Chapter 15: Qíyě

Qi Yě took the washed watermelon into the kitchen and pulled out a chopping board.

The round, thick wood had lost its color and turned white after being used for a long time. A deep indentation was visible in the middle.

The watermelon was placed on top of the chopping board, and a knife was pressed against the middle. With a loud “pā jī” sound, the watermelon was cut in half, revealing the red and fresh flesh inside. The sweet aroma of the watermelon filled the air.

Qi Yě held up half of the watermelon and handed the other half to Jiāng Yù. Jiāng Yù asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

Qi Yě replied, “I’ve just finished eating and I’m still full.”

Jiāng Yù understood that Qi Yě was saving the watermelon for his father and aunt, so she handed the other half back to him.

“You cut this half too, and we’ll each have a quarter of the watermelon. I won’t be able to finish it.”

Qi Yě followed her instructions, and they each had a quarter of the watermelon. They sat on the sofa in the living room, blowing on the fan and eating the watermelon.

The boy picked out the reddest part of the watermelon and cut out the seeds, handing it to Jiāng Yù. Jiāng Yù accepted it graciously and put it in her mouth.

“Mmm, this is sweet! Thank goodness Wen Nian isn’t here, or else we would have to divide this part with her too.”

Qi Yě smiled and said, “She’s missing out.”

Jiāng Yù said, “We should weigh it and see if the shopkeeper will deduct the weight!”

Qi Yě and Jiāng Yù looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Jiāng Yù asked, “How’s your dad doing at the construction site? Is he still going?”

Qi Yě’s dad had a problem with gambling, and it had caused the family a lot of trouble in the past.

Jiāng Yù didn’t say the word “gambling”, but Qi Yě understood what she was asking about.

Qi Yě replied, “The debt we owe is still not fully paid off, and university tuition is quite high, so I want to earn some extra money.”

Jiāng Yù asked, “Have you decided to go to police academy?”

Qi Yě replied, “Yes, I’ve decided. I want to be a police officer.”

Jiāng Yù asked, “Be careful with your gaming time, police academy also requires good eyesight.”

Qi Yě replied, “I know, don’t worry.”

Just then, the sound of someone knocking on the door came from outside.

Qi Yě said, “You go open the door.”

Jiāng Yù quickly went to the door and pulled it open, but she didn’t let in the three men standing outside. She asked, “What do you want?”

The leader of the group, a tall man with a buzz cut and a black shirt, looked surprised to see Jiāng Yù. He asked, “Is Qi Fēng home?”

Qi Yě’s dad.

Jiāng Yù hesitated and then said, “He’s not home. He…”

Before Jiāng Yù could finish speaking, she glanced to the side and exclaimed, “Qi Fēng uncle, why are you back so soon?”

The three men turned their heads to the side, and Jiāng Yù quickly slammed the door shut.

The man with the buzz cut tried to kick the door open, but Jiāng Yù had already locked it.

Jiāng Yù said, “Qi Fēng uncle isn’t home. You can come back another time.”

The man with the buzz cut asked, “Where’s Qi Yě then? We need to talk to him.”

Jiāng Yù replied, “Qi Yě is not home either.”

The man with the buzz cut laughed and said, “You’re trying to trick me, little girl! Qi Yě is not home, so why are you still here?”

Jiāng Yù stood her ground and said, “I’m his cousin from a different branch of the family. I’m staying here temporarily because Qi Yě has been working hard and making money.”

The man with the buzz cut asked, “He’s working hard and making money?”

Jiāng Yù replied, “Yes, he’s been working hard since the day after he finished his exams. You guys must be debt collectors or something? You’re being unreasonable, you’re being too hard on him! He needs time to earn some money and pay off his debts! What if he gets angry and jumps out of the window?”

The man with the buzz cut was taken aback by Jiāng Yù’s bold words.

Another man in the group said, “Brother, maybe we should leave now?”

The third man agreed, “Yeah, we shouldn’t cause any trouble. If we get reported to the police, we’ll be in serious trouble! We don’t want to get caught and have to spend time in prison!”

The man with the buzz cut swore under his breath and said, “Fine, we’ll leave now. Tell Qi Yě to pay us 30,000 yuan in half a month. If not, we’ll come back and break the door down!”

The three men turned and walked away, but not before the man with the buzz cut shouted “Damn it!” and kicked the door one last time.

Qi Yě and Jiāng Yù looked at each other and smiled, relieved that the situation had been defused.

Qi Yě asked, “Why did you know what to say to make them leave?”

Jiāng Yù replied, “They’re not that tough, and they don’t have anyone backing them up. If they really caused trouble, they would be in deep trouble too.”

Qi Yě said, “I would have fought them if they were tough.”

Jiāng Yù said, “You shouldn’t be so stupid, you’re not strong enough to take them on alone. You’ll get hurt and then you’ll have to buy medicine!”

Qi Yě chuckled and said, “I know, you don’t have to remind me!”

In the past, Qi Yě had saved Jiāng Yù from being bullied by the school’s tough guy, and ever since then, they had become close friends.

Qi Yě had vowed to protect Jiāng Yù and his cousin Wu Nian for six years.

The two friends returned to the sofa and Jiāng Yù asked, “Have you managed to save up enough money?”

Qi Yě replied, “I’ve been trying to save up, and I’ve also been collecting my dad’s and my aunt’s wages. I think I’ve saved enough.”

Jiāng Yù didn’t understand the income from being a gaming apprentice, so she didn’t ask any more questions.

“You can just tell me if you don’t have enough,” Jiāng Yù said, “I won’t worry about it! You and I are like family, so what are you going to do if I’m in trouble? You would definitely help me, right?”

Qi Yě smiled and said, “I know you’re counting on me.”

Qi Yě’s face, which was usually pale and thin, turned pink with a hint of a blush.