QTIMP -Chapter 313 Character Persona – Vain (Part 7)

After the couple discussed it, they ultimately decided to work together with Si Yangui. They had moved to the city two years earlier than him, so they were relatively more familiar with the people and surroundings.

With their help, Si Yangui’s moving company soon divided off a small space nearby and established a housekeeping company.

As the New Year approached, there were quite a lot of people willing to spend money. The three adults suddenly became extremely busy, and Si Qiu was completely entrusted to the care of the two children from the Meng family.

Si Yangui was afraid that Si Qiu would have objections, so he specifically talked things over with her.

Of course, Si Qiu wanted her father to pick her up every day, but when she thought about the bragging material she would have in the future, she still obediently nodded and agreed.

And so, the two Meng brothers would run over to the kindergarten two streets away after school to pick her up. In the mornings before school, they would also send her to the kindergarten first. Only during holidays would Si Qiu be sent to the Children’s Palace first.

She was someone who wanted glory—how could she not learn some talents and enrich her personal achievements?

According to Si Qiu’s requests, Si Yangui enrolled her in dance, martial arts, guzheng, and brush calligraphy classes.

Her Saturdays and Sundays became completely packed.

Later, when the Meng couple saw their sons going out to play wildly every weekend, they decided to send the children to the Children’s Palace as well.

The three children finally returned to their routine of going everywhere together. Before they knew it, winter vacation arrived. With more free time and no one constantly watching Meng Wen and Meng Wu, they began taking Si Qiu a little farther out.

The three children walked for about twenty minutes and arrived at a newly built stadium in their city. Of course, Si Qiu usually rode there with them on a human-powered tricycle.

During the holidays, the place was especially lively.

Recently, Si Qiu had become fascinated with skating. When she had first started learning, her body had been covered in bruises from falling. But after she learned the basics, the speed at which she flew across the ice…

The graceful and breathtaking poses she made while spinning in figure skating, along with the occasional admiration and praise from people nearby, all made Si Qiu feel that this sport suited her perfectly.

Therefore, whenever her Children’s Palace classes were not full, Si Qiu and the Meng brothers would come here to play.

Unlike the Meng brothers, who competed against each other for speed on the ice, Si Qiu was developing toward figure skating. Although she did not have formal training, she had learned martial arts and dance, and her foundation was extremely solid.

So, by figuring things out herself, she was already able to perform quite impressively. After all, she was still young, and people were very tolerant toward her, happily giving her encouraging applause.

Naturally, the applause also attracted other people, including Xue Li, a coach from the provincial figure skating team who had just arrived.

Following the sound, she came to the place where the crowd had gathered.

There, she saw a little girl spinning on the ice. Although her movements were not standard, the strength of her spins and her posture while rotating were both excellent.

Xue Li became excited upon discovering such talent. The girl’s age was exactly the best time for training. So she stood nearby and carefully observed her, occasionally offering a few pointers.

But once she started giving guidance, it became even more impressive. The little girl could understand things immediately and apply them in new ways. Not only was her comprehension ability strong, but her body control was also excellent.

Therefore, when the children were about to go home, Xue Li offered to give them a ride.

Normally, because Si Qiu was cute-looking and always dressed adorably, she often received attention and care from adults around her. The Meng brothers did not pay much attention to Xue Li’s interest in her.

However, the moment they heard that Xue Li wanted to send them home, they immediately became alert. After all, their mother had warned them to be careful of child traffickers.

Thinking of this, Meng Wen and Meng Wu stepped forward and blocked Si Qiu behind them.

Gathering his courage, Meng Wen said: “No need, Auntie. Our home is very close. My mother will be waiting for us at the gate, so we’ll be home very soon.”

He decided to be a little more cautious and lied, hoping that if this woman really was a human trafficker, she would have some reservations.

But he was still just a child, and even his lie wasn’t convincing enough. By saying that, didn’t he just confirm that there were no adults accompanying them?

Xue Li immediately understood the children’s concern. She stepped back two paces to keep a safe distance, then maintained her smile as she spoke to them.

“Alright then. You’re still young, so you need to be careful when you’re out and about.”

When Meng Wen and Meng Wu heard this, they hurriedly pulled Si Qiu inside to change her shoes. They nervously watched to make sure Xue Li really wasn’t following them. Then they dragged Si Qiu outside, got onto the tricycle, and hurried home.

Xue Li drove her car and followed the tricycle to the small houses where the Meng family and the Si family lived. After watching the three children run into the courtyard, she finally drove away.

She didn’t go far. She simply stopped at the small shop at the entrance of the alley and chatted with the group of people playing cards inside. Before long, she learned information about both families.

Only then did she drive away. However, she felt somewhat uncertain.

From what she had learned, Si Qiu’s family didn’t seem to be very wealthy. But figure skating was an extremely expensive sport.

Not to mention anything else, basic training outfits, training skates, and coaching fees alone cost a considerable amount. If one entered competitions, there were also expenses for choreography, routine design, registration fees, accompanying coaches, medical staff, and many other costs.

To put it this way, if that child started learning now and only received amateur training, it would take at least one to three years, costing no less than 20,000 yuan as a foundation.

If she were trained to become a local-level key athlete, it would require three to six years, with costs starting at around 300,000 yuan.

If she were trained to the national level, it would take six to ten years and require at least 1 million yuan.

And if she were trained into an Olympic champion, it would likely take more than ten years, with a minimum cost of around 3 million yuan.

But looking at the current situation of the Si family, could they really be willing and able to spend that much money cultivating a child?

Yet Xue Li was reluctant to give up. After all, truly talented prospects were extremely hard to find.

That evening, when the three adults returned home and the family was eating dinner together, Xue Li drove over again.

She wore a down jacket and a scarf, with her hair neatly tied into a low ponytail. Her entire appearance gave off a capable and professional impression.

A knocking sound came from the door.

Wang Cui got up to open it and saw a woman standing outside. After looking her over, she asked uncertainly: “Who are you looking for?”

Xue Li had a smile on her face.

“Hello, I’m looking for Si’s father and daughter.”

Wang Cui turned her head and glanced at the people eating inside. They had all noticed the visitor and stopped eating.

Si Yangui stood up.

“Are you looking for me?”

He walked to the door and looked at the woman curiously. Could it be that one of the families they had helped move today wasn’t satisfied with their work?

He put on a polite smile and invited her inside.

Xue Li didn’t stand on ceremony and followed him into the house.

Wang Cui quickly cleared away the dishes from the main room and wiped the table clean. Xue Li felt a little embarrassed, but she was simply too eager to find talent.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Xue Li, and I’m a coach from the provincial figure skating team. Today, I saw your child at the skating rink, and she seems to have quite a bit of talent for skating. So I couldn’t help but come over to visit and see whether you have any plans to develop your child in this direction.”