The one who pushed her away was none other than Fang Wenjun's siblings.
They had overheard every word Qiu Yashu said outside.
And precisely because they heard it, they were furious.
"You ungrateful wretch, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"
The speaker was Fang Old Lady.
Back when Fang Wenjun injured her knee, Fang Old Lady had gone to care for her for several days.
She was the one who washed the cotton shoes, so she naturally knew there was something wrong with the soles.
But she had always assumed it was the shoemaker cutting corners—never did she imagine it was Qiu Yashu’s doing!
The thought of all the effort her daughter had poured into Qiu Yashu over the years made the old lady’s blood boil, hence the earlier outburst.
"She taught you painting for years without taking a single penny from your family."
"Not only did you fail to show gratitude, but you also resent her. What right do you have to resent her?"
"Your parents begged her, but if she hadn’t taken pity on you as a young girl struggling, would she have spent hours every day guiding you at your home?"
"When your hand was injured, she never said much."
"But how many ointments did she secretly bring you? How many extra lessons did she give you? Have you forgotten all that, as if it meant nothing?"
"Mom, why waste words on someone like her?"
Eldest Sister of the Fang Family had a fiery temper. After coaxing the old lady back into the room,
she picked up the apples from the floor and shoved them back into Qiu Yashu’s arms.
"Take your things and get out! We can’t stomach anything from the Qiu family."
When Qiu Yashu stood frozen, Eldest Sister let out an exasperated sigh.
Her temper flared, and she raised her hand threateningly.
"Still not leaving? Don’t think I won’t slap you just because you’re a girl!"
"Eldest Sister!"
Fang Wenjun shook her head at her. "Let it go. Just let her leave."
"You—you really need to stop being so soft-hearted! Don’t you know the saying, ‘Kindness invites exploitation’?" Eldest Sister fumed.
"Eldest Sister—"
"Fine, fine! I give up!"
Knowing her younger sister’s temperament, Eldest Sister refrained from laying hands on Qiu Yashu—but offering kindness was out of the question.
She shoved Qiu Yashu out the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang.
Then she dusted off her hands as if touching something filthy and declared loudly,
"What awful luck!"
Yet their attitude toward Jiang Si was entirely different.
Especially Fang Old Lady, who felt a warmth in her heart seeing a large thermos of fragrant bone broth on her daughter’s bedside table.
Truly, the difference between people could not be more stark.
"Good child, sit, sit."
Once Jiang Si was seated, Fang Old Lady took her hand with a smile.
"You’re too sincere, child. Waking up so early in winter, simmering broth for hours—you probably barely slept, did you?"
Jiang Si felt a twinge of guilt at the praise.
The permit for the bones had actually been obtained by Huo Tingzhou from the doctor the day before.
Otherwise, how would she have known that buying bones or pork liver in this era required a doctor’s note?
And the broth wasn’t even made by her.
By the time she woke up, Huo Tingzhou had already packed it.
At most, she’d added a little spiritual springwater to it.
Fang Old Lady didn’t care about the details. Whoever made the broth, it came from the young couple.
And that kindness, she would remember.
Eldest Sister of the Fang Family was also grateful. "Once your teacher is discharged, bring Huo Tingzhou over. I’ll cook you both a proper meal."
Jiang Si didn’t decline, smiling as she agreed.
"Here, have a banana."
Amid the cheerful chatter, Qiu Yashu outside the door couldn’t help but recall her first visit to the Fang household.
Back then, they had treated her the same way.
It was a pity she had ruined everything.
Taking a deep breath, Qiu Yashu finally voiced the words she hadn’t finished earlier.
"Vice President Fang, you should be careful of Wu Donglai."
"I’m no saint, but neither is he."
"I can’t say for sure whether he was behind the car hitting you, but he’s cunning. You must be wary of him!"
During her time in the group, he had subtly fed her many ideas. At the time, Qiu Yashu had been lost in the dream he spun for her.
She thought making Fang Wenjun fall would secure her position.
But she forgot the saying, ‘The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.’
Looking back now, she realized how foolish she’d been.
In terms of seniority, Wu Donglai was a full-time employee of the art association.
In terms of experience, he had been Fang Wenjun’s deputy for years.
By all logic, if Fang Wenjun fell, the opportunity would go to him.
Yet she had been naive enough to believe his lies.
But preconceived notions weren’t exclusive to Jiang Si. Given Qiu Yashu’s repeated attempts to harm Fang Wenjun,
the Fang family’s first reaction to anything she said now was distrust.
Seeing her younger sister lost in thought, Eldest Sister quickly interjected,
"Don’t listen to her nonsense. She just can’t stand others doing well."
Wu Donglai had been Fang Wenjun’s deputy for years, and the Fang family had met him several times.
The lanky young man was quiet and reserved.
While they didn’t know him well, their impression of him was favorable.
Even Fang Old Lady sided with Wu Donglai this time.
"Your sister’s right. Wu Donglai seems like a hardworking, humble young man."
"Don’t let this girl’s words plant doubt in your mind."
Fang Wenjun said nothing at the time. But after her family left, she suddenly murmured to Jiang Si,
"Qiu Yashu wasn’t lying this time. The accident likely had nothing to do with her."
Jiang Si paused. She had only joined the mural team less than ten days ago, spending most of her time painting on scaffolding.
She hadn’t even crossed paths with Wu Donglai, so she couldn’t offer an opinion.
But she understood the subtext of her teacher’s words.
"Teacher, are you saying you suspect Wu Donglai was involved?"
Fang Wenjun was silent for a moment.
"It’s hard to say without proof, but the alley I took yesterday was a shortcut."
"Only someone familiar with my habits would know I’d go that way."
"And the person who hit me… they seemed to know this area well."
But here was the problem.
In the entire association, only three people knew her exact address: President Zhou, Qiu Yashu, and Wu Donglai.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
