“Your mother had her face scratched all over by your aunt. Word got around and the trouble grew so big that the factory director told her to take half a month off and sort out family matters before coming back to work. She was furious. When she heard the gossip started with me, she came straight over to pick a fight.”
“Your mother is terrible. She held me down and hit me right in front of my parents. Look at my face!”
“I will not let this go, Qin Jian. You have to pay for my ointment. If these scars stay, I will have my parents come and deal with you.”
Qin Jian said, “My mother hit you. Go ask her for compensation.”
She hung up the phone right after saying that. Sun Yu must be absolutely fuming on the other end of the line, but Qin Jian felt no sympathy at all. In her past life Sun Yu had always said hurtful things in front of Xingxing, things like how her mother did not love her, and made up lies about her too. Why should she treat her nicely?
After hanging up, Qin Jian thought for a moment and called her mother. Her mother was not at work. Her face was covered in scratch marks. She had been laughed at as soon as she stepped out yesterday and would not have agreed to come to the phone now if she had not known it was Qin Jian calling.
“Qin Jian!” Her mother’s voice was sharp with anger.
Qin Jian asked with concern, “Mother, did uncle and aunt come to borrow money?”
“All because of you, you useless girl. Telling Sun Yu how much money we have in the house.”
Qin Jian ignored the scolding. “Did you give it to them?”
“Five hundred.” Her mother was still resentful.
That was good news. Once money went into her uncle’s pocket it would never come back. As long as none of it reached Qin Yun and her marriage into the Gu family fell through, that was enough.
“What about the money you promised me?” Qin Jian pressed.
Her mother scoffed. “Qin Jian, Lu Qingshen divorced you because you are no good. Do not expect money from me to win him back. In your dreams.”
Qin Jian had always known her mother did not care for her, so this did not hurt as much as it once would have. She felt calm, almost unaffected.
“Mother, now that Lu Qingshen and I are divorced, you and Qin Yun will not get any more benefits from his family.” She reminded her, speaking to her self interest.
Her mother spat. “If I had known you would turn out useless I would never have let you marry in Qin Yun’s place. I should have sent your cousin instead. I always knew you would amount to nothing. I saw it when you were little.”
“Even if I did well for myself you would only ever make me sacrifice everything for Qin Yun. Whenever I stood up for myself you would turn against me.” Qin Jian spoke evenly, saying openly what had happened in her past life.
Her greatest misfortune was being born to this woman and becoming Qin Yun’s sister, so that Qin Yun could always take advantage of her.
“Good you know. You will never be as good as your sister.” Her mother spoke as if it were simple fact.
Qin Jian said, “Mother, does Father know Qin Yun was fathered by your ex husband before you married?”
Her mother showed no alarm, only coldness. “Your father married me knowing I was carrying someone else’s child, all for a job in the city. He made his choice. He has nothing to feel wronged about.”
Qin Jian clenched her fists. So that was how it was. Her father had lived his whole life in weakness just to keep a steady job in the city. No wonder he broke down when layoffs came, and stood by and watched when she was mistreated. It all came down to selfishness.
“Fine. Lu Qingshen and I are divorced. I will live on my own from now on. The bride price went to you. We will have no further contact.” Her voice was cold.
Her mother shouted, “You want to cut ties with me?”
“Qin Jian, you have some nerve.”
“Do not ever come back then. Starve out there if you must, but do not say you are He He’s daughter!”
Her mother hung up. Her attitude was not like a mother at all, more like an enemy.
“Xiao Qin, why are you back already? Come try this peanut candy I made…” Granny Wang waved warmly at her from the courtyard.
Her gentle smile stood in sharp contrast to her own mother. A stranger showed more care than her own flesh and blood. Qin Jian thanked her warmly and went inside. She would not go to the department store today. Dealing with her mother and Qin Yun was what mattered.
She had not got the five thousand yuan back, but she remembered something. In her past life around this time, after a fight with Lu Qingshen, she had returned to the South Province pregnant and been driven out of the house by her mother. Afraid of being homeless, she had gone looking for a place to rent and caught sight of Qin Yun making a deal in the black market.
Back then Qin Yun had not yet turned openly against her. She had seen it and said nothing, because they were family. In this life, she would not let the chance slip.
She sent letters reporting what she knew to the provincial police. She knew the name of the man Qin Yun was meeting. He was no good. They were selling fake medicine priced to save lives that did not work. All she had to do now was wait.
Two weeks passed. Everything went smoothly for Qin Jian, though she saw nothing more of Lu Qingshen and heard no word from him.
Then in the early hours of one morning, a knock woke her. She opened the door to find Xiao Liu, Lu Qingshen’s orderly, standing outside. Lu Qingshen had been away this whole time and Xiao Liu had been the one to pass messages and arrange things. He was about the same age as Lu Qingshen and usually steady and reliable. Now his forehead was covered in cold sweat and he looked completely lost.
“Comrade Xiao Liu, is something wrong? Why are you here so late?” Qin Jian asked, confused.
Xiao Liu hesitated, his eyes filled with pity. After a long pause he said gently, “Comrade Qin, please stay calm when you hear this. Take care not to upset yourself or the baby.”
Qin Jian frowned. “What is it? Tell me.”
“Comrade Qin… the Battalion Commander has fallen.” His voice broke.
Qin Jian’s mind went blank, but she recovered quickly. “That cannot be true.” In her past life he had lived. How could this happen?
“Take me to him.” She frowned, thinking he must be playing some terrible joke. Things had been going well between them. Surely he would not go this far.
“Comrade Qin, I will take you now. He is at the Military District Hospital.” Xiao Liu was crying openly. In the light of the street lamp she saw his eyes were red and swollen.
Qin Jian did not believe it. She followed him to the military vehicle, her face set hard.