Qin Wannian felt uncomfortable. He had been used to his son’s attitude over the years but they’d never calmly chatted with each other like adults. He didn’t like the idea of it. He felt that that sort of relationship would reduce the control he had over his son.
"Forget it, I'm gone," Qin Feng said with resentment. This was the hundredth time that the two had met and begun to argue.
However, when Qin Feng arrived at the door, Xing, who seemed to have been listening on the other side, rushed in. He held Qin Feng’s shoulders and cried, "What are you doing? Your last cigarette butt hasn’t gone cold yet and you’re already leaving! Don’t you have anything more to say to the master?”
Xing pleaded with Qin Feng, hoping he would calm down.
Qin Feng simply smiled and said, "I am not leaving. I’m hungry, and I want to eat Mom Zhang’s big steamed chive buns. I'll talk with him after I finish them."
When Qin Wannian heard this, he calmed down. He sat on the sofa, picked up a small purple pot, and violently poured tea as he shouted at Qin Feng, "You just go, go. Cook what you want to eat yourself."
Qin Feng did not take this seriously. He leisurely walked into the kitchen, picked up the steamed buns and began chowing down.
Mom Zhang brought a bucket of olive oil in from outside. When she saw Qin Feng, she hurried in, fussing and crying, "Oh, aren’t your hands dirty? Eat with chopsticks. The steamed buns are very hot! Don't hurry. I'll get you some dried shrimp skin to put on them. It tastes good."
Qin Feng smiled as he drank from a bowl of millet congee. "Oh, even this porridge is so good to drink. Mom Zhang, it’s unfortunate that you spent your life working in our home. With your skills, you could have opened a steamed bun shop."
"Ha-ha, eating steamed buns and you still can't shut your mouth! That I’ve been able to stay with the Qin family is more honorable than anything," Mom Zhang said, then she turned her eyes to the front hall again and lowered her voice to ask, "What happened? You came out so soon. Did you make the master angry again?"
"What do you mean by make him angry? He pissed me off," Qin Feng said bitterly, stuffing a third bun into his mouth. He was so full but couldn’t help picking up a fourth one as he started speaking again. “He’s always been like that. Always scolding me and treating me poorly. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even his kid. My mom died when I was so young. How did he manage to raise me?”
"Young master, you hardly ever come back home. Let’s not mention those old matters. Later, after we eat, you can speak with the old master. Don't be angry with him. Try to be kind. "
"Well, I'll speak with him after I eat enough."
"That's good."
Mom Zhang looked at Qin Feng carefully and asked, "Young master, are you losing weight again? Haven't you had a good meal lately? You don’t take care of yourself! How old are you now? You must eat well. Don’t make people worry about you."
"Well, Mom Zhang, I know you're saying this for my own good, but I've been like this all these years. There's nothing wrong with me."
Qin Feng couldn’t stand Mom Zhang’s nagging. Her next sentence certainly would be to ask about whether he had a girlfriend again. After he ate the fourth steamed bun, he was anxious to leave the room. "Leave me a few buns. If the discussion goes smoothly, in the evening, Xing and I will have some wine. Can you get a few more drinks and vegetables for us?"
"Yes, yes, I'll have it all for you. When you want to drink, call me at any time," Mom Zhang said before anxiously asking, “Young master, do you think you’ll find a girl while you’re here this time?”
Sure enough, there she went again.
However, before she finished, she was stopped by Qin Feng saying, "All right, all right, I'm going now."
"You, child..." Mom Zhang fell silent. Qin Feng was always avoiding questions. How old was he now? Although the old man did not say so, Mom Zhang knew that he looked forward to Qin Feng's marriage so that he could someday have a grandson.
Of course, Mom Zhang couldn’t outright ask Qin Wannian about his heartfelt hopes. She only knew that the old master was not as content as he may seem. When he saw children playing together in the alleyway outside the courtyard, he would stand by and watch silently for a long time. Mom Zhang could see the clues in his eager eyes. In those moments, he must be wondering what Qin Feng‘s future children would be like.
