Chapter 977: Wang Qiang's Family's Downfall

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The children now stared at the skewers in Su Li’s hands, their intestines twisting with regret. They shouldn’t have listened to Wang Qiang and decided to stop playing with Su Li. And they definitely shouldn’t have caused trouble at Su Li’s birthday party.

If they had stayed friends with Su Li, they would surely be feasting on meat right now. Su Li, for all his occasional show-off tendencies, always had good food and was generous about sharing it. Unlike Xu Sheng, who acted superior and barely acknowledged them, let alone shared snacks. And Wang Qiang? He was even more hopeless.

Wang Qiang’s family, once the wealthiest in their apartment building, had taken a massive hit from the recent swine fever outbreak. Wang Qiang’s father, hoping to make a fortune, had secretly sold diseased pork and ended up arrested. The adults whispered that he might be in prison for many years.

After Wang Qiang’s father was taken away, his grandmother fell ill. She wandered everywhere asking for loans and pulling strings, desperate to get him released early. She even begged the Xu family for help but was flatly rejected. The Xu family had no intention of associating with anyone with a criminal record.

The adults in the neighborhood had long predicted Wang Qiang’s downfall. Over the years, his family had bullied others plenty. Now that karma had struck, most people were quietly celebrating their misfortune.

But the kids didn’t understand such complexities. They just regretted following the wrong leader. If only they had sided with Su Li back then, they wouldn’t be stuck drooling over skewers they couldn’t have. They didn’t dare approach Su Li now, not after declaring they would never play with him again.

Su Li glanced at their longing stares and felt a twinge of sympathy. Though he had initially planned to make them pay for their past actions, the sight of their pitiful faces made him change his mind.

Still, he wasn’t about to forgive them either. Without another word, he grabbed Gao Ming and Jiang Nuan and headed home.

By the time they returned, Su Li’s stomach had settled, making room for more food. The memory of his aunt devouring grilled meat earlier made him anxious, and he quickened his pace. “Let’s hurry back before Auntie eats all the barbecue,” he said.

Back home, Su Bing was grilling potato slices. Su Li dashed inside, cutting off Su Jing, and exclaimed, “Brother, I want grilled potatoes! I’m starving!”

Su Bing looked up at his younger brother, frowning at the grease smeared all over Su Li’s mouth. With a slight grimace, he handed him the freshly grilled slices and said coolly, “Wash up when you’re done.”

Su Jing scoffed, “Su Li, do you think I’d fight you for potatoes? I’m already full.”

She then turned to Gu Zi, holding up a painting she had been working on. “Look, I captured you grilling earlier. I’m thinking of framing it and calling it ‘The Barbecue Fairy.’ What do you think?”

Gu Zi took the painting, instantly recognizing the skilled brushstrokes of someone trained by a master. “Thank you! Let’s buy a frame for it later,” she said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Su Li devoured five skewers of potatoes and then turned to Su Bing again. “Brother, I can’t eat much more. Just five more skewers, and that’s it. Mom says overeating is bad for digestion.”

Su Nuan and Gao Ming exchanged stunned looks.

“Not much more?” Gao Ming muttered. “That’s ten skewers altogether! And that’s after all the pork belly and chicken drumsticks he ate earlier.”

Clearly, Su Li had a very loose definition of “not much.”@@novelbin@@

Gu Zi chuckled but let Su Li continue eating. The boy was growing fast and needed the nutrition. With his energetic personality, he burned through food quickly.

Seeing Gu Zi’s approval, Su Bing grilled more potatoes. Su Li’s eyebrows practically danced as he ate, completely content. After lunch, the barbecue grill was left on for dinner, and the family retreated inside to watch TV.

But Su Li couldn’t sit still for long. Before the show ended, he was back outside, drawn to the table where leftover skewers were covered. Just as he reached for one, he froze—standing in front of him was Xu Sheng.