CH 1

Ding Zhong, go and wake your brother up. ”

“Why are you calling him? He’ll just ignore you and run out when he gets up. ”

“If I tell you to call him, you should call him. What’s with all this extra nonsense. ”

“Qin Qing–! Get up–! There, I’m done. I’ve called him. ”

“Who told you to lie down and shout! Won’t you even go and knock on the door!”

“No, my leg is broken! ”

The sound of talking, video games, and from the television sounded one after another.

It was a noisy and annoying morning that was once very familiar.

It was supposed to only exist in the depths of his memory, but now it had appeared in front of him, lingering everywhere.

In a small north-facing room, the small crack in the door slowly closed.

Qin Qing stood silently behind it.

It’s not a dream, and he didn’t imagine it wrong. This was his home more than ten years ago.

The one lying on the living room sofa playing games was his half-brother Ding Zhong.

While the person who was busy with housework and was urging Ding Zhong to wake him up was the woman he called his mother.

Qin Qing had woken up not long ago, and he was in a dreamlike state since then. He couldn’t believe it.

He clearly remembered that last night, he’d caught a long flight back and when he was on the plane became squinty-eyed and tired and fell asleep. By now, he should have gotten off the plane long ago and returned to the company for an important meeting. How could he be in his hometown in C City?

Not to mention that the house in his hometown had been demolished a long time ago. how could he still live with Ding Zhong and his mother?

Not to mention that the desk calendar on the bedside table was from XX20.

XX20?

More than ten years ago?

Qin Qing felt his scalp tighten but his heart was unusually calm.

If he’s not wrong, he should have been reborn.

He was reborn back to the year he became eighteen years old.

Qin Qing remembers this year very well. He was first forced by his family to drop out of school and then wandered around for a while full of resentment and unwillingness. Two months later, he regained his spirit and embarked on a long journey to the North alone with only a suitcase and little money.

Qin Qing can’t remember how much hardship he faced. He only remembers sleeping on the street and eating plain food when he first arrived in B City. He finally found a job serving dishes in a hotel because of his appearance. And when his mother called, all she wanted was for him to send at least half of his income back to the family.

Family affection and care? There was no such thing.

Only the confusion of being surrounded by a big city and the fear of an unpredictable future.

By the time he made it through, he was already in his twenties.

Relying on the money saved and a credit loan, he bought a second-hand Mercedes-Benz. He drove out to run projects and meet all kinds of people every day. He suffered from all kinds of hardships and fatigue, and when he got through it, he was approaching 30.

After that, he began to climb rapidly. from an assistant to executive broker, to a partner of a culture company.

On this journey, Qin Qing started at the age of eighteen, and after working for more than ten years, he finally gained something that was firmly rooted on the ground.

Even so, he didn’t dare to slack off for a moment. Working hard had already become a habit and was deeply engraved in his bones.

But other than that, he had nothing.

No friends, no lovers, and no one to care about him.

There were only the monthly phone calls at regular intervals, urging him to send money home.

There was also the loneliness, insecurity, and distrust of others and the sickness that came with being exhausted.

Qin Light had asked himself before whether or not he could stop.

He wanted to stop.

But there was no way he could. His career, status, money, and his connection with the so-called “family”, were all supported by the career he worked hard for.

Without these things, who would take care of him?

But now, he has really stopped, and the career he valued and was proud of was gone.

Everything has started all over again.

Qin Qing laid back on the bed and calmly looked up at the ceiling. He didn’t feel uncomfortable or dazed. On the contrary, he was relaxed.

There was no need to work overtime, or stay up late, or have meetings, or do all kinds of social activities for a project. He doesn’t need to deal with others or for anyone to deal with him.

Just like this ceiling, it was all blank and spotless with nothing.

Perhaps it was because of sleeping on this old bed, or perhaps because this relaxation brought Qin Qing a long-lost peace, so before long, Qin Qing fell asleep and had a dream.

In the dream, he tore up the contract and threw it in the partner’s face, nobly and coldly telling the other party: I’m no longer working, ill do whatever the fu** I like.

——

It was noon when Qin Qing woke up.