Returning to the Middle Hall again, Qin Feng jumped right in to talking about what he wanted to discuss. “This last time, we carried out the mission in the Golden Triangle. We were ordered to look for the nest of the drug lord, Shark Kun. We searched for two weeks in the jungle and finally found some clues. Then, I was captured by Shark Kun’s followers and brought into their headquarters. I had to rely on my superb combat capabilities.......”
When Qin Feng said this, Qin Wannian impatiently interrupted. "Don't be slick. Get to the point."
"After I escaped, I drew a map of Shark Kun’s nest from memory."
When Qin Feng said this, Qin Wannian still interrupted him. "Get to the point."
Qin Wannian could hear that Qin Feng's focus was the map but discussing this was not the real reason he’d come here. He was anxious to hear whatever secret Qin Feng was hiding.
Qin Wannian had taken part in a counter-attack against Vietnam and spent a long time in the thick forest of the Golden Triangle himself. The combat conditions were very difficult and without modern equipment. Those who survived that kind of battle were the real warriors.
"When I fled, I took Shark Kun's list of places where he distributes drugs in China. It involves a lot of people, but it's basically a code tag. Although it’ll take time to decipher, it shouldn’t be difficult. I have connections to the network of drug lords. If I want to destroy him...”
When Qin Feng said this, Qin Wannian anxiously asked, "Have you told the military commander about this matter?"
"Not officially. But someone already knows," Qin Feng said. “I can’t hide this matter completely.”
"Shark Kun attaches great importance to that list, and there are people in the military on that list. After the incident, did Shark Kun find you through the military?"
Qin Wannian's thinking was very sharp due to years of military reaction and judgment. This kind of talent could not be trained from nothing. Qin Feng had inherited this advantage of his father. His judgment and timing in battle were his most powerful advantages.
"They have not found me yet, but I am certain that I have been targeted by the commander of the army. There is a mole. I do not know who it is, or I dare not think, I am afraid to dig deep because that search would be difficult to end. I don't know who to trust and who is my ally."
Qin Feng had had no choice but to come home to discuss this matter with his father. His position in the military was very high and several of his brothers were still active in the front line of the military. Surely he would have some advice.
"Well, you're smart," Qin Wannian said. He thought for a minute and said, "Show me the list."
Qin Feng presented it while saying, "There are several code names that you can certainly guess."
The more Qin Wannian looked at the list, the more surprised he was. He didn't think that this many of his old friends and brothers would be involved in this matter. This could cause an earthquake in the military. Many people and factions had transferred their allegiance, and some of these people were royalty and aristocrats who could not be touched.
After reading the list, Qin Wannian pondered for a moment, and said, "If I let you destroy the list, would you be willing to act as if this never happened?"
Qin Feng was surprised to hear this from Qin Wannian, who had always been upright and did not bow to evil forces. But this also proved the importance of this list to him.
Qin Feng was shocked for a long time. His mouth opened a few times, but he did not know how to answer.
According to his father’s lessons since childhood, Qin Feng could absolutely not agree. No matter who and no matter what the obstacles were, he could not take the path that wasn’t right. This lesson was in his bone marrow. The lessons from his father had helped him through countless struggles over the year. So now, when he was faced with this great conflict, how could he not listen to those same lessons?
Qin Feng did not want to forget the list. This was not only because of the feeling in his heart, but also because of the fate of Xiao He. His best brother had died in the Golden Triangle and the list was his only way to make up for that death.
But the old dad wanted him to give it up. This was enough to explain everything. This matter involved someone whose status was as high as the sky. If he investigated, he would only be searching for death, and might even implicate his father and the Qin family. The Qin family had been in turmoil for so many years, and now, with the retirement of his father, it finally looked like things might calm down.
Qin Feng looked out of the window at the wind blowing the persimmon trees and felt a throbbing in his heart.