novelno Chapter 77 Your Battlefield Is on Those Bricks and Tiles
Chapter 77 Your Battlefield Is on Those Bricks and Tiles
On the table, empty plates were stacked haphazardly.
The remaining broth had congealed on the edge of the white porcelain plate, and a few bones that hadn't been properly gnawed lay scattered about.
Chen Feng put down the water glass in his hand with a dull, crisp sound.
He placed his hands on his knees, his posture ramrod straight, and his gaze shifted from Mengmeng's satisfied little face to Zhang Qiang, who was sprawled on the chair, burping without any regard for his image.
Mengmeng's belly was round and full from eating, and she was patting her belly with her little hands, making a series of silvery laughs.
Zhang Qiang was clearly still in a daze. He patted his chest and let out a loud, long burp.
"Qiangzi," Chen Feng said, his voice slightly hoarse yet calm.
"Hmm? What's up, Fengzi?" Zhang Qiang picked his teeth, glancing sideways at him, his face still flushed.
"Didn't you get enough of these ribs? I'm telling you, I'll go to the market tomorrow morning and find a couple more good ones..."
"Starting tomorrow, don't come to the store anymore."
As soon as Chen Feng finished speaking, the once cheerful main room instantly became as if it had been frozen.
Zhang Qiang's tooth-picking motion was abruptly halted in mid-air.
He wondered if he had misheard, shook his head vigorously, and stared wide-eyed at Chen Feng: "Huh? What did you say?"
Chen Feng avoided his fiery gaze, his fingers gently tracing the rough rim of the cup, and repeated softly:
"I said, starting tomorrow, you go back to your original construction team and continue your renovation work."
You've already wasted almost a month on "everyday life," you shouldn't waste any more time.
"Chen Feng, what the hell are you doing?!" Zhang Qiang sat bolt upright, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a piercing screech. "Trying to kick me out? You think I'm clumsy?"
Chen Feng remained calm: "We have enough manpower now."
Su Chen is here; he can take your place. Xing Ruo has also gotten started.
"What's the meaning of you, a seasoned craftsman who's spent most of your life in the renovation business, huddled here wiping tables?"
"Are we manpower enough? Open your eyes and look!" Zhang Qiang pointed at Su Chen, then at Xing Ruo and Mengmeng, who were looking bewildered, and his voice suddenly rose.
"That kid Su Chen, he washed the dishes today and his hands were raw. Has he ever seen anything big?"
Tomorrow might be even busier than today. Can he handle it all by himself?
And Xingruo, that child hasn't grown up yet, she's as thin as a stick. How old is Mengmeng?
Zhang Qiang became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes even turning red. He slapped his thigh hard.
"You make them suffer in this fumes and smoke, you don't feel bad about it, but I do!"
"Qiangzi, listen to me." Chen Feng raised his eyes, staring intently at Zhang Qiang.
He stood up, walked up to Zhang Qiang, and pressed down on Zhang Qiang's hand, which was waving excitedly. The two looked at each other.
"You need money. Your renovation team may work hard, but the wages are quite good."
Chen Feng lowered his voice, "In this old street, your craftsmanship is top-notch."
He let go of Zhang Qiang's hand, turned his back, and couldn't bear to look at Zhang Qiang's injured expression.
"You need to save money to get married; your uncle and aunt are counting on you to support them in their old age. You should go and earn money!"
Zhang Qiang's face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed: "Bullshit! Why would I marry a wife? I'm a one-man army! I can earn money anytime!"
He suddenly stood up, and because he used too much force, the wooden stool behind him overturned with a loud crash.
He didn't even bother to help him up; he just pointed at Chen Feng's nose.
"I know you want me to have a good life!"
Zhang Qiang gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with a hint of tears.
"But let me tell you, if I weren't here watching over things, you'd be in trouble sooner or later!"
Are you serious about making a hundred servings?
Although he was always laughing and joking these days, he could see the dark circles under Chen Feng's eyes from the cooking fumes.
He wanted to share the burden, even if it was just helping to clear the dishes.
"I will find a way to solve it." Chen Feng's attitude was as firm as iron, and he sat up straight.
His hands gripped the edge of the table tightly.
"Even if I don't sleep, I can manage. Qiangzi, if you really consider me a brother, then go back to the construction site tomorrow."
The atmosphere in the room plummeted to freezing point. Zhang Qiang was panting heavily, staring intently at Chen Feng, but Chen Feng wouldn't budge an inch.
Time passed by, second by second, with only the old clock on the wall making a dull ticking sound.
Su Chen, who had been silent all along, slowly stood up, his eyes resolute.
He had his head down the whole time, so no one could see what he was thinking.
