Apocalypse: The Fat Lady Strikes Back - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Qiao Yuelan
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Go back!”
Hou Manrong’s dignity as her parent couldn’t be challenged. She interrupted Qiao Lingxiang and pointed at Qiao Lingxiang as she stood in the hallway and said sternly, “Don’t make me repeat myself!”
“I’ll pick up some fall clothes then.”
Qiao Lingxiang didn’t want to be subjected to Hou Manrong in her current state anymore. She lost all desire to communicate with her mother. Hou Manrong would never listen to her properly.
She had tried to communicate with Hou Manrong nicely before, but every time, before she could finish even one sentence, Hou Manrong would cut her off.
Qiao Lingxiang clutched the letter tightly with her carrot-like fingers. Actually, she was used to Hou Manrong’s dominance.
Besides a broken heart, Qiao Lingxiang was at a loss. When the school gave her the letter, they had already informed her that from tomorrow onwards, she wouldn’t be able to live at the school.
If Hou Manrong didn’t allow her to stay at home, she didn’t know where she could go.
In the room. when Hou Manrong heard that Qiao Lingxiang wanted to pick up some fall clothes, she shifted aside and allowed the fat young lady to enter so that she could go to her bedroom to pack her clothes.
During this time, Hou Manrong continued to stand in the living room and stared at the bulky back of her youngest daughter as she packed up her clothes obediently in her room.
The anger in her heart subsided a little. She felt that she likely went a little overboard earlier. After all, Qiao Lingxiang just stood there and did nothing wrong. She only called out twice to tell her that she was home.
For a moment, Hou Manrong felt a little guilty. But she still couldn’t control herself as she continued to reprimand Qiao Lingxiang.
“Lingxiang, don’t blame your mother. You really don’t know how hard life is at home. Your father received a mission and left. I don’t know when he’s coming back or whether he can find any energy stones. You don’t have to help the family with our energy expenditure but why are you coming back home and increasing our burden? I don’t have time to take care of you. We gave your school some money already. Inflation has been rising for the past half a year. Our family spent all our money to allow you and your sister to study…”
She seemed to be deeply unhappy about her life. Qiao Pengfei wasn’t home. Her eldest daughter was only 18 years old but Brother Po had already laid his eyes on her. He even visited her personally and asked her for Qiao Yuelan directly.
The 100 kg rice coupon was tempting. But if Hou Manrong agreed to his request, how could she answer her husband after he came back?
In the bedroom, Qiao Lingxiang packed her fall clothes silently. She didn’t attempt to speak to her mother again.
Experience told her that Hou Manrong was likely still angry now. If she opened her mouth and said anything, Hou Manrong’s anger would flare up again.
Before the apocalypse, their family did quite well. Their father was a university professor in Xiang City and their mother was a manager at a clothing factory. Qiao Lingxiang had a large figure and it was hard for her to find clothes but customized 5XL or 6XL clothes from Hou Manrong’s factory could fill up an entire cloakroom.
As she listened to Hou Manrong talking outside the door, she panted slightly as she packed her fall clothes into her huge luggage. Just as she was about to pack a few books, she heard the sound of the lock opening. A few seconds later, the door of the living room opened.
A crisp and light-hearted voice was heard. It was Qiao Yuelan’s voice.
“Mom, I’m back.”
Hou Manrong immediately stopped reprimanding Qiao Lingxiang. She tilted her head and looked at her slim and slender eldest daughter, Qiao Yuelan, who was standing in the hallway.
She was wearing a fitted high school uniform shirt, a pleated skirt, and stockings. She was carrying a black backpack. Her skin was soft and fair and her long hair flowed behind her shoulders. The ends of her hair curled up naturally. Her face was palm-sized and she looked outstanding. She stood in the hallway and placed her backpack on the shoe rack. Then she whined at her mother.
“Mom, is there anything to eat? I’m so tired.”
“Why did you come back too?”
Hou Manrong frowned noticeably but she still went into the kitchen and found a few steamed buns for her eldest daughter. She placed them on the dining table and said angrily, “Don’t tell me that your high school also wants to send home the students who can’t give them energy coupons?”
“That’s right. Mom, you’re so smart.”
Qiao Yuelan took off her shoes and walked into the living room. She stretched and hugged Hou Manrong as she said cutely, “Mom, did you miss me? I can come home every day and keep you company in the future. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Hou Manrong wanted to scold her but she couldn’t withstand her whining. In the end, she just hit her eldest daughter lightly and smiled.
“Alright, you’re acting too sweet. Hurry up and eat. I will call your teachers and ask what’s happening. Your younger sister just came back and now, you’re back too.”
As she spoke, she pushed her eldest daughter away and went to look for her phone.
Qiao Yuelan picked up a steamed bun and turned to look at her sister’s room. She walked over and leaned against the door frame of her sister’s room seductively. She looked at Qiao Lingxiang who was quietly packing up in her room.
She asked, “Dinosaur, why didn’t you greet me at all? I thought you’d come back after me.”
Dinosaur was Qiao Lingxiang’s nickname. She didn’t know who gave it to her. She had this nickname ever since she was a child; it grew up with her.
In the beginning, Qiao Lingxiang didn’t like other people addressing her like this. They always looked as though they were about to laugh. It was a joke that only they found funny.
Smirks like theirs made Qiao Lingxiang uncomfortable. But most people felt that this nickname was quite appropriate.
As time went by, this nickname spread to her family and her school. When everyone called her by this nickname, Qiao Lingxiang couldn’t reject it anymore.
She became quieter. Her mouth worked fine but she didn’t speak much. So, other people started to feel that she didn’t care about anything and she could handle all kinds of jokes.
Qiao Lingxiang’s inability to change this situation made her feel depressed.
Because she was fat, she felt out of breath even if she just moved slightly. She cut her hair to her ears. Because of genetics, the ends of her hair were slightly curly. But this natural curl didn’t benefit her image; instead, it made her face look bigger.
Qiao Lingxiang tried her best to stabilize her breathing as she sat on the ground and tidied her books. Her stomach rolls formed three creases. She raised her head and looked at her older sister leaning against her door. Her stomach was hurting out of hunger and she wasn’t in a good mood but she still addressed her sister obediently.
“Sister.”
Qiao Yuelan leaned against the door frame. She held a steamed bun with her slender fingertips and tore off a small portion of the steamed bun in a refined manner. Then she placed it between her red lips elegantly and smiled as she looked at Qiao Lingxiang.
“You really are a blockhead. When other people strike you, you move forward. This is obnoxious.”
