Fei Qi kept his head down in silence, his hands clenched tightly atop his knees.
He had nothing to say. Aside from the extortion, he had known about everything Fei Cheng had endured. However, since all their classmates said Fei Cheng was a loudmouth who actively provoked others, he figured Fei Cheng truly was annoying and deserved to learn a lesson at school—after all, he was pampered by their grandparents at home.
Before starting junior high, this younger brother of his had been a troublemaker and a nuisance. Yet, even knowing Fei Qi disliked him, the boy would still shout "Brother!" whenever they met, chasing after him like a little shadow and prattling on about things Fei Qi had absolutely no interest in. He couldn't be driven away. He would often talk back, yet still obediently do exactly what Fei Qi told him to do.
When exactly did it start—Fei Cheng’s resentment, his refusal to even call him "Brother"? Fei Qi couldn't remember. Perhaps it was when Fei Cheng had frequently cast pleading glances his way, only to be met with cold indifference. Or perhaps it was when Fei Cheng first began boarding at school, and Fei Qi, living in the same dormitory building, told him not to come looking for him. It might even have been when he forbade Fei Cheng from walking home with him, or from even mentioning that they knew each other.
Grandma Fei wiped her damp eyes. "Xiao Qi, your grandfather has said all that needs to be said. You like to keep everything bottled up inside. Whether you can wrap your head around this or not is up to you. Regardless, you are still our eldest grandson. Come, eat. The food is getting cold. Don't go hungry."
In his room, Fei Cheng had just set down his chopsticks and let out a satisfied burp.
Having filled his stomach, Fei Cheng returned to the battleground of his studies, tossing all the awkwardness aside.
His grandfather had been formidable enough to bring the police station chief to school to demand an explanation. Coupled with the fact that those bullies had to apologize to him in front of the entire school during Monday's flag-raising ceremony, he was bound to become famous.
The minds of teenagers were unpredictable. Who knew if they had truly learned their lesson or if they were nursing a grudge?
If they stopped hitting him but found other ways to mess with him, what then? For instance, throwing away his things while he was out, ruining his homework, defacing his textbooks... there was no end to the childish antics they could dream up. The myriad ways of harassment and pranks were almost impossible to guard against.
Therefore, he still had to excel in his studies to win the teachers' favor!
At nine o'clock that night, Grandma Fei was preparing for bed. Before turning in, she noticed light still peeking from under Fei Cheng’s door, so she washed some green dates and pears to bring up to him.
She quietly turned the doorknob and saw Fei Cheng still sitting at his desk, his gel pen flying across the paper with focused intensity. Not wanting to disturb him, she crept in like a thief, intending to leave the fruit on the nightstand and slip away.
But the moment she set them down, Fei Cheng turned his head. He stood up, somewhat surprised. "Grandma, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'm heading to bed now. I washed some fruit for you. Haven't you finished your homework yet? It's past nine; stop writing and get some rest. You can finish it tomorrow just the same." Grandma Fei walked over to him and saw the desk covered in exam papers and a half-open textbook. The handwriting in the book was bold and elegant, completely different from what Fei Cheng had just been writing. She picked up the book in confusion. "This isn't your handwriting, Cheng-cheng. Is it... did some other student make you do their homework for them?!"
Fei Cheng laughed and put his arm around his grandmother's shoulders. "Oh, no, Grandma. This belongs to the top student in our grade. See, these are all his notes. He lent them to me for revision. The work I'm doing is my own. Your precious grandson isn't kind-hearted enough to do someone else's homework."
Grandma Fei gave him a smiling glance, but after a moment, a look of worry clouded her face again. "Cheng-cheng, if you get bullied at school, you must come back and tell us. Your grandfather and I aren't that old yet; we can still handle those young rascals. If we can't, we know people who can. You must never shoulder everything alone without saying a word, do you hear me?"
"I know, I know. If I ever get hit again, I'll definitely run back and shout the moment I step through the door: 'Grandma! Some idiot who's tired of living hit your little grandson!' You really don't need to worry. Look, haven't I told you everything these past two days? I haven't hidden a single person who hit me."
"You should have done that long ago... When your grandfather and I think about how you kept it all inside before, our hearts just ache."
Seeing his grandmother's eyes redden again, Fei Cheng quickly gave himself a light slap on the cheek and feigned anger. "You little brat! Making your grandmother worry like this at your age! You deserve a beating!"
Seeing his performance, Grandma Fei couldn't help but laugh. She patted his head. "That hand of yours was nowhere near your face."
He hugged the elderly woman coaxingly. "Grandma, I was just afraid you'd be heartbroken if I actually hit myself. Don't worry, I doubt anyone will dare bully me from now on. My Uncle Xiang wears a uniform, after all—he's got real clout. If they dare touch a single hair on my head again, I'll just flop onto the ground and refuse to get up. I'll make the teacher send me to the county hospital for a full-body checkup. If I don't make them bleed some cash, they'll never learn their lesson."
"You, you're just all talk. Be good now and go to sleep early. Your brother... what he did this time was indeed wrong. But a person's eyes, ears, and even their heart can be clouded. When they are clouded, it's easy to make mistakes. Your brother..." Grandma Fei hadn't finished her sentence when she saw Fei Cheng’s face turn wooden. She quickly changed her tune. "Your brother was just plain wrong! Cheng-cheng, just ignore him for now. Don't be angry, don't be angry."
Grandma Fei briskly picked up the empty bowl, giving Fei Cheng no chance to speak, and closed the door with a smile.
Fei Cheng sat back down. He just hated Fei Qi!
