Qin Shuli looked at Wang Yueshu, whose body had been healed by the spiritual spring. At twenty-six years of age, she was still young, with fine features and a ruddy complexion. In an instant, he understood Yi Zhonghai's intentions.
He had previously assumed Yi Zhonghai was helping the Jia Family simply to get their hands on a house. Now, it was clear: the man wanted to draw the Qin family into the middle courtyard to make it easier to manipulate them.
The audacity of this bastard was staggering. After just a single meeting and a few casual words, he had already set his sights on the Qin family.
Qin Shuli decided that once he secured some money and resolved his family's survival crisis, he would deal with Yi Zhonghai. If people like that were not taught a lesson, they would never learn how to behave.
"Mother, the Rolling Mill is in Japanese hands right now. With how pretty you are, going there would be like walking straight into a tiger's den. You shouldn't go. Besides, the twins still need you at home to take care of them."
Wang Yueshu didn't want to go either, but she was a mother of three, and the Rolling Mill was the fastest place to find work.
"But...!"
"There are no buts." Qin Shuli cut Wang Yueshu off. "Mother, your health wasn't good before, so Shuping and Shufan never really knew maternal love growing up. Now that you're well, you can finally look after them. Children grow up fast; in just a few short years, they'll be off to school. You won't have much time left to spend together!"
Qin Shuli didn't know what path the twins would take in the future, but physical labor was definitely out of the question.
"What about the family? I absolutely refuse to let you go work for the Japanese! No matter how capable you are, you're only an eight-year-old child. If the Japanese find out, you won't even be able to run away!"
Wang Yueshu didn't want the entire burden of the household resting on her eldest son's shoulders, but going out there truly was dangerous.
Qin Shuli smiled and said, "I won't go looking for the Japanese. From now on, I'll target the collaborators. Those bastards have mediocre skills, yet plenty of money. Sound good?"
Wang Yueshu looked at the face that was so identical to her son's and reluctantly agreed. "From now on, whoever you plan to move against, you must tell me first!"
"No problem." Qin Shuli agreed readily, then took out a bowl and ladled out the rice porridge.
In this day and age, white rice was food for the wealthy; ordinary folk couldn't afford it at all. A single silver dollar could only buy thirty catties of rice—not a cheap price by any means.
Wang Yueshu carried the porridge to the kang table in the bedroom, where it was warmer.
The twins stared at the steaming bowl of rice porridge without even blinking. Third Child took a deep breath and said with intoxicated delight, "It smells so good, I'm almost dizzy from the aroma!"
Second Child reached out to hold Third Child's arm, keeping her from leaning in too close for fear she would burn herself.
When Qin Shuli set the roast duck on the table, Third Child couldn't hold back her drool any longer; it began to stream down the corner of her mouth.
"Big Bro, what is that?"
Inhaling the rich scent, Third Child stared with stars in her eyes.
"It's roast duck. Have a taste!" Qin Shuli picked up a piece of duck meat, wrapped it in a lotus leaf pancake, and handed it over.
Third Child took it with her fair little hands, glanced left and right to make sure her second brother and mother weren't looking, and immediately took a huge bite.
"Sho guhd ta teh!"
Third Child spoke around her mouthful, and after a few bites went down, Qin Shufan felt even hungrier, his saliva flowing in a steady stream.
Second Child washed her hands, came back with a rag full of holes, and continuously wiped Third Child's mouth.
"Little Sister, can you please close your mouth? My hand is getting sore!"
"Sec-ond Bro, I can't! My saliva won't listen!" Third Child mumbled with great difficulty.
Wang Yueshu came back, smiling as she watched the two children. Seeing that all three had settled down, she said, "Let's eat!"
She then divided the duck legs among the three children and ate the duck frame herself. Qin Shuli picked up the remaining duck leg and put it in her bowl.
"Mother, eat with us!"
"That's right, Mother, let's eat together." Qin Shufan chimed in, never missing a beat.
