Your suffering stems from embracing the illusion that % is a "modulo" operator. In truth, it is a remainder operator (C11 §6.5.5):
The result of the / operator is the quotient from the division of
the first operand by the second; the result of the % operator is the
remainder
Reject the illusion and accept the truth, and the behavior of the operator will become clear (Ibid.):
If the quotient a/b is representable, the expression (a/b)*b + a%b
shall equal a
In your case, a/b is -4/3, which is -1, hence representable. So a%b satisfies:
(a/b)*b + a%b = a
(-1)*3 + a%b = -4
-3 + a%b = -4
a%b = -1
