Axolotl Translations

“Looks like someone got into a fight?” Wei Jiajia observed the children, all covered in dirt and looking quite disheveled. Judging by their muddy clothes and the fresh bruise blooming on Sanbao’s handsome face, she didn’t even need to ask—clearly, they’d been in another brawl.

“Mama, it wasn’t our fault this time!” Second treasure declared. “Wang Yaowen lost to eldest brother and third brother in the exams. He didn’t dare come at us directly, so he held a grudge and sent some kids to bully Xiao Yi.” In her mind, fighting to defend their little cousin was perfectly justified.

“Yeah, yeah!” Eldest and Second treasure nodded emphatically. They were certain they hadn’t done anything wrong—Mama had always told them they were supposed to protect Xiao Yi. And this whole mess had started because of them, so Xiao Yi had been dragged into it for no reason. Of course they had to settle the score.

Wei Jiajia momentarily ignored their explanations and turned her attention to Zeng Yi. “Tell your auntie—are you hurt?”

Zeng Yi, worried his cousins might be punished for sticking up for him, glanced nervously at the gentle woman before him and shook his head. Then he reached out his small hand and took hers. “Auntie, please don’t punish them. They didn’t mean to fight—they were just helping me.”

Wei Jiajia gently patted his head. “Then tell Auntie—how did they bully you? Did they hit you?”

She needed to understand the reason behind the fight. Even if Zeng Yi had been wronged, she still needed the full story so the children could avoid similar trouble in the future.

“No, they didn’t hit me. They tricked me into leaving the classroom and took me to a corner. Then they told me to get on the ground and bark like a dog. When I refused, they were about to hit me when my brothers showed up.”

Zeng Yi had grown up alongside the triplets and shared a strong bond with them. All the other children in the compound knew they were cousins.

Zhang Huimin hadn’t had any more children due to her work, a decision Zeng Guoqiang supported, making Zeng Yi their only child. Fortunately, with the triplets around, he was never lonely—he spent most of his time at the Qiao household anyway.

Still, for whatever reason, Zeng Yi was a little shyer and more timid than the other boys, making him an easy target. But since all the compound kids had grown up together, and the Qiao triplets were the undisputed leaders of their age group, most kids didn’t dare mess with Zeng Yi.

But “most” certainly didn’t mean “all.” Wang Yaowen’s little gang was constantly butting heads with the triplets—whether it was over territory or who had more followers, the rivalry never ceased.

Wang Yaowen was only a day older than the triplets, placing them in the same class. The constant comparisons between the two families had only fueled their competitive spirits. Neither side was ever willing to back down, especially when it came to academics.

The Qiao kids had always excelled in school—especially Eldests and Third treasure. Second treasure lagged slightly behind, but only because, in her mind, food held the top priority, and everything else—grades included—was secondary.

Fortunately, Qiao Haoyu and his wife never pushed their children to be academic stars—passing grades were all they asked for. Their primary concern was the kids’ happiness, and they never imposed their own ambitions on them.

Wang Yaowen, on the other hand, being an only child, was thoroughly spoiled by Li Linlin. She seemed to overcompensate for some inner guilt by excessively doting on him, which fostered his rather overbearing personality. However, he wasn’t unintelligent; quite the contrary, he was actually very sharp.

The children were all in the same class, and usually, a superficial peace reigned. But when exam time rolled around, the gloves came off—each was determined to outshine the others. The top three spots in the class rankings were almost always occupied by these three.

Every time the results were posted, there were winners and losers. The Qiao family took it in stride. As long as the triplets had given their best effort, Wei Jiajia always offered encouragement, regardless of their ranks. But the atmosphere was different in the Wang household. If Wang Yaowen didn’t secure the top position, Li Linlin would become visibly upset. She wouldn’t directly scold him, but she’d apply relentless pressure for him to try harder so he wouldn’t lose to the Qiao kids. Hearing this repeatedly only amplified Wang Yaowen’s resentment towards the triplets.

This time, in the end-of-term exam, he had only managed to rank third—first and second places went to the Qiao brothers. He couldn’t stomach it. His domineering nature, coupled with the competitive mindset instilled by his mother, filled him with fury, even though he couldn’t directly retaliate against them.

Then, an idea sparked in his mind: Zeng Yi. If I can’t touch you, I’ll go after your cousin to vent my anger.

