QTIMP -Chapter 53 Character Persona – Lazy (Part 1)

Si Qiu braided her hair from the crown all the way to the tips, tying the end with a handkerchief that matched the color of her dress.

She had a classic oval face, with skin as smooth as cream, subtly highlighting a faint blush on her cheeks. Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips like cherry petals, carrying a hint of a smile even before she spoke. Her eyebrows were like distant ink, her eyes like autumn waters—yet the emptiness in her gaze slightly undermined the vitality of her face.

She wore a beige dress that reached her calves. On her feet were white cloth shoes, with white socks tucked inside.

Everything indicated that her living conditions were fairly comfortable.

In her hand, she carried a cloth bag, the clanging of spoons against lunch boxes echoing from within.

She lazily walked all the way from the supply and marketing cooperative to the third floor of the military district family housing.

Pulling out her key, she inserted it into the lock and turned it with the same slow, deliberate pace as if time itself had been slowed down.

The apartment was a 70-square-meter space with two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. The lighting was excellent. Even though the sun was setting, the room remained bright. The layout was especially reasonable, and there was a heater along the wall—clearly, the apartment was well-suited for living.

But the scattered clothes on the sofa and the clutter on the coffee table ruined all of that.

Si Qiu tossed the key and cloth bag onto the shoe cabinet. She kicked off her cloth shoes and, ignoring the mess, lay down on the sofa.

Then she let out a long sigh. “So tired… still have two more days of work before the holiday.”

It was 1975. When Si Qiu had first arrived here, the original owner had caught a cold and died simply because she was too lazy to put on extra clothes in the cold.

At first, Si Qiu had thought that her laziness was because she had been pampered in her past life, and also because she had just recovered from a cold.

But she soon realized that wasn’t the case at all. The original owner was an extraordinarily lazy person, and Si Qiu had inherited this trait without resistance.

This time, Si Qiu’s husband was a soldier named Lu Hongjun, 27 years old, now a battalion commander. After marriage, she followed him with the army. With only a high school diploma, she was assigned to work at the supply and marketing cooperative.

But she was extremely lazy. Why did she still go to work? Because if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have any money to spend. Lu Hongjun only gave her 18 yuan a month for living expenses—no more, no less.

Though it was called “living expenses,” most household items were bought by Lu Hongjun, so the 18 yuan was just pocket money. Occasionally, she would buy some groceries herself.

Why had the original owner, so lazy, managed to graduate high school? Because if she didn’t go to school, she would have had to work in the fields, which was even more exhausting.

And why did she marry immediately after graduating high school? Because if she didn’t, she would still have to work in the fields, which was unbearably tiring.

There was a loud knock at the door, the hinges creaking as the door opened a bit with the force of the knock. She hadn’t even closed it properly when she entered.

“Qiu Qiu, you’re off work. Wait a moment—I’ll finish preparing it and have Hongqi bring it over to you.”

A woman with her hair styled in a Hulan bun came in. Her slender willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed in a look of feigned innocence, her eyes drooped at the corners, her small nose delicate, lips thin, eyes glinting with calculation and scrutiny.

She had the appearance of a “white lotus”—a face considered unlucky in this era, often criticized as dull or draining.

Her slightly rounded belly showed she was already pregnant.

This woman didn’t hesitate to enter, and she tidied up the shoes scattered around the entrance, pairing them neatly.

Then she picked up the cloth bag Si Qiu had left by the door, took out the lunch boxes, placed them in the kitchen sink, and started washing them.

Si Qiu seemed completely unfazed by a pregnant woman tidying the apartment and washing the dishes.

At that moment, a soft voice came from behind: “Look at you, you left this bowl soaking in water without washing it, and now it’s all dry and impossible to clean.”

The speaker was the original owner’s “plastic” sister, Si Lai, from the same village. Most people in the village shared the surname Si, though their families weren’t very close.

It was actually this person who introduced Si Qiu to Lu Hongjun. Si Qiu was beautiful, and Lu Hongjun was smitten at first sight.

One worried that such a pretty bride would be taken by someone else, the other feared losing a long-term worker—so they quickly got married.

Once the kitchen was tidied, Si Lai moved into the living room, picking up clothes that had been thrown everywhere.

“Look at you, buying all these dresses. You’ve spent an entire month’s wages on them! You’re going to have kids in the future—you should at least save some money.”

Si Qiu paid no mind to her nagging. For convenience, she sat on the sofa and shifted over slightly to give her space.

Si Qiu’s figure was full and alluring; leaning sideways, she exuded elegance. Si Lai’s eyes swept over her, a flicker of jealousy passing through them.

Si Lai’s own figure was rather flat. Though in this era, Si Qiu’s figure would be especially admired, people naturally appreciated it: women thought such a body was good for bearing children, men thought it was pleasant to look at.

As a result, Si Lai’s chatter became more incessant, but she was diligent and didn’t stop working. She hung the clean clothes in the wardrobe and took the dirty ones to the bathroom to wash.

At that moment, the door to Si Qiu’s house opened again.

A man in full military uniform entered, his features clear and posture upright, holding his military cap. “Ah, there you are! I guessed you’d be in this room.”

Hearing him, Si Lai sighed. “Could I not come? There’s barely any room to step in here. Just as well you’re here—handle the rest while I go cook.”

“Alright then. You’ve worked hard these past few days. My brother will be back in a couple of days after completing his mission.”

“Sigh, it’s nothing. I’m pregnant, so I don’t really have much reaction anyway.”

Lu Hongjun and Lu Hongqi were twin brothers. With Lu Hongjun away on a mission, Lu Hongqi and his wife took care of Si Qiu, for a fee, knowing the sister-in-law’s temperament.

Otherwise, they feared Si Qiu would starve herself in the house.

Si Lai went back to cook while Lu Hongqi began wiping tables and mopping the floor. “Sister-in-law, I hung the clothes Si Lai washed on the balcony. When they’re dry, don’t forget to take them down.”

“Oh! Thanks for the trouble!”

Just as he finished tidying, Si Lai also completed the meal: stir-fried shredded potatoes, a small dish of pickles, and a bowl of rice, which she brought over.

“Eat. When you’re done, leave it here—I’ll come by to collect it. Is Hongqi done tidying? Once he’s done, we’ll go eat too!”

“Just a moment—I’ll rinse the mop first.”

After they left, Si Qiu leisurely got up, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and then sat in front of the sofa to eat.

Finished with her meal, she looked around the now clean house, feeling a lift in her spirits. Yet if she had to clean herself, she’d be too lazy to move.

Back at her bedroom vanity, she began writing a letter home. She was well-favored in her family—otherwise, a rural girl wouldn’t have been allowed to finish high school.

She married right after graduation, bringing along a sizable dowry.

After writing the letter, Si Qiu gathered some items from her living space: a military water bottle sent by Lu Hongjun and some dried seafood, which she packed into a parcel.