amaotonovel Chapter 1286 This is the only way to send both siblings to university.
Chapter 1286 This is the only way to send both siblings to university.
Chapter 1286 This is the only way to send both siblings to university.
Under the eaves of the dilapidated mud house, Lei Sibao, Shi Hongwei, Lei Shigen, and Lei Zhengming squatted side by side, like a row of hungry stone lions, staring longingly at Qin Hao's crumbling house not far away.
Their nostrils flared as they greedily caught the aroma of steamed buns, a blend of wheat and other scents, stubbornly wafting from the crack in the door.
This aroma was a luxury in Xiao Lei's family. Every household ate sweet potatoes and wild vegetable porridge year-round; refined rice and wheat flour were things that could only be seen in small quantities during festivals.
But now, the rich aroma of wheat wafted continuously from Qin Hao's dilapidated house, a place even mice wouldn't bother with, making them feel as if worms were crawling in their throats.
"Slurp... Damn, it smells so good..." Lei Sibao swallowed hard, making a loud gurgling sound in his throat: "What kind of luck did this kid strike? Where did he get so much refined rice and flour?"
Shi Hongwei looked on with envy, jealousy, and resentment: "That's right! He's an orphan, and used to be even poorer than us. Even mice had to bring their own food to his house. Now, he's got rice and flour, and he's even steaming white flour buns! Damn, the smell is more tempting than meat!"
Lei Shigen frowned, his small eyes gleaming with suspicion and greed: "Where did he get the money? I've never heard of his ancestors burying gold ingots. Has this kid been up to something shady?"
Lei Zhengming didn't say anything, but his stomach rumbled loudly, which was his way of expressing his opinion.
"We need to find out where this kid got his money from!" Lei Sibao patted the dirt off his backside, his eyes filled with greed and jealousy: "Are we, a bunch of grown men, not as good as this brat? We'll take turns keeping an eye on him and see what he's up to all day long!"
The other three's eyes lit up, and they all nodded. What did a few days matter if they could figure out Qin Hao's secret? It was real, high-quality rice and flour!
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and a thin mist still shrouded the paddy fields, Lei Sibao and his three companions, as agreed, found a secluded corner near Qin Hao's house and began to lie in wait. Before long, they saw Qin Hao carrying a large bamboo basket, his trousers rolled up, walking familiarly towards the relatively fertile paddy field outside the village.
The four exchanged glances and stealthily followed. Hidden behind the bushes along the edge of the paddy field, they watched from a distance as Qin Hao, barefoot, waded into the muddy water, bending over and deftly rummaging through the mud holes and shallow crevices. A moment later, he pulled out a slippery, wriggling eel, deftly pinching it by its seven-inch mark and tossing it into a bamboo basket. A while later, he shoveled out several more grayish-brown loaches.
"So that's what it is!" Lei Sibao exclaimed in realization, his tone tinged with disdain. "Loaches dart around, eels wriggle, these things from this rotten pond's stinking mud are fishy and difficult to handle. How much could they be worth? Is this kid starving?"
After noon, Lei Sibao and his three companions saw Qin Hao finish lunch and head out of the village with a bamboo basket, so they gritted their teeth and followed him.
They followed him all the way to a back alley near the county's seafood market, watching Qin Hao calmly set up his bamboo baskets and join the other farmers who were also secretly selling their goods. Soon, a crowd gathered around.
"Five cents a pound for loach?! Eight cents a pound for eel?!" Lei Sibao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard Qin Hao's quote.
"We've struck it rich! This is way more profitable than toiling in the fields!" Shi Hongwei exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.
“Let’s do it tomorrow! Let’s catch a whole bunch! Let’s pull off a few heists, maybe we can all get married by the New Year!” Lei Zheng’s eyes lit up.
The next day, before dawn, Lei Sibao and his three friends rushed into the paddy fields with shouts. Growing up in the countryside, they didn't have many other skills, but catching loaches and eels was a piece of cake for them. Soon, the four of them had caught quite a lot.
