QTIMP -Chapter 55 Character Persona – Lazy (Part 3)

Unfortunately, their little supply and marketing cooperative didn’t sell expensive items like watches or bicycles. Otherwise, standing at the counter there would have been much more relaxing.

Si Qiu put her things away, took out a cloth, and sat there, unconsciously wiping it.

Over there, Zhang Meijuan—called Xiao Juan—and Song Juan—called Da Juan—were talking. Xiao Juan spoke in a sarcastic tone.

“Ah, some people really are born lucky! Beautiful, graceful, doing nothing at home or outside, everything ready-made for them—food, drink, even their clothes get washed by someone else.”

For the more extreme cases, like daughters of landlords, she wouldn’t dare say anything. Rules were strict here, and if the two Lu camp leaders heard her talking, she wouldn’t be able to escape punishment at home.

At that moment, Li Anmin, who sold tools, set two hoes upright. She shuffled over to Si Qiu and, speaking in a fairly loud voice, said:

“Xiao Qiu, hearing people talk about you like this…aren’t you angry? Ah, I’d say you just have too good a temper.”

She rambled on for a while. Si Qiu occasionally nodded, as if confirming her words. Afraid that she wasn’t stirring up enough trouble, she couldn’t resist asking:

“Xiao Qiu, you really aren’t angry?”

Si Qiu spoke slowly, “Not angry. I am indeed enjoying life, but I deserve it—who made me this good-looking? It’s natural for others to envy, resent, or even hate me. I can understand that—after all, this might be something they’ll never experience in their lives.”

As she spoke, she wiped her face with her other hand. Not entirely satisfied, she reached into her pocket for a small mirror, checking herself while tidying her hair.

Finally, she rested her head back, carefully wiped her hands with a handkerchief, opened her lunchbox to eat some cookies, and then grabbed the nearby thermos. When she twisted it open, the aroma of malted milk floated out.

Li Anmin, standing close, inhaled sharply and swallowed hard.

Whether it was the little mirror she brought out, her food, or her words just now, both Zhang Meijuan and Li Anmin were infuriated. But because of the two Lu brothers, they didn’t dare make a move that could give her an opening.

So they could only hold back their anger.

Meanwhile, Si Qiu frowned more and more as she ate. She felt this wasn’t a proper breakfast. This morning, Si Lai hadn’t brought her a meal, and Si Qiu understood why—probably to annoy her about the two packages from yesterday.

However, when Lu Hongjun left, he had stocked the house with plenty of cookies, pastries, milk powder, malted milk, and sugar cubes.

Her space also contained plenty of food, so she wouldn’t go hungry over just one meal.

As Si Qiu had guessed, Si Lai—although the couple hadn’t argued yesterday—knew that Lu Hongqi didn’t approve of her actions.

This stuff belonged to Si Qiu; she had the right to manage it. On her maternal side, she had no tolerance for nonsense—this life, she intended to draw a clean line. Both husband and wife on the paternal side earned more than Lu Hongqi anyway, so why scrape with them?

If anything, she should be supporting them more, especially now that she was pregnant.

She wouldn’t go too far, though. After all, her established persona couldn’t collapse. So, every noon she usually just took her meals as usual—and today, Si Lai had brought the lunch.

But some things weren’t simple. It was like reforming after a lifetime of misdeeds—doing one good thing after a lifetime of wrongdoing counted as redemption. But conversely, living a lifetime as a good person and doing one thing imperfectly made you seem hypocritical.

To maintain her persona, at noon she deliberately prepared wheat noodles for Si Qiu, with a boiled egg lying in the center, garnished with small green vegetables.

She also put in nearly half a jar of shrimp paste and delivered it just before lunch.

As soon as she came in and saw Si Qiu holding her lunchbox to leave, she hurriedly called out loudly, “Qiuqiu, I’ve brought you your lunch! Today I specially made white noodles for you, and I added an egg. I also brought your favorite shrimp paste.”

Si Qiu sat back down after standing, placed her own lunchbox aside, and took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands.

Zhang Meijuan, about to get her own food, rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop herself from speaking.

“I’m saying, Second Battalion Commander Lu’s wife, you’re pregnant yourself, the egg should be for your own nourishment—why bother delivering it to someone unrelated? In the end, they might not even appreciate it.”

Si Lai first glanced at Si Qiu’s reaction, then quickly waved her hand.

“Don’t say that. These eggs and noodles were all brought over when Big Brother left; I just heated them up. The eldest sister-in-law is busy at work and still young, and I don’t have much to do, so I just helped a little. It’s nothing.”

She had no choice but to explain—everyone knew Lu Hongjun, the battalion commander, had personally prepared these things.

She realized Lu Hongjun had deliberately done this to prevent anyone from slandering his wife. Thinking this, she couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. She hadn’t realized before that he was such a flirt.

When she married him, he hadn’t been this attentive to her.

“Hmph! So what if you go to work? Second Battalion Commander Lu too—why not find you a job as well?”

Zhang Meijuan’s words made Si Lai’s expression harden for a moment. Her family valued sons over daughters, and she had only studied up to third grade.

The last time the supply and marketing cooperative was hiring clerks, a junior high diploma was required, otherwise she would have tried for it.

She clenched the cloth bag tighter and tighter, finally forcing a smile. “I’m pregnant now and will need to take care of the child later—there’s no time for work.”

“That’s true. Your Second Battalion Commander Lu earns well, and you know how to manage money. You have no burdens and enough to spend. Not like some people who earn 30 but barely spend 1. That kind of life isn’t for people like us!”

As she spoke, her eyes glanced at Si Qiu. Even Si Lai looked at Si Qiu. Si Qiu lifted her head to meet their gaze and nodded in agreement.

Then she swallowed the egg in her mouth and said leisurely, “Yes, I can spend more if I earn more. If it’s not enough, Brother Lu and my family will make up the difference. This kind of good life really isn’t meant for you. Even if it were, you wouldn’t understand it.” She shook her head in mock regret, then continued eating.

Zhang Meijuan was so furious she pointed tremblingly at her, but Song Juan eventually pulled her away.

Si Lai’s face also darkened for a moment. She finally relaxed when she saw the staff at the cooperative had already served themselves and were eating behind the counter.

Standing there felt awkward, so she gritted her teeth and whispered, “Qiuqiu, after you finish, I’ll take the lunchbox back to wash it—you don’t need to worry about any of this. By the way, can you help me get half a pound of White Rabbit candy later? Ever since I got pregnant, everything tastes bland to me.”

She touched her slightly rounded belly, her face full of tenderness.

Si Qiu didn’t even lift her head and simply said, “Half a pound of candy costs one yuan.”