Childhood Affection - Chapter 18 - Qin the Smooth Talker, Yin the Dumbass

Yin Qianyang had a wound on the corner of his mouth, so he couldn’t open his mouth wide to eat or speak. Nie Weishan, worried that he might struggle with the meat pie, heated it up and cut it into small pieces before bringing it over. “Make sure to drink some millet porridge after you finish eating,” he instructed.

Yin Qianyang picked up the chopsticks and started eating, but with half of his hand wrapped in bandages, he wasn’t very dexterous. The food kept slipping from his chopsticks. “I’m such an active person, and now all I can do is lie down or lie on my stomach. I can’t even eat properly. It’s so frustrating,” he complained.

“And you still have the nerve to be frustrated?” Nie Weishan fetched a steel spoon to make it easier for him. “If you could just change your temper, how many accidents could you avoid? Right now, you can’t even use chopsticks properly. You might as well toss the food into your mouth.”

Having learned his lesson this time, Yin Qianyang didn’t argue back. He ate spoonful by spoonful, occasionally sneaking a glance at Nie Weishan. When Nie Weishan noticed, he opened his mouth and said, “Ah.”

The biggest piece of meat pie was fed into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed it, then said, “Yang, how about we set some ground rules?”

“I don’t want to. You’re just going to try to control me,” Yin Qianyang replied, his eyelids drooping in passive resistance.

Nie Weishan didn’t say anything, just lowered his gaze. The room was filled with the sound of the steel spoon clinking against the plate. Yin Qianyang glanced at him, reflecting on whether he was being too stubborn. He compromised, “Maybe we should set some rules.”

Nie Weishan said, “From now on, when something happens, don’t just roll up your sleeves and charge in. Think it over, consider if you can actually win, and think about whether you’ll get hurt.”

Yin Qianyang looked confused. “I always think I can win…”

If it weren’t for the bump on the back of his head, Nie Weishan would have smacked him. He restrained himself and said, “Then change your mindset. From now on, when something happens, keep repeating to yourself: ‘I can’t do it, I can’t win, I should just leave.'”

Yin Qianyang said disdainfully, “Then I’d be just like you.”

“You look down on me now, huh?” Nie Weishan finally picked a good piece of meat, pinched it, and continued, “The ancients said a real man can bend and stretch. Didn’t that one guy endure humiliation under someone’s crotch? You should learn from him.”

Yin Qianyang clutched his chest where he’d been pinched. “That guy also chose to die rather than submit. I’m just trying to be broken jade rather than intact pottery.”

Nie Weishan’s patience ran out. “Every time you fight, it’s like a dirt clod hitting a brick. There’s no jade involved! Not even pottery!”

“Why are you getting so worked up?” Yin Qianyang wiped his mouth after finishing his meal. “I didn’t refuse, but I’ve been like this for more than ten years. Changing suddenly is hard.”

“Yang, Yang, Yang-Ge,” Nie Weishan softened his tone, using a more gentle approach. “What’s the real reason I want you to change? It’s because I don’t want to see you get hurt. Think about it, when you get hurt, the whole family suffers. Aunt Xian, Uncle Yin, and Jie-Jie all worry about you, right?”

He added, “I worry too.”

Yin Qianyang, feeling pleased, said, “You should have said that earlier. Got it, I’ll change.”

The nearly week-long sick leave was hard to endure. Not going to school was one thing, but not being able to train was driving Yin Qianyang crazy. It rained on Friday, starting early in the morning and stopping around three in the afternoon. The air in the courtyard was moist, with a hint of fresh grass. He set up a folding chair under the pomegranate tree, wrapped in a cotton jacket, and played gobang.

“Is anyone home?”

Yin Qianyang looked towards the door and saw Qin Zhan peeking his head in. He waved, “Come on in.”

To his surprise, Qin Zhan was followed by eight or nine people, all from the track and field team. The group quickly filled the courtyard. Yin Qianyang was stunned. “Wow, I didn’t know I was so popular.”