He bribed a few classmates to lure Zeng Yi out of his classroom and drag him to a secluded corner to bully him. It was at that moment that other children witnessed the scene and rushed to inform the triplets—hence the fight that had started it all.

After hearing the explanation, Wei Jiajia didn’t scold them. Instead, a smile touched her lips. “Well done. You stood up for your cousin and didn’t let him get bullied. That’s the right thing to do. No wall-sitting punishment today. Go wash up, change out of those dirty clothes, and I’ll cook something delicious to reward you.”

Watching the kids cheerfully dash inside, Wei Jiajia headed for the kitchen. She genuinely felt they hadn’t been wrong this time. When your little cousin is being bullied, of course his big brothers have to step in. However, she was still a little worried about Zeng Yi’s gentle nature. When Zhang Huimin returned from work that evening, she planned to have a conversation with her. Being kind is fine for a child, but if he remained that way into adulthood, he’d be too easily taken advantage of in society.

We don’t need to teach kids to bully others—but at the very least, they shouldn’t appear to be easy targets either.

While the children were still cleaning up, Wei Jiajia took out several bunches of grapes, washed them thoroughly, and set them aside. Once the children were done, she’d let them snack on those first. Then, with practiced ease, she began washing the meat and chopping vegetables.

When Qiao Haoyu and Zhang Huimin arrived home from work, they were greeted by the comforting aroma of a home-cooked meal. The sense of warmth and belonging it evoked was profound. Even the ever-vain Sanbao momentarily forgot about the bruise on his cheek and eagerly tucked into the food, savoring every bite.

When the three adults returned home and saw the bruises on Third treasure’s face, they also heard the full story behind the children’s fight. Not one of them criticized the kids; instead, they all praised them for doing the right thing. Zhang Huimin and her husband repeatedly thanked the triplets—if it hadn’t been for them, who knew how badly their gentle, bookish son might have been bullied. This experience solidified the couple’s resolve to properly train their son—not necessarily to drastically alter his personality, but at least to improve his physical capabilities. When someone hits you, you must be able to fight back.

But halfway through dinner, a loud pounding echoed from the main gate of the Qiao family compound, accompanied by muffled shouting and cursing.

Wei Jiajia frowned, set down her chopsticks, and rose to see what was happening outside. She already had a strong suspicion of who it might be.

Seeing her get up, the others, equally curious, followed her.

When she opened the gate and saw the familiar mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, along with the smug-looking child standing beside them—evidently emboldened by his family’s presence—Wei Jiajia immediately knew her hunch had been correct. I haven’t even gone to their house yet, and here they are, coming to mine instead.

As Li Linlin’s eyes landed on Wei Jiajia at the door, a fleeting flicker of envy crossed her face. After all these years, Wei Jiajia still possessed the same youthful radiance and beauty as when they had first met. Meanwhile, the corners of her own eyes were beginning to show fine lines.

Clutching onto her pride, Li Linlin suppressed her jealousy and remained silent. But her mother-in-law was not so reserved. She glared at Wei Jiajia with displeasure and declared, “You, from the Qiao family—just look at what your three kids did to my Yaowen! Look at the bruises on his face. He’s our precious grandson—we’ve never even laid a finger on him, and now he’s been beaten up by your children. What do you propose we do about it?”

This elderly woman, having spent years indulging her grandson, had lost the fairness and kindness she had once shown when she first arrived at the compound. She didn’t care about the reason behind her grandson’s beating—only that it had happened, and that it was unacceptable.

“And what exactly do you propose we do?” Wei Jiajia asked calmly, folding her arms across her chest.

“Well, of course, they should get a taste of their own medicine. Let them understand how painful it is to be hit. That way they’ll learn not to make the same mistake again,” the older woman stated, her gaze fixed on Wei Jiajia’s impassive expression before continuing, “Naturally, you’ll be the one doing the hitting. We won’t help you discipline your kids. Then have your three children come out and apologize to Yaowen, and give us twenty yuan for medical expenses. That’s all.”

She had meticulously planned this on their way over. Her grandson had suffered—there was no way the Qiao family was going to get away scot-free. After this incident, perhaps those triplets would think twice before messing with her precious boy again.

Before Wei Jiajia could respond, Zhang Huimin, who had overheard the entire exchange, was already beyond shocked. She had never encountered such blatant shamelessness. How could this woman utter such outrageous demands with a straight face?

