CHAPTER 455: CHAPTER 455: MOTHER-IN-LAW

"Your sister..." Commander Xu didn’t know what to say after hearing about her.

That little girl is cunning and very good at making money. She is always steps ahead of others in everything. She’s quite the most cunning person I have seen over the years, almost as if she can predict fifteen hundred years into the future, how does she get things so accurately predicted?

He patted Qin Tongyang’s shoulder.

"I just don’t understand, you’re such an honest kid, how could you have such a cunning little sister?"

Qin Xiangyang shook his head and smiled bitterly, was this a compliment or an insult?

"Let’s not talk about this," Qin Xiangyang said as he unloaded a box of disinfectant from the car, "Use this first, we’ll restock in a few days. I’m afraid the SARS won’t go away so easily."

Commander Xu sighed differently, "I have a really bad feeling about this."

And indeed, his feeling was right.

Months later, the SARS situation worsened. The supply of Ban Lan Gen and disinfectants ran short and prices soared. When things stabilized, the spread of SARS had quickened. Newspapers, television, and the internet, which was just beginning, were the main sources of daily updates. Reports detailed new cases and deaths, and Capital City had become the hardest hit area, virtually closed to outsiders.

The streets grew emptier. Those on buses wore large masks, some even wore swimming goggles to block the virus. Fewer people went out to eat, afraid of food hygiene outside. Only those with no other choice would eat out.

It was not just restaurants suffering; the entire entertainment industry was in dire straits. The row of restaurants near Granny Lu had closed one after another. The situation in Capital City was too terrible, and Granny Lu decided to shut down until the epidemic was under control. She opened the small shop not to make money but to have something to do. Her children were both successful, and she had long wished to live like other old ladies, playing cards and strolling around.

Now she had no choice but to rest and worry about her family. She planned to tidy up the house and prepare meals for the kids, letting Qin Xiangnuan and Jin Juan stay and eat at home to avoid unclean food outside.

With the restaurant closed, the internet cafe was still manageable. Although there were fewer customers, the internet was just taking off, so there was no need to shut down. For Qin Xiangnuan, it was just about earning more or less, since the property was owned and there was no rent to pay, pressure was low. The clothing store was managing as well, thanks to the Cafe brand’s reputation.

The epidemic was severe in Capital City, and though Qin Xiangnuan’s hometown was slightly better, it was still in a bad state. Guan Xiaojie’s newly thriving store now faced the impact of SARS. It’s unknown where she got such fate from; the store had been losing money for months. The couple had a small savings, but now they were nearly depleted.

She had confidently claimed that the clothing store would make money, but first, there was road construction, then SARS. High rent and unsellable clothing meant investing a lot of money in stock. With old stock unsold, new stock still needed to be purchased every season. Guan Xiaojie’s money was all tied up in the store, and with the epidemic, who would go out to buy clothes? The place saw hardly any customers.

With no choice, the store had to close, and the losses couldn’t be recouped. Qin Pengfei and she argued countless times about it, and now with debts still outstanding, they were at a loss on how to repay them.

Out of options, Qin Pengfei had to ask Hu Li for money. But Hu Li valued money more than her life, how could she easily part with it? Eventually, she did give some, after all, Qin Pengfei was her son. However, this only made her dislike Guan Xiaojie more, frequently calling her a vampire who only squeezed them dry without showing any gratitude.

With Hu Li out of funds, she turned to Qin Xiangmei, who would give something whenever asked. But Hu Li asked too frequently, and Qin Xiangmei was getting annoyed. Qin Xiangmei was no fool; she knew the money was for Qin Pengfei, who had no real skills and was afraid to spend, it must have been Guan Xiaojie’s influence.

They shouldn’t assume her days at the Song’s were easy; Mr. Sun didn’t owe her favors, and the Song family didn’t care for her, only Song Wang was decent to her. Her life at the Song’s was as if walking on thin ice, constantly facing difficulties. And her own family, instead of helping, only held her back.

She sometimes thought, if Qin Xiangyang were her real brother, his status as a military school teacher might have won her some respect from the Song family. But her relatives were all incapable.

Out of nowhere, someone coughed, startling her so much she almost dropped the phone in her hand.

"What are you coughing for? Go cough in the hospital," she snapped, frightened by SARS’s deadly threat as everyone was.

Then, the person behind her coughed again.

"Did you hear what I said?" Qin Xiangmei’s voice rose, tinged with fear and aggravation. She didn’t know which maid it was; could it be SARS? She turned around, ready to shout again, but her expression changed drastically, and she swallowed the words she was about to say.

"Mom... Mom..." she managed to say, but thinking of the recent cough, her face turned pale.

Mrs. Song saw Qin Xiangmei’s frightened expression, her heart ached with anger. "What are you still doing here? Can’t you see you should be getting me a glass of water?" Mrs. Song coughed again, frightening Qin Xiangmei so much she nearly jumped. Could it really be SARS?

By then, Mrs. Song had turned red from coughing, as if she had a fever.

And Qin Xiangmei was too scared to move.