Gou’er tightened his grip on Mao’er’s arm slightly. Even though he had never been to school, he knew that haircuts weren’t trivial matters. He had even heard stories from the elders in the village about how, in ancient times, one of the punishments for criminals was to shave their heads.
Qu Qing’s face remained calm, not displaying any fierce expressions to force them to do anything. However, Gou’er knew he couldn’t resist. This was his first day at this home with Mao’er, Qu Qing could have sent Mao’er away but chose not to. If that meant they could stay, then cutting hair was a minor issue.
Thinking this, he readily agreed, “Alright.”
Qu Qing also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if Gou’er had valued his hair more than his life, he would have been at a loss on what to do. He absolutely did not want to experience the feeling of feeding lice firsthand.
He turned and filled a bucket with stream water. Seeing this, Gou’er wanted to carry the water, but Qu Qing, noticing his frail build and thin wrists, slightly blocked him and refused. After seeing the visible panic on Gou’er’s face, Qu Qing hesitated and allowed him to fetch half a bucket of water in a basin as well.
Gou’er’s fear dissipated upon hearing this, replaced by a hint of joy.
Qu Qing understood that Gou’er’s behavior was due to his because he was living under someone else’s roof and his constant need to prove his worth due to his unstable situation. He constantly looked for approval and sought to show his value by doing more.
When he was a child and went to other people’s homes, he had felt something similar, but it was never as serious as this.
Qu Qing glanced casually at the man who was diligently following behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gou’er had filled the basin completely instead of just half, causing water to slosh out and wet much of his clothes. The small child was almost running to keep up and, perhaps due to poor physical development, he fell several times. Qu Qing observed that despite falling so many times, the child didn’t even shed a tear.
Didn’t it hurt?
Qu Qing let out a long sigh, pretending to be tired as he set the bucket down, then switched hands to carry it, and when he walked again, his pace was much slower than before.
At first, Gou’er struggled to keep up with Qu Qing’s pace, constantly spilling water from the basin. He blamed himself for his clumsiness and dared not fall behind. He didn’t dare help Mao’er, nor did he know what encouraging words to say without upsetting Qu Qing. After all, Mao’er… and Qu Qing had no blood relation. Gou’er was even unsure about Qu Qing’s plans towards Mao’er.
If… if Qu Qing intended to chase Mao’er away, he would not stay.
While Gou’er was anxiously thinking about these things, he suddenly noticed that Qu Qing had stopped. When he started walking again, Gou’er was surprised to find that it was no longer so difficult to keep up, and Mao’er also finally stopped running desperately with his little short legs to catch up.
After entering the threshold, Qu Qing quickened his pace, went to the kitchen to put down the wooden bucket, then turned around and took the water-filled wooden basin from the man’s hands. When he held the basin, its weight made him feel somewhat strained, and he was secretly surprised.
Before Gou’er could react, his arms, which were on the verge of giving out from the strain, suddenly felt light. He looked up, staring blankly at Qu Qing’s back, unsure whether he was in a hurry to use the water or simply wanted to help him.
Watching Qu Qing enter the kitchen, he hesitated for a moment. Gou’er wanted to help, but he remembered that even in his own home, he wasn’t allowed in the kitchen because they were wary of him and Mao’er. Generally, in most households, outsiders weren’t easily allowed in the kitchen. Thinking of this, he didn’t dare to follow him in or enter the house, so he stood in the
yard, waiting for Qu Qing’s instructions. Until he received those instructions, he wouldn’t dare to touch anything in the house.
After Qu Qing got the water and prepared the firewood, he searched for a long time but found no fire sticks or matches. He was about to tear his hair out, frustrated that he didn’t have a lighter.
Finally, he gave up and thought that the locals would know how to light a fire.
He was somewhat relieved that he had a local roommate, otherwise, as a modern person arriving here without any guidance, he would have been completely lost.
Qu Qing came out and saw the man with his back to him, drying his wet clothes in the sun, while the child, though his clothes weren’t wet, mimicked the adult’s actions and was sunbathing as well. Qu Qing found this scene quite amusing, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He called out, “Hey, what’s your name?”
The sudden voice startled both of them. Gou’er dropped his clothes and turned around, while Mao’er, wary, hid behind Gou’er.
Seeing their nervousness, Qu Qing felt like an intruding bandit in their village. The smile in his eyes faded. Gou’er seemed to realize his behavior might have been excessive but didn’t know how to respond. He hesitated and finally mumbled, “I… am called Hua… Hua Gou’er. My family calls me Gou’er.”
