Chapter Twenty-Two: Out of Control

“If you dare lie in front of your mother, don’t blame her for being harsh with you!” With that, Qin Huairu waved the feather duster in her hand again, tracing arcs through the air that made Xiaodang and Huaifa shrink back in fear.

Xiaodang’s eyes darted nervously as he stammered, unable to speak clearly. Huaifa quickly picked up the thread: “When we were out playing, we saw Yuzhu on a date, and then... then brother used a slingshot to hit that woman.”

Banggen, hearing this, was so furious he kicked the bed and pounded it with his fists.

At that moment, Jia Zhangshi still refused to relent, stubbornly saying, “Banggen is just a child. It’s normal for kids to be immature. Do adults have to be childish too?”

Qin Huairu’s face darkened to an iron hue. She cut off Jia Zhangshi sharply: “Mom, please stop.” Then she turned to Banggen, her voice tinged with helplessness and resolve, “Banggen, you will apologize to Uncle He. This time, you were wrong.”

Hearing that he had to apologize, Banggen’s fur bristled like a cat that’s been stepped on. He exploded, “No! I’m not wrong! I’m not apologizing to that Yuzhu!”

He Yuzhu sighed silently inside. Tonight, he had lost count of how many times he had been called “Yuzhu.”

To be honest, each time he heard it, he felt an urge to give Banggen another beating.

“Forget it, don’t force him. Your Banggen is not the type of child who listens to reason,” He Yuzhu said. The moment his words left his mouth, Qin Huairu suddenly lost control.

She grabbed Banggen off the bed and the feather duster in her hand rained down on him like droplets.

Shaking with anger, Qin Huairu pointed at Banggen’s nose and scolded, “You little brat, always causing me trouble. Do you want to kill me with worry?”

As she spoke, she raised the feather duster and struck Banggen hard. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson so you never dare cause trouble outside again!”

Banggen howled in pain as the blows rained down, but Qin Huairu showed no sign of stopping. “You did wrong and still refuse to admit it. How did I end up with such a useless, disgraceful child?”

Yet the boy who had just been shrieking suddenly fell silent, enduring the punishment without a word.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi could no longer bear it. She rushed forward and snatched the feather duster from Qin Huairu’s hand: “How can you be so harsh as a mother? He’s your own son!”

Protecting Banggen, Jia Zhangshi muttered in dissatisfaction, “Have you thought about why Banggen always has it out for He Yuzhu’s woman? It’s because ever since she showed up, our family hasn’t had a single good day.”

With his grandmother’s backing, Banggen’s spirit stiffened. He cried out, “That’s right! It’s all because of that woman that we don’t have good food to eat!”

Those words stabbed deeply into Qin Huairu’s heart like a knife.

Her eyes instantly welled with tears. Seeing Banggen’s wronged yet stubborn expression, she could no longer utter a single reproach.

In her heart, Qin Huairu understood that the root of all this lay in her own inadequacy as a mother.

She had failed to provide her children with a comfortable life, unable even to ensure they had enough to eat.

It was this very scarcity and dissatisfaction that had driven Banggen to act out so foolishly.

Qin Huairu caught sight of He Yuzhu standing angrily at their doorstep, and a chill ran through her heart, knowing the matter would not end easily.

She hurriedly put on a conciliatory smile, hoping to downplay the incident.

“Master He, I’m truly sorry to embarrass you. My child is mischievous, but I will discipline him well and make sure he never makes such a mistake again.”

He Yuzhu listened, his expression unchanged.

He said calmly, “Disciplining a child is important, but if you do wrong, you must bear the consequences. Banggen hit someone; he must apologize.”

Qin Huairu felt trapped. She knew Banggen’s bullheaded nature—he would never admit fault willingly.

But given the circumstances, she had to provide some form of resolution.

She glanced at her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, hoping for a word in their favor.

Unexpectedly, Jia Zhangshi poured fuel on the fire: “Apologize? He hit my grandson first! Why should we apologize? He should pay compensation!”

Hearing this, He Yuzhu’s anger deepened.

He sneered, “Compensation? Dream on! If he won’t apologize, then Banggen must be ready to face the consequences.”

Seeing this, Qin Huairu knew the matter could not be smoothed over.

She braced herself and resumed bargaining with He Yuzhu. “Master He, you know our situation. The child is unruly, and I have no better way to handle it. Can we just let this go? We don’t want to make a big deal of it.”

But He Yuzhu remained unmoved. “Let it go? It’s not that simple. I’m not someone who lets others push me around. If Banggen doesn’t apologize, this isn’t over.”

Qin Huairu cursed silently in her heart. She knew He Yuzhu’s temper—once he made up his mind, not even eight horses could pull him back.

She could only continue to plead gently: “Master He, please have mercy and let our child off this time. I promise he won’t make this mistake again.”

Seeing Qin Huairu’s anxious face, He Yuzhu’s resolve wavered slightly.

But then he thought if he let Banggen off easily this time, he would only become more reckless in the future.

So he hardened his heart and said firmly, “No! He must apologize! Otherwise, this matter isn’t finished.”

Realizing that no amount of begging would work, Qin Huairu sighed helplessly: “Very well, Master He, please wait a moment. I’ll talk to Banggen.”

She went inside and found Banggen, speaking to him with all the patience she could muster.

But Banggen stubbornly refused to bow his head. “I’m not wrong! Why should I apologize?”

Qin Huairu gritted her teeth in frustration but knew she couldn’t force him head-on at this moment.

She continued to coax patiently, “Good son, listen to your mother and apologize. We can’t afford to pick fights; we have to avoid trouble.”

Though reluctant, Banggen eventually nodded faintly.

Relieved, Qin Huairu led him out to apologize to He Yuzhu.

“Uncle He, I’m sorry.”

He Yuzhu left the Jia household in a rather good mood, his steps light as he walked home.

Meanwhile, Qin Huairu’s life remained full of hardship and struggle.

Every month, the twenty-five yuan she earned from the Red Star Steel Mill, hard-earned through labor, was like a shooting star across the night sky—fleeting, vanishing before she could even savor it.