He got up slowly and poured himself a glass of water at his desk while taking stock of his current situation.

If he guessed correctly, this was when he had just dropped out of school.

Probably his mother also knew that this was ruining her son’s future, so she let him sleep and hasn’t come knocking on his door.  

At this time, his desk had not been cleaned up, and there was still a pile of books on the table.

Qin Qing looked down and saw it after he finished his water. He felt strange and dazed.

He started school late and had always been the oldest in his class. He was already 18 years old as a sophomore in high school.

If he didn’t drop out of school, with his grades, the top 10 prestigious schools or a score of 985 was not difficult to get.

Because of this, he was very sad that he couldn’t continue to go to school and that’s why he initially gave up on himself and wandered about.

However, the Qin Qing who has now been reborn is not the 18-year-old boy who had just became an adult and was unstable.

Right now, his studies have stopped, and it is impossible for his family to continue to support them. So what can he do right now?

“Gululu”

Qin Qing raised his hand and covered his stomach. He was hungry so he had to eat first.

There is a special procedure when it came to eating. The so-called procedure involved not only properly holding the bowl but also no chewy sounds but——

At the table, when Ding Zhong saw that the other chicken leg was also taken away by Qin Qing…

Ding Zhong: “Hey! ”

Qin Qing had the two chicken drumsticks in his bowl, and with a face full of righteousness said: “I can’t attend school and now I can’t also eat the meat?” ”

One sentence pierced a hole in the atmosphere, and it became stiff.

Ding Zhong was speechless while holding his bowl.

His mother, Sun Fang smiled dryly: “Eat, eat, no one won’t give you food.” As she said this, she stretched out her chopsticks to give Qin Qing two more pieces of chicken.

Ding Zhong stopped and threw his chopsticks down: “Mom! You don’t want me to eat!”

Sun Fang frowned: “Who won’t let you eat? What’s wrong with your brother eating two more pieces of meat. Did he cut the meat from your body?”

Ding Zhong held his bowl and turned his eyes away.

Qin Qing looked amused.

It’s not that this mother and son are funny, but that he was really blind before.

In the last life, this scene did not happen because of the chicken leg, but for other reasons. Because this family has such a big household and there are not many things in the house, the two brothers will argue about things from time to time.

When arguing, most of the time, his mother will be impatient and think they are just being noisy. But more often she’d say “You are the elder brother” and “Let your younger brother have it”.

Later, when he dropped out of school, his mother started to favor him and give Ding Zhong a bad face, so it seemed like she was helping her eldest son but in reality….

If you want a horse to run, you have to feed the horse some grass first.

To say it better, it is called the Policy of softness.

Under this policy, he was the one who dropped out of school and went to the north to work. he was the one who brought money to buy a house for his family. And he was also the one who helped around everywhere. Even when Ding Zhong got married and had a second child. He reimbursed the diaper money.

t/n: 

Seeing everything so clearly and witnessing such a setup with his own eyes, Qin Qing was full of bitterness.

Why didn’t he realize this when he gave money in his last life?

But at that time, he was lonely, and he had nothing to rely on in a big city. He needed this hypocritical affection too much.

Giving money at that point was just a drop in the bucket for him. He didn’t mind exchanging something he didn’t care about for short-term peace of mind. Even if it was all fake, it can be regarded as spending money to avoid any turmoil to the heart.

It’s really pathetic and ridiculous to think about it now.

After a short moment of sadness, Qin Qing’s mentality recovered. Why be bitter now? Aren’t the chicken drumsticks in front of him fragrant?

Besides, it’s all from his previous life, and now he has no money.

Not only did he not have money, but he also had no job and no financial source.

Of course, a boy who has just dropped out of school and has no source of income can only reach out and ask his family for money.

Although this process of reaching out and asking people for money was unfamiliar to Qin Qing, it did not prevent him from learning from the past of being asked for money and having his blood sucked in his previous life.

Whether it was coaxing, or emotional and moral blackmail, or sharing grievances, who doesn’t know how to do that as well.

He can also act.

So after the meal, Qin Qing calmly asked Sun Fang for money.

