Difficult To Raise Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Argument

The voice was incredibly familiar. Jiang Jin froze, as if the pause button had been hit, and he looked up in astonishment, meeting Jiang Ran’s eyes, which were practically spitting fire.

The words caught in his throat, swallowed back down. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, and his fiery temper instantly subsided. Jiang Jin rubbed his throbbing temples and pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

Jiang Ran was so angry that the corners of his eyes were red. He forced himself to suppress his rage, gritting his teeth as he repeated, “Come home with me.”

Jiang Jin looked at him with some difficulty. “I can’t leave yet, there’s still…”

“Jiang Jin!” Jiang Ran abruptly cut him off, the fury in his eyes nearly erupting. He tightened his grip on Jiang Jin’s arm. “Are you coming or not?”

From the moment he stepped into this chaotic bar and saw Jiang Jin, a surge of irrational anger had welled up inside him.

Jiang Ran’s expression was unpleasant, and his tone and actions were hostile. Naturally, anyone who saw their underage younger brother in a place like this wouldn’t be in a good mood.

“Hey, who the hell are you?” A boy with blue hair nearby saw Jiang Ran’s arrogant attitude and felt annoyed. He couldn’t help but step forward, shoving Jiang Ran hard. His tone was aggressive: “What are you doing throwing your weight around here? Looking for trouble?”

Jiang Ran was unprepared and stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Jiang Jin quickly grabbed him, making sure he was alright before turning back to glare warningly at the blue-haired boy. “Try touching him again.”

The blue-haired boy paused, seeing Jiang Jin’s protective stance, and realized the relationship between the two was close. He quickly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, wisely deciding not to interfere further.

Jiang Ran ignored him completely. Once steady, he gripped Jiang Jin tightly, his eyes so red they looked ready to bleed. He growled, “If you don’t come with me today, don’t ever call me Ge again!”

Jiang Jin looked at him quietly. After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and conceded, “Fine, I’ll go back with you.”

Seeing Jiang Ran angry always made him feel terrible—a mix of panic, fear, and a little heartache, just like when they were kids. He couldn’t help but soften his tone, adding a hint of coaxing. “Don’t be angry, Gege.”

The people around them were stunned. They had known Jiang Jin for over a month, and this side of him was not only something they had never seen, but something they couldn’t even imagine.

Since the first day he arrived here, the most common expressions on his face were indifference or impatience. If anyone dared to provoke him, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight. They never dreamed he would actually act spoiled toward someone.

Jiang Ran didn’t speak, roughly pulling him toward the exit. People watched them all the way out, seemingly curious about their relationship. Once their figures disappeared, the group gathered to whisper amongst themselves.

Outside the doors of Sen Bar, Jiang Ran uncharacteristically hailed a taxi. As if afraid Jiang Jin would resist, he quickly shoved him into the back seat before climbing in himself.

In reality, Jiang Jin was obedient throughout the entire process, showing no sign of resistance.

By the time they arrived home, Jiang Ran’s anger was barely contained. He pushed Jiang Jin through the door, kicking it shut with a loud bang. The low pressure radiating from him felt strong enough to overturn the house.

“Start talking,” Jiang Ran said, kicking Jiang Jin lightly on the shin. “What is this all about?”

He hadn’t held back with that kick. Jiang Jin felt a sharp pain in his shin, but knowing his brother was furious, he endured it without a sound. He just lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, “It’s exactly what you saw. I went to the bar to sing. I can make several hundred yuan a night. The bar owner didn’t want to hire me because I’m young, but I begged him for a long time, I…”

Slap. A hand landed on Jiang Jin’s face, snapping his head to the side. Jiang Jin pressed his tongue against his cheek. The burning pain made his eyes instantly turn red.

Jiang Jin stared blankly at Jiang Ran, his eyes filled with disbelief. Since childhood, no matter how angry Jiang Ran got, he would at most lecture him with a stern face. This was the first time he had ever hit him.

For a moment, Jiang Jin forgot how to react, standing rigidly in place. His throat felt constricted, and he couldn’t utter a single word.

“Ge, you hit me?”

“Damn right I hit you! I wish I could knock some sense into you! How old are you?! Running off to a place like that? Does our family lack that little bit of money? No matter how hard or tired I am, have I ever deprived you of anything? If you needed money, you should have told me! Do you need to go out and earn it? You should be in school, don’t you know that?!” Jiang Ran’s eyes were bloodshot, and he yelled at him recklessly.

“Ge…” Jiang Jin called out softly. He had never seen Jiang Ran like this. Jiang Ran had always been gentle and tolerant toward him, spoiling him so much that he wouldn’t even let him cook meals. He hadn’t expected this matter to infuriate him so much.

He had initially felt a little upset about being hit, but seeing his brother’s eyes red with anger and the veins popping out on his forehead, his heart ached again. He quickly softened his voice to soothe him. “I was wrong, Ge. It’s my fault. Please don’t be angry. What if you hurt yourself?”

He took a few steps forward, intending to hug Jiang Ran like he used to, but Jiang Ran slapped his hand away. “Get away from me. Don’t touch me.”

“Let me tell you, Jiang Jin, I can indulge you in most things you want to do, but this is absolutely not allowed. Even if you love singing, now is not the time. You are a student, and studying is the most important thing. You need to go to university later, not be a bar singer in that little place, do you understand?”

