Chapter 53.2

The next morning, Jiang Rou asked An An to keep an eye on the door and call Zhou Hong over when he came out.

When the little one waited for a while without seeing him, she called out, “Gege, Gege come here—”

Li Xiao had left early in the morning.

Jiang Rou had prepared small pancakes, egg custard, tofu soup, and vegetable ham and corn fried rice for breakfast. After An An called Zhou Hong over, she ran to her small table to eat. She expertly picked up a spoon and scooped a full spoonful of fried rice into her mouth with a satisfied “yum.”

It was like a performance for her mother.

Jiang Rou took the opportunity to praise her, “An An, you did great today. You’re getting better at eating.”

The little one beamed with joy and continued to eat her pancake happily.

Seeing Zhou Hong standing at the door with his backpack slung over his shoulder, Jiang Rou wrapped a few pancakes in paper and handed them to him. “Auntie made extra pancakes this morning. Take some with you for the road.”

Zhou Hong quickly thanked her. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Zhou Hong took a bite of the pancake and nodded, “It’s delicious.”

Jiang Rou crouched down and patted his head. “I’m glad you like it. Zhou Hong, tell Auntie the truth—have you been bullied at school?”

Zhou Hong paused eating the pancake, fell silent, and suddenly a tear dropped onto the pancake in his hand. He quickly raised his arm to wipe it away.

Jiang Rou understood immediately. The child hadn’t told his parents the truth.

She leaned in and hugged him, gently patting his back and comforting him, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Auntie is here. Tell me what happened, and Auntie will help you.”

Perhaps Jiang Rou’s comforting demeanor touched him. Zhou Hong choked up as he spoke in a low voice, “Some classmates in my class make fun of me, calling me a country bumpkin. They say I dress like a rag-picker and won’t let me go to the bathroom. When I don’t listen, they hit me and make me bark like a dog. They want me to call them masters…”

As he spoke, he began to sob, tears streaming down his face. Despite his tears, he still managed to be considerate, “Auntie, can you not tell my parents? They’re very busy.”

Jiang Rou’s heart softened. She patted his head and said, “Alright, I won’t say anything. Auntie will take you to wash your face. Go to school as usual, and I’ll come to your school at noon to check on you.”

Zhou Hong hesitated before looking up, “Auntie?”

Jiang Rou led him to the bathroom. As they passed An An’s little table, she saw the child stretching her neck to peek. She said, “Eat your food properly.”

The little one immediately scooped a big spoonful of rice into her mouth, making a satisfied “yum” sound, showing she was eating well. She even held up the spoon to show her mother.

Jiang Rou took Zhou Hong to the bathroom to wash his face and reminded him to take the pancakes with him to school. She also instructed him to wait at the school gate at noon.

—o—o—o—

In the morning, Jiang Rou took An An with her to class. After class at eleven-thirty, she called Dong Mingming, and together they went to Zhou Hong’s school with An An. Upon arriving, they saw Zhou Hong standing alone at the gate, waving to them.

When Zhou Hong saw her, his eyes lit up, and he ran over happily.

Jiang Rou noticed new scratches on his neck and frowned, “Were you bullied again this morning?”

Zhou Hong nodded, “They wanted to take my pancake, and when I didn’t give it to them, they hit me. In the end, the pancake fell on the ground, and they stomped on it.”

He was afraid that his Aunt Jiang Rou would be angry, so he lowered his head.

Jiang Rou, feeling a pang of sympathy, rubbed his head and encouraged him, “You did well. If you don’t want to give it, don’t. Don’t make yourself suffer. It’s yours, and you can handle it however you like. No one will blame you.”

Zhou Hong looked up at her in surprise, not expecting his aunt to say that.

Before school, his mother had told him to be accommodating to his classmates because his father had worked hard to get him into this school.

Dong Mingming, who was holding An An, couldn’t help but comment, “You really know how to teach kids. You can’t just give in. Some kids are particularly domineering; the more you give in, the more they bully you.”

Jiang Rou nodded in agreement.

She took Zhou Hong’s hand. “Let’s go find your teacher first. We’ll have lunch afterward. Today, we’ll have KFC. I’ve already called your grandma.”

Zhou Hong asked, “Why do we need to find the teacher?”

Jiang Rou explained, “Auntie isn’t going to argue with the teacher. We just want to find out where those classmates who bullied you live, so we can talk to their parents.”

