Grandma Fei couldn't stop laughing. "Oh, my. Even your grandfather isn't as tall as that iron gate. I’ll be waiting to see that! But Chengcheng, you’ve been at that desk from morning till night these past few days, writing and memorizing. Why did your teacher give you so much homework? They said you were sent home to recover. You definitely need to study, but only on the condition that you take care of your body first."
Fei Cheng finished the last of his noodle soup, picked up a lotus seed paste bun, and blew on it after breaking it open. "It’s fine, Grandma. I’m all better. Look at my face—it’s smoother than an egg, fair and tender. Isn't it handsome? And the bruises on my body have all faded. Don't worry."
Grandma Fei tapped his forehead lightly. "Always so smooth-tongued. You're getting mischievous."
Fei Cheng continued, "I’ve got it all planned out. See, one subject a day for seven subjects. By the time I go back to school next week, I’ll be caught up with the teachers. I have to study hard; if I don't, I'll get thrashed."
Grandpa Fei was just pushing the soy milk toward him when he heard the word "thrashed." His eyes widened instantly. "Who dares thrash you? I’m going to your school today to ask your teacher exactly how this was handled! I remember that boy you mentioned from Class 4, Liu-something Yulang. Once I find out where his house is, I’m going to find his parents. How are they raising that child? If he dares to lay a hand on someone like this now, won't he be out committing armed robbery in the future?"
Fei Cheng chimed in with suggestions. "Exactly! He brought one, two, three... at least seven or eight people to beat me up. Grandpa, when you go to the school, make my injuries sound as serious as possible. Say I couldn't get out of bed, that I have minor bone fractures and permanent complications. Scare them to death so they never dare touch me again."
Grandpa Fei was so frustrated he nearly swatted him with a chopstick. "Don't talk such nonsense!"
The older generation could be somewhat superstitious and found such talk taboo. Fei Cheng quickly played the good boy. "I just wanted to scare them, to let them know the consequences of nearly killing someone. I had to lie in that dorm for two days before I could even crawl up. Grandpa, you have to make the teacher punish them severely. A life for a life!"
"Eat your bun! What 'life for a life'? If you keep talking nonsense, we’re going to get angry," Grandma Fei scolded, glaring at him with feigned severity.
Fei Cheng lowered his head to drink his soy milk, his chest feeling heavy. A life really *had* been lost to those people. But in his previous life, they hadn't paid the price of prison because they were minors. In this life, because of his arrival, even the grounds for a legal pursuit had vanished.
"So frustrating. I can't just let them off that easily!" He downed the soy milk in one go and slammed the bowl down with a heavy *thud*, looking fierce.
Grandpa and Grandma Fei exchanged a look and made a silent decision.
Over the next two days, Fei Cheng threw himself into his studies. He was absorbing information faster and faster. Except for English, which felt a bit awkward, he was confident he could at least pass the other subjects, if not get full marks.
For now, he could only memorize English vocabulary by rote. It didn't matter if he couldn't pronounce them correctly as long as he knew what they meant. At this stage, English exams didn't include oral components anyway.
On Friday afternoon, Fei Qi returned from school. The two brothers clearly shared a mutual dislike; they didn't even acknowledge each other when they met.
Both lived on the second floor, occupying the two rooms furthest apart.
Grandma Fei had specially prepared a table full of delicacies to reward her two precious grandsons. Whether they could finish it all wasn't her concern.
At the dinner table, Fei Cheng and Fei Qi both set their sights on the same chicken wing. They glared at each other, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Grandpa Fei made a solemn announcement. "I’ve settled Chengcheng’s matter. From now on, absolutely no one at school will dare bully my grandson! I asked your Third Great-Uncle’s son, Ah Xiang, for help. We went to the school and even alerted the principal. That Liu Yulang and the parents of the others were all called to the principal’s office. Your Third Great-Uncle’s son scared them half to death. They were all panicking, clutching my hand and promising over and over to discipline their children and ensure they never bully anyone again. Your principal also said these students will receive a major demerit and will have to apologize and give a self-reflection speech during your flag-raising ceremony."
Fei Cheng looked bewildered. *Wait, what?*
"Grandpa, what does... Third Great-Uncle’s son do for a living?"
Grandpa Fei said proudly, "He’s the Chief of the local police station."
Fei Cheng: "..." *WTF?*
Fei Qi took the opportunity to snatch the chicken wing into his own bowl and began eating, completely indifferent to the news.
Fei Cheng was no longer in the mood for chicken wings. He pressed further, "Grandpa, what pretext did you use to bring a police chief to the school? He wouldn't just go there with such fanfare for no reason, right?"
Grandpa Fei snorted. "What pretext? I reported it to the police directly. I still had the photos from your hospital check-up last time, so I used them as evidence. As for the medical records... I found someone to make a few adjustments. Anyway, I didn't extort any money from them. I followed the proper procedures and just called my nephew out to provide some backup. It’s not illegal."
Fei Qi said calmly, "Grandpa, you used to teach us to be upright. Now you're forging evidence yourself. Besides, are you sure he didn't provoke the trouble himself?"
Fei Cheng grew angry, enunciating every word: "I. Did. Not!"
Fei Qi didn't even look at him. "Who knows if you did or didn't. Since you started junior high, the money you've asked for from home almost equals my expenses for all three years of junior high. Quite impressive."
Fei Cheng snapped, "What does it have to do with you? You don't care about what you should, but you're all over what you shouldn't? If you're full, then get lost!"
The two elders hadn't expected the grandsons to start infighting so quickly. They hurried to mediate. "What are you arguing for? Eat, eat. Xiao Qi, you're the older brother, be a bit more patient with your younger brother. He..."
