Chapter 30 Part 1: The Weight of a Secret (1)

Song Wenbin, having measured Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen’s foot lengths with a piece of rope, kept the rope clutched in his hand as he descended the stairs to find Granny Li.

Xu Hengzhou walked over to where Xiang Chen sat on a large stool, his short legs dangling in the air, swinging them idly.

“What’s wrong with the Chen family now?” Xiang Chen asked Xu Hengzhou, his only worry being for Chen Xiaohua.

Xu Hengzhou’s gaze lingered on Xiang Chen’s plump little hand clutching a pencil. He reached out, gently kneading the soft pad of his palm, before casually recounting the Chen family’s absurd affairs.

While Song Wenbin might have thought there was no need to tell Xiang Chen about the Chen family’s troubles, Xu Hengzhou knew that Xiang Chen wasn’t truly an ignorant child, so he spoke without reservation.

Upon hearing the story, Xiang Chen’s small brows furrowed. “If they have no food, what will Xiaohua do?” He recalled how Chen Fen and Chen Fang always snatched Chen Xiaohua’s food, fearing her situation would now be even worse.

“Why are you worrying about such things?” Xu Hengzhou took Xiang Chen’s hand into his own, turning it over and over, rubbing and pinching it as if playing with a small toy.

“Don’t worry! Chen Guoliang wouldn’t be so heartless as to starve his own wife and children. Among the Chen family, he’s the only one with a modicum of sense,”

Xu Hengzhou said nonchalantly, his fingers still busy. He poked the dimple on the back of Xiang Chen’s hand, poking until he himself chuckled. ‘This chubby little hand is so plump it has dimples,’ he thought.

Xiang Chen struggled to pull back his ridiculed little paw, but Xu Hengzhou’s grip was firm, and he couldn’t free himself. He also couldn’t fathom why Xu Hengzhou spoke that way.

To him, Chen Guoliang giving all the grain to Old Lady Chen, disregarding his wife and children, was an incredibly foolish act. If it were him, no matter how many people cursed him, he would ensure his own family ate first.

“Don’t poke my hand!” he said, a hint of indignation in his voice. “Why do you say Chen Guoliang is smart?”

Having played with his hand, Xu Hengzhou kindly explained to Xiang Chen,

“The Chen family won’t starve. Tomorrow, Cai Zhen’s family will surely return that cornmeal. Not only will they return it exactly as it was given, but they might even add a little extra. Don’t you believe me?”

“Why?” Xiang Chen was puzzled.

He had lived with the Chen family for so long, and based on his observations and snippets of conversation from Chen Guoliang and his wife, he knew Cai Zhen’s mother and sisters-in-law were not easy to deal with.

Would people like that really spit out food they had already eaten?

Xu Hengzhou smiled. “Because when Chen Guoliang and Cai Zhen argued earlier, their front door was open. All the neighbors watching knew that the cornmeal our family gave them had been sent to Cai Zhen’s family.”

Xiang Chen began to understand. When he was first sent to the Chen family, news spread throughout both factories the very next day.

Cai Zhen’s incident, with a commotion at noon and another in the evening, would only spread faster and wider. Her father would surely find out.

Once Xiang Chen understood, a wave of admiration washed over him. ‘My brother is truly brilliant; his mind works so quickly,’ he thought.

“Brother, you’re amazing!” Xiang Chen never hesitated to express his praise, looking at Xu Hengzhou with the adoration of a little fanboy.

Happily flattered, Xu Hengzhou felt his conversational mood soar, eager to show off. He pulled the child onto his lap and chuckled, “Come, let me explain properly.”

Xu Hengzhou asked, “Do you know why I said Chen Guoliang still has some intelligence?”

“You just said it!” Xiang Chen replied. “He argued with the door open to spread the news.”

Xu Hengzhou paused. “…That’s not smart; that’s foolish.”

“Huh?” Xiang Chen looked confused.

Xu Hengzhou, exasperated, had to start his analysis from the beginning. “In that situation at noon, if you were Chen Guoliang, what would you do?”

Xiang Chen pondered his question. If he were Chen Guoliang, and his elderly mother came asking for grain…

“Give her half of the family’s grain?” Xiang Chen ventured cautiously.

“A mediocre strategy,” Xu Hengzhou assessed. “It’s a viable solution, but it leads to too many subsequent troubles. Moreover, this approach would neither satisfy Old Lady Chen nor prevent his wife and children from harboring resentment towards him.”

“But not giving her anything isn’t an option either!” Xiang Chen said.