Since they were just kids, the teacher could scold them, but if they didn’t change, there was little that could be done. The most effective way was to confront their parents and make them aware.

—o—o—o—

Indeed, when Jiang Rou met with Zhou Hong’s class director, the director was aware of Zhou Hong being bullied but had been ineffective in addressing the issue. The bullying had only intensified, with the kids thinking Zhou Hong was a tattletale.

Jiang Rou was also troubled; she couldn’t use physical punishment, as the children were too young, and their parents, unlike Zhou Jian and Wang Yan, were involved and would come to school to discuss the matter.

Upon learning Jiang Rou’s purpose, the teacher provided the addresses of the students who had bullied Zhou Hong.

Jiang Rou noted them down and, with Dong Mingming and the two children, left to go to  KFC before heading to the addresses of those bullies.

Jiang Rou had asked Dong Mingming to join her for several reasons: to save time; because he has a car to drive and having an extra person for safety, as it might be easier to be taken seriously with more than one person.

To prepare for this, Jiang Rou had dressed neatly and applied some makeup before leaving in the morning.

—o—o—o—

The homes of these children were relatively close. The first address was for a classmate named Yan Xiaojun, who lived next to an old garment factory. Although the factory had moved, many workers still resided in the area.

The building was somewhat aged, with white walls marred by streaks of rainwater stains, some areas even peeling off. The stairs were made of cement, and the handrails were covered in rust.

They lived on the second floor, and it was just a matter of turning a corner on the stairs to reach their apartment.

At noon, with the surrounding residents at home, the air was filled with the aroma of cooking.

Jiang Rou held Zhou Hong’s hand and knocked on the door. Zhou Hong seemed a bit nervous, gripping her hand tightly.

The door opened quickly, and a middle-aged man stood there, seemingly surprised to see them. “Who are you?”

Jiang Rou observed him and greeted politely, “Hello, is this Yan Xiaojun’s home? I’m Zhou Hong’s aunt. I’ve come with my nephew to let you know that Zhou Hong is not an unattended child. He has parents who are quite busy. His father and his uncle run a factory and a company together, traveling across the country every day, and his mother also manages the factory, so they’re quite occupied. They’ve entrusted Zhou Hong to his grandma, which might have led to some neglect, making your child think Zhou Hong is from the countryside and easy to bully.”

“But that’s not the case. His parents are very capable people, and their lack of attention doesn’t mean they don’t care about their child. It’s one thing for it to happen once or twice, but your child bullying ours every day is a bit excessive.”

The middle-aged man immediately realized that his son had been misbehaving at school. He turned his head and shouted, “Yan Xiaojun—”

A boy of about seven or eight years old ran out from the living room with a remote control in his hand. “What’s up?”

Seeing Zhou Hong at the door, Yan Xiaojun’s eyes flickered with guilt.

Jiang Rou pulled Zhou Hong forward and pointed out the injuries on his face, neck, and hands to the middle-aged man. “These injuries were caused by your son. Don’t dismiss them as minor. I’m his aunt and a second-year medical student at G University. If these wounds become infected, it could be a serious issue. I can provide a medical report and take you to court if necessary. We may not have many things, but we do have money.”

Yan Xiaojun was startled by her words and quickly retorted, “It’s not just me who hit him!”

The middle-aged man shot a stern look at him.

Jiang Rou remained calm. “No need to rush. I will visit each of the families involved one by one.”

She then turned to the middle-aged man. “I’m not sure how you’re educating your child, but using terms like ‘country bumpkin’ and ‘poor’ to insult my nephew and make him imitate a dog and call your son ‘master’—what kind of values are you teaching? Your family doesn’t even look rich to me. My brother-in-law and his business partner, my husband may not be significant figures in G Province, but they know many influential people. We don’t mind visiting your workplace if needed.”

“Let’s leave it at that for now. I assume you won’t be moving out anytime soon? It would save me the trouble of having to investigate further. If this happens again, we’re prepared to take legal action.”

Jiang Rou spoke firmly, knowing that being too polite wouldn’t make the other party take the issue seriously. Such parents often felt proud of their children’s misbehavior.

The middle-aged man, having lived for so many years, could gauge from Jiang Rou’s attire and demeanor that she came from a well-off family. Seeing Zhou Hong and the girl, who looked well-cared-for, he realized they might indeed be difficult to handle.

He hurriedly apologized, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know my child was doing these things at school. I’ll make sure to discipline him properly…”

Jiang Rou nodded coldly and left with Zhou Hong.

As they reached the corner of the stairs, a loud, distressing cry echoed from above.

Zhou Hong gripped Jiang Rou’s hand tightly and asked anxiously, “Auntie?”

Jiang Rou shook his hand gently. “Look, Yan Xiaojun isn’t all that impressive. His family isn’t richer than yours, and they don’t even have an elevator. So don’t feel inferior to your classmates. Your parents are very capable people. Even if they come from a rural background, they’ve provided you with a big house, good food, and a better life than many others. If this happens again, be brave and stand up for yourself. We will support you.”

Zhou Hong nodded firmly. “Yes.”

He managed a smile and, after a moment, said sincerely, “Auntie, you’re really nice.”

“Let’s move on to the next place.”

As they walked, Dong Mingming, holding the sleeping An An, approached Jiang Rou. “I find that the more I spend time with you, the more I like you. I wish my mom was like you. When I was a child and was bullied by relatives from my dad’s side, she always told me to endure. To her, my dad was the most important.”

She spoke with a tinge of sadness, reflecting on the false perfection of her childhood. It made her remember the unpleasantness hidden beneath the facade of supposed happiness.

After all, she realized, her childhood wasn’t as blissful as she had believed.

Once they reached the ground floor, Jiang Rou took An An from Dong Mingming and got into the car with Zhou Hong.

The rumbling of the car reached Yan Xiaojun’s home on the second floor.

Yan Xiaojun’s mother, initially intending to stop her husband, overheard the noise and scolded her son, “Why aren’t you looking properly at the kid you have bullied? How dare you mess with kids from such a family!”

Yan Xiaojun cried out, “It’s not my fault! I learned it from you! You’re the one who always calls Mrs. Xiao Lin poor and pitiful. How was I supposed to know they were wealthy?”

“You brat…”

—o—o—o—

Dong Mingming drove to each of the five homes that afternoon as Jiang Rou had requested.

Jiang Rou wasn’t sure how much of an impact her actions had, but she felt that if it meant Zhou Hong would no longer be bullied, then the afternoon had been worth it.

After that, until the New Year, Zhou Hong remained injury-free, with no new bruises appearing.

Jiang Rou and Zhou Hong had made a secret pact not to tell anyone about the incident. It was their little secret, and Jiang Rou didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings with Zhou Jian and Wang Yan.

—o—o—o—

On New Year’s Eve, Jiang Rou and Li Xin took An An to the factory early in the morning. The factory was quite large, and they toured around before heading straight to the cafeteria.

Tonight, aside from the workers who had gone back to their hometowns for the New Year, those who remained would dine in the cafeteria. Li Xiao had paid for the meal, ensuring everyone would eat well.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity, with staff in white coats and chef hats, creating a professional atmosphere.

In the spacious dining hall, a crowd was gathered around something.

Jiang Rou, holding the child, approached and saw Li Xiao installing a television, surrounded by smiling employees.

After Li Xiao finished connecting the TV, he and Zhou Jian went outside to install the satellite dish.

Upon seeing Jiang Rou, Li Xiao smiled and walked over with the satellite dish. “Why are you here so early?”

Jiang Rou returned the smile. “I’ve never been here before, so I wanted to come early and take a look.”

Zhou Jian chimed in from the side, “Come, come, let me introduce you. This is our boss’s wife, a university student from G University.”

The factory staff, who had gathered around, immediately started cheering and clapping, in unison calling out, “Hello, Boss’s Wife!”

The employees busy in the kitchen heard the commotion and stretched their necks to see what was happening, making Jiang Rou feel a bit embarrassed.

An An, who was quite familiar with the place, wriggled out of Jiang Rou’s arms and headed towards the door, pulling her mom along and chattering about “good food.”

Her little hand pointed outside, exclaiming, “Good food!”

It was clear that she knew exactly where the good food was.

After Li Xiao finished setting up the satellite dish, he took Jiang Rou and the child to his office. Jiang Rou had intended to help in the kitchen, but Li Xiao frowned and said, “What are you doing there? It’s too hot. I’m paying those people to work; you don’t need to do it.”

His office was spacious, with a sofa and coffee table by the entrance, and further in, a redwood desk and a large bookcase, behind which hung a landscape painting.

As soon as An An entered the office, she became lively, running to the sofa and sitting down, then inviting Jiang Rou and her aunt to join her.

