Chapter 21: The One Who Awaits You

One hundred and fifty coins may not sound like much, but in a place like Qingshui Town, it is enough to keep a family going for a long time if they live frugally.

"Don't believe me?"
"Let's go..."
Cheng An grabbed the boy's sleeve.
"Let go! What are you doing?"
"Going to see the Master!"
He looked up at the boy, a calm smile on his face: "If I am lying, the Master will naturally expel me from the academy, which will save you the trouble of trying to drive me away."
"Get lost! I'm not going." The boy shook him off.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Cheng An's smile deepened. He looked around and said, "Whether you were put up to this by Cheng Xiaoyuan or not, it has nothing to do with me. As long as you don't provoke me, I won't provoke you. How about that?"
"Hmph!" The boy sniffed disdainfully and said, "So what if the Master backs you? Do you think I'm afraid?"
Cheng An shook his head helplessly and sighed: "I really don't know if you are stupid or just thick-headed! Cheng Xiaoyuan is my cousin; how could he not know my background?"
"Yet, even knowing that the Master values me, he still sent you here to cause trouble. Why do you think that is?"

The group fell silent. They were all just boys in their early teens; how much depth could their minds have? Immediately, some began to grow suspicious.
"Brother Dong Hui, it seems like we've been played..."
"Right!"
"That brat Cheng Xiaoyuan has no good intentions!"
"All of you, shut up!" The boy named Dong Hui frowned slightly. He continued to curse, "Don't listen to this kid's nonsense! He's just trying to sow discord and make us fight among ourselves! Brothers, beat him up!"
"And what about Cheng Xiaoyuan?" Cheng An shouted, stopping the fists in their tracks. "If he didn't have something to hide, why wouldn't he come out himself?"
"If you beat me up today, the Master will surely punish you! But Cheng Xiaoyuan won't have any trouble at all, and he'll probably even laugh at you behind your backs for being so foolish!"

This statement carried weight. Many of them quietly took two steps back. Dong Hui's face turned ugly. He hesitated for a moment, glared at Cheng An, and said, "I don't care what you're relying on, but in this room, I'm in charge! You'd better behave yourself from now on, or I'll beat you up!"
"Fine." Cheng An smiled, then turned around and continued tidying his bed.

...

The night passed without incident. In the morning, the students yawned and walked to the front hall together.
"Time to eat."
"Everyone go wash your hands!"
A long table was set in the center. A girl of thirteen or fourteen stood behind it, directing traffic with a ladle.
"Dong Hui! Did you wash your hands before eating?"
"Senior Sister..." Dong Hui wilted instantly.
"Less talk!" The girl feigned a stern look. "Go wash your hands first, or I'll hit your palms!"
"Yes!"

Dong Hui obediently lined up to wash his hands. When Cheng An finished washing his hands and brought his bowl forward, he followed the others' lead and respectfully called out, "Hello, Senior Sister."
"You must be Cheng An, right?" The girl's face blossomed into a smile. As she filled his bowl, she said, "My name is Du Qingqing. From now on, this is your home. If you have any difficulties, just tell your Senior Sister."
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
"Don't mention it..." Du Qingqing tucked a stray hair behind her ear. As she served the students, she smiled and said, "Father says you have a spark of intelligence—the brightest student he has ever seen. Study hard in the future; you must live up to those who have expectations of you."
*Those who have expectations of me?*
Cheng An felt a sudden, inexplicable tightness in his throat. In his previous life, no one had expectations of him. In this life, he had parents, and even though the first eight years were filled with hardship, they allowed him to experience the warmth of family. And now... there were two more people in this world who had expectations of him!
"Yes! I will remember that!" Cheng An nodded with a smile.
"No need to be so formal. We are all going to live together from now on; we should be tolerant of one another..." Du Qingqing's smile was gentle, and her conversation was elegant and refined, much like the well-bred young ladies in films, her every gesture exuding grace.
"Oh," she looked back at Cheng An and said with a playful reproach, "look at your tunic, it has a hole in it... change it after you eat, and I'll mend it for you."
"Ah?" Cheng An only then realized that his new tunic had a tear half a finger long. He didn't need to ask—it was certainly the work of Dong Hui.