In the afternoon, the four men, carrying their loads, returned to their usual spot in the back alley of the county's seafood market, full of anticipation. They imitated Qin Hao, setting out their baskets and calling out, "Look, look... uh... loach and eel! Very fresh! Cheap!"
Surprisingly, some people actually bought them, and quite a few were sold quickly. The four men looked at the tickets in their hands, their eyes shining.
Unfortunately, their good fortune didn't last long. Just as they were basking in the thought of getting rich and marrying a beautiful wife, and even dreaming about what to name their child, several people wearing red armbands and uniforms suddenly rushed in from the alley entrance!
"Stop right there! Don't move!"
A loud shout, like a bolt from the blue, terrified the four men! They tried to run, but were immediately captured.
Shi Hongwei's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. Lei Shigen and Lei Zhengming were even more frightened, their faces turned pale, and they trembled like leaves, unable to even hold onto the basket.
Lei Sibao was also terrified. His mind went blank, and the immense fear made him blurt out, "Comrade, I'm reporting this! We only did it because we saw a guy named Lei Hao from Xiaolei Village selling things. We didn't know it was speculation..."
Upon hearing that there was a "habitual offender," the inspection team immediately dispatched two officers to Xiao Lei's house.
At this moment, Qin Hao was sitting cross-legged on his earthen kang (heated brick bed), leisurely munching on a steaming white steamed bun with his homemade pickled vegetables, thoroughly enjoying his meal. He seemed to have anticipated the commotion outside the door.
"Bang!" The door was violently pushed open. Two inspectors wearing red armbands scanned the dilapidated house with bare walls, their eyes sharp as eagles.
"Are you Lei Hao?" the lead inspector asked in a cold voice.
"It's me." Qin Hao slowly stuffed the last bite of the steamed bun into his mouth, clapped his hands, and stood up.
"Someone has reported that you have been engaged in illegal speculation and profiteering by reselling loaches and eels for a long time! You have also illegally purchased a large amount of fine grains! We are going to conduct a search!" The inspector said sternly.
Qin Hao appeared unusually calm, and even made a "please go ahead" gesture.
The two inspectors snorted and began to thoroughly search the house. They checked the stove, rice bin, firewood pile, under the low cabinet... they even lifted up Qin Hao's broken wooden bed. However, apart from the basket of unfinished sweet potatoes and some commonly used old household items, the only other things in the house were a half-sack of polished rice wrapped in cloth and a small bag of flour in the corner.
The inspectors picked up the bag of rice and flour and examined it carefully. The bag clearly bore the stamp of a state-run grain and oil store.
"These things were all bought from state-run stores according to regulations using grain coupons that I had saved up for a long time. If you two don't believe me, you can check," Qin Hao said frankly.
After a thorough search, the house was spotless; there wasn't a single loach or eel in sight, not even a hair. As for the rice and flour, the documentation was complete and their source was legal.
The inspectors' faces turned grim. They knew they had come up empty-handed and been used as pawns.
The two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and coldly warned Qin Hao: "Behave yourself! Don't give us any leverage!"
After saying that, he left dejectedly.
No sooner had the inspectors left than Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile.
……
Three days later, at Lei Sibao's house
Inside the thatched hut, Lei Sibao and his three companions had just recovered slightly from the shock of the inspection team. Still shaken, they were blaming each other and shifting blame, while also playing cards to calm their nerves.
Lei Sibao still tried to save face and boasted: "Damn it, it's really strange. How come Haozi can go out and sell things without any problems, but we get caught as soon as we go out and sell things? If it weren't for Uncle stepping in to bail us out, we might still be locked up in there right now."
"Bang!!!" Before he could finish speaking, the already dilapidated bamboo door of the thatched hut was kicked away!
Qin Hao stood like a god of death, blocking the doorway. The setting sun cast an angry silhouette behind him, and his eyes were chillingly cold.