“Why not?” Xu Hengzhou raised an eyebrow. “Old Lady Chen is merely angry with him. He’s her biological son; she wouldn’t truly drive him to his death.

If he insists he has no grain, cries a little, and stalls, Old Lady Chen would eventually have to return to the countryside. As long as the troublemaker isn’t present, there’s room for maneuver.”

Xu Hengzhou didn’t add that, in such a scenario, the Chen family in the countryside might indeed starve to death.

“No, that won’t do,” Xiang Chen said, his little dumpling face creased. “He wouldn’t care about his family in the countryside? That’s not right.”

Xu Hengzhou pinched his cheek and smiled, offering no comment on his words. ‘My little dumpling is soft-hearted and kind. I’m not like that myself, yet I’m fond of this side of Xiang Chen,’ he thought.

“This approach… naturally has its benefits: That’s why I said Chen Guoliang’s actions tonight were too foolish. Arguing with the door open was too deliberate. His father-in-law is forcing him. Chen Guoliang’s actions…”

Xiang Chen suddenly understood. ‘So, by emptying the grain, he was trying to curry favor with the Cai family?’

“Precisely,” Xu Hengzhou affirmed.

“Chen Guoliang had only three choices this afternoon: give half the grain, which would solve the immediate problem but satisfy neither party; give no grain, risking public scorn but manageable if handled well; or do as he did today—empty his family’s grain in front of Old Lady Chen.

This way, no matter how much resentment Old Lady Chen felt, it wouldn’t be directed at him.

Cai Zhen became the perfect scapegoat. If she hadn’t slipped away this afternoon, Chen Guoliang would have resolved the matter long ago, and Cai Zhen’s family would have delivered their grain tonight.”

“Th-this way…” Xiang Chen felt dizzy. How did it seem like he and his brother had experienced completely different events?

Xu Hengzhou saw his expression and chuckled, ruffling his hair. “I told you not to overthink things. I’ll always protect you; I’ll handle all these matters.”

Xiang Chen shook his head, trying to clear his mind. ‘That’s right,’ he thought. ‘Different people do different things. I’m not smart, but my brother is. I just need to listen to him.’

Though small, Xiang Chen had a resilient spirit, and he quickly recovered.

***

The next morning, Xiang Chen didn’t have school, so he enjoyed a rare lie-in. He was sleeping soundly, clutching his blanket, when he was startled awake by a sudden clamor.

Xu Hengzhou, who had been secretly organizing his spatial storage by the bed, turned his head towards Xiang Chen the moment he heard the noise. He saw the child sitting up in bed, clutching his blanket, his face filled with alarm.

“Chenchen, don’t be scared! Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, Gege is here…” Xu Hengzhou tenderly pulled the child into his embrace, patting Xiang Chen’s back gently.

Xiang Chen touched his chest, feeling his heart still racing from the fright. He leaned into Xu Hengzhou’s arms for a while before groggily asking, “Gege, what’s happening?”

“It’s the Chen family again,” Xu Hengzhou said, his face etched with annoyance. If it weren’t impossible to change apartments, he would have long since wanted to move away from that family.

“Oh…” Xiang Chen responded slowly, clearly not yet fully awake.

Xu Hengzhou stroked his face, lowering his voice. “Want to sleep a little longer? Gege will close the door for you.”

“No, I’m not sleeping,” Xiang Chen shook his head. The sudden awakening had chased all his sleepiness away.

“Then get up and eat.” Xu Hengzhou picked up Xiang Chen’s clothes from the bedside, helping him dress. “I stewed some egg custard for you; it’s still warm in the pot.”

Good food always made Xiang Chen happy. He quickly washed up and followed behind Xu Hengzhou, waiting for him to serve the meal.

Xu Hengzhou retrieved the egg custard, which had been kept warm in hot water in the pot, and placed it on the small table for Xiang Chen to eat.

Xiang Chen had developed a habit of offering Xu Hengzhou a bite of anything delicious he received, and this time was no exception. He scooped a spoonful and brought it to Xu Hengzhou’s lips. “Gege, eat.”

Such interactive behavior couldn’t be a one-sided habit. Xu Hengzhou, who never used to share food with others, had, at some point, grown accustomed to sharing meals with Xiang Chen.

He opened his mouth and swallowed the spoonful of egg custard Xiang Chen offered, then urged, “Hurry and eat, it won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

Only after seeing him eat did Xiang Chen happily enjoy his own breakfast.

