Chapter 53: Surprise

Seeing Li Yaqin so blatantly prioritize personal appearance over work,

Li Qiang's anxiety escalated.

"Sister, do you know what this job means for our family?"

These words and attitude felt like adding fuel to the fire, burning him with pain.

This only confirmed his deepest anxieties and fears:

He was afraid his sister would ruin everything, afraid the happiness he had finally achieved would slip away again.

His sister, Li Yaqin, didn't take this invaluable job seriously at all.

Didn't she understand?

She didn't even care about Zhao Chengyu's weighty arrangement.

Did she even realize that someone like Zhao Chengyu could decide their family's fate with a flick of his finger?

Her attitude was almost nonchalant, and even subtly revealed a hint of disdain and contempt.

It was practically telling him outright—she disliked him.

She dislikes this job! What is she thinking?

She dislikes this job, which she considers not "high-class" or glamorous enough.

Does she actually want to climb the ladder and marry Zhao Chengyu directly?

He could almost foresee that she would be angered by this ungrateful and picky attitude.

If they do something that greatly displeases the powerful Zhao Chengyu,

their entire family will suffer!

And the final result...

is very likely that this marriage he so eagerly anticipated, this seemingly perfect union that was about to be finalized,

will completely vanish like smoke.

His future, his dreams of wealth and status, would shatter along with it!

And so would Li Qiang's own good days, which had just begun to see a glimmer of hope.

They would all be utterly destroyed, reduced to a pile of broken pieces.

He wouldn't allow it! He absolutely wouldn't allow such a thing to happen!

Li Qiang felt his reason slowly slipping away, replaced by an impulse to teach his sister a lesson.

His temples throbbed with rage, pounding uncontrollably.

The surging blood felt like it was about to burst his veins, completely overwhelming his reason.

Li Qiang almost lost control, pointing a finger at his sister's beautiful but ungrateful face and unleashing a torrent of abuse.

But he restrained himself; he couldn't act impulsively. Now wasn't the time to break ties with his sister.

A huge rock seemed to be pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

This sister of his truly lived up to the old saying: long hair, short wits; hopelessly stupid.

Does she really understand nothing?

Has she been completely blinded by her increasingly beautiful face, becoming arrogant and ignorant?

Who does she think she is? A celestial being descended to earth?

Completely unable to grasp the importance and urgency of the current situation, unable to understand the stakes involved.

Is she really going to ruin their family?

Who does she think she is?

Is she some kind of celestial being descended from a painting?

Even if she is a celestial being, she still needs to face reality!

For someone as high and mighty as Battalion Commander Zhao to condescend to take a liking to her.

That was an incredible blessing that Li Yaqin could never have accumulated in several lifetimes.

And she dared to be picky! She truly didn't know how lucky she was!

How dare she be so picky and ungrateful?

What is she trying to do?

Does she really think that just because of her face,

she can do whatever she wants and have everyone fawn over her?

How utterly foolish!

So selfish, selfish to the core.

Hasn't she thought about her family?

Her sister doesn't care about their well-being at all, doesn't understand the difficulties others face.

She has truly disappointed him!

And she doesn't even consider how hard he, as her brother, had worked to get out of this marriage.

He had been hoping for a sliver of future success and recognition.

He had the ability and experience, but he was just a little short of being promoted.

The hope of promotion was right before his eyes.

Couldn't she consider his feelings?

The more Li Qiang thought about it, the angrier he became, almost consuming him.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt his sister's short-sightedness and lack of consideration for the bigger picture made her unreliable and untrustworthy.

Did she think that the slaughterhouse job personally arranged by Battalion Commander Zhao wasn't good enough?

Was it not good enough for her current "precious" status?

Was his sister still delusional, dreaming that she could use her looks

to climb to a higher, more unattainable branch?

Or perhaps, deep down, she didn't actually want to be with that Battalion Commander Zhao at all?

