VHBF – Chapter 104 Village Bully Daddy (Part 15)

It wasn’t until Qin Yuli shouldered his bag and set off before dawn that the Old Qin family still hadn’t quite reacted—th-this was really happening?

A little Yinyin was hanging onto Qin Yuli’s leg. Her delicately carved, chubby little face was streaked with two trails of tears, her eyes red as she looked up at him.

She pressed her little lips together and just stared at him without saying a word, her small hands clinging tightly, refusing to let go.

Qin Yuli gave a short “hey,” squatted down, and patted the kid’s little head. “Da—Dad’s going out for two days. I’ll be back soon.”

“Where’s Daddy going?”

“Daddy’s going to drive for people, you know? Drive the truck to the other side of the mountain and then come back.”

Yinyin sniffed softly, her voice carrying a nasal tone. “Then Daddy take Yinyin with you?”

Forget that the convoy wouldn’t allow it—even the family wouldn’t agree. Chen Qiuhua was really afraid he’d take his youngest daughter along, so she hurried over to coax the clingy little granddaughter too.

It was freezing cold, and this was an out-of-province delivery. Adults could grit their teeth and endure it on the road, but how could a three-year-old’s body handle that? What if she caught a cold or got chilled? That would be terrible.

“Good girl, listen to Daddy. Be good and wait at home. Grandma will have your Second Brother and Sister Hua keep you company and play with you.”

Everyone in the Old Qin household had gotten up early. In the dead of winter, it was icy cold, and it was still dark outside. There was no work to do anyway—if it weren’t for how shocking this business with Third Son was, they wouldn’t have dragged themselves out of bed so early.

Chen Qiuhua shot the kids a look and signaled with her eyes for them to say something, take a stand, and help coax the little granddaughter.

The Bai and Hei twins crowded over, wearing ingratiating smiles, telling their little sister to be good. They’d play with her, and they’d even share the few precious pieces of dried sweet potato they’d finally gotten.

Yinyin ignored them completely, eyes brimming with tears as she stared at her dad.

Qin Yuli’s head was about to explode. He’d never raised a child before. In the village, he was the kind of person everyone feared—kids would detour when they saw him. He’d never had any affinity with children. Who knew that the moment he became a bargain-bin dad, his daughter would be this clingy?

If she were crying and making a scene, Qin Yuli might still be able to put on a stern face, scold her, and maybe even smack her little butt a couple times to keep her in line.

But now this exquisitely cute little girl was looking at him with big, reddened eyes, on the verge of tears—no screaming, no yelling—just hugging his leg and gazing up at him pitifully. No one could bring themselves to be cruel.

Qin Yuli gritted his teeth. He’d never realized he could be this patient.

Luckily, he’d gotten up early to make sure nothing went wrong with this trip. Otherwise, with the kid clinging like this, he probably wouldn’t make it in time.

Qin Yuli said, “Be good and stay home. When I come back, Dad’ll bring malted milk for you to drink. Anything else you want to eat? I’m going to Hai City—there’s lots of stuff there. Whatever you want, Dad’ll bring it back for you.”

Facing a three-year-old who’d never seen much of the world, Qin Yuli wasn’t afraid of bragging himself to the heavens. Whatever his daughter wanted, he’d get it—malted milk and some snacks or whatever. He could afford that much.

He talked and coaxed, explaining that he was going to earn money and couldn’t take her along; if he took her, he’d lose his job. Finally, he even brought out what he (personally) considered his ultimate trump card.

“Listen, kid—daughter. When I come back, Dad’ll buy you one of those little floral dresses other girls wear outside, and a small schoolbag. When you start school, you’ll be able to use it.”

“Don’t want the flower dress? Then what do you want?”

Damn brat—why so many demands? Weren’t little girls supposed to love this kind of thing most?

Qin Yuli deeply felt that being a dad these days was like serving a little ancestral lord—not easy at all. His mother had really saddled him with a tiny troublemaker. Once she latched on, there was no shaking her off.

At this moment, Qin Yuli had completely forgotten how he used to think every few days about how to dump the kid. The thought didn’t even cross his mind now.

If it were Qin Yuli from half a year ago, he’d probably have just grabbed the kid and tossed her aside, then hit the road with swagger.

The onlooking Old Qin family saw everything clearly. They covered their mouths and snickered. Third Son feared nothing, loved stirring trouble, and hated work—now he’d finally met someone who could rein him in. Raising a daughter was a whole discipline in itself. Third Son had plenty of hardship ahead of him.

Yinyin tilted up her little head, her soft, milky voice firm and resolute. “I want Daddy.”

Qin Yuli: “……”

Qin Yuli finally surrendered to this clingy little gremlin. He scooped her up. “Fine, let’s go. I’ll take you with me.”

