blossoms, the rest was all made up by her, wasn’t it?”

Dadan, who’d been silent, sneaked a glance at her and quickly looked away.

Erdan explained, “Isn’t that how it goes these days? When kids from two families fight, as soon as the other kid cries, their parents come over. Even if they know their own kid isn’t at fault, they’ll still hit their own kid to appease the other family.”

Su Qinghu: “…”

Erdan: “Let me show you how our first mom did it!”

He started taking off his shoes, grabbed one, and began smacking the air, mimicking a scolding voice, “You useless thing! Always eyeing other people’s stuff! Their things are precious, and you dare covet them? Who do you think you are? Do you even know who they are? You think you can mess with them?!”

He acted out the whole scene, vivid as if it happened yesterday.

Su Qinghu understood now. Parents these days really did hit their kids, and scold them with all sorts of indirect insults.

“You adults are so two-faced. You say you’ll hit your kids and then do it, but in the end, it’s your own kids who suffer, not someone else’s.”

Su Qinghu nodded. “You have a point.”

Erdan: “??? You’re not going to hit me?”

Usually, his dad’s ex-wife would’ve slapped him by now. No way would she let him talk this much…

“Why would I hit you?” Su Qinghu raised her chin slightly. “Like you said, if I hit you, I’d just hurt my own hand. If you’re itching for a beating, go ask your brother to do it, not me.”

Erdan looked at her in surprise. “You’re really different from everyone else I’ve met.”

She seemed the same at first…

“Alright, enough chatter.” Su Qinghu waved her hand, signaling them to keep moving. “Like I said, bring those pomegranate blossoms back to me, every last one.”

Then she suddenly turned off the road, catching the boys off guard. They hurried to catch up, “Where are you going?”

“Didn’t you want meat?” Su Qinghu didn’t even look back. “I remember there’s a deli up ahead, and the owner’s wife is a friend of your dad’s…”

Before she could finish, the boys grabbed her—one hugging her leg, the other her waist—trying to drag her back.

“No! Don’t go!”

“We don’t want meat anymore!”"