Chapter 48: Your Family Is Just a Bunch of Paupers

“How much did it cost? It must have been tens of thousands, right?” Qin Yun, like most boys, had a passion for computers. The moment he clicked open one of the mini-games and witnessed the lightning-fast startup, he was stunned. Amazing—did it even take five seconds from click to launch? Probably not.

“Wait a minute, your family’s poor as dirt. How could you possibly spend tens of thousands on a computer?”

Qin Hongfei, noticing his interest and apparent knowledge, replied, “I built it myself. How about that?”

Hearing that she’d assembled it herself, Qin Yun shot her a skeptical look. Was she kidding? She built it herself? Well, maybe for a girl, plugging in the power cord counted as assembling.

He didn’t dwell on it and said, “Impressive! Bet you could run Warcraft or Age of Empires without a hitch—this is better than the machines at the internet café. Can I play a round?”

Qin Hongfei replied there was no internet.

Qin Yun’s excitement was dampened like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. “Then when are you getting it hooked up? I want to play.”

Qin Hongfei thought to herself, If I let you play, my second uncle would probably chase me with a knife. In these days, adults still saw computers as evil things. “We’ll see. But since you’re here, give me a hand and help carry it home.” Obviously, she couldn’t leave the computer at the repair shop—it would be stolen in no time.

Qin Yun grimaced. “It’s too heavy, I don’t want to. Why should I be the laborer?” He turned to run.

Qin Hongfei grabbed him. “Brother… you’ve been to internet cafés, haven’t you?”

Qin Yun instinctively denied it. “No, I haven’t, don’t make things up.”

Qin Hongfei snorted. “If you’ve never been, how come you know so much about computer games? Even comparing specs! If Aunt finds out you’ve been to the internet café, your legs…” Her gaze made it clear—getting beaten was guaranteed, it was just a matter of whether it’d be one leg or both.

Qin Yun cursed inwardly—how did he let that slip? “Fine, you win. I’ll help you carry it.”

Satisfied, Qin Hongfei unplugged the main unit for him to carry and handed him the monitor. Watching him huff and puff out the door with a look of utter misery, she couldn’t help but laugh. She tossed him a sweetener: “Stop looking so glum. Once the internet’s up, you can play as much as you want.”

Qin Yun’s face instantly brightened.

Qin Hongfei herself carried the main unit—it wasn’t that heavy! The two girls of the Qin family’s main branch might look delicate, but they grew up doing everything themselves; they weren’t lacking muscle. Her right arm, though, was hard to lift now—probably swollen—but she didn’t care. The satisfaction of building the computer herself left her in high spirits.

When they got home, she immediately heard her mother and another voice inside, both lavishing someone with praise.

Who could they be praising?

Qin Hongfei entered and saw the dishes on the table: braised pork, fish with pickled vegetables, stir-fried eggs with yellow chives, soup… Her mother and a younger man—her cousin—were sampling the food, singing Tang Jinnan’s praises with every bite, their eyes full of admiration, just like someone admiring a neighbor’s child.

Even Qin Yun, seeing the spread, suddenly lost the urge to leave.

Tang Jinnan was the one who cooked, while Shou was in charge of bringing the dishes over, though he wore a sour expression.

Qin Hongfei glanced at the food. She hadn’t felt hungry before, but now her stomach was growling. “Thanks for your hard work—oh, wait, you only carried the dishes. That’s not exactly hard work.”

Shou scowled, resisting the urge to kick over a chair. If anyone dared make them do chores back in Central City, they’d have torn the place apart in minutes. “Do you even know what Tang Xiaojin’s hands are meant for…” How could she make him cook?

Before he could finish, Tang Jinnan emerged from the kitchen. Dressed casually, he was completely unfazed by the smoke and chaos of cooking, still exuding an air of gentle elegance. “Shou,” he called mildly.

Shou’s face was still murderous.

Qin Hongfei scoffed. When her sister was in the research world, there were thousands who wanted her gone. Now, even as a guest under someone else’s roof, he still wanted to act like a lord. She’d been indulging him! But when her eyes fell on Tang Jinnan, she couldn’t stay angry. This man was genuinely good—nothing to criticize. Tilting her head casually, she said, “Thanks for your hard work.”