He’d barely taken two steps when Yinyin shook her little head herself, her chubby face full of painful reluctance. “No, no. Daddy, put Yinyin down. Yinyin will wait at home for Daddy.”

“What? Changed your mind again?”

“Daddy’s already so dumb. Yinyin can’t drag you down.”

Yinyin spoke earnestly, her chubby little face tangled with worry. “If Yinyin goes with Daddy and makes Daddy lose his job, then with Daddy being this dumb, what will Daddy do if he can’t find another job later?”

What Yinyin meant was very clear: Daddy, you’re so dumb that Yinyin can’t hold you back. If I make you lose your livelihood, with how dumb you are, finding another job would be really, really hard!

Qin Yuli: “……”

Qin Yuli put Yinyin down, glared at her viciously. Still want malted milk? Still want fried sugar cakes? Still want pretty little dresses? Dream on!

He turned and walked away. Behind him, he faintly heard his little daughter’s anxious, milky voice calling after him with heartfelt reminders.

“Daddy, you have to behave, don’t fight with people, okay!”

“Daddy, when you’re outside, you can’t swear. You have to be civilized and polite…”

“Daddy—”

He didn’t hear what else she said. His face grew darker and darker as he walked. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have gotten all mushy those couple of times. He should’ve left cleanly and decisively back then. Even if it meant ceding territory and paying reparations—so what?

That little brat actually dared to look down on her old man’s abilities?

And she even dared to lecture him about being civilized and well-mannered? She probably didn’t even know who the dad was!

Qin Yuli made up his mind: no gifts at all. He’d come back empty-handed!

Only after Dad’s figure had completely disappeared did Yinyin, who had been clinging to the doorframe, reluctantly withdraw her gaze. She stretched out her arms for Grandma to pick her up and said worriedly, her little brows knitted together, “Grandma, why does Daddy seem unhappy?”

The Qin family held back their laughter—this father and daughter pair was just too amusing, hahaha.

What kind of person was Old Third? Proud as a big rooster. Yet his little daughter kept tearing down his image and even told him to behave—hilarious.

Chen Qiuhua patted Yinyin’s little head. “He’s just not as smart as our Yinyin. Don’t worry about him. For the next couple of days, you’ll sleep with Grandma and Grandpa.”

Yinyin shook her head. “Grandma, that’s not right. Daddy will become even better.”

“All right, all right—whatever our Yinyin says is right. Be good, let’s go eat breakfast.”

Qin Yuli was gone for six full days before he came back. It was the night of Lunar New Year’s Eve, when he finally entered the house through wind and snow, carrying a chill all over his body.

The office of the Dahuai Production Team had a radio. It was reported that the road from Changshan Province to Hai City was sealed by heavy snow, and vehicles traveling back and forth were stranded on the road, likely having to spend the New Year there.

Later, another report described a chaotic incident: the stranded convoy had run into local villagers blocking the road, the two sides clashed, and a fight broke out.

This was the fourth day since Qin Yuli had left home. After hearing the news, the Qin family practically went frantic.

People in those days were reserved, and rural folks—honest and straightforward—were even less likely to say mushy things. In front of Old Third, they acted as if they didn’t care, never once saying things like “be careful on the road” or “take good care of yourself.”

But now, upon hearing from the eldest son, Qin Guoshu, that the road was blocked and conflicts had occurred, with many people detained, they immediately panicked.

Chen Qiuhua held her little granddaughter and wiped away tears. Counting back twenty years, her third son had always been her treasure. Even now, among her three sons, she loved the third the most.

This son had been clever since childhood, just like her. Though she usually complained that he lacked prospects, at this moment she would rather he give up that job entirely—as long as he came back safely.

What was the point of a good job anyway? It was dangerous out there. Better to come home and farm. Even if he slacked off a bit, so what? The family could afford to support him. She and the old man had already planned to raise Old Third and his daughter. As long as they could still move, and with some savings for coffins put aside, they wouldn’t starve.

Urged by his parents, Qin Guoshu went everywhere asking for news. In the end, with no other options—six days had passed, the New Year was coming, and there was still no word—he swallowed his pride and went to the county committee compound.

Back then, Brother Chen—the secretary—had said that if anything came up, just tell the gate guard. Qin Guoshu didn’t know whether Secretary Chen had meant it politely or sincerely, but now he had no choice but to go knocking on doors.

Chen Huaisheng happened to be home. With the New Year approaching, work had eased up, and he finally had a few days of leisure.

Hearing that a production team leader surnamed Qin was looking for him, Chen Huaisheng was a little surprised. Mrs. Chen smiled beside him. “That one’s a simple, honest fellow. He must have something urgent to come all this way.”