Zhang Huimin, her fiery temper reaching its boiling point, could no longer contain herself. She stormed forward and pointed directly at the old woman’s nose. “What is this—highway robbery? Are you short on cash or something? And you want us to apologize to your grandson? How can you even open your mouth and say that? Your grandson bullied my son first! Should I be asking you for fifty yuan in emotional damages? Seriously, how thick is your skin?”

She had been seething with anger ever since learning that her son had been forced to bark like a dog. Initially, she had tried to reason with herself, thinking the children were young and didn’t fully grasp right from wrong. Since the triplets had already taught them a lesson, she had intended to let it go and focus on toughening up her own son. But now, with this woman arriving with such self-righteous indignation, she was done holding back.

The old lady was momentarily dumbfounded by Zhang Huimin’s sharp and rapid scolding. She had only dared to voice such demands because she had perceived Wei Jiajia as a refined individual who wouldn’t engage in a loud argument. The twenty yuan wasn’t the real issue—her aim was to deliver a warning to the Qiao family, to make them control their children and prevent them from bullying her grandson. But now, hearing Zhang Huimin portray her actions as using her grandson’s injuries to extort money, it sounded entirely different, and deeply unpleasant.

The old lady trembled with anger. This was the first time since moving into the compound that someone had pointed a finger at her and cursed her out. Back in her village, she had always looked down on those loudmouthed, uncultured women who shouted in the streets like shrews. After joining her husband in the military compound, she had always strived to be amiable and courteous. The compound was strict, the military families well-mannered—people lived their own quiet lives, and she had never found herself in conflict with anyone. Now, seeing the crowd gathering around to whisper and point at her because of the commotion, her temples throbbed painfully.

“You… you…” She pointed a shaking finger at Zhang Huimin, but was too consumed by anger to form words.

“What, what about me? Why don’t you keep talking? Weren’t you just overflowing with brilliant ideas—telling us to beat up our own kids to satisfy your kid’s anger? You think you’re so clever? Why don’t you just fly off to the moon while you’re at it? Do you even grasp the situation here? Your kid started the fight. We didn’t come looking for trouble, and you think that means we’re pushovers?” Zhang Huimin retorted, not allowing the old lady a chance to interject, deliberately raising her voice to ensure the onlookers understood that her family was not in the wrong this time.

When Li Linlin had come over, she hadn’t intended for things to escalate so publicly. Her aim was to subtly teach the Qiao family a lesson—after all, their children weren’t just academic rivals; the adults were engaged in a quiet competition as well. But she hadn’t anticipated Zhang Huimin’s unrestrained reaction. For someone from the city, someone educated, where was her composure? How could she scream and curse like a common street shrew? With the way she had shouted, what would people say when word got around?

She quickly stepped forward and addressed the watching Wei Jiajia, “Comrade Wei, we didn’t come here to start a fight. We simply wanted to resolve a matter between the children. My mother-in-law’s words might have sounded harsh, but look at my son’s face—those injuries are not fabricated. She was merely worried, not trying to extort anyone.” She needed to explain herself clearly—any negative rumors could potentially harm her husband’s career. Given the current political climate, not everything could be said or done without consequence.

Wei Jiajia glanced at Wang Yaowen’s face, which was indeed marked with bruises—perhaps more severe than her own son’s, though less immediately noticeable due to his slightly darker complexion.

She muttered to herself, These kids… Haven’t they been told not to aim for the face? Why are they all going straight for it? Was the rest of the body not spacious enough for their… interactions?

Composing herself, she addressed Li Linlin, “Comrade Li, while I acknowledge that my children were wrong to resort to hitting someone, every incident has a cause. If your son hadn’t gathered others to bully Zeng Yi, my boys wouldn’t have retaliated. Besides, my children were also injured.” She gestured towards her youngest son, who had been observing the unfolding drama from the sidelines. Once he had run over and stood before them, Wei Jiajia gently nudged him forward and said, “Look at my son’s face—these injuries are no lighter than your child’s. And yet, we didn’t come knocking on your door demanding anything, did we?”

Third treasure, with his fair and delicate skin inherited from his mother, showed even the slightest bruise with stark clarity. That dark patch on his face looked particularly prominent, and the ointment Wei Jiajia had applied seemed to emphasize it further, making his appearance even more alarming.

Seeing the bruise on Third treasure’s face, Li Linlin’s resolve wavered. Looking back at her own child, she found herself unable to confidently argue about who had suffered the greater injuries.