Doesn't she understand that once she misses out on someone like Battalion Commander Zhao, with such powerful connections,

where else in her life will she find a better backer?

Her little bit of cleverness that usually seems quite shrewd.

Where did all that money go? How could she make such a foolish mistake at such a crucial moment?

She's really letting her own supposedly stunning beauty ruin her future, harming both herself and others.

Stupid, incredibly stupid, so stupid that it drove his older brother to despair and helplessness.

Ultimately, in his chaotic and angry state, Li Qiang vented his frustration on his sister's actions.

They all drew a clear and unequivocal conclusion.

But Li Qiang knew that now was not the time to completely turn against them.

He still had to patiently coax his foolish and selfish sister.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging anger within him.

He bent down and picked up the brand-new work uniform his sister had thrown on the ground.

The fabric was slightly wrinkled, as if it too sensed the tense atmosphere between siblings.

“Alright, little sister, you do look good in this outfit, but there are regulations for working at the slaughterhouse; you have to wear a uniform.”

Li Qiang tried to keep his voice steady, even though the veins on his forehead were still throbbing.

He shoved the slightly disheveled work uniform into Li Yaqin's arms with a bit of force.

“Hurry up and change. It's getting late. I'll take you to work. You can't be late on your first day!” Li Qiang's tone was authoritative and urgent.

Li Yaqin looked down at the work uniform in her arms, feeling the surging anger beneath her brother's calm surface.

A barely perceptible smile curved her lips; she understood.

She had already achieved her goal of testing her brother's limits and getting him to personally escort her to and from get off work.

She obediently put away her clothes; after all, this was a job at a slaughterhouse.

But she had gone to great lengths to get it; she couldn't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture and make things worse.

Li Yaqin didn't say anything more, turned around, grabbed her work clothes, and went to the inner room to change.

Time ticked by, seemingly stretched out countless times.

Each second felt like a slow scraping against Li Qiang's taut nerves.

Ten minutes felt like an eternity.

The sky outside began to brighten, signaling the start of another busy day.

Li Qiang paced anxiously, the soles of his canvas shoes scraping against the ground.

The soft rustling sound mirrored his chaotic thoughts.

Why hadn't his sister come out yet?

What was she dawdling about inside?

Was she planning something again?

A variety of unpleasant thoughts swirled in his mind, making him restless.

His clenched fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, a thin layer of sweat already forming on his palms.

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Li Qiang raised his hand, his knuckles white from the force.

"Knock, knock, knock!" He pounded heavily on the slightly worn wooden door.

The knocking was urgent and loud, carrying an undeniable urgency and suppressed fury.

"Fifth Sister! Yaqin!" His voice came through the door, hoarse with exasperation.

"Are you done yet? If you don't come out soon, we'll be late!"

He could almost picture his sister inside, leisurely and indifferent, which only fueled his rage.

"Ready, ready, stop rushing me, almost done."

Li Yaqin's slightly languid reply came from inside, her voice soft but clearly tinged with impatience.

With this sound, the door hinges creaked slightly, slowly opening a crack.

Li Qiang's gaze instinctively drifted towards the doorway, but the reprimand he had prepared caught in his throat.

He froze, as if struck by lightning, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Behind the door stood Li Yaqin, graceful and elegant.

Her grey-blue work clothes, far from making her look rustic,

instead accentuated her slender figure, making her waist appear incredibly thin.

The slightly rough fabric, which had previously seemed rough, now appeared supple and textured.

What shocked him even more was her face.

The fifth sister he remembered, with her dark skin and the timidity and rustic air of a country girl, seemed to have undergone a complete transformation during her time in the military region.

Before him, her skin was fair and delicate, like the finest jade, gleaming with a lustrous sheen in the morning light.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, as if painted by a master artist.

Her eyes shimmered, sparkling with an indescribable composure and detachment.

It was a cool, serene quality, a quality untouched by artifice.

This contrasted strangely with her simple work clothes, yet it was strangely harmonious.

It gave her an indescribable charm.