Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Qiu Qiyun made it safely to the age of eight without any major disasters.

Qiu Yun’s pastry shop had expanded.

I had been promoted to department director too.

But I never expected that just one month after he started elementary school, the school would call in his guardian.

Qiu Yun was watching the shop when the teacher called. “Huh? He made a girl cry? All right, teacher, I’ll come over right away.”

She pulled off her sleeve covers and was about to leave, but I stopped her.

I had to take several deep breaths before I could say calmly, “You stay at the shop. I’ll go.”

Elementary school let out early. By the time I arrived, there were a lot of people around, all parents picking up their children.

The moment the teacher saw it was me, her stern expression eased a little.

Probably because she didn’t want to offend me, she seemed ready to play the whole thing down. “Oh, it’s Doctor Li. Actually, it’s nothing too serious today. Mainly, Qiu Qiyun pulled Xiao Chun’s braids, and the two of them started fighting. Xiao Chun is just a little girl-how could she beat him? She bumped her mouth a bit.”

The little girl’s mother was crouched down, wiping her child’s face. Her eyes were full of distress, but she still forced a wry smile and said, “It’s fine. Children don’t know any better.”

Qiu Qiyun had been so scared that he was hiding by the door, but as soon as he saw me, he immediately lifted his chin and strutted out smugly. He even made a face at the girl.

“Nyah, nyah, nyah! My Aunt Fang is here, so I’m not scared of any of you! Tomorrow I’ll bring scissors and cut off all your braids!”

The little girl was so angry that tears fell straight down her face.

Qiu Qiyun gloated as he ran behind me.

I held out my hand to him. Completely unsuspecting, Qiu Qiyun took it-only for me to grab him tight, pull out the willow switch I had prepared behind my back, and whip it hard across his backside.

“Bullying girls! I’ll teach you to bully girls!”

Qiu Qiyun tried to run, but I held on firmly, leaving him no choice but to howl like a ghost.

The harder he cried, the harder I hit him.

The surrounding crowd was stunned.

In the end, I panted as I shoved him in front of the little girl. “Apologize!”

Qiu Qiyun sobbed, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have pulled your braids. I shouldn’t have hit you…”

“Louder!”

“I’m sorry! Waaah!”

Qiu Qiyun cried the whole way home. The moment we got back, he threw himself into Qiu Yun’s arms. “Mom, Aunt Fang hit me.”

After hearing the whole story, Qiu Yun silently stood up, dragged Qiu Qiyun into the bedroom, and beat him again. Furious, he hid in the room and cried.

At dinner that night, Qiu Yun and I simply ate on our own and ignored Qiu Qiyun entirely.

He eventually got so hungry he couldn’t stand it anymore and came out by himself. Standing beside the dining table, he mumbled, “Mom, I’m sorry… I won’t dare do it again.”

Qiu Yun lifted her chin toward me. “Promise your Aunt Fang.”

“Aunt Fang, I was wrong. I’ll never hit girls again.”

I looked at him coldly.

An eight-year-old child’s features were still young and tender, but I could already faintly see traces of my scumbag father in him.

Those cruel, violent images flashed before my eyes, and I squeezed them shut.

The feeling of dying was agony. I would never forget it.

After a long while, I spoke with difficulty.

“You need to remember what I’m about to say for the rest of your life.”

“Don’t bully women. Don’t look down on women.”

“A man who cries isn’t a coward. Using your physical advantage to commit violence is.”

I looked at him with complicated feelings, then turned and went into the kitchen to serve him some rice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Qiu Qiyun tug on Qiu Yun’s clothes.

“Mom, Aunt Fang’s eyes just now were so scary. Did I do something to hurt Aunt Fang? She looked like she wanted to beat me up.”