Jiang Rou wandered around the office while Li Xiao filled cups with hot water for them. He also asked Jiang Rou if she wanted coffee, but she shook her head. She had a strong aversion to coffee from high school, and the smell of it now made her feel nauseous.

“Just plain water is fine.”

Li Xiao then asked Li Xin, who had never tried coffee and was curious to taste it. Li Xiao prepared one cup of plain water and another cup of coffee. An An, as if she were at home, happily ran around the office and told Jiang Rou she wanted “sweets.”

She darted to Li Xiao’s desk, struggled to open a drawer, and pulled out several candies, scattering them along the way until she reached Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou took the cup of water from Li Xiao, had a sip, and then opened a candy to feed An An.

Li Xiao was quite busy and left shortly after. Jiang Rou and Li Xin stayed in his office, playing and spending time. After they grew tired of that, Jiang Rou took An An out. The area around the factory was filled with the aroma of various foods, and Jiang Rou noticed a thick plume of smoke rising from one of the nearby factories.

At 5:30 PM, the factory’s workday ended, and employees went to their dorms to freshen up, chatting animatedly about the New Year’s Eve dinner with smiles on their faces.

By 6:00 PM, Li Xiao and Zhou Jian returned, each driving a van loaded with drinks including cola, milk, and red wine, as well as snacks like sunflower seeds and chocolate. They had some employees help distribute these items, placing a bottle of drink and some snacks on each table.

The newly installed television was turned on and playing last year’s Spring Festival Gala. By 6:30 PM, the cafeteria was bustling with nearly all the seats filled. Jiang Rou was seated at a table near the TV, next to Wang Yan and Zhou Mu.

At 7:00 PM, Li Xiao arrived and instructed the cafeteria staff to start serving the food. The staff pushed carts around, handing out plates and serving dishes. The meal was particularly lavish, with each person receiving two plates brimming with a variety of dishes, including numerous meat dishes.

By the time the food was served, it was nearly 7:40 PM. The atmosphere in the cafeteria grew quieter as the Spring Festival Gala approached its end. As the countdown to the final five minutes began, the television screen shifted from a live broadcast to a rapid sequence of “gg” related to the twelve zodiac signs. The “gg” flashed quickly, with various lengths, and the speed increased towards the end. When there were only fifty seconds left, the countdown for the twelve zodiac signs began.

Zhou Jian had turned up the volume to its maximum, and the entire cafeteria echoed with the catchy jingle—“For New Year’s and festivals, we send the twelve zodiac signs.”

As soon as the jingle finished, the employees in the cafeteria erupted into applause, standing excitedly. An An, not fully understanding, clapped along with everyone.

Jiang Rou looked at An An with a smile and asked, “Was that you on TV just now?”

As the Spring Festival Gala began on the television screen, Li Xiao stood up with a glass of wine in hand. “Happy New Year to everyone! Everything the factory has now is the result of our collective efforts. I hope that in the coming year, our factory will continue to prosper and everyone’s lives get even better. Here’s to all of you!”

He took a sip of his drink, and everyone followed suit, raising their glasses in a toast.

Zhou Jian, noticing the food might get cold, urged, “Sit down and eat, or the food will get cold.”

As Li Xiao was about to sit back down, his phone rang. From that point on, his phone didn’t stop ringing—either orders or congratulatory calls from friends. He barely had a chance to eat and spent most of the time taking notes and handling calls.

When the Spring Festival Gala ended at midnight, Li Xiao stood up again and announced, “Starting today, we’re giving everyone a raise. We’ve got a tough battle ahead, so hang in there for a few more days.”

The employees were thrilled by the news and applauded loudly as they left.

Zhou Jian and his family decided to stay at the factory that night to keep an eye on things.

Li Xiao didn’t eat that night; he spent the entire time on the phone. He did manage to drink a few glasses of alcohol, and probably due to drinking on an empty stomach, he felt a bit dizzy. In the end, it was Jiang Rou who drove them back.

Despite his slight intoxication, Li Xiao’s mind was still clear. “Can you manage?”

Jiang Rou smirked, “I drive better than you.”

Li Xiao, holding the child in the passenger seat, chuckled softly.

After they had driven for a while, he suddenly became reflective and said, “Jiang Rou, I’m really happy today. I never imagined I’d have a day like this. It feels like a dream.”

For some reason, Jiang Rou felt a pang of emotion and smiled. “You’re not dreaming.”

He murmured, “That’s good.”