Chapter 22: Encountering Zhiqi Being Bullied

After breakfast, Shen Mo cleaned up the kitchen before leaving.

Jiang Ning was quite satisfied with this. She enjoyed cooking, which often made the kitchen messy, but she didn’t like cleaning up.

After Shen Mo left, Jiang Ning, feeling bored, practiced a set of Ba Duan Jin in the courtyard.

Halfway through, she heard someone knocking on the door, “Sister Jiang.”

Jiang Ning recognized the voice as belonging to Sister Li from next door.

She called out, “The door is open, Sister Li, come in.”

Sister Li pushed the door open and saw Jiang Ning’s figure, bathed in sunlight, casting a mottled shadow under the tree.

Sister Li was momentarily captivated, thinking how lucky Shen Mo was to have such a beautiful wife.

Coming to her senses, Sister Li walked over and curiously asked, “Sister Jiang, what are you practicing?”

Jiang Ning had just finished her last move and explained, “Ba Duan Jin. It’s good for strengthening the body.”

Sister Li had never heard of such a thing before and couldn’t help but ask, “So just casually practicing this can strengthen the body?”

Jiang Ning knew that traditional Chinese medicine wasn’t very popular in this era, and trying to explain it might not be understood, so she simply said, “It’s just for fun.”

“Look, I almost forgot why I came here while talking to you,” Sister Li said, handing Jiang Ning a plum and pork pie she had made. She felt a bit embarrassed and added, “Sister Jiang, I didn’t have much to thank you for that big bowl of meat yesterday. This is a plum and pork pie I made today. I didn’t use much meat, so please don’t mind.”

Jiang Ning accepted it and said, “Don’t say that. If it weren’t for the preserved vegetables you gave me, I couldn’t have made it.”

Sister Li, being straightforward, laughed and said, “I have plenty at home. If you run out, just come over and get some. Don’t be shy. By the way, I’m going fishing later. When I catch some fish, I’ll bring you one.”

Jiang Ning knew that people here were simple and honest. There were those who were petty, but there were also those who would repay kindness tenfold.

“Fishing?”

Jiang Ning was quite curious about what the other woman meant by fishing.

Sister Li nodded, “Yes, there’s a small stream nearby with plenty of fish.”

“Sister Li, I’ll go with you.”

It would be a good way to pass the time since she was feeling a bit bored.

Sister Li nodded and readily agreed, “Sure, I’ll take you and even teach you. Let me go back and get an extra fishing net for you to use.”

While Sister Li went back to get the fishing net, Jiang Ning grabbed a bucket.

Following Sister Li, Jiang Ning walked for about ten minutes until they reached the small stream that Sister Li had mentioned.

The stream rambled and wound its way through the landscape, flowing over stones to form a small waterfall. The stones were smooth from the water’s touch, and the stream was clear and bright, like a transparent mirror reflecting the blue sky above.

There were people washing clothes downstream.

Jiang Ning stood on the bank and watched as Sister Li cast her net into the deeper part of the stream, then waited by the water’s edge.

Waiting by the water was boring, so Jiang Ning decided to take a walk. Sister Li reminded her to be careful.

Jiang Ning didn’t plan to go far; she just wanted to explore upstream.

The stream was clear and clean, completely untouched by the pervasive pollution of trash. There was a small path nearby, likely created by people climbing up.

Jiang Ning followed the path upstream, where the stream continued to wind its way down.

However, as soon as she climbed up, she saw four or five children bathing in the shallow area above.

Jiang Ning felt a bit exasperated, thankful that she had no intention of drinking the water.

The stream had varying depths, and bathing in it could be quite dangerous. Just as she was about to call out to the children to leave, she saw a slightly taller and chubbier child pressing a thinner child under the water.

The taller child was saying, “Give me the fish you’re holding, and I won’t press you anymore.”

The other children watching were either silent or cheering.

Jiang Ning was surprised by how malicious these young children could be. It was as if the saying “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here” was true.

“Hey, what are you all doing!”

Jiang Ning shouted sternly.

Her sudden shout startled the children, and they all turned to look at her, including the child who had been pressed underwater by the bigger boy.

