Xiao Cui's break came unexpectedly, yet it was also perfectly reasonable.

Qi Zhijun wasn't really that heartless. Looking at Xiao Cui, who was half-lying on the bed, he said, "You can't just not give her anything to eat! Are you going to just watch her starve to death?"

Without even lifting her eyelids, Xiao Cui shrieked, "She still has the nerve to eat? She's a dog's belly that can't hold two ounces of oil. She can't even get enough to eat, and she'll happily use it to feed those sluts."

Qi Zhijun frowned, sniffling, and said, "You're supposed to be a cultured person, do you really have to be so harsh?"

Xiao Cui put down the quotes in his hand, looked up and said, "Me, mean? Let me tell you something more elegant: when people are well-fed and clothed, they start to think about lust! You understand? Your sister and your niece are only interested in such messy, depraved things because she's fed too much! And if you had listened to me back then, would all this have happened? He pretends to be dead and you soften your heart, he pretends to be dead and you soften your heart. Look at the mess you've made of this family."

Qi Zhijun sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, saying, "You said it yourself: when people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lustful desires. Don't you know the next line, 'When people are hungry and cold, they think of stealing'? If she's being unreasonable, at least give her some food!"

Xiao Cui was so angry, "Tsk...tsk~tsk. Give her thirty catties of grain, two cabbages, and half a bag of salt. Forget about oil, she's happy with boiled cabbage anyway, so as not to cause any more trouble. After she finishes this, she'll have to figure something out herself! I don't even have anything to eat."

Upon receiving the order, Qi Zhijun didn't say anything more. He quickly brought two cabbages and thirty catties of grain to Qi's mother and delivered them to the side room. Because Xiao Cui was determined to sever ties with Qi's mother, Qi Zhijun had no choice. After several such incidents, Qi's mother's actions were indeed unethical; she was trying to wipe out the entire Qi family!

When he came in, he saw Qi's mother lying motionless on the bed. He put down his things and was about to leave when Qi's mother, lying on the bed, asked in a nasal voice with a hint of doubt, "Zhijun, what are you doing?"

Qi Zhijun sighed and said, "Mom, it's not appropriate for us to stay together like this. Let's eat separately from now on!"

Qi's mother propped herself up and sat up, saying, "Zhijun, you're blaming your mother too, aren't you?"

Looking at his much older mother, Qi Zhijun said, "Mom, when you're poor, you should cultivate your own virtue; when you're successful, you should help others. We need to face reality. We can't even make a living right now. What more do you want? Are you just going to drag Qi Zhifang and Wang Fang down with you? Does our whole family have to die?"

Speechless, Qi's mother glared at Qi Zhijun, who, seemingly unfazed, said, "This is the last thing I can get for you proportionally. It's good this way, to save you and Xiao Cui from arguing again. And what about the future? If you can get through this, I'll give you ten yuan a month. If you can't, needless to say, we'll both starve to death. Go find my dad!" With that, she strode away.

Qi's mother lowered her voice and began to sob, covering her face with her hands, her sobs escalating into loud wailing. She pounded the bed a few times with force.

Wang Dong was carefully calculating his finances, looking at his less than forty yuan, the seventy-odd jin of grain he had brought back, and the thirty jin of grain coupons he still had.

Wang Hong, her eyes red, said, "Brother, what are we going to do now? You've even lost your job."

Wang Dong patted Wang Hong on the shoulder and said, "Let's take it one step at a time! I'll see if I can ask my classmates to help me find some handicraft work. It'll be tough on you, but you'll have to work with me from now on."

Wang Hong nodded understandingly. Both of them looked extremely resentful. If you asked them who they least wanted to see right now, Qi Zhifang would be the first one on their minds. They didn't know what good things they had done in their past lives to encounter such a wicked person.

Every day after dinner, we had to go to the tutoring class to be criticized and lectured, especially when we encountered teenagers. They would really chase after us and yell at us! They would spit on us, throw clods of dirt at us, and even throw stones at us. The whole family was like stray dogs, and could only walk away with their heads down.

After a gloomy atmosphere for more than half a month, Qi Zhifang's punishment came down. She was sent to the mine where Xiao Hu worked to be reformed with him. It was good news, as heaven had finally granted the wish of this pair of lovers.

Upon hearing the news, Qi's mother wept silently again. She packed a large bag of Qi Zhifang's clothes and belongings and tearfully delivered it to the place where Qi Zhifang was being held. Xiao Cui watched the old lady do this from inside the room with a cold face, and Qi Zhijun ultimately said nothing.

When I saw Qi Zhifang again, she was nowhere to be seen; she was old and haggard, her head shaved in a half-shaved style, and her face and hands were covered with wounds of varying severity. Her clothes were tattered and reeked of a sour stench. She sat there blankly like a puppet.

Qi's mother looked at her with a disgraceful gaze, her vision blurring with anger, her eyes stinging so much she could no longer cry, only able to wail, "You scourge! You're a real scourge, do you know how badly you've ruined our family! Now you've got what you wanted, go over there and live a good life with that convict! I'll pretend I don't have a daughter like you anymore!"

Qi Zhifang was numb, her face stiff. She let her mother scold her; she had heard it too much over the past two weeks and had become used to it.

She didn't get to scold Qi's mother for long before she was driven out by the guards.

Qi Zhifang looked at the bundle of clothes, tears streaming down her face. "How did things come to this? Why? I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!..."

Of course, no one talked to her about fairness; instead, they simply and brutally showed her through their actions that disobedience would result in beatings! She wouldn't even get to clean the toilets.

Two days later, she set off with her large bundle. Three days later, she arrived at the coal mine. When Xiao Hu found out, he clenched his fists, his eyes almost popped out, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

It was dark when Xiao Hu finally saw Qi Zhifang, being escorted over. The two faced each other, speechless, tears welling in their eyes. After a while, Qi Zhifang turned her head away. Xiao Hu murmured with heartache, "How could you be so foolish! It's not worth it, it's not worth it! It's my fault, I shouldn't have sent you those things."

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