“Oh…”
Qu Qing thought the name was quite random. He had heard that poor families in ancient times often gave their children vulgar names to make them easier to manage, but Gou’er seemed quite grown up for such a name.
He didn’t comment on the name and turned his attention to the child, “What’s his name?”
Gou’er’s eyes lit up with surprise and his voice rose slightly. He quickly pulled Mao’er in front of him and introduced him, “His name is Mao’er. He doesn’t have a surname…”
Since the family didn’t allow him to give the adopted child their surname or name him, he had given Mao’er a name similar to his own.
Cat and dog? Qu Qing thought to himself, reflecting on how thoughtless the naming was, revealing a lack of regard. Judging from the reaction of the middle-aged woman earlier, it seemed that their status at home was very low.
“I see. So Gou’er, do you know how to start a fire?”
In Gou’er’s ears, Qu Qing’s voice was steady and refined. It was completely different from the ordinary and impolite farmers he was used to. Gou’er didn’t understand why he had disliked Qu Qing before, but now he felt that there was nothing wrong with him.
“Yes, I can,” Gou’er quickly nodded, “I can handle all household chores and do them well.” “Then please start the fire and boil the water.”
After giving the order, Gou’er went inside, found the flint, and quickly lit the fire in two moves. Qu Qing observed this and thought he would have to try it himself later.
After cleaning the big pot and boiling water, Qu Qing went outside to search for scissors in the cabinet again. After a long time, he couldn’t find any scissors or even a small knife. Realizing he needed to cut hair, Qu Qing finally turned his attention to the kitchen knife.
The hair had to be cut.
Thinking of the lice, Qu Qing went over and picked up the knife and examined the dull blade, then used the bottom of a bowl to sharpen it.
Gou’er, who was squatting nearby gathering firewood, heard the sharpening and felt a bit horrified. He quietly glanced at Qu Qing several times. Mao’er, who was afraid to enter because Qu Qing was inside, peeked in through the door. When Qu Qing came out, he quickly stepped aside, watching Qu Qing sharpen the knife with one curious eye.
Once the knife was sharpened, Qu Qing set up a stool in the yard, held the knife, and noticed the fearful looks in the eyes of the two. He rolled his eyes, gathered all his long hair in his hand and cut it off from the roots.
Seeing his actions, both the big and small figures were stunned in shock.
After cutting off his hair, he felt a significant lightness on his head. However, as he touched the uneven lengths of his hair, he thought he would need to find a way to fix it properly; otherwise, it would definitely look terrible.
Holding the large handful of black hair he had cut off, which was about half a meter long, Qu Qing thought it had really made a mess earlier and wasted a lot of soap pods. It was better to shave it off, otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have had the time to deal with all that hair. He looked at the two and tried to soften his voice, saying, “Mao’er, Gou’er, which of you two will come first?”
When Gou’er heard his name being called, he inexplicably blushed and then pulled Mao’er to stand in front of Qu Qing. “I’ll go first.”
Qu Qing nodded, asking him to sit on the stool. Considering that lice needed to be completely eradicated and that cutting too short could look ugly. He thought about it and decided to start with hair about the length of a finger joint.
As Gou’er felt Qu Qing’s hands carefully gather his hair, he watched as what once belonged to his body slowly moved away. He thought he might feel sad, but looking at Qu Qing’s serious face, he realized he wasn’t sad at all. Instead, he felt a vague, unexplainable joy.
If Qu Qing was personally cutting their hair, did that mean he wouldn’t send them away?
While cutting Gou’er’s hair, Qu Qing noticed his youthful, unrefined features so he curiously asked, “How old are you this year?”
“I… will turn eighteen next month…” Gou’er said, lowering his head and eyes. In fact, his family counted age in traditional years, and his mother often said he was almost nineteen and still unmarried. He knew his age made him less desirable to most families, so he stated his actual age, which he considered not a lie. Even so, he felt somewhat guilty and didn’t dare look at Qu Qing.
Qu Qing had no idea what Gou’er was thinking. He silently reflected that at seventeen, he was still quite young.
Mao’er, standing by, watched with curiosity as Qu Qing cut Gou’er’s hair, his eyes fixed on the process. Perhaps because Qu Qing’s actions were gentle and he had not spoken harshly to him, Mao’er’s fear had lessened. He even curiously watched Qu Qing with his eyes.
When Qu Qing’s gaze met Mao’er’s, he gave him a kind smile.
Mao’er quickly buried his head in his chest again.
Qu Qing felt a bit distressed. Did his smile seem frightening?