Iron Pot Stew

The sign of "Brothers Barbecue" in the old town has faded, but it still fills every night. Boss Brother Chen sits in the corner, watching his brothers—Ah Qiang, Da Zhi, Lao San, and the one who always gives him a headache, "Mouse" Xiao Liu—gathered around playing finger-guessing games.

Initially, they were just a few poor kids running stalls at the night market, dreaming of opening their own barbecue shop. Back then, they carried gas cylinders together, stayed up late marinating meat, and even pooled their first earnings to pay for Ah Qiang’s mother’s medical treatment. At that time, they were truly brothers.

But as the business grew bigger, the numbers on the ledger started to get complicated. Ah Qiang was responsible for procurement, Da Zhi managed the accounts, Lao San handled the kitchen, and Xiao Liu was in charge of serving. At first, everyone could share the profits peacefully, but gradually, Ah Qiang noticed that Da Zhi’s ledger always had "errors," and Da Zhi thought Ah Qiang’s meat prices were inflated. Lao San complained that he worked hard but received the least, and Xiao Liu... Xiao Liu was always mysterious, occasionally bringing back some "cheap goods" from unknown sources.

Brother Chen watched this happen, anxious inside. He knew that trust among the brothers had already broken down, but to maintain the appearance of unity, everyone was pretending. Whenever someone suggested recalculating the accounts, they would tacitly change the subject, continue drinking and playing finger-guessing, as if nothing had happened.

Until one day, a mysterious businessman came knocking, saying he wanted to buy the "Brothers Barbecue" recipe and brand at a high price. He said that as long as they agreed to cooperate, each of them could get a sum of money enough to change their fate.

The brothers were tempted. But then, the problem arose—how should this money be divided?

Ah Qiang believed that since he was responsible for procurement, he deserved the most credit; Da Zhi thought he worked the hardest managing the accounts; Lao San emphasized that without his skills, the barbecue shop wouldn’t even open; and Xiao Liu... Xiao Liu just sat in the corner, looking at everyone with a sinister gaze, saying nothing.

Brother Chen watched his brothers argue until their faces turned red, feeling a twinge of bitterness. He knew that this once unbreakable team had already reached its end.

At that moment, Xiao Liu suddenly stood up, pulled out a contract from his pocket, and threw it on the table.

“Actually, I signed a contract with that businessman a long time ago,” Xiao Liu said coldly. “He promised to pay me double if I helped him ruin you guys.”

The brothers looked at Xiao Liu in shock, as if they were seeing him for the first time.

“You... how could you?” Ah Qiang stammered.

“Why not?” Xiao Liu sneered. “Aren’t you all scheming against each other? I’m just more honest than you.”

Brother Chen was silent for a long time, then finally sighed, picked up the wine bottle on the table, and poured himself a glass.

“Drink up,” he said. “After this glass, let’s call it quits.”

The brothers silently raised their glasses and drank them all in one gulp.

The glass shattered on the ground, breaking into pieces.

The sign of "Brothers Barbecue" was quietly taken down that night.

Years later, Brother Chen ran into Ah Qiang on the street. Ah Qiang had opened his own barbecue shop, and business was doing well. The two exchanged smiles but said nothing.

Some brothers, in the end, can never go back.