He looked back at the fruit on the nightstand, sighed, and leaned back against the chair, covering his eyes. The feeling of being cared for so much was wonderful—it was bittersweet, a little tart, and left him feeling a bit tingly.
*I must study hard, make Grandma and Grandpa proud, and take good care of them in the future.*
He popped a green date into his mouth, puffing out his cheeks. Sitting up straight, he picked up his pen and continued his battle against the sea of problems.
In the blink of an eye, it was Sunday afternoon—time for the boarding students to return to school.
Fei Cheng carried a heavy backpack filled with Cheng Yifei’s textbooks and notes, along with the practice problems he had completed over the week. In his left hand, he carried a bag of fruit and milk his grandparents had prepared for him.
Grandpa Fei took out seventy yuan for his living expenses and urged, "If those brats dare to cause you trouble again, call home or ask your homeroom teacher for leave to come back. I've already spoken with Teacher Li; you have nothing to fear."
*I'm not afraid at all, Grandpa.*
Fei Cheng only took a fifty-yuan bill. "Fifty is enough, Grandpa. My meal tickets only cost twenty-one yuan; this is plenty."
Grandpa Fei looked at the twenty yuan left in his hand and stuffed it directly into Fei Cheng’s trouser pocket. "Take what I give you. If you don't use it, save it. And don't eat too much of that 'heaty' fried food, do you hear me?"
Fei Cheng snapped to attention and gave a salute. "Report! Cheng-zi hears you! No eating 'heaty' food! If bullied, go home and find General Fei Hongyu! Never hide or bottle things up! Report complete!"
Grandpa Fei laughingly called him a little rascal before finally letting him out the door.
Fei Cheng pedaled his bicycle toward the school. A few minutes after he left, Fei Qi came downstairs with his own backpack. He looked at his grandfather standing at the gate and nodded. "Grandpa, I'm heading to school."
He attended high school in the county and needed to take a thirty-minute bus ride to get there.
He didn't need to ask his grandfather for living expenses because his parents had set aside a semester's worth of funds for him before they left for work. Moreover, he had a savings book; if he ran low, he could call his parents and then withdraw money from the rural credit cooperative in the county.
Grandpa Fei looked at his eldest grandson and, for some reason, felt that the twenty yuan in his pocket was a bit awkward to offer. He decided he would just slip it into the boy's piggy bank later. Once he decided that, the old man's mood lightened. He patted Fei Qi’s shoulder. "Stay safe on the road. Call home if anything happens."
"Mm." Fei Qi nodded again and walked out with steady steps. Over the past two days, he hadn't expressed any stance on Fei Cheng’s situation. Their mode of interaction remained the same as before: treating the other like a dog and refusing to speak to "dogs."
The old man watched his silhouette for a long time before sighing and turning back into the house with his hands behind his back.
After pedaling for half an hour, Fei Cheng arrived at school, dripping with sweat. He parked his bike and headed toward the dormitory. Most of the students passing by were in groups of two or three; he walked alone, looking relaxed as he descended the steps and crossed the soccer field.
Arriving at the base of the boys' dormitory, he felt a bit conflicted. Living in a building full of boys and sharing a room with eleven others... just thinking about it was... incredibly thrilling!
He quickly coughed to clear those strange thoughts from his mind.
The school had two dormitories, one for boys and one for girls, each three stories high. The ninth graders lived on the first floor, and the eighth graders on the second. He lived in Room 201.
The ninth graders who had kicked in his classroom door last Sunday were currently loitering by the main entrance. Their expressions were synchronized—each one staring fiercely at Fei Cheng, yet not one dared to stand up and make a move.
Fei Cheng walked past them calmly. He knew that at this particular juncture, they wouldn't dare touch him.
Fei Cheng went up to the second floor and, seeing the dormitory door open, walked straight in. Most people were there, but his sudden appearance caused them to look over one by one.
The thing he feared most was the sudden silence.
Fei Cheng: "..." *Meow?*
Under the gaze of his ten roommates, he walked to his bunk and set down his bag and backpack with efficient movements. Then, he plopped down on the edge of the bed to change into his slippers.
Slippers were only officially allowed in the classroom during evening self-study; at any other time, it depended on one's personal courage.
He figured he should take the initiative to greet them, since they would be living together for another two semesters. However, when he looked up, his roommates seemed to have transitioned from "pause" back to "play," chatting amongst themselves again. Oh well, it seemed he couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he let it be.
He unzipped his backpack, took out Cheng Yifei’s textbooks and notes, and organized them at the head of his bed. As for the completed exercise books... he had hoped to ask Cheng Yifei to help grade them, but there were so many it seemed unlikely. He gave up on that idea.
Now, he was ready to go to the canteen to buy meal tickets!
Fei Cheng tucked his money away and put on his school ID card. Just as he stood up, he heard Yang Kaikai from the opposite bunk ask, "Fei Cheng, you haven't bought meal tickets yet, have you? Wait for me, I haven't bought mine either."
Fei Cheng looked up at him. Only after confirming the other boy had no ill intent did he nod in agreement.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 饭票 | Meal tickets | Pre-paid tickets used to buy food in the school canteen. |
| 热气 | Heaty | A Traditional Chinese Medicine concept (Shanghuo) referring to internal heat caused by fried/spicy food. |
| 非鸿宇 | Fei Hongyu | Grandpa Fei's full name. |
| 农村信用社 | Rural Credit Cooperative | A type of financial institution common in rural China. |
| 201 | Room 201 | Fei Cheng's dormitory room number. |
| 杨恺凯 | Yang Kaikai | One of Fei Cheng's roommates. |
| 校卡 | School ID card | Identification card worn by students. |
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