They set up a small table and each grabbed a small stool to sit on. Qin Zhan put down a bag and said, “I bought you a can of milk powder for calcium. It cost over three hundred at checkout. It broke my heart.”

Other teammates also put down their gifts. “These are socks, on sale at the supermarket. Just wear them.”

“A variety pack of chips. I bought three sets. My favorite is the original flavor.”

“Canned yellow peaches. When you’re sick, you eat canned yellow peaches. There’s nothing canned yellow peaches can’t fix.”

“A football. Kick it to vent, or puncture it if you want.”

Yin Qianyang was almost in tears, hugging the can of milk powder. “What are you guys doing? This is so touching.”

Qin Zhan, feeling at ease, opened a bag of chips and started eating. “Since you joined the track and field team, it doesn’t matter if you’re an outsider or a local. You’re part of the team. We’re all about unity and friendship.”

“Remember the first time we met at the hospital?” another teammate said. “I sprained my ankle that day, and everyone went to the hospital with me. We’re used to supporting each other.”

Yin Qianyang nodded. “So we became friends through a fight.”

Qin Zhan said, “Qianyang, we all feel guilty about what happened to you. The grudge was between us and those jerks. You didn’t know anything and ended up getting hurt.”

“It’s okay. I’ll get my revenge eventually!” Yin Qianyang said, then remembered Nie Weishan’s words and quickly corrected himself. “Actually, a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. We’ll see.”

The group exchanged glances. One of them said, “It’s already been avenged. Let’s just move on.”

Yin Qianyang was shocked. “Avenged?!”

Qin Zhan sniffled. “Yeah, after you took leave, I asked Shan-Ge about it. When we found out, we were all furious. We decided to teach those jerks a lesson and get revenge for you.”

“Really?!” Yin Qianyang was energized. Seeing that none of them were injured, he was even more curious. “Tell me everything! Those guys must have been destroyed. How did you handle them?”

“Let Zhan-Ge tell it. He’s good at storytelling.”

Damn, what a situation. Qin Zhan felt the weight of his promise to Nie Weishan but had to follow through. “The next afternoon, the football team was training at the gym. We timed it and waited on the street where it happened. We even had bubble tea. I had lavender flavor, which tasted like laundry detergent, but the pearls were chewy.”

Yin Qianyang interrupted, “Can you get to the point?”

“Almost there, don’t rush.” Qin Zhan stuffed some chips in his mouth, tasting like sawdust. “It started getting dark, and we saw a group of jerks in the distance. We crossed the street and blocked their path.”

“At that moment, I thought of two lines from the Peking opera ‘Tiao Hua Che¹‘!” Qin Zhan got into character, standing up and placing one foot on a stool, making a hand gesture with his fingers. “Look ahead, dark and foreboding, it must be the enemy’s lair!”

Yin Qianyang clapped his hands and continued, “Let me rush forward and kill them all!”

“Exactly! Those two lines!” Qin Zhan sat down, animatedly recounting, “Those guys were stunned. Only the leader was still sharp. He waved us closer. What an idiot. I walked over and whacked him with a wrench!”

Yin Qianyang asked, “You brought a wrench?”

Everyone covered their faces, thinking they were about to be exposed. Qin Zhan quickly recovered, “The dorm bathroom pipe was loose, so I tightened it. I just happened to have it with me. Anyway, one hit with the wrench and the guy was down. The others surrounded us, and I kicked two of them away. That’s how the fight started!”

“Wouldn’t using a wrench be dangerous?” Yin Qianyang was a bit worried.

Qin Zhan waved it off. “If I want him dead by midnight, he won’t live past dawn. If I don’t want him dead, he won’t close his eyes. Street fights have rules. Once someone is down, you don’t use weapons. Just fists and feet. In the end, they were all on the ground, and we stopped.”

Yin Qianyang looked at him in awe. “Did they beg for mercy?”

“They were just howling. A bunch of wimps.” Qin Zhan was also in awe, his mind filled with the image of Nie Weishan and Nie Yingyu’s tall figures. “We counted them and then went back to the Sports School.”

