Chapter 8

Su Xiaoxiao had just sat down when Wang Xiaoxia asked, “Xiaoxiao, why did you give him the chicken drumstick?”
Su Xiaoxiao replied, “I don’t like chicken drumsticks. He missed out, so I gave it to him.”
Wang Xiaoxia pouted. “Why him and not me?”
Dai Lainan chimed in, “Yeah, why didn’t you give me one?”
Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. “You both like chicken drumsticks?”
Wang Xiaoxia and Dai Lainan nodded together. “Yes, yes.”
Wang Xiaoxia sulked. “We’re good friends, yet you didn’t give us any but gave it to someone else.”
Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re all friends. Next time there are chicken drumsticks, I’ll give you some.”
Hearing this, Jin Qishan’s body tensed.
She considered him a friend, so she gave him the drumstick?
No, they weren’t friends.
He had no friends, and he didn’t need any.
After Su Xiaoxiao and the others finished eating, they left first.
Jin Qishan hesitated, wondering whether to eat the chicken drumstick when Feng Zihao and Luo Zhi walked past with their trays.
Feng Zihao, still resentful about Jin Qishan’s embarrassment in class, snatched the chicken drumstick and took a huge bite, boasting, “The chicken drumstick smells so good! You don’t like it, so I’ll eat it for you.”
Jin Qishan looked at the half-eaten chicken drumstick. Memories of Feng Zihao snatching his food flashed through his mind, scene after scene, until he remembered Su Xiaoxiao’s words: “We’re all friends, right?”
Rage flared instantly. He swung his fist at Feng Zihao’s face.
Feng Zihao was taller and stronger, easily blocking the punch. “Still mad?”
Jin Qishan refused to back down; his fists rained down like droplets. Feng Zihao wasn’t about to take it quietly either. The tension ignited like wildfire.
Luo Zhi rushed over to help, but the more he tried, the messier it got.
Trays, bowls, chopsticks, leftover food, everything flew through the air. The cafeteria turned into chaos.
Unfortunately, the duty teacher was Yao Yulian, and coincidentally, the vice principal had come to inspect the cafeteria.
The vice principal and Yao Yulian were talking when they heard the commotion. They looked over and saw two students grappling with each other.
Yao Yulian quickly recognized them: one was Jin Qishan, the other Feng Zihao.
Yao Yulian already had high blood pressure. Seeing this scene made her head spin; her blood pressure shot close to 200, and she felt dizzy.
The vice principal hurried over, pulled Jin Qishan and Feng Zihao apart, and angrily demanded: “What are your names? Which class? Who is your homeroom teacher? Call your teacher here immediately!”
Seeing Yao Yulian behind the vice principal, both Jin Qishan and Feng Zihao lowered their heads, barely daring to breathe.
Yao Yulian forced a wry smile at the vice principal. “They’re both in my class, two troublemakers.”
Having taught for over ten years and being a senior teacher, Yao Yulian still needed to save face.
After a brief scolding from the vice principal, he left the matter to Yao Yulian to handle.
Once he was gone, Yao Yulian called Jin Qishan, Feng Zihao, and Luo Zhi into her office, pounding the desk. “What’s going on? How could you fight during lunch?”
“Who’s going to tell me why you two started fighting?”
Feng Zihao’s eyes darted around, then he quickly raised his hand. “Jin Qishan arrived late today, missed the chicken drumstick, and grabbed mine instead!”
Yao Yulian rubbed her temples.
She sighed. “Jin Qishan, what should I even say to you? Can’t you cause a little less trouble every day?”
Jin Qishan tried to defend himself. “No, I didn’t”
“Still arguing?” Yao Yulian slammed the desk. “So Feng Zihao didn’t snatch your drumstick? Feng Zihao comes from a family that owns a supermarket, he needs to steal your drumstick?”
Before Jin Qishan could respond, Yao Yulian turned to Luo Zhi: “Alright, Luo Zhi, tell me, who snatched whose drumstick first?”
Feng Zihao nervously glanced at Luo Zhi, winking at him, hoping Luo Zhi would support his side.
Thinking about the spicy sticks and lollipops he still wanted from Feng Zihao, Luo Zhi quickly said, “Jin Qishan snatched Feng Zihao’s…”
Yao Yulian asked, “Then who hit first?”
Both Luo Zhi and Feng Zihao said simultaneously, “Jin Qishan hit first.”
Yao Yulian’s voice turned stern. “Jin Qishan, did you hit first?”
Jin Qishan lowered his head and admitted it silently.
“Alright, Luo Zhi, Feng Zihao, you two can go back for lunch break.” Yao Yulian waved them off.
After they left, she drank some water and said, “Jin Qishan, I know your family situation. Your mother passed away, your father is often absent, but that’s no excuse for hitting or lying.”
“I sympathize with your circumstances and hope you won’t give up on yourself. Your classmates and teachers are already taking care of you. I hope you can get along with everyone and study hard.”
“The mess you made earlier? I already asked the janitor to leave it for you to clean. Make sure you tidy it up before you go rest. Alright, go now, and close the door behind you.”
As Jin Qishan left the office, he muttered under his breath, “What a load of crap.”
