Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Even though Qiao Dongliang had already said that pickled ginger was simple to make and it did not cost him much to send it over, Qiao Nan did not want to trouble Qiao Dongliang all the time.
Pickled ginger had become a new favorite of Qiao Nan, and after their auntie tried making it once, Qiao Nan declared that it was not sour or fermented enough. The moment Miao Jing bit into it, she felt as though her denture had broken. Of course, no one in the Zhai family other than Qiao Nan dared to even touch it. Even the only other woman, Miao Jing, stayed away from it.
“It’s good that Nan Nan likes to eat it.” Miao Jing thought that it did not smell bad. Quite on the contrary, it was rather fragrant. But she could not understand why its taste did not reflect its fragrance. She could not even swallow the pickled ginger that the auntie had made, much less Qiao Dongliang’s.
Thinking about that, Miao Jing eyed her son and questioned through her gaze whether he was still alright even after eating that pickled ginger and whether she should call an ambulance for him.
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Zhai Sheng pursed his thin lips. As a soldier, he had gone through all kinds of trials and tribulations. There was nothing he could not eat, no matter how much he hated it.
Zhai Sheng would not allow himself to be embarrassed by being sent to the hospital for a mere slice of pickled ginger. “That’s enough. You’ve already had a bowl of congee. If you want more, have it at dinner or supper.”
Zhai Sheng pampered and loved Qiao Nan very much but he controlled her strictly as well. It was a fermented product, after all, and it was just meant to whet Qiao Nan’s appetite. Zhai Sheng was afraid that it would be bad for her health if she were to have too much of it.
Thankfully, Qiao Nan was obedient. Even though she was pregnant, she was not excessively demanding or stubborn. Now that she had satisfied her cravings, Qiao Nan was rather pleased. The moment Zhai Sheng said that, Qiao Nan put her chopsticks down. “I’ve had enough for the day. I’ll have it again tomorrow.”
Miao Jing was the most pleased seeing Qiao Nan being so cooperative. “Nan Nan’s a good child and the baby in Nan Nan’s stomach is even more obedient. This child’s not demanding and has never troubled Nan Nan either.”
If the baby in Qiao Nan’s stomach were to cause any trouble, the ones who would suffer would definitely be those around Qiao Nan. It was fortunate that Qiao Nan had not changed much even after getting pregnant. Miao Jing stubbornly believed that that was because her grandchild was an obedient child who cared about his or her elders. That was why the baby was so obedient.
This child had arrived a little late, but the whole family was willing to wait for such an obedient child no matter how late it would arrive.
However, the good atmosphere in the Zhai family did not mean that the same happened in other families. The Feng family was not the only one making a din, especially the Qiao family in Ping Cheng. It was truly rare for them to be living harmoniously and calmly.
Seeing that Qiao Dongliang had just sent a parcel to Qiao Nan and had not even thrown away the delivery slip before he had started on the next batch of pickled ginger for Qiao Nan, Qiao Zijin was upset. “Dad, do you know how strong the smell of pickled ginger is? It’s so sour and spicy. You’re not the only one living here. Can’t you go somewhere else to make this? Mom and I can’t stand this smell.”
It was just a pregnancy. It was not as though she was the only one who had been pregnant before. Not only had Qiao Zijin given birth, but her son was also all grown up. Qiao Nan had gotten married to Zhai Sheng and the Zhai family would probably only be interested in having a boy. She would see how well Qiao Nan would live her life once she gave birth to a girl instead of a boy.
Not everyone could be as capable as her and give birth to a son on her first try.
Ding Jiayi, whose name had been mentioned, grabbed a handful of melon seeds without turning back to look at them. “Don’t bring me into the equation. I’ve already gotten used to this smell a long time ago.” Had she not smelled enough oil, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce throughout her marriage? If she had been intolerant of the smell of vinegar, who would have cooked for the family all these years? What kind of daughter-in-law could not stand the smell of vinegar?
“…” Qiao Zijin was embarrassed and uneasy that her ally had betrayed her.
Qiao Dongliang’s answer was even more impolite. “You can’t stand it? Why don’t you leave the house and take a stroll outside? This is my house and you’re living under my roof. You can’t afford to be so picky. If you can’t get used to it, you can purchase a house for yourself.”
Ever since that incident, the atmosphere in the Qiao family had become rather strange. After Qiao Dongliang decided to separate from Ding Jiayi, he had indeed done so. From then on, he had only taken care of his own meals.
After being provoked by that meal, Ding Jiayi seemed to have gotten clearer in her mind or even more confused, following in Qiao Dongliang’s footsteps. At mealtimes, she would only prepare her own meals, not caring about Qiao Zijin anymore.
Qiao Zijin had never expected things to end up in such a state. Because she had eaten late at night the previous night, she had not been hungry when she awoke the next morning. As such, she had not thrown a tantrum when she had not seen her breakfast ready. She was not hungry yet, anyway.
But when lunchtime came and Qiao Zijin saw that her parents took care of only their own meals while no one had cared about hers, she could not help but ask, “Mom, where’s my lunch?” She had not eaten yet. Besides, how could her mom not call her when she was about to have her lunch?
Qiao Zijin had stayed in her room, playing games or reading her novels. When she had gotten hungry and finally emerged from the room, she happened to see Ding Jiayi cleaning up the dishes.
After Ding Jiayi finished washing up, she shook off the water on her hands. “You should just settle your lunch like how you settled your dinner last night.”
Qiao Zijin was stunned. “Mom, are you asking me to order takeaway? Why couldn’t you just call me while you were eating?” Takeaways were indeed delicious but they were expensive when compared to meals cooked by her parents. Because she had already had takeaway once the previous night, she had not intended to call for takeaways again that week.
After wiping her hands dry, Ding Jiayi sat down, switched on the television, and ate the melon seeds that she had purchased. “Did you call me when you ordered takeaway last night?”
Qiao Zijin was both awkward and angry at the same time. “Mom… You were throwing a tantrum last night. You were upset, so I didn’t want to disturb you.” Qiao Zijin could not wrap her head around the situation. Her mom had been after her for a hundred thousand yuan last night. That was why she had not bothered to ask her about dinner. Would her mom continue with her nonsense as long as she did not hand over the hundred thousand yuan?
Because it concerned her interests, even if it was just a meal, Ding Jiayi had been hurt by Qiao Zijin’s actions. “You were playing your games or reading your novels in the room, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You could have left some food for me, at the very least!”
Ding Jiayi looked at Qiao Zijin coldly, using Qiao Zijin’s words against her. She had not seen Qiao Zijin leave any food for her the previous night either.