When he finally finished, the courtyard was silent. The others were embarrassed, and Qin Zhan felt a sense of accomplishment for helping Nie Weishan and Nie Yingyu.

Yin Qianyang hugged the can of milk powder, looking at Qin Zhan. “You must have gone easy on me during the hospital battle. Otherwise, I would have been coughing up blood.”

Qin Zhan avoided his gaze. “Let’s not talk about the past. It’s all in the past.”

They had training later, so the group stayed for a while before preparing to leave. Yin Qianyang saw them to the door. “I was hoping to compete next month, but now it seems unlikely.”

Qin Zhan comforted him. “Just focus on recovering. Drink plenty of milk powder and get your calcium.”

Yin Qianyang was inexplicably excited and promised, “I’ll drink it twice a day and get back to the team as soon as possible!”

As everyone left the courtyard, he grabbed Qin Zhan’s sleeve and whispered, “Come visit often. Next time, stay for a meal.”

Qin Zhan, thinking he might see Nie Weishan, felt like he was on a pilgrimage and agreed, “No problem. I’ll stay for two meals!”

Nie Weishan and Nie Yingyu continued their usual routine of going to school and coming home. They had already forgotten about the fight. Nie Weishan went to check on Yin Qianyang after school, bringing some test papers. Seeing the table full of food, he asked, “Did Aunt Xian buy all this? Don’t overeat.”

Bai Meixian said, “His track and field teammates bought it. He hasn’t stopped eating all evening and is already stuffed.”

Nie Weishan remembered his request to Qin Zhan and sat down at the table. Watching Yin Qianyang eat canned peaches, he asked, “Qin Zhan and the others came to see you? What did you talk about?”

Yin Qianyang wiped his mouth. “You won’t believe it. They actually went to get revenge on the football team for me.”

“That’s impressive,” Nie Weishan said, playing along.

“I was really surprised. Qin Zhan is truly a hidden talent.” Yin Qianyang went to the kitchen to get a bowl and scooped two spoonfuls of milk powder. “He used a wrench to hit the football team’s leader. It was amazing. Looking back, he must have gone easy on me at the hospital. He was just playing with me. Later, he invited me to the Sports School, but changed it to a competition to avoid me getting hurt. He even invited me to join the track and field team.”

As the spoon stirred the milk powder in the bowl, forming a vortex, Nie Weishan watched and said, “He’s really good to you.”

“Isn’t he? I just realized it today.” Yin Qianyang took a sip, feeling warm inside. “He bought me this milk powder today. It’s for calcium. He wants me to recover quickly and get back to the team. Thinking about how amazing he is, I feel embarrassed for showing off before.”

Seeing Nie Weishan remain silent, Yin Qianyang pushed the snacks towards him. “Have some snacks. They bought so much.”

Nie Weishan felt a lump in his throat. “I don’t want snacks. I want milk powder.”

Yin Qianyang held the can of milk powder protectively. “No way. This symbolizes the bond between Qin Zhan and me. There’s yogurt in the fridge. How about some yogurt?”

Nie Weishan took a deep breath. “I’ll just go home and have porridge.” He got up to leave but stopped when he saw Yin Qianyang looking up at him. He couldn’t help but reach out and touch the back of his head, checking if the swelling had gone down.

The swelling was gone, but his brain was still not working right!

Yin Qianyang noticed Nie Weishan’s low spirits, though he didn’t know why. As Nie Weishan reached the door, he couldn’t help but call out, “Wait, what’s wrong?”

Nie Weishan looked at the jujube tree in the yard and replied, “My foot hurts.”

“What’s wrong with your foot?” Yin Qianyang immediately got up and went over, squatting by Nie Weishan’s foot. “Did you sprain it? What happened?”

Nie Weishan pulled him up and said, “It’s nothing,” then left.

Now he knew what it felt like to lift a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

Footnote:

1. Tiao Hua Che(挑滑车): Tiao Hua Che (挑滑车) is a classic Peking opera piece that depicts a historical story of battlefield bravery and cunning. It is known for its dramatic lyrics, expressive gestures, and intense character portrayal.