Regaining her composure, she pressed on, “Your three kids ganged up on mine. Isn’t that bullying by numbers? Even if my son was in the wrong, it still wasn’t right for three of yours to gang up on him.”

Sanbao was quick to object—he wasn’t about to let that accusation stand. Frowning, he corrected her, “Auntie, it wasn’t three against one. It was three against four. Wang Yaowen brought three other kids with him. We were actually outnumbered!”

The implication hung in the air: it was her son who had initiated the bullying with the advantage of numbers, not them.

Li Linlin was rendered speechless. A faint ripple of laughter spread through the watching crowd, and she suddenly felt at a loss for words. A pang of regret struck her—it had been impulsive to come here without first understanding the full context of what had occurred. Who would have imagined that what seemed like a straightforward matter would end up making her son appear entirely at fault?

Fortunately for her, Wang Jianjun arrived just in time to extricate his wife and mother from the awkward situation. Striding over, he addressed Qiao Haoyu, who had stood quietly behind his family the entire time, his arms held protectively.

“I’m sorry, Commander Qiao,” he said, his tone sincere. “My mother and wife acted without a complete understanding of what happened. They saw our child was hurt and came directly here seeking answers—that was their mistake. I apologize to you all. Truly, I am sorry.”

He had finished work late that day. Returning home to an empty house, he had inquired with the neighbors and learned that his family had taken their son to the Qiaos’. He had rushed over, only to overhear bystanders murmuring about his mother and wife causing a scene—and then discovered that their child had been the one to instigate the fight. It was a humiliating situation. He felt as though he had been forced to lower his head before Qiao Haoyu for no justifiable reason. But seeing the helpless expressions on his mother and wife’s faces, he had no choice but to step forward and apologize.

Hearing Wang Jianjun address him as “Commander Qiao” sent a subtle wave of emotion through Qiao Haoyu. Once, they had been comrades-in-arms, bound by a deep mutual respect. Now, all that remained was a distant, polite title.

“Kids getting into fights is normal,” Qiao Haoyu replied calmly. “And as parents, it’s only natural to feel protective. My son wasn’t seriously hurt. But your child bullied someone else’s child—and that, I cannot forgive on their behalf.”

With that, he stepped aside, his expression unreadable.

Wang Jianjun, now a regiment commander, had every justification for pride. To have risen step by step from a rural background to this position through his own sheer effort at his age was a remarkable achievement. He had never considered himself inferior to Qiao Haoyu and the others who had attended prestigious military academies. Regardless of their elite origins, they held the same rank as he did—some even lower. Yet today, he felt as though Qiao Haoyu had utterly trampled his dignity.

Swallowing his humiliation, he turned to Zeng Guoqiang and said, “I apologize, Deputy Commander Zeng. The child’s behavior was unacceptable. I will ensure he is disciplined when we return home.” He didn’t wait for a response before turning to leave, dismissing even his usually cherished family without a backward glance.

Seeing Wang Jianjun walk away without looking back after his apology, Li Linlin and her mother-in-law understood his anger. Not daring to utter another word, they quickly hurried after him, pulling the child along.

“You offended him today. Aren’t you worried he’ll seek some form of retaliation?” Zeng Guoqiang asked, fully aware that his friend’s actions had been for the sake of his son, yet still harboring some concern.

“What do you think?” Qiao Haoyu glanced sideways at him, his expression enigmatic. Even if their paths hadn’t crossed today, their relationship had been strained ever since Wang Jianjun had married Li Linlin, a past grievance Qiao Haoyu seemed unable to fully let go of.

“Alright, that was a pointless question.” Zeng Guoqiang chuckled, realizing his worry had been unfounded. Neither of them was the type to be easily intimidated, especially given the current state of affairs between them.

With the other family gone, the two families turned back towards their homes—they had only managed to eat half their dinner, and their stomachs were still rumbling.

Behind them, the children began to whisper amongst themselves. Eldest treasure muttered, “Told you not to hit him in the face—it’s too obvious. But no, you just had to go and do it.” Luckily, he had been smart enough to aim his punches where they wouldn’t leave visible marks.

Third treasure grumbled in response, “He punched me in the face first. I had to hit him back! What if it messed up my looks? I’d be annoyed just looking at his face!”

Second treasure, listening to the two of them bickering behind her, shook her head with the air of a small adult. She took Zeng Yi’s hand and strode towards the house. Listening to those two go on and on was a waste of precious time—she’d much rather go inside and snag a few more bites of meat.

---

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter