Mother Qi slammed the teacup on the ground and shouted, "Yes, it's my fault, I'm guilty, I shouldn't have divided it..."
Qi Zhijun, suppressing his anger, said, "Mom, before, with three children, you would prepare special meals for them, saying it was for their growth. I was pregnant, and after giving birth, my wife and children, who were still doing heavy lifting, had to take care of everything. Fine, I put up with it, since the children couldn't eat solid food anyway. But now I think about it and I'm such an animal. The mother didn't even have anything to eat, so where would the milk come from? Now that the family is in this situation, I can still find fault with these things. Shouldn't you reflect on yourself?"
After saying that, she turned and left in a hurry. Qi Zhifang wiped away her tears and said, "Mom, let's all eat together from now on! I won't eat special meals anymore! I don't deserve it." After saying that, she also turned and went to work.
That day, Qi's mother was so angry that she lay motionless on the bed. Seeing that it was almost time to cook, she got up to prepare the meal. Xiao Cui returned ten minutes early and, seeing Qi's mother cooking, said coldly, "Mom, give me our food allowance for the next two weeks!"
Qi's mother stiffened, then feigned composure and said, "Little Cui, we're family, why be so formal? I..."
Xiao Cui calmly replied, "Mom, what you're saying makes no sense at all. I already said this morning that we'll eat separately, so you can worry less about me and Zhijun. I see you're not ready today, so please prepare tonight, and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
He turned and went out, took the money and tickets from inside the house, and then left.
Despite her discomfort, Qi's mother wearily raised her head and continued with her work.
After everyone had left work, I brought out the cabbage and tofu, along with some shredded pickled vegetables, a thin porridge, and seven or eight cornbread buns.
They ate in silence. Just as Qi Zhijun was about to leave after finishing, his mother said, "Fangzi, clear the table. Your brother and I have something to say!"
Qi Zhifang glanced at Qi Zhijun, picked up the table, and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Qi's mother sniffed and said, "Zhijun, I know I'm making things difficult for you, but Fangzi was in poor health when she was little, and now she's in this situation. What can I do..." She covered her mouth and cried as she said this.
Qi Zhijun lowered his head and remained silent. Qi's mother sighed and said, "I know Fangzi did something foolish and dragged the family down to where it is today. Your father also passed away because of her. But what's done is done. Can I make her pay with her life? Besides, she did it all for you. She doesn't even have a house anymore, and her child doesn't recognize her!"
Qi Zhijun said softly, "Mom, don't say anymore. I'll talk to Xiao Cui and we'll cook the same meals for everyone from now on! Fangzi is your darling, and you feel sorry for her, but Xiao Cui is also the darling of her family. If you do this, her family will feel sorry for her too." With that, he got up and left. Qi's mother sat in the chair, turned her head to the right, sniffed, stared blankly ahead for a while, sighed, and turned to go back into the room to lie down.
Qi Zhijun returned to the side room, and soon saw Xiao Cui return. He looked up and asked, "Where have you been? You didn't even eat at home."
Xiao Cui smiled and said, "Didn't we agree to eat separately? When I got back, Mom hadn't prepared anything yet. By the way, do you have any laundry to wash? Take it out and wash it with us."
Qi Zhijun sighed and said, "Mom has no pension, and Zhifang only earns fifteen yuan a month as a cleaner. Are you trying to starve Mom by separating the family now?"
Xiao Cui said gently, "Zhijun, Mom is so good at managing money, she'll definitely be fine. How about we give them five yuan a month? Ten yuan is fine too. It's not that I'm desperate for a bite to eat, it's just that I can't let this go. Wang Dong and the others are Fangzi's biological children, and they've all cut ties with her now. Shouldn't we also keep our distance? Nobody knows what the political climate is like right now, and we might be eliminated at any time. We have to think about ourselves! Otherwise, do we want to be implicated and sent to the countryside like we were back then?"
Qi Zhijun said helplessly, "No matter how eloquently you speak, I know what you really think, but she is my sister, and I can't do anything about it. In any case, I'm making it clear to you that I do not agree to separate from Mom right now."
Xiao Cui's face turned red with anger and tears fell. Qi Zhijun superimposed Xiao Cui's image with Wei Shuqing's. He didn't know when Xiao Cui's tears could no longer move his heart, but instead became as annoying as Wei Shuqing's. Although they were two different people, they had something in common, which should be their meanness.
Qi Zhijun stood up and looked at Xiao Cui, saying, "Don't let jealousy and greed overshadow your original beauty and kindness, turning you into a bitter and mean person. Difficulties are temporary; no matter how tough life gets, you can hold on until the sun sets."
Xiao Cui stood there, stunned. Today, she had mustered all her courage to break ties with Qi Zhifang, thinking that she could strike once and be beaten a hundred times over. But it felt like she had punched cotton.
He got slapped twice, and then life went back to normal?
Before she could even start to think, the yard erupted in a commotion again: "So what if I call you a slut? You're a stinky slut! Take your stinky sluts away right now, don't leave them out to dry!"
"Exactly! Exactly! It smells awful and stinks, how could you even leave it out like that! Qi Zhifang, stop pretending to be dead and come out and take it away right now!"
"It's one thing to be shameless, but to bring out these dirty and smelly things makes outsiders look bad in our yard! Bah! Shameless!"
When Qi's mother came out, she still put on airs and said, "The clothes have already been washed. You're just being unreasonable!"
"You think you can just wash them like that? We won't let you hang them out to dry..." As they spoke, the group threw all of Qi's clothes out.
"We don't keep used women in our yard! Get out! Get out!" "Get out!..."
When Wang Dong got off work and entered the courtyard, he saw everyone cursing Qi's mother. He knew what was going on and said coldly, "I have no problem with how you curse Qi Zhifang or make trouble for Qi Zhifang, but if you dare to swear at my grandmother, I'll kill you."
"Who are you going to kill, you son of a slut, you're no good either!" "Bang..." With screams and curses, Wang Dong started fighting with several people.
"If you swear again, I'll beat you to death, you son of a bitch..." "I wasn't wrong, she's a used woman, a used woman who's been worn out by others..."
"I'll kill you..."
When Qi Zhijun returned, he quickly separated the people and yelled, "Go back! Get out!"
After the crowd dispersed, Qi Zhifang came out and saw Wang Dong's bruised and swollen face, tears streaming down her face. Wang Dong coldly said, "You still have the nerve to cry! Isn't this what you wanted? Are you satisfied? Grandpa was driven to his death by you, and Grandma is so old and still gets scolded every day because of you! We are also looked down upon. I am a man, and you have ruined my political future, forcing me to work as a cleaner in a factory. Are you happy? You are a reincarnation of a wicked devil!"
When Wang Hong came home from school and saw Wang Dong's appearance, she ran over crying, "Brother, brother, what's wrong?" She glared at Qi Zhifang angrily and cursed, "You jinx! You did such a shameful thing and you don't even want to die! How can you be so shameless!" Not satisfied with that, she spat at Qi Zhifang, but Wang Dong pulled her back.
Seeing Qi Zhifang's state, Qi Zhijun didn't say anything, unable to offer any comfort. After turning and leaving, Qi's mother burst into tears and ran back to her room.
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