Courtyard House: Jia Zhangshi! How dare you hit my sister?

Banggeng shuddered in fright, but still gritted his teeth and shuffled in.

Today he was wearing a faded old shirt, his little hands were behind his back, and his toes were shuffling on the ground, looking like he wanted to go in but didn't dare to.

"I...I am..." He stammered for a long time, his eyes constantly glancing at the stove.

Seeing him like that, Qin Huairu's heart softened: "Bang Geng, have you eaten?"

Banggeng shook his head, then quickly nodded, then shook his head again, and whispered:

"Grandma...Grandma said there's no food left at home...Dad hasn't come back yet..."

As he said this, he kept glancing at Qin Huai'an, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that Qin Huai'an didn't react much.

How could Qin Huai'an not know what this kid was thinking?

I've been starving all day and wanted to mooch a meal, but I'm afraid of getting beaten up, so I'm acting like a coward.

He didn't say anything, intending to quietly watch the kid's performance.

Seeing that he wasn't being chased away, Banggeng grew a little bolder and dawdled into the house, looking left and right. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

He saw a broom in the corner, quickly ran over, picked it up, and started sweeping without saying a word.

They swept so thoroughly that they even swept out the dust from the cracks in the corners of the walls.

After sweeping the floor, he noticed some water stains on the table. He quickly picked up a rag—the one Qin Huai'an had used earlier—and carefully wiped the table, over and over again, until it was almost shiny.

Qin Huairu felt both heartache and amusement when she saw her son like this.

This child used to never pick up a fallen oil bottle at home, but now he actually takes the initiative to do chores.

She knew that Banggeng was starving and afraid of being beaten, so he used this method to "please" his uncle in hopes of getting some food.

Qin Huai'an saw everything and secretly wanted to laugh.

This kid knows how to handle things.

But his face remained stern, and he only spoke calmly after Banggeng finished wiping the table:

"Finished sweeping?"

Banggeng nodded quickly, forcing a smile on his little face: "I've...I'm done sweeping, Uncle..."

"Finished wiping?"

"I'm...I'm done wiping..."

Qin Huai'an hummed in response and then continued with his own business without saying anything more.

Banggeng stood there, somewhat at a loss. He had finished his work, but his uncle hadn't said anything. Would he still be able to eat?

He didn't dare ask, and could only look at his mother pitifully.

Qin Huairu softened and whispered to her younger brother:

"Huai'an, how about... letting the child..."

"Let him stand." Qin Huai'an said without looking up.

Upon hearing this, Banggeng's face immediately fell, but he still obediently stood to the side, twisting the hem of his clothes with both hands, his eyes glancing at the stove from time to time.

Cabbage was stewing in the pot, and its aroma wafted out. Banggeng's stomach, unable to bear it, started rumbling loudly, so loudly that everyone in the house could hear it.

He quickly covered his stomach, his face flushed red, and he lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone.

Qin Huai'an finally put down his work, walked to the table, sat down, and looked at the stick:

"Do you know why I made you stand?"

Banggeng shook his head, then quickly nodded, and whispered:

"Because...because I used to steal...and I was disobedient..."

"Anything else?"

Banggeng thought for a moment and then said:

"Because...because I disrespected my elders...I swore at them..."

"Just remember that." Qin Huai'an's tone remained curt. "Today, since you did a decent job..."

He paused, and Banggeng's eyes lit up, looking at him expectantly.

"I'll let you sit at the table and eat." Qin Huai'an finally relented.

Banggeng almost jumped up, but seeing his uncle's serious expression, he quickly held back and whispered:

"Thank you, Uncle..."

"What are you thanking me for?" Qin Huai'an glared at him. "There are rules for eating! Did you wash your hands?"

"I washed...I washed it!" Banggeng quickly stretched out her little hand—it was indeed quite clean.

"Sit there," Qin Huai'an said, pointing to the stool next to the table.

Banggeng sat down carefully, his back straight, his hands on his knees, like a primary school student.

Qin Huairu served the food on the table—cornbread, stewed cabbage and tofu, and a dish of pickled vegetables.

Banggeng stared at the food on the table, his eyes wide with disbelief, and his mouth almost watered, but he held back and waited for his uncle to start eating.

Qin Huai'an picked up a cornbread, broke it in half and gave it to his sister, then broke off a small piece for himself, and handed the remaining half to Banggeng.

"Eat."

Banggeng accepted the gift with both hands and whispered, "Thank you, Uncle."

Then he began to eat in small bites, very carefully, afraid of making any noise.

Qin Huai'an couldn't help but twitch his lips when he saw his cowardly appearance, but he quickly straightened his face again:

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

"Hmm..." Bang Geng nodded, slowing down a bit, but his eyes were still fixed on the dishes on the table.

Qin Huairu placed a piece of tofu on his plate: "Eat more vegetables."

"Thank you, Mom..." Bang Geng's voice was even softer.

The meal was eaten quietly.

Banggeng behaved himself properly throughout, only daring to pick up food when asked to eat and only daring to serve soup when asked to drink it, never daring to be disrespectful.

Qin Huairu saw this and felt a mix of emotions.

Back when Banggeng lived with the Jia family, eating was like a battle. He would fight over food, be picky about his food, and smack his lips. No matter what they said, he wouldn't listen.

And now? In front of her younger brother, she's as docile as a little quail.

She suddenly remembered what her younger brother had said before—"Children should be disciplined if they need to be disciplined; otherwise, they won't learn their lesson."

Now it seems my brother was right.

Hasn't Banggeng improved? He knows the rules now, he's afraid, and he knows how to work.

Although... although this change was brought about by pulling with a belt, the result is always good.

After finishing the meal, Banggeng took the initiative to clean up the dishes and take them outside to wash.

Qin Huairu wanted to help, but Qin Huai'an stopped her:

"Let him do it. He'll feel at ease eating if he does the work."

Qin Huairu spoke up: "But Huai'an, the stem is too small, it can't be washed clean at all."

Qin Huai'an didn't care about any of that: "Whether it's clean or not isn't important, washing it is the most important thing!"

When Banggeng returned after washing the dishes, Qin Huai'an glanced at him:

"It's getting dark, let's go back."

Banggeng nodded and whispered, "Uncle, Mom, I'm going back."

As he reached the door, he turned back, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Uncle...I...can I still come tomorrow?"

Qin Huai'an did not answer directly, but instead asked a question in return:

"What are you doing here?"

"I...I'll do the work..." Banggeng's voice trailed off, "Sweeping...wiping the table...anything..."

Qin Huai'an was silent for a few seconds before speaking:

"It depends on your performance."

Banggeng's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously: "I'll definitely do my best!"

After saying that, he ran off happily.

Watching her son skip away, Qin Huairu's eyes welled up with tears.

She turned to look at her younger brother and said softly:

"Huai'an, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you... for teaching Banggeng so well." Qin Huairu wiped her eyes. "I never dared to imagine that this child could be so obedient."

Qin Huai'an snorted:

"This is just the beginning. We have a long way to go."

But Qin Huairu still caught the slight smile on his lips.

She knew that her younger brother was happy too.

As night deepened, lights began to illuminate the courtyard houses.

In the small house in the backyard, the siblings tidied up and prepared to rest.

Tomorrow will be another new day.

As for Banggeng, after returning to the Jia family, he surprisingly did not cry or make a fuss. Instead, he took the initiative to pour his grandmother a glass of water—even though Jia Zhangshi did not give him a kind look.

But at least, the child is starting to understand things.

All of this filled Qin Huairu's heart with hope.

Life is truly getting better day by day.