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Join the ServerSong Wenbin, caught by Xiang Chen’s aggrieved, puppy-dog eyes, found himself unable to continue his hearty meal.
He glanced at Xiang Chen, then at his stern-faced grand-nephew beside him, before quietly turning his back on Xiang Chen, bowl in hand, to resume eating.
Xiang Chen could only stare.
Xu Hengzhou chuckled, watching Xiang Chen’s cheeks puff out in indignation. He scooped a spoonful of porridge to his lips. “Is this not delicious?”
The moment the sweet fruit porridge touched his tongue, Xiang Chen forgot all about speaking. He nodded vigorously, then took the spoon himself, happily eating spoonful after spoonful.
“Brother, you should eat too.” Xiang Chen had finished half a bowl, his stomach no longer empty, and his urgency subsided.
Xu Hengzhou, fearing they had waited too long, had brought the food as soon as it was ready, without having eaten himself. Hearing Xiang Chen’s invitation, Xu Hengzhou poured himself half a bowl of pork and vermicelli, grabbed a steamed bun, and sat beside Song Wenbin at Xiang Chen’s bedside, eating his own dinner.
The pickled cabbage, pork, and vermicelli was a strongly flavored dish. While delicious, it also had a potent aroma. In just a short while, the original scent of the hospital food in the ward was completely overpowered by the assertive fragrance of the pork and vermicelli.
Song Wenbin finished a large bowl and was about to pour another from the insulated container when the boy on the adjacent bed finally lost his temper. He shoved away the old woman holding him back and rushed directly to Xu Hengzhou.
He didn’t dare provoke the tall and sturdy Song Wenbin, so he stood before Xu Hengzhou, trying to snatch his bowl. “I want meat! Give me the meat!”
Xu Hengzhou lifted his hand, dodging the boy’s grimy grasp, and stood up next to Song Wenbin, bowl in hand.
The boy was short, and once Xu Hengzhou stood, he couldn’t reach. He began to throw a tantrum, launching forward to kick Xu Hengzhou.
Song Wenbin’s expression turned cold. Holding his bowl in one hand, he grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air.
The boy, once caught, cursed incessantly, flailing his limbs, intent on kicking and hitting Song Wenbin. Song Wenbin turned his head to the boy’s parents, his voice chilling. “Are you going to control him?”
His meaning was clear: if they wouldn’t, they shouldn’t blame him for taking matters into his own hands.
The boy’s grandmother’s face instantly changed. She rushed forward to shield her grandson. “You’re an adult, bullying a child! Have you no shame?”
Song Wenbin almost laughed in anger. Their child was trying to snatch food from others and even attempting to hit someone, yet they had watched without intervention. Now, they had the gall to accuse him of bullying their child.
Song Wenbin tossed the boy into his grandmother’s arms, then declared, “Keep a close eye on your child. If he causes trouble again, I won’t argue with a child—I’ll go straight to his father.”
He glanced at the man at the far end of the ward, who had almost no presence. “If your child kicks mine, I’ll kick his father twice. Try me if you don’t believe it.”
Upon hearing this, the boy’s already short father seemed to shrink even further. He didn’t dare meet Song Wenbin’s gaze, and with a trembling voice, he said to the old woman, “Mother, let’s discharge Zhuangzi.”
The old woman was so enraged by Song Wenbin’s words that she nearly rolled her eyes. Then, hearing her son’s spineless suggestion, her heart sank. Her husband had died young, and she had raised her son alone, possessing a strong personality. Yet, her son had turned out to be weak-willed.
“No discharge!” The old woman’s voice boomed, though it was unclear whom she was addressing. “Our Zhuangzi isn’t well, why should he be discharged? No, he’s staying right here!”
Zhuangzi also chimed in, “I’m not going home! I want to eat sugary eggs here!”
The man awkwardly rubbed his hands, stealing a glance at Song Wenbin. Seeing that the man wasn’t looking at him, but rather eating his meal undisturbed, the sliver of courage he had mustered was silently snatched away by his mother’s roar.
