Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 7

“Is it the family on the fourth floor? It’s a remarried couple. The man is a beta, and the woman is an omega. The child at home is from the woman’s previous marriage, and his stepfather doesn’t seem to like him.”

“No wonder, I saw his forehead swollen last time…”

“This kid is really introverted. Even when his stepfather brings people home like this, he remains indifferent.”

“Well, it’s not his biological father anyway…”

…

After school, Han Yang walked into the residential area silently, and everyone stopped talking.

“The child is here; stop talking!”

His neighbors were often annoyed by the noise and couldn’t help but make sarcastic comments. “It’s freezing cold, and look at what he’s wearing. If his stepfather doesn’t care, his mother isn’t any better.”

Han Yang halted his steps, and he slowly turned his gaze towards the person who spoke. His expression remained as calm as stagnant water. “Don’t talk about my mom.” His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken all day.

The others acted as if they had heard Han Yang speak for the first time, and those who had been chatting downstairs dispersed. Han Yang watched as the neighbor walked past him into the building, muttering something he couldn’t quite catch.

But Han Yang didn’t pay it much mind; it probably wasn’t anything good.

He looked down at his old coat, trying to straighten it out with a couple of strokes, making it look neater and cleaner. However, he couldn’t seem to get it right.

A cold wind blew in from the distance, and someone approached him slowly. “Han Yang?”

Han Yang raised his head, his eyes dry. He saw Grandma Zhang, holding a small bag of tomatoes, standing in front of him with a caring expression. “Why are you standing here? Where’s your mom?”

“She’s on the night shift.”

Grandma Zhang understood. “Then come to my place for dinner. I made braised beef tonight, it’s delicious. Oh, and another kid is coming over in a little while.”

Han Yang guessed that the other child Grandma Zhang mentioned might be Gu Nuan, but when he actually saw Gu Nuan, he found it somewhat annoying.

Gu Nuan was like a motor-mouthed chatterbox, and he found it exhausting. It was difficult for Han Yang to concentrate on his homework.

“Brother, why are you at Grandma Zhang’s house?”

“Brother, I came over to eat beef noodles! My dad and father are working overtime!”

“Brother, are you in the fifth grade? I’m only in first grade, but I can do third-grade math problems!”

“Brother…”

“Brother…”

Han Yang picked up his school bag and was about to leave.

“Brother, are you going home?” Gu Nuan asked enthusiastically.

Grandma Zhang handed each of them a bottle of strawberry milk, intentionally saying to Han Yang, “I’m going to cook the noodles now. You’ll have to help me watch over Xiao Nuan; he can be quite naughty.”

Han Yang accepted the strawberry milk from her, staring blankly at the door. He hesitated for a moment.

After all, Grandma Zhang had always fed him when he was hungry. She was a good person, and Han Yang couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.

Furthermore, if he left now, he’d probably go hungry again for the night. His stepfather wouldn’t allow him to touch any food at home. In the face of hunger, many things became insignificant. Han Yang was quick to compromise when it came to filling his stomach, almost like an instinct for survival. He stopped what he was doing and put his school bag in the corner.

Grandma Zhang felt relieved. “You guys can watch some cartoons for a while. I’ll go cook the noodles; it won’t take long.”

“Grandma Zhang, I want to eat tomato candy,” Gu Nuan said playfully.

“Of course, my dear.”

Han Yang sat back on the sofa. He took the opportunity while Gu Nuan was looking for the remote control to discreetly put the strawberry milk into his school bag as a reserve.

Gu Nuan thought Han Yang had finished his strawberry milk quickly, so he generously handed his own bottle to Han Yang and even inserted a straw for him.

Han Yang remained silent.

“Brother, can we watch ‘Rabbit Castle’?”

Han Yang couldn’t respond quickly. He hadn’t watched many cartoons, and just the fact that he could eat and sleep with some effort every day was already challenging enough for him. Seeing Gu Nuan, who was so different from himself, left Han Yang feeling blank. He wasn’t good at dealing with kids, especially since he was still a kid himself.

Seeing Han Yang’s lack of response, Gu Nuan slapped his forehead in realization. “Do fifth graders not watch cartoons anymore?”

“… “

“Although I’m only in first grade, I can do third-grade math problems, you know.”

Han Yang lowered his head and took a sip of milk, thinking to himself that Gu Nuan had already mentioned this before.

Gu Nuan took the initiative. “Can I see some fifth-grade math problems?”

But Han Yang, with his reserved and slow personality, responded very slowly, making Gu Nuan feel a bit disappointed. He thought Han Yang didn’t want to play with him. Feeling dejected, he suddenly saw Han Yang taking out a fifth-grade math textbook from his school bag. His voice was very soft, like a gust of wind, like the summer’s mint. “I can’t understand… Can I ask you?”

