QTIMP -Chapter 238 Character Persona – Vicious (Part 1)

Early morning in mid-June 1971, the dormitory buildings of the machinery factory were already bustling with activity.

On the second floor, the Si family home was especially noisy—pots and pans clattering, followed by Madam Si’s loud shouting.

“All you ever do is sleep every single day. I really owe it to you all, don’t I? What time is it and you still haven’t gotten up to cook? Sleep yourselves to death if you want! From now on, if you don’t get up, don’t expect to eat. That’ll save me some grain.”

As she spoke, the door was pushed open. The blanket covering Si Qiu was suddenly yanked off, and she was pulled up by the ear.

At the same time, a voice came from the upper bunk.

“Mom, can you stop yelling? It’s so annoying.”

The woman immediately softened her tone.

“Alright, alright, I won’t shout. Nan Nan, I’ll have your third sibling boil you an egg later.”

A younger voice followed.

“Mom, I want one too.”

“You want one, he wants one—why don’t you just cook me and eat me instead?”

“Why does second sister get one and I don’t?”

“You all get one, alright? I’ll cook them for you. Honestly, I’m really fed up with you all. Xi Xi, hurry up and get up too—you’re the slowest every single day when it comes to washing up.”

After saying that, the woman left without waiting for any response.

Si Qiu picked up her patched pants—knees and butt already reinforced with multiple layers—and put them on. Then she pulled on a shirt patched at the sleeves, collar, and elbows.

She threw off the stiff, lumpy quilt, and put on cloth shoes that had already been patched at the front.

When she opened the door, she ran straight into Madam Si.

Madam Si stared at her third daughter’s face for a moment in a daze, then immediately showed a flash of disgust.

“Useless girl, all you do is laze around. Hurry up and go light the stove.”

Si Qiu said nothing and lowered her head as she walked into the kitchen.

The original owner was the third child in the family. Above her were a set of sixteen-year-old twins, brother and sister. Below her were another set of ten-year-old twins, a younger brother and sister.

As the only single-born daughter, she had never been favored since childhood. It was said that it was because she looked too much like her grandmother.

Si Qiu’s father was an electrician at the machinery factory, earning fifty-five yuan and fifty-five cents a month. Her mother worked as an accountant at the same factory, earning thirty-three yuan a month.

Back then, Madam Si had taken one look at Si Qiu’s father and fallen for him, and her own father even used connections to get him into the factory as an apprentice.

Si Qiu’s father had a refined and handsome appearance, said to resemble his own mother. Unfortunately, that elderly woman had passed away before Si Qiu was born.

But just by looking at Si Qiu’s face, one could imagine how stunning that grandmother must have been in her youth.

When Si Qiu first arrived—at just twelve years old—her features were already exquisite, delicate and striking, her voice soft and sweet.

One look at her would make people understand why, in Dream of the Red Chamber, someone could describe an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl as devastatingly beautiful.

And yet, despite this, she held the lowest status in the family. Madam Si disliked her and constantly made life difficult for her in every possible way.

No one knew what grudge she held against the grandmother. Ever since Si Qiu was one year old and her features began to develop, Madam Si had taken a strong dislike to her.

Her father occasionally said a few half-hearted words, pretending to care, but each time it only led to even harsher treatment from Madam Si, who followed his attitude like a signal.

The Si siblings also treated this sister with indifference. And the cruelty of children was often the most chilling of all.

Although the original owner occasionally retaliated with small tricks—spitting into their cups or rinsing their toothbrushes in dirty water—it never caused them any real harm.

The original host had died after being splashed with water by her younger siblings and developing a fever. The reason they splashed her in the first place was simply because the shoes she had washed for them hadn’t dried properly due to the cloudy weather.

As for the older brother and sister, they had beaten and scolded her plenty when she was younger.

It was precisely because the original host had been splashed with water and fallen ill with a fever that Si Qiu had come here. Today was already the third day after the fever began. Not only had she received no special care, she hadn’t even been given something as basic as an egg—something every child in the house was supposed to have.

Si Qiu wanted it, so Si Qiu would get it.

While stoking the fire, Si Qiu calmly calculated what would soon happen in this household.

This year was 1971. In about a month, Si Dong and Si Nan would graduate from middle school. One of them would inevitably be sent down to the countryside—unless both of them could secure jobs.

As for why they weren’t going on to high school, it was simple: both of them were academic failures. What was the point of high school for them?

And neither of them was old enough to get married either.

Recently, Si Qiu’s parents had been busy asking around for job opportunities.

This family had always distributed resources unevenly. If Si Qiu hadn’t simply been too young, she was certain her father and mother would have chosen to sacrifice her and send her down to the countryside instead.

And given how poorly they treated her, how could Si Qiu possibly allow the other two to stay in the city?

But over the past couple of years, news had already come back from those sent to the countryside. The hardship there was something everyone knew well. It was impossible to make the two of them go willingly.

She cooked a thin rice porridge, mixed in five eggs, steamed some coarse corn buns and sweet potatoes.

The sweet potatoes, of course, were for her. The corn buns and eggs were for the other four children and Si Qiu’s father.

Si Qiu sprinkled some ash into each of their bowls. There was no need to worry about using those bowls again—she was given only the most broken ones anyway.

After eating, those who went to school went to school, those who went to work went to work. Si Qiu still had to clean up before leaving.

Once everyone was gone, she took milk and buns out of her space to eat, then swallowed a health-preserving pill with the remaining milk.

The original host had been so thin her ribs were visible, her hair dry and brittle, and her skin dull yellow—but even so, she was stunningly beautiful. If properly nourished, no one knew how breathtaking she might become.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Si Qiu felt that the world should be bowing at her feet.

After cleaning up in a hurry, she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and ran toward school. Just as she exited the alley of the tube-shaped apartment building, a small boy was waiting for her.

Seeing her run out, he grabbed her hand without a word and hurried toward the school, making it just in time before class began.

He even slipped a boiled egg into her hand.

Si Qiu clicked her tongue inwardly—what a little bootlicker.

After school in the evening, Si Qiu was cooking dinner in the kitchen when she overheard the eldest and second child speaking with Si Qiu’s mother.

“What do we do? The school has already started mobilizing students. Didn’t you say you’d find jobs for us? Why is there still no news at all?”

“Do you think jobs are so easy to find now? Everyone wants to keep their children at home during this wave of going down to the countryside.”

Si Qiu’s mother didn’t say aloud that she had indeed already pulled strings to find a temporary job. But privately, she wanted to give it to her son—meaning her daughter would have to go down to the countryside.

Still, she couldn’t quite bear to part with her daughter. Both children were considered “lucky”; losing either one hurt her heart. If only the youngest had been a bit older—she would have sent her away first.

“Fine, fine. I’ll hurry and try to find something. You still have a month before graduation, right? Here, take some money and meat tickets. Go buy some food from the state-run restaurant.”

To calm her hot-tempered daughter, Si Qiu’s mother reluctantly handed over meat coupons.

Si Nan took the money and tickets and left. Si Qiu’s mother then lowered her voice and asked Si Dong, “When exactly will you get your graduation certificates?”

Si Dong replied, “In about half a month, we can apply to get them early.”