QTIMP -Chapter 25 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 25)

“Xiaoyu, are these people’s affairs something you and I can pry into? He clearly isn’t interested in you, so stop clinging to him. If this blows up and your reputation is ruined, how are you going to get married in the future—”

Before she could finish, Feng Yu cut her off. “Mom, what do you even know? Even if I had the best reputation, what kind of family could I possibly marry into here?”

“What kind of family? Find one with a solid background and live your life peacefully—that’s enough. What more do you want? Do you think those high-ranking, wealthy families would ever look at you? What would they see in you? Your average looks? Your average grades? Your average health?”

If Xing Huai’en heard this, he would definitely say that Si Qiu had inherited her sharp tongue from her mother.

“Mom, do you really look down on your own daughter this much? Do you hate seeing me do well?”

Feng Yu burst into tears. Being criticized by the mother who had always doted on her was more than her fragile heart could bear.

The reason Mother Feng could speak this way was because, before her eldest son left, he had sat down and talked to her seriously. Looking back, she had indeed gone too far in the past.

But once she realized this, she didn’t blame herself much. Instead, her mind immediately shifted to what she believed was the root of all the trouble.

If the third child hadn’t constantly used her health as an excuse to prevent the fourth from being brought home, how would the mother and daughter have grown so distant?

If the third child hadn’t deliberately picked on and bullied the fourth, how would it have led to the adoption and severing of their mother-daughter relationship?

If the third child hadn’t suggested swapping university entrance exam spots, how would it have angered the old lady to death and driven the fourth to completely cut ties with their family?

Once the so-called filter of “motherly indulgence” was wiped away, and the truth of her feelings laid bare, her patience vanished in an instant. Besides, in her heart, sons were inherently more precious than daughters.

So when both her sons made their stance clear, she did not hesitate to take their side. Naturally, she had far less patience left for her daughter.

“Isn’t it true? I’m not as pretty as the fourth sister. I’m not as good at studying as the fourth sister. I’m inferior to her in every way. But so what? She’s surnamed Si now—Si Qiu. When she visits graves and kneels, she’s paying respects to the Si family. In her eyes, what is our Feng family worth? And you still delude yourself into thinking she’ll be filial to you?”

They say the deepest wounds are inflicted by those closest to you. Mother Feng clutched her chest, trembling with anger.

For the next two days, it was Feng Rong who delivered the meals. Feng Yu had no energy to argue about it anymore—she was busy lamenting her own bad luck. She had already figured out how to latch onto that man.

And now, such a small illness had derailed everything. She wanted to get his address to write him a letter, but after asking around, no one seemed to know. After all, he and her elder brother weren’t even in the same military unit.

Then she suddenly remembered seeing Si Qiu chatting with him several times. Maybe she knew.

So the moment she was discharged from the hospital, she went straight to find Si Qiu.

It happened to be lunchtime. Si Qiu packed up her things, slung her crossbody bag over her shoulder, called out a quick goodbye, and headed out.

Zhao Sui also walked out with her, though she was heading home to nurse her baby. “Xiao Qiu, where are you going? I can give you a ride.”

“No need, Sister Zhao. I’m just going right by the gate. You should hurry back and feed the baby—it’s already been the whole morning.”

Seeing that she truly wouldn’t get on the bike, Zhao Sui didn’t say more. She pressed down on the pedal and rode off.

As soon as Si Qiu stepped outside, she saw Qin Bei waiting nearby. When he saw her, a bright smile spread across his face. He lifted the mesh bag in his hand slightly as a signal.

“Qiuqiu, I’ve got everything ready.”

“Mm! So this is what you said yesterday you’d bring me—something tasty? What is it exactly?”

He lifted the two lunchboxes in his hands and lowered his voice. “This isn’t the place to talk. I’ll take you somewhere else.”

As he spoke, he gestured for Si Qiu to follow. She glanced back at the entrance, where people were constantly coming and going after work. Nodding, she followed him toward the distance.

Feng Yu, who had hurried over, ultimately missed the two of them. She had planned to wait there, but she was so hungry she couldn’t bear it any longer and had no choice but to head home first.

After all, she didn’t have any food coupons—there was no way she could buy anything outside.

They didn’t go far, just to an alley behind their work unit. Although it was separated from the front by nothing more than a tall courtyard wall, it felt like another world entirely. The small courtyards there were all enclosed by mud-brick walls or simple fences.

Most of the courtyard gates were made from wooden planks or slats. The houses were either earthen structures or half-brick; only one or two were built entirely of gray bricks.

Compared to the streets in front, this place seemed distinctly desolate and run-down.

When they reached the innermost small courtyard, Qin Bei raised his hand and knocked. A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy came over, his long, messy hair sticking out like a feather duster.

Muttering under his breath, he yanked the door open. “Who is it? Knock, knock, knock—if you break it, are you gonna fix it?”

The moment he saw who was standing outside, his expression changed instantly. “Oh! Brother Qin, you’re here. I overslept a bit. Oh wow, that smell—why is it so mouthwatering!”

As he spoke, he slapped his own forehead and bent down to sniff at the lunchboxes.

Qin Bei smacked the back of his head. “Look at you, drooling like that. Didn’t you see there’s someone else here? Don’t you know how to greet people?”

The boy turned around and, seeing Si Qiu, smiled sheepishly. “Hello, Sister. My name’s He Kuang. I’m Brother Qin’s junior. Sorry for the poor reception—I just got a bit greedy.”

He stepped aside to let them in.

As Qin Bei walked further inside, he explained, “This kid’s the only one left in his family. A few years back, during the famine, he nearly starved to death, so he takes food very seriously. I once gave him a vegetable bun, so he’s been calling me ‘Brother Qin’ ever since. Later, the two of us scraped together some money and started buying goods from the countryside to sell in the city. Only recently did we manage to buy this little courtyard.”

The yard was unusually spacious at the front, but the house itself was in poor condition. Inside, it was dim and gloomy; it took a while for their eyes to adjust.

Qin Bei took the lunchboxes out and placed them on a square table. Si Qiu quickly pulled out her own lunchbox from her shoulder bag—it contained steamed buns made from a mixed flour blend. That had been agreed upon beforehand.

How could the two of them so openly sit together and share a meal like this? That story went back to a couple of days ago.

Two days earlier, after Feng Fan and the others had left, Si Qiu was just about to go out in search of food when she ran into Qin Bei holding a lunchbox. Perhaps it hadn’t been sealed tightly, because a rich, enticing aroma drifted out, making Si Qiu swallow repeatedly.

Qin Bei curled his lips into a smile. “Si Qiu, just got off work? Heading home?”

Under normal circumstances, if someone blocked her path while she was hunting for food, Si Qiu would definitely be cursing them in her heart. But now, her mind was completely captured by that lunchbox.

So instead of hurrying off, she answered absentmindedly, “Yeah, just finished work. I was about to check out the state-run restaurant to see if there’s anything to eat.”

Qin Bei’s smile deepened. “The state-run restaurant? Lately, it seems they don’t have any meat dishes.”

Her brain automatically filtered the words. “Yeah… nothing good to eat.”