Jiang Ran spoke earnestly. He was truly hurt this time, and also afraid. He was terrified that Jiang Jin was truly losing his mind and insisted on going to sing in that place. This terrified him more than witnessing Old Man Chen’s car accident.

“Ge, you think I’m doing this because I want to sing?” Jiang Jin couldn’t help but smile, a rather bleak smile. “Where can’t I sing? Why would I specifically go to Sen Bar? Do you know how much it hurts me to see you exhausted every day! I want to share the burden with you, but I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything…”

As Jiang Jin spoke, he grew distressed. He pleaded, almost desperately, “Ge, if you can give up your education, why can’t I? Let me help you. If I don’t go to school, we won’t have to spend money, and I can earn money. As long as we are together, I don’t care about anything else…”

Jiang Jin rarely expressed his true feelings to him; he always preferred to keep everything hidden. So, hearing these words today genuinely shocked Jiang Ran. He had never imagined this was what Jiang Jin was thinking. He always thought of him as a child who shouldn’t have to worry about family matters, and that as the older brother, it was naturally his responsibility to support the family.

He covered his eyes, unable to utter the words of blame. “Little Jin, you are different. My grades were poor, but you are much better than me. You study hard, and you can get into a prestigious university later. Don’t let these things ruin your future. I can manage alone, Ge. I was just not used to it before, but I am now, I…”

“Ge,” Jiang Jin interrupted him, speaking coldly. “My grades aren’t good now. I’m the same as you. If someone has to sacrifice their education, why should it be you and not me? I know you could have gone to university, couldn’t you?”

“Little Jin.” Jiang Ran felt a tearing pain in his heart, so intense it made him gasp for breath. Even if he had to be trampled into the mud, he wanted to hold Jiang Jin up high. He was willing to be the nourishment for him, allowing him to bloom into a beautiful flower, bear full fruit, and pave a smooth road for him.

In the past, during the most exhausting times, when he felt like giving up, just thinking of Jiang Jin filled him with motivation. His beloved brother, his cherished brother, was now saying such things to him. How could he bear it?

“You are stabbing a knife into Ge’s heart.” Jiang Ran grew more heartbroken as he spoke, his teeth chattering slightly. He was no longer sharp and severe, but looked on the verge of collapse, saying in a hoarse voice, “If you do this, you might as well kill me.”

Jiang Jin looked at him, feeling as if he might shatter at any second. His reliable brother, his admired brother, the brother he had wanted to protect and be close to since childhood, was now so heartbroken in front of him. The redness in his eyes made Jiang Jin’s heart ache terribly.

“Ge, don’t be sad. We’re doing fine like this. I know you’re doing this for my sake, but how can I just enjoy your sacrifices?”

“Let me help you. You’ve done enough. Everything I’m doing now is my own choice. You don’t need to feel guilty, and you certainly don’t need to feel sorry for me. Ge, just listen to me this time, okay?” He lowered his voice, speaking in an almost seductive tone. “If you agree to this, I will listen to everything you say from now on.”

“Who is the older brother here, you or me?” Jiang Ran glared at him, knowing that anything more he said today would be useless. He could only state forcefully, “Tomorrow, you will go to school and attend class properly. You are not allowed to go to Sen Bar again. If I find out you did, I won’t forgive you. If… you still consider me your brother, then listen to me.”

By the end, his voice even held a note of pleading.

As the drama concluded, neither of them could convince the other, resulting in an unhappy parting.

Jiang Jin did obediently go to school the next day, but he had always been a stubborn person since childhood, and decisions he made were not easily changed. Anything he wanted, he would cry and fuss until he got it. Jiang Ran knew he wouldn’t simply compromise, but he didn’t know what else to do.

Jiang Jin was about to enter the ninth grade, a crucial period. If he refused to cooperate, his entire life might truly be ruined. The thought of the once-excellent Jiang Jin spending his life singing in that kind of shady place made Jiang Ran feel dizzy. He couldn’t accept it, no matter what.

At that moment, an unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart. The two of them were standing at a crossroads in life, and just one small mistake could lead them down the wrong path, a path from which they could never return.

Jiang Ran began to pay close attention to Jiang Jin’s performance at school. No matter how busy he was, he would make time to supervise him doing homework, and he proactively called Teacher Li every so often to inquire about the situation.

But it was useless. Even if he stopped going to Sen Bar, and even if he pretended to study hard, his grades continued to steadily decline. By the end of the semester, he even brought home a ranking near the bottom, something that had never happened before.

Jiang Ran’s face darkened, and for the first time, he severely scolded him for being a disappointment.

He knew Jiang Jin was doing it on purpose. He was using this method to resist him and express his determination.

Jiang Ran was both angry and heartbroken, but he didn’t know what to do. He had hit him, he had scolded him, but no matter what he said, Jiang Jin would just approach him with a cheerful, smiling face, saying that studying with his grades was just a waste of money anyway, and begging Jiang Ran to let him drop out.

How could Jiang Ran possibly agree to something like that? He couldn’t joke around with his brother’s future. Jiang Jin was only a teenager; he simply didn’t understand how important education was to him.

Jiang Ran was so angry that he skipped dinner and locked himself in his room.