"You're having a good time selling me out, aren't you?!" Qin Hao's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge.
Lei Sibao was so frightened that he dropped the cards in his hand, his soul almost leaving his body: "Hao... Haozi... let me explain..."
Explanation? Qin Hao wouldn't listen! He strode forward, grabbed Lei Sibao's collar with his left hand, and slammed his right fist into Lei Sibao's panicked face with a whooshing sound!
"what--!"
"Bang! Bang! Smack! Ah—! Stop hitting me! Ah—Haozi, I was wrong!"
The thatched shed instantly descended into chaos! The sounds of fists slamming into flesh, bamboo chairs and wooden benches being overturned, screams of agony, and pleas for mercy filled the air.
Qin Hao moved like a tiger among sheep, his movements swift as lightning, his strikes precise and ruthless! Lei Sibao was the main target, beaten until he looked like a broken sack.
Shi Hongwei tried to hug Qin Hao from behind, but was swiftly thrown over the shoulder and slammed into a corner. Lei Shigen tried to slip away, but Qin Hao kicked him so hard he rolled out the door. Lei Zhengming cowered in a corner, covering his head, not daring to utter a sound.
The commotion was so loud that it quickly alerted the neighbors. The villagers gathered around and gasped in horror at the sight of the four people rolling and screaming on the ground, and at Qin Hao's vicious fist.
"Haozi! Stop hitting him! You'll kill him if you keep fighting!"
"That's right, we're all from the same village, we see each other all the time..."
"Stop right now! If you keep hitting him, someone will die!"
However, Qin Hao paid no heed. He struck with extreme restraint, not fatally, but each punch and kick inflicted excruciating pain on the four men! He made them suffer greatly and lose face! This was exactly the effect he wanted—to completely sever ties with them and let everyone know that those who betrayed him, Qin Hao, shouldn't expect to be bound by such bullshit morals as "fellow villagers" or "childhood friends"!
Just as Lei Sibao was about to be beaten to a pulp, an old and dignified voice finally rang out:
"Stop! Haozi! Stop right now!"
It was the old Party Secretary! His face was ashen as he looked at the chaotic scene before him.
Upon hearing the old Party Secretary's voice, Qin Hao stopped his final punch half an inch in front of Lei Sibao's nose, then abruptly withdrew his hand. His chest heaved, and when he turned to face the old Party Secretary, his murderous aura had lessened considerably, but his eyes remained icy.
"Old Party Secretary, these cowards betrayed me completely in front of outsiders. From now on, I sever all ties with them. I'll fight anyone who mentions them to me!" Qin Hao's tone was resolute.
The old Party Secretary looked at Qin Hao, then at the four men groaning and bruised on the ground, and sighed heavily: "Disperse, all of you disperse! Stop looking, aren't you embarrassed enough already?"
……
After this incident, Qin Hao's life became much quieter. The villagers gossiped behind his back, some saying he was "ruthless," and others saying he was "capable and temperamental."
But everyone knew one thing: this orphan who had lost his parents was ruthless and should not be messed with.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. That afternoon, Qin Hao returned from the county town carrying his empty bamboo basket.
As I passed by the Shanbei Brigade People's Commune, I saw a man walking out of the commune compound from afar; it was Director Yang.
"Director Yang! Out on business?" Qin Hao greeted him with a smile.
Director Yang was taken aback when he saw Qin Hao: "It's you, kid. Where are you going?"
"Where else can we go? Home, of course. It's almost dinnertime," Qin Hao replied casually.
Director Yang suddenly had a bright idea: "I need to find someone for something, and since I've run into you, could you pass on a message for me?"
"Don't worry, this isn't just hearsay. You haven't cooked, so you can mooch a meal from me."
Qin Hao chuckled: "Oh? There's such a good thing?"
“Absolutely.” Director Yang said to Qin Hao, “After I submitted the political review materials for that brother and sister pair last time, the county committee discussed it. Alas… it still didn’t work. The higher-ups were very strict, and in the end, they only gave us one spot.”