After the old woman finished speaking, she realized no one was paying attention to her. She glared at Song Wenbin. “What’s so great about you? You can’t even spare a piece of meat for a child. You’re so stingy, you’ll die alone!”
Song Wenbin seemed not to hear her. He deliberately picked up a rather fatty piece of meat, blew on it for a long time, then slowly and deliberately ate it.
Zhuangzi immediately erupted in an astonishing wail. “My meat! I want meat!”
The old woman quickly began to coax him. While Xiang Chen watched the spectacle and finished his fruit porridge, the family on the other side was still noisily trying to calm the child.
****
After dinner, Song Wenbin cleaned up the dishes while talking to Xu Hengzhou. He picked up the insulated container and examined it closely. “Is this a lunchbox? It’s really well-made.”
Xu Hengzhou replied, “It keeps food warm. I thought I’d buy two for you to bring meals in later, but I didn’t expect to use them here first.”
“Good stuff,” Song Wenbin said, tapping the container’s wall with admiration.
“I brought back quite a few things this time.” Xu Hengzhou helped Song Wenbin put away the dishes. “There’s a flashlight in my bag; you can see if it’s bright enough. There’s also an alarm clock that needs to have its time reset.”
Song Wenbin nodded. “They’re all useful things. I’ll take a look when I get home.”
He picked up the cleaned insulated container and dishes, then told Xu Hengzhou, “I’ll go home and tidy up. I’ll come back later to relieve you; you can go home and get some sleep.”
Xu Hengzhou replied, “You haven’t rested well for days either. Get a good night’s sleep tonight. I can stay with Chenchen.”
Song Wenbin hesitated. He wasn’t worried about Xiang Chen; he was worried about the adjacent bed causing trouble again.
Xu Hengzhou stood up. “Granny Zhao, please keep an eye on my brother for a bit. I’m going to see Uncle off and will be right back.”
Granny Zhao quickly responded, “Go on, go on. I’ll watch him carefully for you.”
Xiang Chen was starting to feel drowsy, his eyelids drooping, half-asleep. He held onto Xu Hengzhou’s clothes, vaguely listening to his uncle and brother talk.
When the hand was removed, Xiang Chen’s eyes instantly snapped open. Xu Hengzhou said a few words to him, then followed Song Wenbin out.
Once they were away from the ward, Song Wenbin finally asked, “What are you planning?”
His grand-nephew had always been one to quietly make a fortune, enjoying good food and drink secretly at home. Bringing such good dishes to the hospital, as he had today, was truly unexpected. It would have been more in character for him to take the food home to eat.
“I asked the doctor,” Xu Hengzhou answered evasively. “He said Chenchen shouldn’t be discharged too soon. He still needs IV drips for two more days, and we need to observe his condition.”
Song Wenbin raised an eyebrow. “So?”
“So I need to provide him with a good environment. Resting well is more conducive to recovery,” Xu Hengzhou smiled. “Tomorrow, I’m going to make that family scram.”
Song Wenbin’s expression was peculiar. “What’s your plan?”
“What else?” Xu Hengzhou explained, “I asked Granny Zhao, and they’ve bothered more than just one person. Some tried to use force, but the old woman would just lie on the ground at the slightest touch, looking like she wanted to extort money. She wouldn’t listen to reason either. You scared them today, but if we actually got physical, that old woman would cause a scene at the factory, and that would be embarrassing.”
He scoffed lightly. “We’re worried about hurting the jade vase while swatting a mouse. Since they won’t respond to either soft or hard tactics, I’ll make them move out themselves.”
Song Wenbin became intrigued. “How do you plan to do that?”
“It’s simple,” Xu Hengzhou spread his hands. “As long as our family consistently has delicious food, that child will constantly crave it and keep making a fuss. The old woman will either have to satisfy him or take him away, out of sight, out of mind.”
“What if he tries to snatch your food?” Song Wenbin asked.
Xu Hengzhou calmly stated, “Child against child, adult against adult. He won’t be able to snatch anything from my hands. If he dares to try, I’ll hit him back. If his adults try to lay a hand on me, you might as well learn from Granny Zhao. See what else they have that can be smashed, and smash it all. Once the old woman feels the pain, she’ll naturally retreat.”