Once inside Secretary Chen’s home, Qin Guoshu didn’t know how to begin. His square face, dark with a reddish tinge, instinctively straightened his clothes as he stood ramrod straight.

Secretary Chen smiled. “What’s the matter, Brother Qin?”

Hearing that form of address, Qin Guoshu’s eyes lit up slightly. The secretary hadn’t called him by name formally, but just like when they first met, called him “little brother”—warm and familiar. Qin Guoshu relaxed a bit.

He sat awkwardly on the small sofa in the secretary’s home, still somewhat stiff, but much better than when he had first come in and dared not move.

“Secretary Chen… you know my third younger brother, Qin Yuli, right?”

Chen Huaisheng nodded. Back when he’d met the two brothers, the elder one—though a team leader—was less sharp and quick-witted than his younger brother, though he made up for it by being steady and genuinely thinking of the people.

Thinking back, Chen Huaisheng said, “I heard from comrades in the propaganda department that Comrade Qin Yuli was in the newspaper some time ago?”

“And even called a model laborer? That’s good. Young people should have that kind of drive.”

Qin Guoshu didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed on his brother’s behalf. His brother was the type to work three days and slack off two; he just happened to get caught at the right moment. None of that could be explained to a leader. Scratching his head, Qin Guoshu said, “My third brother was hired as a temporary worker by the county food factory and went to Hai City to escort a shipment. We heard the road was blocked by heavy snow on the way and he got stuck there…”

Before he could finish, Chen Huaisheng frowned slightly, thinking—it did seem like there had been such a thing.

“Everyone’s already on holiday, and the food factory was still shipping goods?”

“We don’t know about that. The radio said the convoy clashed with local villagers and several people were arrested. I’m worried… At home, my parents are so anxious they can’t eat or sleep.”

Chen Huaisheng thought of that young man—clever and alert. He had originally thought that was his only strong point, since the young man looked a bit careless and unreliable.

Unexpectedly, he was quite hardworking too, hence the newspaper coverage. After he returned, Secretary Sun beside him had mentioned this young man several times. Chen Huaisheng’s impression of Qin Yuli was fairly good.

He picked up the phone beside him and dialed. “Hello, Comrade Guofu? Help me check the road connecting us to Hai City—is it Baoli Road? Find out what’s going on there, and ask who exactly has been detained. See if there are any from our county.”

The person on the other end was the county transportation bureau director. Ten minutes later, he called back. “Leader, a few drivers from our county were detained by the Baoli Police Station for fighting and causing trouble, but we can’t get the specific names. They won’t disclose them.”

Qin Guoshu returned to Dahuai Village utterly dejected, not daring to step into the house. What would he say if his mother asked?

How could it be such a coincidence? Just one trip and trouble broke out. If anything really happened—his parents loved Old Third so much—wouldn’t they collapse?

Once inside, Qin Guoshu didn’t dare say anything, only that he hadn’t found any news. No news was the best news. The Qin family told themselves that not being able to come back for the New Year wasn’t a big deal. After all, they’d spent twenty New Years together—missing one wouldn’t matter. Once the snow was cleared after the holiday, he could come back then.

Even thinking that way, the New Year passed badly for the Qin family. The matriarch, Chen Qiuhua, had no heart to prepare dumplings. The team distributed pork, which they froze in the yard. She hastily had the second daughter-in-law cook a pot of cabbage, mushroom, and pork-lump soup. The family gathered around and treated it as their New Year’s Eve dinner.

Chen Qiuhua and the old man discussed taking money over there to inquire. If Old Third really had been detained, they’d pay whatever fine was needed—no matter what, they had to get him out.

Yinyin cried several times, lowering her little head as she poked at her small bowl. Daddy had promised to be back in three or four days. It had been seven or eight already. Lying to a child—she could count, you know!

The eldest and the youngest in the Qin family were unhappy, and the others lived under gloomy skies as well.

At that moment, even the fragrant pork-lump soup—with mushrooms added—had no taste at all.

For the first time, Zhao Yueya and Li Dilai sincerely hoped their brother-in-law would be well, hoped he could return safely. Otherwise, there was still a little tagalong left at home—who would raise her in the future?

The Qin family’s courtyard gate was covered in white snow, mixed with mud, blackish and yellowish, not pretty to look at.

Carrying big and small bundles, Qin Yuli groped his way into the courtyard in the dark. The main hall door was closed to keep the cold wind out.

Second Brother Qin Guodong scratched his head. “Did you hear something outside?”

“You’re hearing things. It’s just the wind.”

But Yinyin frowned slightly, her nose twitching. Suddenly she stood up, climbed down from the tall chair, and pitter-pattered toward the front door.

Just as Qin Yuli was about to push the door open, it opened from the inside. He looked down—and there was his little daughter, tears brimming in her eyes, looking up at him.