...

There were over thirty students in the academy of varying ages. Cheng An was not the youngest, but he seemed like an outsider; after getting their food, the other students tacitly avoided him, keeping their distance. Du Qingqing noticed this and frowned slightly, then brought her own bowl and sat beside him.
"Is the food to your liking?"
"Yes, it's delicious!" Cheng An grinned. He wasn't lying; the food at the academy was indeed good. At the very least, it was much better and more nutritious than what he had eaten during those years at the Cheng family house.
Du Qingqing smiled softly. "Eat more if you like it. I cooked today's meal. If you aren't full, go get more; don't worry about the cost."
"It's enough." Cheng An lowered his head. He sounded as if he had suffered a great grievance, his voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
Du Qingqing immediately glanced toward Dong Hui and deliberately said in a loud voice, "Don't be afraid. I'm in charge here. You can eat as much as you want."
"Senior Sister is so kind."
Across from them, Dong Hui's face turned cold. He muttered under his breath, "Bah! Bootlicker!"
"Dong Hui!" Du Qingqing immediately put on a stern face and said with authority, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing..." Dong Hui hurriedly shook his head, smirking, "I was just saying that you have great skills, Senior Sister. The rice and the dishes are delicious! I could eat a whole bowl and still want more."

"Hmph!" Du Qingqing feigned displeasure. "Let me tell you! Don't let me catch you bullying the new kid again, or I'll tell Father to inform your dad and see if you don't get a beating!"
"Don't, please don't!"
"I know I was wrong, Senior Sister. Besides, I didn't bully him..." Dong Hui gave Cheng An a surreptitious look and said with a forced smile, "Did I bully you, Cheng An?"
"No."
"See?" Dong Hui grew triumphant. He turned back to Du Qingqing and smiled, "When have I ever bullied anyone? Senior Sister, don't be fooled by him; this kid just looks honest."
"Shut up and eat your food."
How could Du Qingqing not see the underlying threat? After breakfast, she stopped Cheng An under the eaves.
"Dong Hui bullied you, didn't he?"
"Really, Senior Sister, he didn't..." Cheng An looked around timidly.
Du Qingqing frowned slightly. "If he didn't, why are you so afraid? And this tear in your tunic—it looks like it was cut."
"That..." Cheng An lowered his head and gripped the hem of his garment, his voice growing smaller. "That was just me being careless and snagging it."
*The child who cries gets the milk.* Cheng An had known this since he was three years old. In the orphanage in his past life, he was small and malnourished, unable to resist when bullied, so he could only hide in a corner and cry in secret. It wasn't until he saw a child crying for his mother to buy a toy that he suddenly understood... people are multifaceted.
After he grew up, some called him cunning, others called him vindictive. But if one has not suffered the wrongs of others, how can one know their pain?

...

Under the long corridor, Cheng An squatted on the railing, watching Dong Hui, who was being punished by Du Qingqing by having to stand still.
"You're the one who ruined my clothes, aren't you?"
"Heh, you just wait!" Dong Hui glared at Cheng An with a cold sneer.
Cheng An didn't look at him, instead staring at the ants at his feet. His tone was indifferent: "Actually, I don't care at all about your little tricks, but that piece of clothing... my mother made it with her own hands, and she even pricked her finger doing it."
"You shouldn't have ruined it."
"Bah!" Dong Hui spat in disdain and cursed, "Trying to act like a tough guy with me? You're still too green! I've marked this down, you just wait..."
*Slap!*
Cheng An jumped up suddenly and struck Dong Hui across the face. It didn't hurt, but the insult was profound.