Gu Nuan became enthusiastic. “Sure!”

By the time Grandma Zhang brought the braised beef noodles to the table, Gu Nuan had fallen asleep on Han Yang’s shoulder due to the boring fifth-grade math problems.

Han Yang didn’t dare to move, and he looked at Grandma Zhang hesitantly.

“Oh my, our little Nuan is…” She woke Gu Nuan up with a wry smile.

Han Yang was already tempted by the fragrant smell of the beef noodles. As soon as he picked up his chopsticks, he gobbled up the pieces of beef in the soup. His behavior was reminiscent of a starving refugee.

Grandma Zhang felt a pang of heartache. “Eat slowly.” She got up and went to the kitchen to prepare more beef.

“Brother, do you really like beef?” Gu Nuan asked.

Han Yang knew that if he didn’t answer, Gu Nuan would keep asking questions. So, he nodded.

Delighted to receive a response, Gu Nuan picked up a piece of beef from his own bowl and tried to put it in Han Yang’s bowl. However, his arm was not long enough, so he had to get off his chair, tiptoe, and stretch to place the beef into Han Yang’s bowl.

Han Yang hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, “Thank you.” He grabbed a tissue and wiped up the soup that Gu Nuan had spilled on the floor.

Time passed quickly during the meal, and soon it was 7 p.m.

Han Yang stood in the living room, his coat laid aside. He nervously held onto the corner of his new sweater, feeling a bit shy. He stood in front of Grandma Zhang, and his voice was as soft as ever, like a gentle breeze or a hint of mint on a summer’s day. “Thank you for the sweater.”

“As long as it fits you, it’s good. It’s been a while since I’ve knitted; my hands have gotten rusty,” Grandma Zhang said as she packed some bread into Han Yang’s bag, hesitating before continuing, “If someone bullies you, come to Grandma’s house.”

Upon hearing these words, Han Yang pursed his lips, said nothing, and left.

Gu Nuan followed behind him, saying goodbye, but Han Yang didn’t even turn his head and hurried into the hallway.

He saw that the door on the fourth floor was half-open, and from inside came the familiar voice of his mother, Li Li, who had returned early.

Han Yang hurriedly entered the room, but within half a minute of entering, a stainless steel basin came “clang” and rolled towards him on the floor.

Li Li rushed over rudely and tore a hole in Han Yang’s backpack on his back, searching vigorously. When she saw the bread inside, she dragged Han Yang to the door and shouted loudly, “Where did this bread come from?!”

Han Yang habitually protected his head with his hands and quickly curled up, kneeling on the ground without a word.

“Are you mute?!”

Along with Li Li’s angry shouts, Han Yang really seemed mute, unwilling to even defend himself.

Because the argument was too loud, it attracted grandma Zhang and Gu Nuan from downstairs, as well as nosy neighbors who came to see what was happening. Grandma Zhang was old and couldn’t stand such scenes. She trembled as she stepped forward and said, “I gave it to him, it was me!”

Li Li, only thirty years old, was still very young but already had a child as big as Han Yang. She finally let go of the hand pulling Han Yang’s backpack and grumbled irritably, “Mind your own business!”

Once she realized that the bread wasn’t stolen by Han Yang, her anger subsided considerably, and she slammed the door shut.

Inside the room, there was the impatient complaint of the beta male, “What kind of strange child did you give birth to?”

Endless arguing, and the outside world was cold and desolate, so cold that Han Yang selectively tuned out the noise.

Finally, all the harsh and angry shouts ended with the woman’s words, “Do you think I wanted to give birth to him? Who would want to have a child with a rapist? I wasn’t willing!”

After saying this, she remembered something sad and burst into tears loudly.

Han Yang was driven outside the door, kneeling on the ground, reaching out to pick up the bread.

Grandma Zhang asked with concern, “Why don’t you stay at my place tonight? Your mom…”

“She’ll be fine in a while,” Han Yang refused her and explained, “The basin, it wasn’t Mom who threw it.”

“Han Yang…”

“Thank you.” Han Yang knew very well that grandma Zhang’s care was only temporary. He was a big boy, and he was also a big trouble. With his parents still around, the orphanage wouldn’t take him in, and others couldn’t legally adopt him.

If his mom didn’t want to take care of him anymore, he would have to go back to that so-called “dad,” and compared to that, Han Yang would rather stay with his mom. At least here, he could still study and have a glimmer of hope.

He wanted to hold onto any shred of hope and escape from his life.

But the moment Han Yang raised his head, he saw Gu Nuan standing on the stairs.

A small child, looking at him in fear.

Han Yang put the bread in his backpack, stood up, and walked downstairs. As he passed by Gu Nuan, he didn’t even cast a glance in his direction.

They were two people from different worlds.