Seeing that child, Jiang Ning’s eyes widened in shock, “Zhiqi?!”

Zhiqi was soaked, his face flushed red, and his eyes were red and watery.

Seeing a child she had carefully taught being bullied like this, Jiang Ning felt a block of anger rise in her chest, and her expression immediately darkened.

She was very angry at the sight.

These children were young, but did that mean they should be allowed to make such mistakes?

Jiang Ning broke a bamboo stick and walked over.

Seeing that she was not friendly, the children wanted to run away immediately, but the only way to go down was the way Jiang Ning came up.

When the children passed by her, one of them pushed Jiang Ning, but Jiang Ning grabbed the back of his neck. He was the child who was pressing Zhiqi’s head just now.

She raised her hand, and the bamboo strip landed directly on the child’s buttocks, “Who taught you to treat others like that? What if you caused someone’s death? Could you bear the responsibility? And you dare to push me? Do you have no manners?”

“Waaa… I’m going to tell my mom, I’m going to tell my grandma!”

The little boy struggled in Jiang Ning’s grip, his buttocks stinging painfully, and he cried bitterly.

Jiang Ning stopped after a couple of smacks, as she was more concerned about Zhiqi. She had just witnessed the boy pressing Zhiqi underwater.

She had some impression of this child; he was also present yesterday when Zhiqi was being bullied.

“Zhiqi, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do they often bully you?”

Huo Zhiqi didn’t expect to see Jiang Ning here, and even less that she would hit Wang Xiaotian for him.

When Wang Xiaotian and the others used to hit him, he had told Aunt Wang and Grandma Wang. Aunt Wang would kindly give him a piece of candy and scold Wang Xiaotian a bit, while Grandma Wang would warn him not to tell Uncle Wang, or he wouldn’t get any food.

He had never experienced the feeling of being cared for and protected.

Looking at Jiang Ning’s worried expression, Huo Zhiqi’s grievances suddenly welled up, but he held back his tears, “I, I’m okay.”

Jiang Ning saw the bruise on his arm, clearly from being hit, and her anger flared up, “You call this nothing?”

She paused and then asked, “What are you doing here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous by the water?”

As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief to wipe the water off Zhiqi’s body.

Huo Zhiqi lowered his head and said, “I came to catch fish.”

Jiang Ning frowned, about to scold him again.

But then the little one continued, “Sister, you have a pond at home that you want to stock with fish. I know there’s a beautiful type of fish in this stream that can be kept in your pond.”

Jiang Ning’s anger was momentarily stifled, the words stuck in her throat.

She looked down and saw the fish he was tightly holding in his arms.

A Seven-star Thunder Dragon Fish.

A fish that can be both eaten and admired.

The fish’s scales were brightly colored, with black spots and several shiny scales forming a unique and beautiful pattern.

Jiang Ning asked, “Did you come here to catch this fish for me to keep?”

Huo Zhiqi nodded.

He had grown up by the water and was a good swimmer, able to distinguish between deep and shallow water.

After seeing the pond at Jiang Ning and Shen Mo’s house yesterday, he had thought about coming to catch fish. He had seen a beautiful type of fish in this stream.

However, he didn’t expect Wang Xiaotian and his friends to skip class and follow him, trying to take his fish.

Living with Wang Xiaotian’s family, he had been bullied since the first time he reported being mistreated without any result. The bullying became worse, with Wang Xiaotian calling him a parentless orphan and hitting him.

He endured all of this, but he couldn’t give up the fish meant for Jiang Ning. That’s why he was pressed underwater and bullied.

Huo Zhiqi observed Jiang Ning’s expression, and seeing her unhappy face, he lowered his head and dared not speak.

Even if Jiang Ning were to hit him, he wouldn’t say anything, especially after seeing Wang Xiaotian being beaten so badly.

After waiting, he finally heard Jiang Ning say, rubbing his head, “Thank you, Zhiqi. I’ll take this fish.”　　

　　

^[1]Ba Duan Jin is a traditional Chinese qigong exercise system that translates to “Eight Pieces of Brocade” or “Eight-Section Brocade.” This name is derived from the graceful and … Continue reading