QTIMP -Chapter 257 Character Persona – Vicious (Part 20)

Si Qiu did not doubt his explanation. She simply thought he was a little foolish. What could he possibly do by following her to the countryside? Was he even cut out for farm work?

If he were truly sincere, he should stay in the city, work properly, exchange his wages for supplies, and mail everything to her.

But then again, this person’s foolishness was nothing new. She rolled her eyes and ignored him.

The third day passed peacefully. On the fourth day, both patients were discharged from the hospital at the same time.

The main reason was simple—they could no longer afford to stay there.

The twins had gone home and turned the entire house upside down.

In the end, they only found a little over twenty yuan and a few scattered ration coupons hidden in the roof space and beneath the bedposts.

Those were actually left behind intentionally by Si Qiu.

After all, a person shouldn’t be crushed all at once. A slow, drawn-out torment was far more interesting.

The twins thought bringing the two elders home would save money.

What they did not realize was that the real suffering was only just beginning.

“Sis, what do you mean by that?” Si Xi asked. The smile had not left his face, but his expression had become grave.

With a gentle smile, Si Qiu replied, “I found a job, and I found a place to live. I’m moving out tomorrow.”

“Then what about Mom and Dad?” Si Bei demanded immediately.

“Obviously the two of you will take care of them. What else is there to do?” she said. “Don’t forget how you got those jobs. I still have the guarantee statement you signed. Don’t tell me you’re already regretting it?”

Seeing the look on her face, Si Bei felt a chill run through him.

“I—I don’t mean it like that. It’s just that Fourth Sister and I have to work too. How are we supposed to find time to take care of Mom and Dad?”

“How do you not have time?” Si Qiu replied calmly. “Get up a little earlier in the morning. Cook breakfast and feed them. Put a few extra pads underneath them. Come back at lunchtime, clean them up once, feed them once. Then do the same again after work in the evening. They can’t crawl. They can’t run away. Mom can even call for help if she needs something. What’s so difficult about looking after them? And even if it is difficult, you’ll just have to overcome it. Otherwise, hand over the jobs and the house.”

Hearing this, both of them felt as though they were suffocating.

But what choice did they have?

The alternative was either being sent to the countryside or spending their days caring for the two old invalids.

Before they could think of a response, Si Qiu’s expression turned cold.

“It doesn’t look like either of you has much filial devotion. From now on, I’ll come back often to check on things.

If I find that you’re not taking proper care of them, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

When the time comes, you’ll lose your jobs and your house. Think carefully about how you’re going to survive for the rest of your lives.”

The look on her face sent a chill straight into their bones, making both of them shudder.

Y-You did this on purpose?”

Si Qiu raised an eyebrow.

The boy really was perceptive.

A bright smile spread across her face as she admitted it without the slightest hesitation.

“That’s right. I did it on purpose.”

“Why? What did we ever do to you? The ones who treated you badly were Mom and Dad, not us!” Si Xi demanded, fighting off waves of dizziness.

Tilting her head slightly, Si Qiu looked genuinely puzzled.

“Wasn’t it you two who treated me badly as well?

Who was it that stole eggs and blamed it on me, causing Mom to beat me all over with a rattan cane until I was covered in injuries?

And who was it that accidentally kicked the corner of my bed while getting up in the middle of the night, then smashed a biscuit tin over my head?”

Who was it that poured cold water onto my bed because their shoes hadn’t dried after a rainy day? It made me run a fever for two days and two nights. I almost ended up in a grave.

Si Xi, Si Bei, remember this well—every cause has its effect. I am your retribution. And this is only the beginning.”

Si Qiu’s questions left the siblings speechless, plunging the room into a brief silence.

Meanwhile, Yun Zhe, who had been planning to go out and find Si Qiu, was stopped at home by his parents.

“Mom, what are you doing? I have something to do. I already made plans with a classmate.”

His mother, her hair neatly pinned up and dressed in a professional suit, looked every bit the career woman. Hearing her son’s complaint only made her expression darken.

“A classmate? Which classmate? A boy or a girl?”

“Mom, what’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly interfering in everything? I’m already this old. I’ll be starting work in a couple of days. You always have to question everything I do. It’s really annoying.”

“Annoying? I think you’re the troublesome one!”

Seeing that her son still hadn’t understood her intentions, her eyes reddened with frustration.

“I’m done talking. I don’t care who you want to see—you’re not going anywhere today. Stay quietly at home for the next couple of days.

In a few days, your father is going on a business trip anyway. He’ll take you to your uncle’s place. That way you won’t cause trouble for your father and me.

Yun Zhe, you’re already grown up. Stop making your father and me worry. Even if you won’t think about us, at least think about your older brother and sister.

Some people are simply beyond your reach. Our family living a peaceful, stable life is worth more than anything else.”

After saying that, she walked outside and locked the door behind her. Then she sat beneath the window, a basket of string beans in her lap, and began trimming them.

No matter how slow Yun Zhe might be, he could still understand what she meant by “some people are beyond your reach.”

But he refused to accept it.

He knew Si Qiu attracted countless admirers. Those shameless men circled around her like wolves and hunting dogs every day.

Still, he believed he had an advantage. They were the same age and shared the bond of being classmates. As long as he remained sincere, sooner or later he would win her heart.

What he had never expected was that these people would resort to underhanded tactics.

Three days later—the day Si Qiu officially started work—Yun Zhe was put on a train bound for the south.

He didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to her.

His family had watched him around the clock for twenty-four hours a day.

Whenever he tried to leave, he was met with his mother’s and grandmother’s tearful pleas, along with reproaches from his sister-in-law and younger sister.

In the end, he had no choice.

As the train pulled away from the station and the city gradually vanished from sight, Yun Zhe silently swore to himself:

He would come back.

And when he did, no one would be able to take away what he wanted.

The next morning, carrying her belongings, Si Qiu left the Si family home for good.

Wen Luo and Lan Qing came to pick her up. She didn’t have much luggage, so each of them rode a bicycle, bundles tied to the rear racks and front bars.

Together, they headed straight for the little courtyard house.

The wooden gate had been painted brown, with bronze-colored door rings mounted on it.

Pushing open the door revealed a courtyard paved with bluestone slabs. Two long flowerbeds divided the yard, creating a narrow pathway between them. The flowerbeds had already been planted with mosquito-repelling herbs and grapevines.

On the right stood a stone table with matching stone stools. On the left was a clothesline.

Directly ahead stood the main house: three rooms built from gray bricks and roofed with gray tiles. The window frames had all been freshly painted, and clear glass panes made them look bright and spotless.

The two rooms in the eastern wing consisted of a kitchen and a storage room.

The two rooms in the western wing included a guest room, while the other had been remodeled into a bathroom and toilet.

What delighted Si Qiu most was the kitchen stove.

It was connected to a radiator heating system.

That alone would save them a great deal of suffering during the winter.

Even better, the stove was located in the kitchen rather than the main house, greatly reducing the amount of coal dust that would drift into the living quarters.

Although a woodshed had been built beside the main house, the coal briquettes had already been neatly stored in the utility room.

The bathroom and toilet were tiled with small ceramic tiles throughout. While the toilet was still the squat type, it had complete running water and drainage systems installed.