"Right, since we were kids, you've always wanted me to give in to him," Fei Qi interrupted. "He causes trouble all day and you just protect him with everything you've got. You're afraid he'll break if you hold him too tight, afraid he'll melt if you keep him in your mouth. He can't be scolded, he can't be blamed. Look at him now—not smart, foul-mouthed, bad-tempered, short, and scrawny. He can't carry anything on his shoulders or his back. No wonder my parents say you've spoiled him rotten. In a few years, you'll see just how 'successful' he becomes. I'm full. You guys eat."
Fei Qi had systematically insulted Fei Cheng from the inside out. Throughout the entire tirade, his expression didn't flicker once. He was perfectly calm, as if he were simply stating a series of facts.
Fei Cheng: "?" *Am I hallucinating?*
Fei Cheng watched Fei Qi’s retreating back, gripping his chopsticks tightly to suppress his rage. Memories from deep within his mind surged forward—the past of the original Fei Cheng. Even if he had been a bit sharp-tongued and prone to offending people, he had never done anything truly malicious. And how had Fei Qi treated him?
He stood up abruptly, his chair falling over with a loud *bang*. He raised his voice in response: "Yes, you're good at everything. Your grades are better than mine, everyone praises your temperament. But are you even fit to be my brother? In my first year, I was cornered in the back alley by upperclassmen. They said I looked like a girl and forced me to kneel and crawl through their legs. You walked by and saw it. What did you do? You just ignored it and kept walking! When I was being slandered, ordered around like a servant, stripped of my clothes and humiliated, and beaten half to death—did you, my 'big brother,' ever stop to help during your various 'walk-bys'? All you see is me taking money from Grandpa, but did you see the others taking money from me? You only see that I'm scrawny, but did you see that I only had one meal a day because my money was stolen? Right! They don't bully anyone else, just me, so it must be my fault! I brought it on myself! Fei Qi, I haven't called you 'Brother' in over a year. Do you have no self-awareness at all? If you're not going to care, then don't care about anything. Don't just pop up every now and then to show off your superiority, okay?!"
Fei Cheng was panting, and when he noticed his stunned grandparents, he calmed down instantly. Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, he picked up his large rice bowl—18cm wide and 7cm deep—and piled it high with a bit of every dish. Then, forcing himself to appear composed, he said, "Grandpa, Grandma, please keep eating. I’ll have a better appetite if I eat in my room."
Grandpa and Grandma Fei: "..."
He carried the large bowl and walked past Fei Qi without a sideways glance. It wasn't until the people downstairs heard the sound of his bedroom door closing that they looked at each other. The room was filled with an agonizing awkwardness.
Fei Cheng sat at his desk, dazed for a moment. Suddenly, he covered his face in embarrassment. *Crap, what did I just say! How am I supposed to face them now? Didn't I agree to pretend I didn't know anything?!*
*It’s all that scumbag Fei Qi’s fault!*
He picked up his chopsticks and took a huge mouthful of rice, attempting to use food to numb himself into believing nothing had happened.
Fei Qi stood where he was, unable to go upstairs or return to the table. It was Grandpa Fei who, with a dark expression, called him over to sit down.
Grandpa Fei pulled a stack of cash from his pocket and placed it on the table. His voice was heavy. "Xiao Qi, Grandpa knows you don't like your brother. That’s why, no matter how poor Chengcheng’s grades were, your grandmother and I never asked you to tutor him. First, we were worried it would affect your studies, and second, we were afraid it would make your relationship even worse."
"This thousand or so yuan was collected and returned by the parents of those students. It’s roughly the amount Cheng-zi took from me last year. I’m old and muddled; I thought he was just growing, that a teenage boy could eat a man out of house and home. I thought he wasn't getting enough to eat, so I didn't mind giving him more as long as he wasn't hungry. But Grandpa never imagined Chengcheng was living that kind of life at school... You are his brother. No matter how much you dislike him, he is your own flesh and blood. How could you just stand by and watch? You must have seen his injuries when I asked you to bring him his allowance last Sunday, right? You didn't say a word to me when you got back; you just went to school as if you hadn't seen a thing."
"In the end, these things are Grandpa’s fault too. I didn't teach you boys well. You say your grandmother and I are partial to Chengcheng, but there’s a reason for that. Your brother is physically weak and often gets into fights. Compared to you—strong, smart, and sensible—it’s hard not to worry about him a bit more."
"Besides, it’s not like your grandmother and I don't care about you. You and Chengcheng have never lacked for food, clothes, or a place to stay, have you? When I gave Cheng-zi pocket money, I didn't leave you out. You were too sensible to take it, which made Grandpa proud, so I quietly put the money into your piggy bank instead."
"Actually, your grandmother and I both know your parents give you extra pocket money on the side. To be honest, don't you agree that your parents don't care about your brother? They shower you with warmth and concern, then turn around and scold him. Out of ten things they ask on the phone, nine are about you. To your grandmother and me, you and Chengcheng are both our own flesh and blood, but how does it look from your parents' side?"
"Sigh... your parents dote on you but aren't close to Chengcheng, mostly because they didn't raise him when he was little. Grandma and I show more verbal concern for Chengcheng to try and balance things out. Otherwise, what do you want your brother to do? What *can* he do?"
"And looking back at this past year, none of us realized he was being bullied at school. When I think about it, my heart just...!"
Grandpa Fei slammed the table in anger. Who could have known that the little grandson they cherished and protected was suffering like that at school? If he hadn't sought justice this time by asking his nephew to step in, they would still be in the dark even now!
