Chapter 8: I Must Protect My Sister in This Life

Qin Ju knew that her grandfather wasn't a bad person, but he was stubbornly patriarchal and rigid in his ways. However, she had already achieved her goal of causing trouble for her aunt and didn't want to waste energy arguing with her grandfather, knowing it would be a losing battle.

Qin Ju helped her sister up, saying, "Forget it, let's just say I was making a fuss. Xiao Shi, let's go back to the house."

Feng Lan quickly took her son away. Though she was usually aggressive, she had a healthy fear of her father-in-law.

"My sister pushed me!" Xiao Tao suddenly remembered he wanted to complain.

Feng Lan, feeling frustrated, turned to look at the old man sitting at the door and then patted her son's head, sighing, "You can't even act fast enough when it matters!"

She knew better than to confront Qin Ju right now, especially in front of the old man. Feng Lan was seething with anger as she left.

Meanwhile, Qin Ju pulled her sister into the house. From her travel bag, she took out a large pack of calcium milk biscuits, a pack of five hawthorn slices, and a box of big rolls.

Qin Shi's eyes widened at the sight, her face still puffy from crying.

Qin Ju felt a pang of guilt for everything her sister had endured in their previous life. She vowed to protect her this time around.

She handed Qin Shi a towel to wipe her face. "What are you staring at? Doesn't Xiao Shi like these snacks?"

"Sister, are these all for me?" Qin Shi asked, her voice filled with surprise.

"Of course. They're all for our Xiao Shi, not for Xiao Tao!" Qin Ju knew how much her sister had been bullied, with the adults always siding with Xiao Tao, which only made him more brazen.

She vividly recalled when Xiao Tao pushed Xiao Shi into the river when they were younger. Thankfully, the river wasn't deep, but the memory still haunted her.

Afterward, their grandmother had merely shrugged it off, saying that since Xiao Shi was fine, there was no need to make a fuss.

But what would it take for them to realize the danger? Would they wait until something truly terrible happened?

That incident had made their mother, Su Yun, cry in anger and frustration.

Despite her joy, Xiao Shi carefully opened the pack of calcium milk biscuits and offered the first piece to Qin Ju. "Sister, you eat first."

Qin Ju smiled and took a bite. Only then did Qin Shi take the second piece for herself, nibbling on it like a little hamster. She was so well-behaved it tugged at Qin Ju's heart.

Qin Shi was far too thin, a result of malnutrition.

It wasn't that the Qin family lacked food, but Mr. and Mrs. Qin usually ate the simplest meals, and Xiao Shi always ate with them.

On the other hand, their uncle's family in the front yard enjoyed meat with every meal. Their food was so rich that the three of them had become plump from overeating.

Xiao Shi could only smell the aromas wafting from the front yard while she ate porridge and pickles.

Qin Ju gently stroked her sister's hair and asked, "Xiao Shi, do you want to go to school?"

"I do!" Xiao Shi nodded eagerly, but then lowered her head, clutching the half-eaten biscuit. "But Auntie said the family doesn't have enough money. She said I should study later and that girls don't need to go to school anyway. She said I just need to learn to write my name, and then I'll get married."

Qin Ju scoffed. "Mom and Dad work so hard. There's definitely enough money for us to go to school. Auntie only says that because she wants the money our parents earn to go to Grandpa and Grandma, which means it would really go to Uncle and his wife. But Xiao Shi, as long as you want to study, I promise you'll start school in September!"

Not only that, but Qin Ju was determined to enroll Xiao Shi in a school in town!

According to her memory, their parents would visit again soon, and Qin Ju planned to seize that opportunity to convince them to let her sister attend school.

In their past life, Xiao Shi had been deceived and abducted partly because she started school too late. Later, she couldn't handle the gossip and judgment she faced at school and dropped out after just a few days. She had no education to speak of.

But Xiao Shi was only nine years old now—there was still time to change everything.

Qin Shi loved reading, but she struggled because she hadn't yet learned to read. When she heard her sister say she could go to school, her face lit up with happiness. She nibbled a little on the snacks Qin Ju had given her, but she couldn't bear to finish them. Instead, she carefully hid the rest in the cupboard.

Watching this, Qin Ju felt another pang of sadness.

She gently patted her sister's head. "Xiao Shi, when I start making a lot of money in the future, I'll buy you all the delicious food you want!"

"Really?" Though pale and thin, Xiao Shi's smile was as sweet as could be.

**

That evening, Mrs. Qin called from outside, "Xiaojiu, you're back? Come out and help me light the fire."

When Qin Ju's parents had applied for her ID card, her name had been written as Qin Jiu. However, there was already someone else in the village with the same name. To avoid confusion, the village chief cleverly added a grass radical to the character "Jiu," changing her name to Qin Ju. Despite this official change, her family still called her "Xiaojiu."

Qin Ju was planning to suggest her sister attend school in the county or perhaps even push her parents to discuss separating the family finances. But before any of that could happen, she needed to make some preparations.

Hearing her grandmother's call, she responded and left the west room.

Old Mrs. Qin was easily influenced and had a soft personality. Despite the harsh environment, she was generally kind to the Qin Ju sisters.

As Qin Ju started the fire, she chatted with Mrs. Qin about household matters. Suddenly, the aroma of roast chicken wafted in from the front yard.

Qin Ju sniffed the air deliberately and asked, "Grandma, do you smell that? What is it? It smells so good!"

Mrs. Qin noticed the smell too and sniffed the air. "It might be roast chicken."

"My uncle bought roast chicken, Grandma! Let's go to the front yard and eat with them today!" Qin Ju's voice was full of innocent enthusiasm.

(End of this chapter)

---