"There's only one spot. Are you sure I won't get beaten up if I go?" Qin Hao cursed the old fox inwardly.
“The higher-ups said that their family’s background and historical baggage are still under investigation, and it would be too risky to give them two spots. This one spot is the result of my best efforts. Let the siblings discuss it themselves and make a decision as soon as possible. Don’t come to the commune to cause trouble anymore. The result has already been decided, and there’s no point in making trouble.”
After Director Yang finished speaking, he patted Qin Hao on the shoulder and walked away.
……
After asking around, Qin Hao soon arrived at Song Yunhui's house.
The person who opened the door was Song Yunping, who was wearing a faded old cloth jacket. When she saw Qin Hao, she seemed very surprised: "Comrade Lei Hao? You... what brings you here? Please come in!"
Qin Hao walked in and found Song Yunhui at home, along with Song's parents, who looked honest and somewhat old. The house had little decent furniture, clearly indicating they were also struggling financially.
Qin Hao didn't beat around the bush and directly conveyed Director Yang's message: "...That's how it is. Only one spot has been approved from above. Let you and your brother discuss and decide for yourselves."
This news came like a bolt from the blue! Song Yunhui stood up abruptly, his face flushed red, his eyes instantly filled with anger and resentment: "One? Why?! By what right?! The news says they only consider grades, not background! I'm going to the commune to ask Director Yang for clarification!"
He impulsively wanted to rush out.
Qin Hao reached out and stopped him: "Calm down! Do you think Director Yang doesn't want to give you two spots? He's already done his best! The policy direction is unclear right now, and securing even one spot is already a huge achievement. If you keep making a fuss, not only will it be useless, but you might even lose that one spot!"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Song Yunhui's head. Song's parents froze on the spot, their eyes also reddening. They rubbed their hands, looking at their son and then at their daughter, their lips trembling, not knowing how to speak. Both were their beloved children, and it was heartbreaking to decide who to send and who not to send.
A suffocating silence fell over the room. Only Song Yunping remained, her head bowed, her shoulders trembling slightly. She forced back her tears, took a deep breath, and strained to force a smile that looked more like a grimace as she looked at Song Yunhui:
"Xiao...Xiao Hui..." Her voice choked with sobs, "That...that spot...you should go. You have good grades...you should go to university...I...I can take the exam again next year..."
"Sister!" Song Yunhui looked up abruptly, tears welling in his eyes. "No! You've always taken care of me, saving all the good things for me..."
"I'll pass next year... I'm sure I'll get in next year!"
Song Yunping was about to continue persuading him, but Qin Hao patted Song Yunhui on the shoulder and said, "That's the kind of thing a man would say."
Song Yunping hurriedly said, "No, let Xiaohui go instead. Otherwise, he'll waste another year at the pig farm. I'm fine; I can always take the exam again next year..."
Song Yunping felt a mix of emotions. Of course she wanted to go to university, but last time her younger brother volunteered to go to the countryside to raise pigs so that she could go to high school. This time, it was her turn to give up to her brother.
Qin Hao looked at Song Yunping and said in a serious tone, "Don't you know how many points you got on the college entrance exam? The reason you were able to pass this year is only because the questions were easy this year. Next year's college entrance exam questions will definitely be much more difficult than this year's. Can you guarantee that you will pass next year? Your younger brother is different. He is the top student in the county. No matter how difficult the questions are next year, he will still pass."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunhui nodded repeatedly: "Yes, sister, I have good grades, I will definitely pass the exam next year."
Mr. and Mrs. Song opened their mouths, but hesitated to speak. They naturally hoped that their son could go to university, but they were afraid of upsetting their daughter if they said it.
Qin Hao naturally saw through Song's parents' thoughts: "If you want both siblings to go to university, this is the only way."
Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Song lowered their heads, which was considered an admission.