Chapter Thirty-Five Story

  "Look at the poker face, nail marks, side hair standing up, water stains. Don't look, you can't see it if you don't know. Nai Qiu, you're not even good at gambling, do you think everyone is that innocent? Small bets produce small cheaters, big bets produce big cheaters. And that Wei Ge, they're just a team."

  "I still don't understand." Nian Qiu shook her head.

  "Ke'er sister." Yu Ming leaned into Ke'er's ear and said: "A few words are just a few, the thumb is red peach, the middle finger is plum blossom, the index finger is square, and the little finger is black peach."

  "En." Ke'er nodded.

  Ming picked up a card with his right hand and asked: "Keer sister, what is this card?"

  Ní Qiū was attracted by Yú Míng's right hand and didn't notice that Yú Míng's left index finger had moved. The child replied: "Square nine."

  Yu Ming flipped over the card and threw the nine of squares in front of Nian Qiu: "Do you see? This is a new hand, it only takes five seconds, without using any props, she can become an old swindler. What makes you think you can gamble with others?" What Yu Ming didn't say was that this level was still not worth looking at.

  Ní Qiū tàn kǒu qì, ná qǐ fāng kuài jiǔ kàn le hǎo yī huìr, fàng jìn zìjǐ de kǒu dài, duì Kě ér dào: "nǐ zǒu ba, wǒ bù hèn nǐ, yě bù xiǎng zài jiàn dào nǐ. qián nǐ yě dài zǒu."

  Translation:

  Ní Qiū let out a sigh, picked up the square nine and looked at it for a while before putting it into his own pocket. He said to Kě ér: "You can go now, I don't hate you and I also don't want to see you again. Take your money with you."

  "Take care." Ke'er stood up, tears streaming down her face as she picked up her small bag and left the coffee shop.

  "Let's go, the boss is treating us to hot pot at noon."

  "Summer? Eat hot pot?"

  "In summer, hot pot ingredients are discounted, but air conditioning bills can't keep up. You can't deny that our boss is still exceptional in details."

  ……

  "Hello boss!" Nian Qiu walked in and awkwardly nodded at Du Qingqing.

  Du Qingqing didn't know what attitude to take. According to principle, being absent from work for two days should be handled in a fair and impartial manner. However, Du Qingqing was extremely satisfied with Nian Qiu's performance. Finding cats and dogs, the success rate was over 90%. This was 30 percentage points higher than the 60% of Xingxing Wanshi Tong Company back then.

  "Come on in!"

  Haina was also there, practicing her flying knife in the living room. She grasped a fruit knife and aimed at the dartboard five meters away. After an arc, the flying knife hit the wall, sparking sparks. Haina picked up the fruit knife, wiped it on her cowboy shirt twice, cut open an apple without washing or peeling: "Another freeloader is coming. Don't tell me that marriage freak will come too."

  "Hello, Miss Hai." Nian Qiu suddenly became very well-behaved and polite. Nian Qiu was very clear that offending Du Qingqing would mean losing a job. Offending Hai Na was hard to say what would happen.

  "Good." Haina casually threw the apple core into the trash can, suddenly made a move, and the fruit knife flew swiftly onto the dartboard. Haina smiled triumphantly: "Haha, Little Li's flying knife, that's all."

  Du Qingqing glanced at Haina: "Nai Qiu, sit down yourself. Yu Ming, come and help carry the bowls and chopsticks."

  The air conditioner in the living room was turned down, artificially creating a winter atmosphere, and then they started eating hot pot. Next, Niu Qiu told an A-city love story that made people's eyes well up with tears, with a plot as melodramatic and twisty as a Korean drama.

  Nie Qiu's mother eloped with someone when Nie Qiu was young, and his father raised Nie Qiu and her sister on his own. In high school, Nie Qiu met Ke Er and they quickly fell in love. In the second year of high school, Nie Qiu's father was arrested for theft and almost all of their family property was confiscated. Since Nie Qiu's sister had good grades, Nie Qiu dropped out of school to work and support her sister's education.

  To be honest, with Niu Qiu's salary plus the low-security allowance specially approved by the A City government, it should be enough. And indeed it was enough, even Niu Mei could go to university. However, when Niu Mei was in her second year of college, she took the TOEFL exam in England with a try-out mentality. Niu Qiu very generously told Niu Mei, "No problem, I'll cover the expenses."

  At the current exchange rate, a conservative estimate of 400,000 yuan was needed for three years. Niu Qiu didn't know where to find this money and eventually thought of theft. Two months after Niu Mei flew to the UK, Niu Qiu was caught. The amount he stole was not much, only over 50,000, plus his savings of 20,000, totaling over 70,000, which was first sent to Niu Mei. Niu Mei's subsequent expenses, apart from her own part-time job, mostly came from Ke'er secretly taking money from home and adding it to her own salary.

  This is the reason why Niu Qiu was caught. Niu Qiu's history of theft began when he was five years old, at which time his father took him to commit petty theft on the streets. However, Niu Qiu himself was very disgusted with this, but in order not to be beaten by his father and to protect his sister, he had no choice but to follow his father's lead. He asked that his sister not be told about their activities. Later, when his father had an affair outside the home, street theft could no longer satisfy his need for money, so he began to collaborate with more experienced people on bigger jobs. Niu Qiu was finally able to break free.

  Niece has always been protected by Niu Qiu and was unaware, until her father was arrested, she still thought her father was being framed. She doesn't even know that Niu Qiu was once arrested and imprisoned for three years. Niu Qiu and Ke'er have a good relationship. Before Niu Qiu went to prison, Ke'er promised to take care of Niece. Niece was taken care of, but one year before Niu Qiu's release from prison, Ke'er got married.

  Ke'er is both romantic and rational, she knows that she can't be with Niu Qiu because her parents won't agree. The family's social status is deeply rooted. However, Ke'er doesn't want to let Niu Qiu know the truth. After Niu Qiu gets out of prison, the two are together again. In the end, they finally welcome this ending.

  Haina is familiar with Ke'er, so when Naiqiu mentions her, she only uses the term "girlfriend" to refer to her. Du Qingqing knows Ke'er's identity, but she wouldn't be so reckless as to ruin the hard-won harmony and stability.

  "Where's your sister?" Haina asked.

  "She is now an articled clerk in England," said Ní Qiū with a proud expression as she talked about her younger sister.

  Haina nodded: "Okay, you can go back to work normally the day after tomorrow."

  "Don't jump to conclusions for me, okay?"

  "Women have many things to worry about." Haina picked up a piece of fatty beef.

  Du Qingqing thought for a moment and said: "Well, according to company regulations, being absent from work for three days is considered automatic resignation. Since you were only absent for two days, six days' basic salary will be deducted."

  "Thank you boss."

  Haina pointed at Ming with her fork: "His story is over, what about yours?"

  "I? I don't have a story." Yu Ming thought for a moment: "I had a girlfriend in high school, and another one in college. Nothing much to say about it."

  "No brilliant life, no happiness." Haina rolled up her T-shirt sleeves: "Then let's talk about my story."

  Everyone is watching her.

  "My dad is a Nazi, he's been using physical force to make us listen since we were young. My two stupid younger brothers have become sissies because of his tyranny. The turning point was when I was eight years old, an old British man taught us etiquette. If you did something wrong, you'd get whipped. It's called royal etiquette education or whatever. Screw that, didn't Diana still cheat on her husband?"

  "Diana was a princess, strictly speaking..."

  "Shut up." Heina thought with a fork in her hand: "After my two younger brothers were beaten several times, they started to speak politely and eat politely. I didn't. I couldn't beat that old man, so I could only run away from home."