Outside, by the office, a bright red bicycle was parked, the new ride of Teacher Yao.
News of Jin Qishan and Feng Zihao’s fight quickly spread through the class.
Feng Zihao conveniently left out the part where he had snatched the chicken drumstick, only saying Jin Qishan hit him first.
Jin Qishan’s fight confirmed the rumor that “Jin Qishan likes to hit people.”
Dai Lainan immediately turned to Su Xiaoxiao. “See? I told you, Jin Qishan likes to hit people.”
Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t understand why Jin Qishan had suddenly started hitting someone.
Originally, Jin Qishan only began hitting others when he reached a breaking point in the third year of middle school. His strikes were fast, strong, and accurate; he quickly became a school bully, turning the tables on those who had once bullied him.
Before that, although Jin Qishan was cunning, he retained kindness and sincerity, never daring to hurt anyone.
Had his rebellion and “dark side” emerged too early?
…
After school, Su Xiaoxiao rode on her grandmother’s tricycle and saw Jin Qishan walking alone along the path.
He carried an oversized backpack, hunched under the weight.
Su Xiaoxiao called out loudly, “Jin Qishan!”
Jin Qishan tilted his head and saw Su Xiaoxiao and her grandmother.
Su Xiaoxiao beamed, showing her teeth. “Jin Qishan, come ride with us!”
He glanced at her, then at the equally smiling Grandma Su. His mouth opened, but in the end he didn’t say a word and kept walking, looking at his toes.
Grandma Su frowned. “Xiaoxiao, you can’t talk to that boy anymore. He ignores you, so why are you bothering with him?”
Su Xiaoxiao laughed. “He’s not ignoring us. He’s just shy. Didn’t he just look at us?”
Grandma Su: …
Su Xiaoxiao waved happily. “Jin Qishan, we’re leaving now! Bye-bye!”
In front of the school was an arched bridge. Going uphill, Grandma Su struggled a bit pedaling.
Su Xiaoxiao, concerned, said, “Grandma, stop for a moment, I’ll get off and help push the tricycle.”
Grandma said sternly, “No, no, no! Sit still! Don’t move around and fall off.”
Su Xiaoxiao watched her grandmother struggling to pedal and felt restless.
No matter how much Grandma tried to stop her, she jumped off the tricycle.
With Xiaoxiao off, the tricycle suddenly felt much lighter and sped up considerably.
Grandma scolded her aloud, saying she was disobedient and might hurt herself, but inwardly she felt a burst of joy at Xiaoxiao’s thoughtfulness.
On the bridge, Su Xiaoxiao saw Yao Yulian struggling with a pained expression, pushing her bicycle with great effort.
Even though it was already early autumn, the weather was still stiflingly hot.
Yao Yulian, already a bit overweight, was drenched in sweat from the effort.
The bike was brand new at the start of the semester, but now the rear tire was flat, rubbing uselessly against the ground. Yao Yulian was heartbroken; she had originally thought she had accidentally punctured it while riding.
Su Xiaoxiao examined the bicycle closely and realized that the rear wheel was completely flat, dragging on the ground.
The first person she thought of was Jin Qishan. Imagining him viciously pulling off the valve cap, she couldn’t help but laugh.
A little devil with claws, and some people just had it coming.
Just then, Yao Yulian looked up, catching Xiaoxiao’s delighted expression in her peripheral vision.
Yao Yulian’s face darkened. Su Xiaoxiao is enjoying this? Smiling so happily at my misfortune?
She had suspected Jin Qishan was behind the deflation, and now she began to suspect Xiaoxiao as well.
Meanwhile, Jin Qishan watched Yao Yulian from a distance, a faint smile curling his lips.
He felt the thrill of revenge.
That evening, Su Xiaoxiao was watching TV in the living room when she heard her grandmother muttering, “It’s so late, Xiaohong still hasn’t returned. That boy, Qishan, is still sitting outside. He probably hasn’t eaten all day.”
Grandpa Su said, “Then call him in. Let him eat with us.”
Grandma Su: “That little brat? I won’t call him. If anyone calls him, it should be you. Asking him to eat is like he’s owed money.”
“I’ll call him, I’ll call him.” Su Xiaoxiao jumped up from the sofa, hurriedly putting on her shoes.
“You’re worried we won’t finish the meal?” Grandma Su glanced at Grandpa Su, serving an extra portion for the evening.
The rich aroma of food wafted through the hallway. Jin Qishan clutched his growling stomach and began plotting how to get back at Dong Xiaohong.
Suddenly, the door opposite opened, and Su Xiaoxiao peeked out, smiling at him.
“Red-braised pork ribs at our house. You coming?” she called.
Jin Qishan turned away, refusing to respond. Today’s fight with Feng Zihao wouldn’t have happened without her chicken drumstick.
If he hadn’t fought Feng Zihao, he wouldn’t have had to clean the cafeteria for forty to fifty minutes.
Already sick and not fully recovered, today he endured standing punishment, went hungry, and then had to clean the cafeteria. His arms felt like lead.
Seeing him not only ignore her but also angrily turn away, Su Xiaoxiao sighed, grabbed his collar, and said, “Come in. From now on, I’ll take care of you.”