Song Wenbin looked at Xu Hengzhou, feeling a strange chill in his heart. Was his grand-nephew a little too clever?
After seeing Song Wenbin off, Xu Hengzhou returned to watch over Xiang Chen.
Perhaps it was the incessant fussing of the past few days, but the troublesome boy finally couldn’t take it anymore. He slept soundly that night, and everyone else in the ward also slept until broad daylight.
When Song Wenbin arrived, Xiang Chen was still sleeping, his IV drip already inserted.
Xu Hengzhou had woken early. He had just finished washing up when he saw the nurse come in with the IV bottle. He knew Xiang Chen hadn’t rested well these past few days, so he didn’t wake him. He helped the nurse hold Xiang Chen’s hand, then watched as the little chubby paw was pricked again.
Afterward, fearing Xiang Chen might move in his sleep and dislodge the needle, he simply sat by the bed, holding Xiang Chen’s wrist to prevent any restless movements.
Song Wenbin had made breakfast and brought it over. He dared not challenge any unfamiliar dishes again, so he steamed a bowl of tender egg custard for Xiang Chen. For himself and Xu Hengzhou, it was their usual cornmeal porridge.
He presented the egg custard, first showing it to Xu Hengzhou. “Look, is this edible?”
Xu Hengzhou was somewhat amused, knowing his uncle had been traumatized by that plate of ‘dark’ pork ribs. He simply scooped a spoonful and tasted it. “Delicious.”
Song Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief. He called Xiang Chen awake, held his IV bag while Xiang Chen washed up, and then watched him eat the entire bowl of egg custard.
In the afternoon, Xu Hengzhou went home. He took a shower and then reorganized his belongings.
For lunch, he continued to make delicious food. Xiang Chen had fish fillet porridge—boneless fish cut into thin slices, cooked into the porridge until it almost melted. Xu Hengzhou tasted a spoonful; the flavor was light, fresh, and sweet, feeling very pleasant.
For his and Song Wenbin’s lunch, Xu Hengzhou continued to choose strongly flavored dishes. Since he had already made fish fillet porridge for Xiang Chen, he decided to make pickled cabbage fish as well. The staple food remained cornmeal steamed buns. He steamed them all and took them to the hospital.
At noon, the troublesome boy cried and fussed, demanding to eat the food in Xu Hengzhou’s bowl. The old woman brazenly stepped forward, telling Xu Hengzhou to be generous and share some food with her grandson.
Upon hearing this, Xu Hengzhou nodded. “You’re right.”
Then, as the old woman’s eyes lit up with surprise, he tore off a piece of fish from his own bowl, about the thickness of a toothpick. With a flick of his chopsticks, he fed it into Xiang Chen’s mouth, who had been craving it all morning.
The boy next door was craving, but Xiang Chen was craving too! What he ate wasn’t bad, but his mouth felt bland. He wanted something with a stronger taste, but his brother wouldn’t allow it.
Suddenly being given a bite to eat, Xiang Chen was pleasantly surprised. He savored that tiny thread of fish, overjoyed just to taste some flavor.
Xu Hengzhou watched him finish with a smile, then told the old woman, “My brother isn’t well yet. When he’s better, I’ll let him eat it all.”
The old woman was so infuriated she nearly fell backward. She pointed a trembling finger at Xu Hengzhou, but due to Song Wenbin watching nearby, she dared not do anything. She huffed and puffed as she retreated.
Having failed to get any food, the old woman’s precious grandson wailed all afternoon. Even sugary eggs only quieted him for a little while.
Unlike before, when he deliberately caused trouble to annoy people, this time the child genuinely wanted delicious food. The old woman didn’t expect him to run out and try to snatch it himself. The old woman was quite something; she was afraid Song Wenbin would pick up her grandson again like yesterday, so she stood in front of Song Wenbin, ready to lie on the ground at any moment.
The troublesome boy rushed toward Xu Hengzhou, flailing his arms and legs, trying to climb on him and snatch his bowl.