Now he stepped forward and stood between Chen Feng and Zhang Qiang. His pampered hands did indeed have several red marks, just as Zhang Qiang had said.
"Brother Qiang, let me say something fair," Su Chen said, his clear voice breaking the awkward silence.
He took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious.
"I know you're worried about me. In your eyes, I'm probably just a rich kid who can't do anything right." Su Chen gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
"But Brother Chen taught me that here, there are no rich young masters, only people who do the work."
"But I know that everyone in this store is running forward with all their might, and I will try my best not to fall behind."
Su Chen walked up to Zhang Qiang, his face full of sincerity:
"Brother Qiang, you have your responsibilities. I'm different; now I have nothing left but this shop."
He openly displayed his hands, the wounds on them not a disgrace to him, but a medal.
"I will spend two or three times as much time as others to learn."
"If I'm really too busy, I'll wipe the table clean even if I don't sleep." Su Chen's voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and resolute.
"If you're still not reassured, you can 'test' me anytime you come back tomorrow night." He looked at Zhang Qiang, his tone carrying a hint of youthful stubbornness.
"If you think I'm not qualified, you don't need Brother Chen to kick me out, I'll just leave on my own."
Zhang Qiang was stunned for a moment, his lips moved but he didn't say anything.
"Uncle Qiangzi..."
Xingruo also stood up. Her voice was very soft, but it could be heard very clearly in the quiet room.
She walked to Mengmeng's side, took Mengmeng's trembling little hand, as if trying to give herself some strength.
"Yesterday I felt like I had no hope in life, but my master and you guys pulled me back."
Xingruo bit her lower lip, her eyes glistening with tears. "I know I'm not strong, but I can eat less and work harder. I can get up earlier than others."
She mustered her courage and looked up at Zhang Qiang. "Master is right. You have more important things to do. We...we will protect this shop!"
Mengmeng sensed the atmosphere, jumped off the chair, and ran to Zhang Qiang's side.
The little girl was running so fast that she almost tripped over the fallen stool.
She tugged hard at Zhang Qiang's clothes, tilting her head up, her eyes slightly red:
"Godfather, you need to earn more money so you can take good care of Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Li."
Mengmeng's voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of crying, which made Zhang Qiang's whole body go weak.
"Mengmeng has grown up. Mengmeng can help her dad collect money and wipe the table for Brother Su." She stretched out her chubby little hand and tried to wipe the dust off Zhang Qiang's face.
"Go ahead and do your work. When you come back, Mengmeng will save the best ribs for you."
Zhang Qiang looked down at Mengmeng, and his anger subsided considerably.
Looking at the people in the room, at the reluctance in each of their eyes, he suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
This sense of powerlessness stemmed from his knowledge that Chen Feng was right.
He can't stay here forever. He has his parents and his responsibilities. What "humanity" needs now is genuine growth, not his overprotection.
Chen Feng stood up, walked up to Zhang Qiang, and patted him hard on the shoulder twice.
These two blows were heavy, carrying the weight of the most tacit understanding between brothers.
"Qiangzi, this is our home. You can come back anytime after you finish your work."
Chen Feng's voice trembled slightly, but he tried to control himself, "But your battlefield now isn't in front of the stove, it's on those bricks and tiles."
Zhang Qiang sighed deeply, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He abruptly pushed Chen Feng's hand away, turned around, roughly wiped his face, and his voice became hoarse:
"Fine...fine! You all have your own ideas, you all think I'm in your way!"
He bent down, picked up the stool from the ground, and pushed it under the table.
"Chen Feng, I'm telling you, I'm going to the construction site tomorrow!" Zhang Qiang said as he walked out, his back looking somewhat disheveled.
Chen Feng finally smiled with relief: "Go ahead and don't worry about us."
He watched Zhang Qiang's retreating figure until the man stopped at the door.
Zhang Qiang turned around, picked up Mengmeng, and kissed her hard, leaving a red mark on her chubby little face before putting her down in a huff.
"Let's go!"
Zhang Qiang grabbed the keys from the table and strode out of the store without looking back.
His steps were heavy.
With a loud bang, the heavy wooden door slammed shut, and the room fell silent once more.
Chen Feng stared at the door, remaining silent for a long time before slowly exhaling.
His shoulders slumped, and his once straight back relaxed.
The frustration that had been building up in my heart these past few days seemed to dissipate.
He slowly walked to the dining table and began to clear away the empty plates.
Seeing this, Su Chen and Xing Ruo quickly followed to help. Neither of them said anything, but their movements became swift.
He couldn't let his own reasons delay his brothers' progress.
Chen Feng said to himself.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, he had to lead this family and carve out a path through the smoky atmosphere of this old street.