"Second Bro, hurry up and eat! The roast duck is so good!"
Urged on constantly by Third Child, the meal finally came to an end. The twins lay on the kang, rubbing their round bellies, unable to move.
"Eldest Brother, help me roll over! I can't move anymore!" Third Child flopped around like a turtle, flailing her limbs in every direction without going anywhere.
Qin Shuli fed them a little spiritual spring water to help digest their food, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Early the next morning, Qin Shuli got up early and prepared breakfast. When Wang Yueshu got out of bed, he was already practicing boxing in the courtyard.
Every punch he threw produced a whistling sound, radiating a powerful psychological intimidation.
Wang Yueshu watched for a moment and realized her son was even more formidable than the martial heroes she had seen in Beiping when she was young. In her heart, she finally conceded that her eight-year-old son truly possessed extraordinary abilities.
When he finished his routine, he pulled the twins up to wash their faces and brush their teeth before eating breakfast.
After the meal, just as Qin Shuli was about to head out, someone pounded on the front gate, each knock louder than the last.
He walked over to the entrance and shouted, "Who is it?"
"Open up, Little Qin, it's your Uncle Jia!" With that, the knocking grew even heavier.
Qin Shuli threw the gate open and, without even looking at the situation below, lashed out with a kick.
Jia Fugui was sent tumbling through the air, rolling two or three meters before finally coming to a stop.
The moment Madame Jia saw her man lying motionless on the ground, she assumed he had been kicked to death. She threw herself onto Jia Fugui and began to wail at the top of her lungs, "Old Jia, you died such a miserable death! What are we going to do now, left behind as orphans and widows? Ancestors of the Jia family, come take a look! This little beast has killed your Jia family!"
Qin Shuli rushed forward in a few strides, grabbed Madame Jia by the collar, and began slapping her left and right.
"Slap, slap, slap...!"
"Madame Jia, you're young enough to know better, yet you dare call me a little beast! I'll beat you to death today, and let's see if the ancestors of the Jia family dare to come looking for me!"
"Slap, slap..." The sound of striking blows rang out continuously. Madame Jia's face visibly swelled up, and her cries grew fainter and fainter.
By this time, the families from the middle and rear courtyards had heard the commotion and come out. Seeing Qin Shuli beat the Jia couple to the ground, Yi Zhonghai got a terrible fright.
The boy was only eight—just seven by actual age—yet he had beaten two adults until they cried for their parents. What would he be like in another two years?
"Stop right there, Little Qin! Let's talk things over properly, how can you hit people?"
Qin Shuli turned his head and looked. Good grief, all five families had come out—did none of them have to go to work?
Yi Zhonghai helped Madame Jia up and asked, "Sister-in-law, what happened this early in the morning?"
"Master Yi, you have to help our family! Brother Jia heard the Qin family had nothing to eat and wanted to swap houses with them. We came over bright and early to find them, but who would have thought this lit-"
"Hm?" Qin Shuli narrowed his eyes, a fierce glare flashing in his gaze.
Madame Jia couldn't help shivering. "-this kid didn't say two words before beating Brother Jia to death! How are we orphans and widows supposed to survive after this?"
"What? Brother Jia is dead?"
Yi Zhonghai, He Daqing, and the others were dumbfounded. Just how old was Qin Shuli? How could he beat an adult to death?
Yi Zhonghai hurried over to check on Jia Fugui. "Hey, he's not dead! He just had the wind knocked out of him, he's already coming around!"
Jia Fugui took a deep breath, and once he caught it, he stood up, pointed at Qin Shuli, and cursed, "You little bastard pack quite a punch! Today, I'm going to take Qin Dazhu's place and teach you what respecting your elders means!"
He raised his hands to strike. Qin Shuli braced himself, preparing to loosen up Jia Fugui's joints for him.
"Who do you think you are? Does someone from the Qin family need you to teach them?"