Xu Hengzhou was not one to indulge him. He remembered the first time Xiang Chen had met him; he had kicked his own troublesome younger brother to the ground.
He shoved his bowl into Xiang Chen’s hand, then quickly pulled the boy away, securing both his wrists in one hand. The troublesome boy relentlessly tried to kick him. Xu Hengzhou allowed him to leave a clear footprint on his pants, then aimed for his backside and kicked him over.
The old woman could no longer bother with Song Wenbin. She lunged toward her grandson, helped him up, then rushed forward, looking as if she wanted to fight Xu Hengzhou to the death.
“Try hitting my child!” Song Wenbin quickly recalled his grand-nephew’s words from yesterday. He took two or three strides to the family’s bedside, grabbed their thermos of boiling water, and held it up. “I won’t stoop to arguing with an old woman like you, but if you dare to hit my child, I’ll smash all your family’s belongings!”
“Put… put it down!” The old woman’s heart leaped into her throat. That was their only thermos!
The old woman gasped a few times, then bit her lip and dragged her wailing grandson to their hospital bed. Then, in front of everyone, she loudly declared, “Zhuangzi, stop crying. Grandma will boil you an egg to eat.”
The old woman was true to her word. She sent her son, who was like an invisible man, to watch the child, while she went home to boil an egg, which she brought back, cradling it like a treasure.
Zhuangzi stopped crying as he ate the egg. The old woman, casting a triumphant glance at Song Wenbin’s side, loudly asked, “Zhuangzi, is the egg tasty?”
Zhuangzi ate ravenously, almost choking on the yolk until his eyes rolled back. The old woman quickly poured him water and patted his back.
But her triumph didn’t last long. In the afternoon, Song Wenbin went to pick up a package that Xu Hengzhou had sent from the provincial city.
The package contained a considerable amount of food. Xu Hengzhou took one bag of each type of pastry, and various candies, then brought them all to the hospital.
Granny Zhao had gone home at noon. When she returned in the afternoon and heard the story from her daughter-in-law, she was greatly impressed by Song Wenbin. Seeing Xu Hengzhou, she told him that if she had been there at noon, she definitely wouldn’t have let that old hag get away with it.
Xu Hengzhou smiled, accepting Granny Zhao’s kind intentions. Then, he opened the things he had brought, and immediately, the small table by the bedside was covered with a tempting array of delicious treats.
Xiang Chen couldn’t eat them, so he could only stare longingly. Xu Hengzhou handed Song Wenbin a piece of walnut shortbread, then picked out a few other items, wrapped them in paper, and gave them to Granny Zhao.
Granny Zhao politely refused for a while, then, blushing, accepted them. “Oh, I feel so bad, always taking advantage of you all.”
Xu Hengzhou chuckled. “Please don’t say that. You’ve helped our family so much these past few days. These little things are nothing; just have a taste.”
“I haven’t helped much at all,” Granny Zhao insisted.
Then she praised Song Wenbin, “Your children are really well-behaved.”
Song Wenbin, popping pieces of walnut shortbread into his mouth, smiled and said, “Your Qiqin is well-behaved too.”
Granny Zhao looked at her little granddaughter with affection, then offered her the pastry in her hand, telling her to eat. The little girl had been craving it for a long time. She took a square biscuit and slowly licked one corner, reluctant to even bite into it.
Xiang Chen watched enviously. He tugged at his brother’s sleeve, whispering, “Brother, I want some too.”
Xu Hengzhou glanced at him. The child was staring up at him with pitiful, sparkling eyes.
Xu Hengzhou’s heart softened. He reached for a piece of walnut shortbread, and Xiang Chen’s eyes shone brightly. Then, he watched as his brother tore off a piece of the shortbread’s flaky crust, about the size of a fingernail, and fed it into his mouth.
Xiang Chen: “…”
Xiang Chen almost ate that tiny bit of pastry in his mouth with tears in his eyes. He had thought that when his brother gave him that toothpick-sized piece of meat at noon, it was just to deliberately provoke the old woman. He never expected his brother could actually be *that* stingy.
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