CH 84.2

With A Clear Conscience (2)

Qin Yuan looked at him. “Then, what is Xiao-Quan’s aspiration in life? I remember you used to like math a lot, right? When you were little, Dad asked what you wanted to be when you grew up and you proudly said you wanted to be a scientist?”

The little girl lowered her head and drew circles using the tip of her foot. “Mommy said girls shouldn’t grow up to be a scientist. It’s tiring. Girls should improve their temperament, have good etiquette, dress up prettily, and not be tacky. These are the most important…”

Qin Yuan’s forehead veins jumped slightly and he couldn’t help but raise his voice a little. “It’s not like this. It’s good that girls like math and want to become scientists. There’s no reason that boys should learn science and girls should learn dance and flower arranging.”

The little girl looked at his stern face and became more frightened, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “B-But…”

Qin Yuan looked at his sister’s pitiful look and his heart softened. He bent down and looked at his sister at her eye level. “Xiao-Quan, I’m sorry. Gege is just feeling a little worried.”

The little girl looked at him accusingly with tears in her eyes. “Gege, why are you angry?”

“Gege isn’t angry with you. I’m angry because Xiao-Quan isn’t learning the things she likes.” Qin Yuan gently stretched out his hand and wiped his sister’s tears away. “If Xiao-Quan really likes flower arranging and etiquette classes, it’s naturally good. But if someone asks you to do something else and even hinder your studies, it’s wrong then.”

The little girl nodded as if she understood what he meant. “Then, is it wrong when mommy said girls don’t need good grades, only need to get pretty and meet boys they sincerely like in the future?”

Qin Yuan looked at his sister fixedly, forcing down the discomfort in his heart. “Yes, that’s very wrong. You and the boys in your class are the same and should study to make yourself better and stronger, not to win the favor of the boys, let alone have a life goal to make boys like you, understand?”

The young girl pondered and was about to reply when a noise suddenly came from the doorway.

Wei Qinglian walked in hurriedly, her pretty face tinged with a bit of hidden shame and anger and her eyes faintly shone with tears.

She silently bent down to pick up her daughter and fixed her hair. “Good Xiao-Quan. Mommy will take you to eat some snacks.”

She carried Xiao-Siquan outside but stopped when she reached the door.

She turned to look at Qin Yuan and her voice choked with sobs. “Xiao-Yuan, I’ve never mistreated you and married your father several years after your mother died. You don’t need to be so hostile and mock me. You know, I did have to do some social climbing before marrying your father, but does that mean I did something wrong?”

Qin Yuan looked at her in shock and took a deep breath. “Aunty Wei, I certainly didn’t mean to mock you. I only wanted to address Xiao-Quan’s situation.”

Wei Qinglian’s eyes were filled with shame and anger. “To make pleasing a man your life goal is a sad life. Is this what you think of me? Even if you think like this in your heart, why are you slandering her mother in front of your little sister?”

Qin Yuan looked at his sister’s shocked face before patiently looking at Wei Qinglian. “Aunty Wei, it’s better… not to say these words in front of Xiao-Quan.”

“You’re clearly the one saying it in front of your little sister. Xiao-Yuan, you’re amazing.” Wei Qinglian’s voice trembled as she turned around and walked quickly out the door.

Qin Yuan stood in place and faintly closed his eyes for a moment.

He shouldn’t care about it, right?

The atmosphere at the lunch table was restrained. Xiao-Siquan sat timidly at the long table, not daring to look at Qin Yuan and Wei Qinglian’s eyes were red as she sat there in a stony silence.

Qin Zhufeng’s brow was slightly knitted as he glanced left and right at his wife and son and sighed.

When the steamed pink grouper fish came out, Qin Zhufeng was about to give it to his son, but Wei Qinglian, who was next to him, beat him to it, and brought a piece to Qin Yuan’s bowl, her voice slightly muffled, “Xiao-Yuan, eat this. You’ve always liked this dish.”

Qin Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at her red, swollen eyelids. “Thank you, aunty.”

Xiao-Siquan sat by the side and was about to reach out with her chopsticks, but Wei Qinglian gave her a gentle look. “Didn’t I tell you to let your gege eat whatever he wants during these few rare days he returned?”

Xiao-Siquan hurried to withdraw her chopsticks and lowered her head, silently eating her rice.

Qin Zhufeng frowned, getting slightly upset. “Is the family so poor that we can’t afford to eat fish?”

He was about to speak again but stopped suddenly when he saw his son’s silent face. If he continued, it would seem that he was biased toward his daughter and couldn’t bear to see her suffer?

Wei Qinglian pursed her lips and her eyes reddened slightly as she stopped speaking.

Qin Yuan stared at the fish on the table, reached out, and pushed the plate over to his sister, saying softly, “Xiao-Quan should eat more too. The protein in fish meat is high.”

He slowly and carefully picked up a piece of fish, saying indifferently, “Xiao-Quan needs to be smart if she wants to continue studying math in the future.”