Xu Hengzhou stepped out for a while in between but returned shortly. Once Xiang Chen finished his egg custard, he inquired about the latest commotion from the Chen family.

“Cai Zhen’s family delivered the grain,” Xu Hengzhou summarized.

Early that morning, Cai Zhen’s family, catching all the residents of the factory dormitories before they left, brought the grain, almost as if they were beating gongs and drums to announce its return.

They climbed the three flights of stairs in nearly half an hour, chatting with everyone they met, always making sure to mention that they were returning grain to Chen Guoliang’s family.

They ensured everyone knew that Cai Zhen moving grain to her own family was her personal act, unknown to the Cai family, and now that they understood the situation, they had promptly returned the grain.

Song Wenbin had gone out early that morning. Not long after Cai Zhen’s family left, he rode back on a bicycle that was eighty percent new.

The neighbors, who had just dispersed, gathered again. In those days, buying a bicycle was like buying a luxury car in Xiang Chen’s original time. The neighbors merely gathered to look, while the children ran behind the bike, all incredibly excited.

Xiang Chen’s friends shouted for him from downstairs. Xu Hengzhou stood in the corridor, looking down, as Song Wenbin, still on the bike, waved to them.

Xu Hengzhou then brought Xiang Chen downstairs. The moment Zhang Xiaohu saw Xiang Chen, he immediately rushed over, trying to curry favor. “Xiang Chen, Xiang Chen, I’ll give you all my toys if you let me ride the bike, okay?”

Xiang Chen looked at Zhang Xiaohu’s height, then at the large, old-fashioned bicycle Song Wenbin was riding, and shook his head. “No.” Riding the bike was fine, but if Zhang Xiaohu fell and got hurt, he worried his parents would come looking for trouble.

Zhang Xiaohu drooped his head in disappointment. He wasn’t angry with Xiang Chen; bicycles were so precious, so it was understandable that Xiang Chen wouldn’t agree.

He just resolved to be extra good to Xiang Chen in the future, doing whatever Xiang Chen asked, hoping that one day he might be allowed to ride the bike.

Song Wenbin observed the envious gazes of the surrounding children, patted his bicycle, and said to Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen, “Come on, Uncle will take you two for a couple of rounds.”

Song Wenbin gestured for the two children to get on. Xu Hengzhou looked at the horizontal bar in front of the bike. Whether it was sitting in Song Wenbin’s lap or considering comfort, he didn’t want to sit there.

“Chenchen sits in front; he won’t be stable in the back,” Xu Hengzhou decided immediately, picking Xiang Chen up and placing him in Song Wenbin’s lap, letting him sit on the front bar of the bike.

Xiang Chen didn’t detect Xu Hengzhou’s subtle intentions. He happily settled in front, cheerfully telling Xu Hengzhou, “Gege, you sit in the back!”

He had never ridden this kind of bicycle before. He had two mountain bikes, but this large-looking bicycle was new to him. Moreover, the envious glances from his friends made Xiang Chen couldn’t help but feel a little smug. He gripped the handlebars, his face full of excitement.

Once Xu Hengzhou hopped onto the back seat, Song Wenbin rang the bell. The crisp sound chimed. “Let’s go!”

Song Wenbin pedaled, and the bicycle quickly sped off. The children from the residential building ran behind it, their laughter filling the air.

Initially, Xiang Chen laughed heartily, finding it very amusing to watch his friends chase the bike. However, after the bicycle repeatedly jolted over uneven road surfaces, the smile on Xiang Chen’s face began to falter.

Finally, Song Wenbin completed a large loop and rode back to the residential building. He stopped the bike and asked Xiang Chen, “Still want to play?”

Xiang Chen saw his uncle’s excited face, looking as if he’d ride two more rounds if asked, and quickly waved his hands. “No, no more!”

He thought for a moment, feeling it was impolite to refuse his uncle outright. So, he nudged one of his friends. “Uncle, why don’t you take Xiaohuzi for a ride? He loves bicycles so much.”

Zhang Xiaohu, hearing this, was incredibly grateful, feeling that Xiang Chen was a true friend.

“Alright, come on,” Song Wenbin readily agreed, then asked Xu Hengzhou, who was behind him, “Do you still want to play?”

Xu Hengzhou agilely hopped off the bike, refusing, “No, thank you.”

He nudged Xiang Chen. “Let your friends go together.”

Xiang Chen turned his head and saw Liangliang also looking on with envy.

“Come, get on,” Song Wenbin said with a smile.

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