Do you know who I killed?
No, I don't know.
"I killed my mother's lover."
"What?"
Qin Xiaoyu looked up in astonishment, unable to believe her ears.
“He was my mother’s lover. I was 13 when I killed him, not old enough to be sentenced to death. I got out after 14 years and was a man again.” Qi Si’s eyes narrowed. This was not a good sign. Felines were like this when they were hunting.
"..." Qin Xiaoyu was speechless. She panicked. She really wanted to kneel down and beg, "I have elderly parents and young children to support, please don't kill me..."
Do you know why my name is Qi Si?
"I don't know." Qin Xiaoyu could only shake her head.
“There are five brothers in my family. I’m the fourth, and the youngest is a sister. On the first day of the new year, my brothers and I conspired to steal some copper wire from the factory warehouse. Copper wire was valuable, and a bundle would be enough for us to have a good New Year. I worked all night and didn’t get home until dawn. I found my mother sleeping on the kang (a heated brick bed) with another man. My sister wasn’t there. I searched for a long time before I found her on the woodpile. She was frozen solid. She was only four years old. She was frozen solid, you know? Frozen solid! They kicked her out because they thought she would be in the way. They didn’t even give her any clothes. She froze to death in that freezing weather! They abandoned her after she was born. I raised her with my own hands, feeding her rice water and changing her diapers. She just froze to death!” Qi Si suddenly jerked his head back and slammed it against the wall. Then he suddenly lowered his head, hugged his head, and wailed loudly.
"Fourth Brother, Brother." Qin Xiaoyu squatted helplessly in front of him, not knowing how to comfort the heartbroken man in front of her.
She understood; he would wander the streets every Lunar New Year's Day just to reunite with his sister.
The so-called ruthlessness stems from the deep-seated hatred within him.
He grew up at the very bottom of society, and no one taught him how to resolve hatred, so he could only resort to violence to retaliate.
Qi Si cried for an unknown amount of time before finally falling into a deep sleep. Qin Xiaoyu laid him down on the sofa and wiped away the tears from his eyes. She went to her dormitory to get two thick blankets, covered him up tightly, and then went home.
The next morning, Qi Si woke up feeling a bit dazed; he couldn't remember what had happened the night before. He was simply snuggled in a warm blanket, and on the table was a note from Qin Xiaoyu: "Brother, remember to lock the door for me when you leave."
Qi Si rubbed his aching head and stared blankly for a while.
Because there's a saying in the north that you shouldn't get a haircut in the first month of the lunar calendar, or your uncle will die, there won't be much work during that month. Qin Xiaoyu's plan was to resume work on the fifteenth, but Master Wang couldn't stay at home for more than three days. With nothing to do at school, he decided to open for business immediately.
Qin Xiaoyu felt sorry for her and could only take some time to go over and talk to her and comfort her.
"Qi Si came that day." Master Wang recalled something.
"What did you say?"
"They didn't say anything, just walked around and left." Master Wang was completely confused.
Qin Xiaoyu guessed that Qi Si had blacked out on Chu Yi night and didn't remember anything that happened. He probably came over because he woke up at the hairdressing school that day and wanted to ask her about it. She would never mention what she heard that day; it was too cruel, and even saying it once made her heart ache.
"Qin Xiaoyu, come with me." Zhou Xing ran a little too fast and wasn't wearing a hat, so steam was rising from his head.
"What is it?" Qin Xiaoyu quickly stood up.
"Quick, grab your tools and come put out the fire at my house!"
Qin Xiaoyu was taken to the Zhou family and only after seeing the image of the Zhou family patriarch did she understand what kind of fire needed to be put out.
The old guard returned and gave him a haircut, but this time the hairstyle was nothing like the one Qin Xiaoyu had given him last time, and the old man got angry.
"I knew it, why get a haircut in the first month of the lunar year?" Zhou Xing's mother muttered to herself.
"I don't have an uncle! What's wrong with me getting a haircut!" Commander Zhou retorted angrily.
Qin Xiaoyu almost laughed, but she managed to twitch the corner of her mouth and try her best to control herself. Zhou Xing saw this and glared at her.
This hairstyle was both outdated and awkward, and it was cut a bit too short. Unlike women's hair, which always has room for trimming, Qin Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and had no choice but to use clippers.
Seeing the stray hairs falling, Zhou Xing's mother couldn't hold back any longer.
"Isn't it too short?"
"Don't worry, Auntie," Qin Xiaoyu said confidently. After the haircut, Commander Zhou, who had looked somewhat aged, instantly looked much more energetic, and his general's aura returned.
Commander Zhou touched his hair, said nothing, turned and walked out. Only when he reached the door did he say, "It's better this way, my mind is clear."
Qin Xiaoyu didn't know the connection between short hair and a clear mind; he was the sugar daddy, so whatever he said was right.
"Since you're here, could you help me tidy up?" Zhou Xing's mother asked politely.
"Sure." Qin Xiaoyu was just doing a favor and immediately got to work.
An hour later, Zhou Xing's mother smiled contentedly at the beauty in the mirror. She turned around, took out a red envelope, and handed it to Qin Xiaoyu.
"Auntie, you can't accept this. I told you I'd do your hair for free." Qin Xiaoyu is a person of principle.
"Last time you came to wish us a Happy New Year, you were in such a hurry that I didn't even give your child a red envelope. Here, this is to make up for it today." Zhou Xing's mother handed the envelope to Qin Xiaoyu.
"Last time..." Qin Xiaoyu turned her head in confusion, but when she saw Zhou Xing giving her a meaningful look, she understood.
Whether Zhou Xing felt guilty or not, he didn't reappear after Qin Xiaoyu left. It seems he was the one who gave her the red envelope last time. I didn't expect this kid to be so good at handling things; wasn't he supposed to be very aloof?
As soon as Qin Xiaoyu entered the house, Tang Wenwen came out to greet her.
"Sister-in-law, I have no choice. I really can't take it anymore. Please forgive me." Tang Wenwen pleaded with a face full of pleas.
"What?!" Qin Xiaoyu was completely dumbfounded. Tang Wenwen's relationship was her own business, so why was she apologizing to her? When she looked up and saw Wang Lei, she understood. He really had done something to wrong her, and she absolutely couldn't bring Wang Lei home.
"He begged me so much that I couldn't take it anymore," Tang Wenwen said with a wry smile.
"Come in, all of you," Qin Xiaoyu said coldly.
Hanhan and her younger sister were playing on the kang (a heated brick bed), which was covered with colorful candies, clearly bought by Wang Lei.
"Mom, Uncle bought us candy." Hanhan noticed that Qin Xiaoyu's expression was off, so she quickly peeled a piece of candy and put it to her mouth.
"Mommy doesn't want to eat, sweetie." Qin Xiaoyu pushed Hanhan away.
"Sister Xiaoyu, don't be angry. It's Chinese New Year now, let's all be happy. I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to get into your life. Let's take it slow, there's no rush." Wang Lei's eyes were bright and innocent, leaving Qin Xiaoyu speechless.
"Wang Lei, you don't understand my situation. Please don't make things worse, okay? I'm begging you. Please go back first, okay?" Qin Xiaoyu couldn't say much in front of the child, so she could only whisper.
Qin Xiaoyu saw Grandma Hanhan's figure flash by outside the door, and knew that she had been overthinking things again. She turned around, picked up her little sister, and pulled Hanhan over.
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