"Meat? I want meat!" Upon hearing the word 'meat,' Third Child Qin Shufan scrambled out from under the quilt and started clamoring. Her little nose twitched as she took a deep sniff. "Smells so good, so yummy!" There was so much drool in her mouth that she could barely get the words out.
Second Child immediately followed, crawling out as well. He glanced at the lunchbox in his older brother's hands, then at his mother, and whispered a few words into Third Child's ear.
Qin Shufan nimbly climbed out of the quilt, dashed over in two steps, and threw herself into Wang Yueshu’s arms, cooing in a baby voice, "Mom, I’m hungry! I want to eat red-braised pork!"
Second Child, Qin Shuping, hurried over from the other side, clinging tightly to Wang Yueshu. "Mom, I’m hungry too!"
Qin Shuli watched the twins' performance, secretly pleased. These two kids were dependable; when push came to shove, they really knew how to act. He’d make sure to feed them well in the future—he’d be counting on them when things got tough.
Wang Yueshu’s tough exterior instantly crumbled. She pulled the twins apart and tucked them back under the quilt. "You two little brats, running around without your clothes on. What will you do if you catch a cold?"
Qin Shuli set the red-braised pork down and turned to pull the bundle inside, placing it on the kang. "Mom, I bought winter clothes for you, the younger brother, and the younger sister. Two sets for everyone so you can rotate them."
Wang Yueshu looked at the massive pile of clothes, her fists clenching again. This kid was a spendthrift. Who buys a whole bundle of winter clothes at once? Why didn't he just bring the whole clothing shop home?
Ignoring her, Qin Shuli went right ahead and picked up a padded jacket to put on Third Child. "Shufan, this is warm. You’ll look great in it!" With that, he tossed another one to the envious Second Child.
Third Child beamed as she put on the jacket, planting two kisses on Qin Shuli’s cheek for good measure. Then, showing off her two rows of little white teeth, she waddled toward Wang Yueshu like a penguin. "Mom, look at the new clothes Big Brother bought me. Big Brother is so nice. Do I look pretty?"
What could Wang Yueshu do? She sighed and picked up the padded trousers to dress her youngest daughter. The children were already three, but they had only worn new clothes once before the New Year, and those had gotten stained in the kitchen and hadn't dried yet.
Watching this scene, Qin Shuli couldn't help but chuckle—he figured he had successfully dodged a beating.
Hearing his laughter, Wang Yueshu glared back and scolded, "I’ll deal with you after we eat!"
"Oh, oh! Time to eat! Meat time!" Third Child hopped around in Wang Yueshu’s arms.
"You little rascal," Wang Yueshu said, amused despite her anger.
Qin Shuli finished dressing Second Child and then went to the kitchen to bring the rice to the kang. The red-braised pork and dry-braised fish had been kept warm in his Space, so they were at the perfect temperature.
Wang Yueshu gave each of the three children a piece of meat. "Eat up so you can grow big and strong!"
Second Child immediately picked up a piece of meat for Wang Yueshu and said with a smile, "Mom, you eat too. Eating meat keeps you from getting sick!"
Third Child saw this and couldn't be outdone—she was Mom’s favorite baby, after all. She stretched her arm out to give her mother some meat, but the restaurant-style pork was so tender that she accidentally broke it apart. Seeing Third Child’s eyes welling up, Qin Shuli quickly patted her little bun of hair, took her hand, and helped her place a piece in Wang Yueshu’s bowl. That wasn't all—he served a piece to both his younger siblings before he finally stopped.
"Oh, I’m exhausted. Better eat a couple of pieces to make up for it!"
Looking at her three sensible children, Wang Yueshu couldn't help but think of Qin Dazhu. "Shuli, you’re capable now, and I can’t control you anymore. Why don’t you go look for your father? No matter what, we need to see him, whether he’s alive or... if he’s gone."
Qin Shuli sighed. He wanted to search, but he couldn't find a single one of the Japanese soldiers who had taken his father. Where was he supposed to look? Suddenly, he thought of the person he had met during the day. Maybe he could ask Wen Laosan?
"Mom, don’t you worry. I will definitely bring Dad back!"
That night, Wang Yueshu told Qin Shuli to sleep in the main room, claiming it would save coal since they wouldn't have to heat another room. Qin Shuli had no choice but to comply—mostly because he only had six silver dollars in his pocket, and a lack of money made it hard to argue.
Third Child, tucked under the new quilt, lay on Wang Yueshu’s chest. "Mom, the quilt Big Brother bought is so warm. When I grow up, I’m going to make lots of money and give it all to you!"
Wang Yueshu pulled Third Child closer and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. "Shufan, you need to eat more so you can grow up quickly."
Third Child’s eyes darted around. "If Big Brother buys red-braised pork again tomorrow, I can eat just as much as I did today!"
Qin Shuli, holding Second Child, replied, "I'll buy it for you again tomorrow!"
Wang Yueshu rolled her eyes at her eldest son. "You’re just spoiling them. What will they do when they grow up?"
"They’re my brother and sister; I’ll spoil them if I want to!"
Second Child, lying next to Qin Shuli, held his arm tightly, signaling that he, too, would earn money in the future. The whole family drifted off to sleep amidst the twins' dreams of growing up and making their fortunes.
The next morning, after breakfast, Qin Shuli let the twins play on their own and took Wang Yueshu to his room. "Mom, I found a major collaborator yesterday. He’s the director of the East City Police Department. His home is at 7 Mao'er Hutong, only half an hour away from here!"
Wang Yueshu nodded. "What else do you know?"
"Isn't that enough?" Qin Shuli felt that once he knew where the man lived, he could just sneak in at night, kill him, and take his loot.
Wang Yueshu tapped his forehead. "You’re lucky, that’s for sure. I can’t believe you’ve managed to kill Japanese soldiers and collaborators with such recklessness."
"Is there a better way to do it?"
Wang Yueshu thought for a moment and asked, "Are you familiar with the environment around his home? How many people are inside? How many guns? How long would it take for the nearby police station to arrive if there were trouble? You have to consider all of these things!"
Qin Shuli looked at her with a strange expression. "Mom, if I remember correctly, you were eighteen when you had me. Before you married Dad, were you a bandit who specialized in raiding homes?"
"What are you talking about? What kind of bandit is as beautiful as me?"
Qin Shuli chuckled. She had a point; with her looks, if she were in his original era, she would have at least been a movie star.
"Then how do you know all this?"
Wang Yueshu didn't want to explain. "Why so many questions? Get out there and get to work. If you’re going to do something, you have to be fully prepared before you make a move. I don’t want to be the one collecting your corpse!"
Qin Shuli tightened his coat and walked out the moon gate, ignoring the lingering, reluctant gazes of the twins. As he reached the front gate, he ran into He Daqing.
"Morning, Uncle He!" Basic manners were still necessary, and besides, there was no grudge between He Daqing and the Qin family.
He Daqing was just over thirty. His eye bags weren't very prominent yet, his wife was still with him, and his clothes were clean, though he always wore a sour expression and rarely smiled.
"Young Qin, heading out? Your father probably..." He Daqing paused, pulled out two silver dollars, and offered them. "Take this money. If you ever can't make ends meet, come find me."
Looking at the silver dollars, Qin Shuli felt a pang of emotion. Yi Zhonghai was all talk, but He Daqing was truly offering a helping hand.