QTIMP -Chapter 7 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 7)

Counting Si Qiu, there were only two others left, both ordinary office staff: one named Zhang Ying, 30 years old, who handled things in a brisk, energetic manner.

The other was Xiao Chen—Chen Annan, 22 this year.

Si Qiu was the youngest. She was said to be 16, but that was nominal age; her 15th birthday wouldn’t arrive until autumn.

“Good morning, Sister Zhao, Sister Zhang.”

“Oh, oh, very good!” Zhang Ying, the director, glanced at the office.

Si Qiu shook her head at her, and Zhang Ying sat down, reassured.

Zhao Sui noticed the desk had been wiped clean, the thermos refilled, and even half a jar of water had been poured into her enamel mug. She quickly said, “Oh my, who did this work today? Really nice job.”

“Really? Then, Sister Zhao, you have to praise me properly. I came in early today, didn’t let Brother Chen steal all the glory.”

“I just came in a little late today, and you’re talking bad about me!” Chen Annan came in from outside, standing straight—a posture that immediately revealed his upbringing.

Seeing him arrive, Si Qiu poured water into his cup. “Yes, yes, we were just thinking about helping you, the hard-to-match one, finally get married!”

“You little girl, joking about me now? Don’t think that just because you’re young and not yet an adult, you can do whatever you want!”

Everyone cared a lot for Si Qiu. They had learned about her family situation, and since she was the youngest, they naturally felt some affection for her.

At first, no one understood why a top student in the class, a prospective college student, would quit school just to come work.

They had seen that the director’s daughter was two years older than Si Qiu, not as academically gifted, and was still preparing for college entrance exams!

When others asked about her, Si Qiu would just give a tightly restrained smile and say nothing more.

But the more she withheld, the more it made people curious. Everyone asked relatives and friends: both her parents worked at a machinery factory. Though not very close, they were in the same city.

News like this couldn’t be kept secret. When people came to ask her, Si Qiu naturally didn’t hide anything. She didn’t exaggerate, and that was already generous enough.

So even though she had only been working here for around twenty days, everyone already knew her family situation quite clearly.

At this point, it was inevitable for someone to sigh, “What a good kid, but look what her unscrupulous parents forced her into.”

“Exactly! Otherwise, after finishing college, she’d have been a cadre by now.”

Si Qiu went to pour water into the director’s jar. When she came back and saw everyone’s expressions, she immediately understood what they were thinking.

She smiled and said, “Don’t, don’t. If you feel sorry for me, you’re wrong—I’m doing fine! I have a house, a job, and I can feed myself and my family. As for everything else, that’s just fate.”

“That’s the right way to think. A girl has to be clear-headed and independent. If my Xiaoxue had half your ability, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”

“Director.”

“The director’s here.”

“Good morning, Director.”

Li Hong waved her hand. “Alright, let’s skip the formalities. Some documents came down from above. You all need to read and memorize them carefully. We have to stay up to date with the contents.”

Recently, the number of documents to study had been increasing. Their neighborhood committee not only had to study them themselves but also had to explain them to the residents on behalf of the street office.

There could be absolutely no mistakes. If the residents caught even a minor error, the consequences would be unimaginable. So everyone took the documents very seriously.

Everyone was sitting around two tables pushed together—the temporary meeting table—studying when suddenly someone burst in from outside.

“Director Li… Director Li! Quick, the Qin family in Courtyard No. 7 is fighting again!”

“What’s going on? Why can’t that family ever keep quiet? A small fight every three days, a big one every five,” Director Li frowned deeply, showing her impatience without trying to hide it.

The newcomer wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Ah, Director, you’d better hurry. This time it’s different from before—they’ve really started throwing fire at each other.”

Director Li had already organized the documents and handed them over to Wang Xing, the eldest sister nearby. Then she took a sip of water and said, “Qiu Qiu, Xiao Chen, Xiao Zhang—come with me.”

Having heard that real violence had broken out, she brought along the youngest and sharpest-tongued members of their team; whether to mediate or to scold, they could help.

The three didn’t hesitate and immediately followed him, while the messenger ran ahead down the alley.

As soon as they entered the alley, the faint sound of shouting reached them, along with murmurs from the gathered crowd.

“Why are they even fighting?”

“Seems like it’s about the younger uncle taking the college entrance exam.”

“What’s there to fight about?”

“Well, you see…”

“Hurry, hurry! Director Li is here, clear the way!” The guide was panting, having run back and forth several times.

“Move aside, everyone, don’t block the path.” Others quickly spread out their hands to make a passage.

Si Qiu followed Director Li into the courtyard. It was a three-sectioned siheyuan—a large compound divided into smaller yards. The Nan family, who were fighting, lived in the west wing of the first courtyard.

The 45-square-meter house was home to: the Qin family elders; the eldest son’s family, a couple with a two-year-old boy; the second son, newly married; and the two unmarried sons, the third and fourth. The one taking the college exam was the fourth son.

In other words, nine people lived in that tiny house. Si Qiu shuddered just thinking about it. If there’s no conflict in their home, which family could have conflicts?

“Does your Qin family even have a conscience? I gave birth to a son for you!” shouted the eldest daughter-in-law. Her sharp voice carried across the distance and was painfully piercing.

“Hah! That’s laughable. Are we short of sons in the Qin family? My mother gave birth to four and yet you cause trouble? You’ve ruined my future. Even if you gave birth to a son—or an ancestor—for the Qin family, I’d still make you pay.”

The fourth Qin son spoke casually, but anyone could hear the grinding anger behind his words. No one doubted the truth in what he said.

Hearing that, the eldest daughter-in-law suddenly burst into tears.

The Qin elders were black-skinned and thin, their hair mostly white, looking over sixty—but Si Qiu had checked their records: the couple was 46 and 48.

They looked so old entirely because of their four sons. In the past, the couple had worried about their safety due to unrest; later, they feared famine might starve the boys.

Now that the sons were grown, they had to worry about marriage. The new daughters-in-law only made things more chaotic. In the past, even when the brothers quarreled, it was minor noise, nothing serious.

But now? Seeing the eldest son’s couple’s room smashed to pieces by the fourth son, seeing the eldest son being pinned and beaten, seeing the eldest daughter-in-law throwing a fit and crying, and the eldest grandson sobbing uncontrollably—both elders felt like dying. They were the kind of meek people who couldn’t stand up even in front of their own children.

So they shouted, “Stop! Stop it!”—but no one listened.