QTIMP -Chapter 3 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 3)

“Aunt Liu, it’s true that you just got off work. No matter how comfortable I am here, I can’t compare to you—at home, you don’t have to do anything and still get to boss your granddaughter around. Aunt Liu, I’m not trying to criticize you, but the country promotes gender equality now—you really can’t mistreat your granddaughter. Since I’m both a neighborhood committee worker and your neighbor, I need to pay close attention to you. I can’t let you make mistakes that might affect your husband, Uncle Liu, or Brother Liu’s work. What kind of meal are you cooking here? Smells really good! No wonder there are three workers in the family—this food is definitely richer and oilier than most people’s.”

Si Qiu wasn’t afraid to speak her mind!

Her words were part gentle, part firm, and terrifying at the same time. Though it hadn’t been ten years yet, the trend was already clear: anyone with a bit of sense had started paying attention to their family’s words and deeds.

So when she said that, Aunt Liu was truly frightened. She thought to herself, This little girl is not someone to mess with.

No wonder Aunt Liu was scared. On her second day in the building, Si Qiu had already gotten into a fight with the most troublesome shrew in the block, Li Yan. Li Yan had never fought her before and immediately called her husband and son over.

Si Qiu stood by the door and said, “If any of you step forward again, I’ll call you a harasser. I have no family or backing, so I’m not afraid of anything.”

Sure enough, no one dared move. This time, Si Qiu pressed her advantage. She demanded compensation for mental distress, but naturally, the family refused.

However, after a few ambiguously threatening words from Si Qiu, and after Li Yan endured a slap from her husband, they eventually paid her ten eggs.

It wasn’t that they were cowardly. The neighborhood committee simply had a lot of power these days. Not only did they mediate disputes, they also assigned chores and minor work quotas from large factories to neighborhood committees.

How were these quotas distributed? The committee decided, and some were tied to merit evaluations. Such evaluations brought not only material rewards but could also influence promotions at work.

Having a good merit evaluation meant an advantage when the company assigned housing later.

From then on, even though Si Qiu always spoke with a smile and the smell of cooking often wafted from her apartment, no one dared say a word in front of her.

“Oh, what’s so good about it? Just some wild vegetables and a few pancakes made from a mix of three flours—there isn’t even a drop of oil.” She spoke quickly while cushioning the pot with a cloth and taking it back to her own home.

In these corridor-style apartments, people cooked in the hallway. In summer, doors stayed open, but bead curtains were hung to block the view and keep flies and insects out.

Aunt Liu quickly kicked the door closed as she entered her home.

She thought, Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? I already know this little girl is not to be messed with—so why do I keep poking the bear?

If she hadn’t reacted quickly just now, the girl might have actually lifted her pot.

Previously, when a man in the building beat his wife and the young wife attempted to hang herself but was discovered in time, the Women’s Federation and the neighborhood committee came to mediate. Of course, Aunt Liu had gone to watch the spectacle.

Si Qiu, working for the committee, naturally stepped forward to mediate. Usually, she would intimidate the man a little and comfort the woman.

That case had ended without much issue—but who knew what this girl would do? Pointing at the rescued young wife, she unleashed a tirade:

“You’re doomed! If you aren’t afraid of death, why didn’t you fight back to the end? Dig up the household register and make sure every person with the same surname suffers.

That way, the children can inherit the family property. Otherwise, if you die, someone might get a stepmother for the kids, and those two children wouldn’t survive.

With what’s left from the family, the children, being a bit sensible, can manage for two or three years. When they grow up, they can take care of themselves.

If you really don’t want to die, break his legs at night after being beaten so you can take his position and make him watch you run things.

If anyone at home resists, give them a purgative and make them stay in bed; if that doesn’t work, break their legs according to the rules.

People always threaten death, but it changes nothing.

In this world, besides life and death, nothing else matters. If you’re not afraid of dying, you can handle them.

Whether a boy or girl is born is the man’s business. I don’t believe that if you plant beans in the ground, a watermelon will grow.

If your husband is useless and can’t give you a son, at least you don’t complain—and stop letting him look down on you!”

Not only the neighbors, but even the Women’s Federation staff who came to mediate were left speechless.

Another committee worker, a broad-shouldered young man in his twenties, was present mainly because he lived nearby.

Even so, he didn’t dare cover Si Qiu’s mouth; otherwise, no one else would have allowed her to act so unrestrainedly.

This wasn’t a mediator—it was like facing a living demon! But the young wife still looked utterly hopeless.

Yet Si Qiu’s words lit up her eyes like bulbs.

From that point on, the household finally quieted down. The young wife, who had previously tried to hang herself, no longer cowered.

She gave birth to two daughters and grew much healthier and rounder.

Of course, Si Qiu became well-known in the building. After all, who could casually pull out the household register?

Si Qiu was satisfied with the results. She had learned: if you want to change the windows, start by removing the roof. If you want to avoid being beaten, strike first—and strike fast and hard.

From then on, not only did no one in the building dare provoke her, but when she resolved neighbor disputes, people instinctively gave her more respect.

Back in her own room, Si Qiu ran into a problem. Today had gone awry, and she forgot to go to the state-owned restaurant. She had no choice but to rely on the buns she had previously packed in her space.

She felt a little sad—there weren’t many buns left from the system distribution.

It wasn’t that she didn’t cook for herself, but she couldn’t eat her own cooking. In the first world, the food she made wasn’t great, but at least edible.

In the second world, she ate the Fasting Pills; occasionally, a meal was a rare delicacy. Everything there contained spiritual energy, so even boiled dishes tasted better.

In the third world, she had eaten food cooked by the old lady. Even with coarse grains and ordinary wild vegetables, the old lady could make them flavorful.