Chapter 29: Relying On Yourself

“So what if she’s angry.”

Qiu Xingqiao put on a brave front but was also worried inside. A trace of apprehension flashed across his eyes, but he still said stubbornly, “At most, she’ll sell us again. It’s not like she hasn’t done it before!”

Qiu Xingyuan only silently patted Qiu Xingyu’s head and comforted her. “This has nothing to do with you. Your Second Brother and I will bear the responsibility.”

These three children were quite loyal to each other.

Qiu Tong was so angry that she actually felt like laughing. As soon as she got home, she demanded, “Tell me, why did you skip class?!”

“Those other children are childish and annoying. Who wants to be with them?”

Qiu Xingqiao had a look of disdain, while Qiu Xingyuan put on a wooden expression and said indifferently, “I don’t want to attend kindergarten.”

“Do you think you can refuse to go just because you don’t want to?!”

Qiu Tong raised her voice, feeling even angrier. “Explain yourself, or none of you will escape my wrath!”

“No reason!”

Qiu Xingqiao glared back at her angrily. “Beat us if you want. We’re not going to kindergarten!”

He raised his head and closed his eyes tightly, looking like he was ready to grin and bear it, to let Qiu Tong scold and beat him.

However, his eyelashes were trembling violently. He was not as firm as he sounded.

Qiu TTong’s heart softened again. She dragged the two kids to the balcony and made them stand there in the horse stance as punishment. They were not allowed to come in for dinner unless they admitted they were in the wrong.

Qiu Xingyu leaned on the glass door and looked at her two brothers whose legs were trembling from the effort of maintaining the horse stance. With a sad face, she walked over to Qiu Tong.

“Mommy, can you not be angry? My brothers didn’t do it on purpose. It’s all because those children were too overbearing. They said that we don’t have a father and refused to play with us. They even bullied me. That’s why my brothers brought me away.”

Qiu Tong was stunned. She did not expect the real reason to be this.

At the thought of the three children being ostracized in the kindergarten and then being immediately reprimanded by her when they returned, Qiu Tong felt rather dismayed and asked Qiu Xingyu to call Qiu Xingyuan and Qiu Xingqiao in.

Qiu Xingyuan was still expressionless, but Qiu Xingqiao’s eyes were red as he glared at Qiu Tong angrily.

Qiu Tong was amused, but she kept a straight face. “Let’s eat.”

In order to make up for the grievances suffered by the children, she specially cooked two more dishes that Qiu Xingyuan and Qiu Xingqiao liked to eat, filling the entire table.

Ignoring the children, Qiu Tong sat down and began digging in.

Compared to her, the three children’s table manners could be considered elegant.

“You look like you’ve been starving for years. Even beggars have better table manners than you.”

Qiu Xingqiao looked disgusted.

Qiu Tong looked up at him and said nonchalantly.

“What’s the point of having good table manners? There’s no food on the table at all in a post-apocalyptic world. Who would care about table manners then?”

She lifted her chin and gestured at the three children’s full bowls. Her tone was full of threat. “Finish your food. Don’t leave a single grain behind.”

“You’re not allowed to be picky. Eat more!”

She ordered the three children to eat quickly, and the three children were rather disdainful of her post-apocalyptic theory, thinking that it was just her crazy talk.

The sky had just turned dark. Qiu Tong cleared her throat and stopped the boys, who were about to return to their bedroom. She said seriously, “Before we sleep, I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”

“A little snail asked his mother why he had to carry a hard and heavy shell from birth? Why don’t his friends, the caterpillar and earthworm have shells?”

“His mother told him that the caterpillar would become a butterfly and be protected by the sky; while the earthworm would be protected by the earth. Meanwhile, the snail would be protected by no one. The little snail was very sad to hear this, and felt sorry for himself, for no one could protect him.”

“But Mother Snail explained that this is why we carry the heavy shell—we can rely on ourselves!”

The story was short, and Qiu Tong did not know if the three children understood her. Qiu Xingyu was the first to pounce on her and plant a big kiss on her face.

“Mommy, I understand now. Although we don’t have a father and can only carry the heavy shell of our lives, this heavy shell will also make us stronger. We can rely on ourselves!”

Qiu Tong was very pleased by their intelligence.

The boys also looked more happy now. The gloominess between their brows dissipated.

When Qiu Tong said goodnight to them, Qiu Xingqiao replied awkwardly. Qiu Xingyuan, on the other hand, took a long, meaningful look at Qiu Tong. It was rare that there was no coldness or suspicion in his eyes.

…

With money, Qiu Tong finally began to decorate her new home.

However, she did not expect that an uninvited guest would come knocking first.

“Qiu Tong.”

Yu Ge, who had been standing downstairs, saw the four of them from afar and immediately came up to them. He enthusiastically wanted to help Qiu Tong carry her bags. “Why didn’t you tell me you moved? I’ve been looking for you for so long.”