Of course, Sun Fang didn’t want to give him. She wished Qin Qing would go out and work to make money sooner, but her eldest son had just recently dropped out from school and was depressed. She saw it in his eyes, and she couldn’t force people too fast, so she hesitated and took out a fifty from her pocket.

Qin Qing raised his hand and took it, after receiving it, he said: “it’s not enough”

Sun Fang patiently said: “it’s enough for you to spend the afternoon playing games in the Internet cafe.”

Qin Qing opened his mouth and said, “I want to buy game equipment.”

Sun Fang frowned: “buy What game equipment ” Realizing her tone was not good. She quickly eased it: “you also know, our family is in this condition.”

Qin Qing didn’t say anything. He glanced at the coffee table and looked at a physics exercise book that was casually arranged under the table with an unwilling expression.

Sun Fang hesitated, not wanting to give more.

After a while, Qin Qing pursed the corners of his lips tightly and clenched his fists with his hand hanging at his side. He not only looked unwilling but also a bit bitter.

Sun Fang was not stupid as a mother, and she is afraid that her son will hold a grudge. Who will make money for the family if he holds a grudge?

So She had to compromise and gave another fifty: “be careful when spending”

Qin Qing took the money, turned his head, and left. When he turned around, the expression of hatred and unwillingness immediately disappeared.

He sighed in his heart: It is too childish to deal with this mother and son with the experience accumulated from his previous life.

More than being childish, it is not worth expending more energy on these people.

Qin Qing took the money and went back to his room.

He has already thought about it and he doesn’t want to remain in this house.

Although Sun Fang was his mother by blood, she had no affection for him, and Ding Zhong never regarded him as his brother.

The mother and son had one mind and worked together to suck his blood.

Starting again, from now on, there is a lot in life to look forward to. Qin Qing only desires to live a comfortable life. So it is necessary to leave home and get rid of this mother and son. There is no one who can’t be without anyone.

In his current situation, it is impossible to leave home without considering the issue of money. Fifty plus fifty is now a hundred. Using the words of Ms. Sun when she called him to buy diapers for Ding Zhong’s second child: It costs a lot of money to raise a child.

Qin Qing: It also costs money to run away.

Ms. Sun: Diapers, milk powder, clothes, shoes, and primary education cost a lot. You haven’t raised a child, so you don’t know how much it costs.

Qin Qing: Tickets, meals, hotels, and travel expenses? Which one doesn’t cost money. You haven’t traveled so you don’t know how much it costs.

And how much money is needed for a simple trip?

Qin Qing didn’t even need to take a pen and paper to calculate carefully.  he made a slight calculation in his heart: not much, just three thousand is enough.

Qin Qing took the two fifty notes out of his pocket and smoothed them out. He opened the drawer and put them in a book.

There are several other bills in that book. Qin Qing gently flipped through them and thought: these were all the breakfast money he had saved. It was not much, only two or three hundred in total.

Plus today’s one hundred, it is less than four hundred, which is far from enough.

Through the door, Qin Qing could hear Sun Fang’s voice lecturing her youngest son: “Fight, fight, fight, you only know how to play games all day long! Did I buy you a tablet to let you play games! ”

Ding Zhong “Give it back to me! ”

Sun Fang: “do you believe I will give it back to you! ”

Ding Zhong:  “You want to drop it? Three to four thousand each and you just bought it and you want to drop it! Anyways it’s not like I paid for it!”    

Tablet, recently bought, three to four thousand……

Qin Qing turned his head and looked at the door.

A few minutes later.

Hearing that Qin Qing wanted the tablet, Ding Zhong refused, and his buttocks that was languishing on the sofa finally lifted up: “My mother bought this for me to help me study. Why did you want to take it away? Why? ”

Qin Qing looked at Ding Zhong: “Because you can still study, I can only drop out of school. ”

Ding Zhong: “No! It’s Mine! I use it for reviewing exams! ”

Qin Qing took out the same rhetoric that Sun Fang used when she asked him for money to travel around the world: “Mom is in a bad mood and is bored, I want to have some fun and relax. can’t you satisfy this request?”

The universal trick: “I will pay you back in a few days.” Bullshit!