However, the two families were not on good terms. When Ding Jiayi shamelessly said these, she was making Qiao Nan lose face in the Zhai family.
“We are all family. In-law, you treat Nan Nan like your own daughter. How can there possibly be such a misunderstanding? In-law, don’t you think so?” Ding Jiayi seemed bold and fearless.
Everyone from the quad in Ping Cheng was aware that by getting married to Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan was akin to have fallen into a nest of fortune after leaving the wolf’s den. Miao Jing treated Qiao Nan as good as, if not better than, her biological daughter, Zhai Hua.
Zhai Hua was seldom at home. On the contrary, Qiao Nan was the one who spent more time keeping Miao Jing company. As such, in front of others, anyone who saw them would feel that Qiao Nan seemed to be closer to Miao Jing than Zhai Hua was.
In other words, if Qiao Zijin and Qiao Nan were on good terms, Qiao Zijin could ride on her sister’s glory. Her future marriage partner would not be too lousy either. She could look for one and he would easily be more outstanding than Chen Jun.
However, the people in the quad were waiting to look at how Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin would make a fool of themselves.
Qiao Nan married so well, yet the lives of the Qiao family of three did not change at all. This joke was enough to make then laugh until they were seventy or eighty years old.
Anyone who stayed in the quad was aware that Qiao Nan’s maternal family did not benefit at all despite her marriage. The sarcasm from these people was not directed at Qiao Nan but Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.
It was not because of other reasons. First, Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi were right before their eyes and it was easy to chide them. Second, no matter how envious they were of Qiao Nan, she was the Zhai family’s daughter-in-law. They were just small flies and could only look up to the existence of the Zhai family. Would they dare gossip about the Zhai family’s daughter-in-law? Unless they shunned that they were having too good a life.
When they constantly swore at Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin or occasionally chided them, they were seeking justice for Qiao Nan, who had suffered in the past. Indirectly, they were also trying to curry favor with Qiao Nan.
Ding Jiayi had endured this anger for two years. She could finally vent her frustration in front of Qiao Nan and Miao Jing now. How could Ding Jiayi hold herself back? She said it all, be it appropriate or not. She was not afraid that she would make everyone feel awkward at all.
“Mom!” Qiao Zijin tugged at Ding Jiayi nervously. Seemingly, she wanted Ding Jiayi to restrain herself and not continue with such impolite and offending words. “Mom, I am going to be angry if you do that again. Mom, even if auntie really introduces a job to me, I won’t take it either. It’s not that my school doesn’t have any arrangement for me.”
“Y-you… I don’t know what to say about you.” Ding Jiayi was angered by Qiao Zijin’s lack of ambition. “I am helping you pull the strings, and you have the shame to drag me down? I said all these, being the bad guy. Who am I doing this for? We are a family. There are no overnight feuds. At most, I am bad with my words but I’ve never harbored malicious intention. You’re already a mother. Why don’t I see any improvement in this area? Which mother in the world will yearn for their daughter to lead a bad life?!”
The first part of Ding Jiayi’s speech was directed at Qiao Zijin. The second part was completely directed at Qiao Nan, who was already a mother.
Ding Jiayi only wished to express one meaning: Parents always have their good reasons.
Regardless of how bad her attitude toward Qiao Nan was in the past, she was Qiao Nan’s biological mother. How could she possibly wish to harm Qiao Nan? Her original intent was for Qiao Nan to do well. At most, she was a little ‘stupid’ to have done bad things despite her kind intentions.
It was fine that Qiao Nan did not understand Ding Jiayi in the past. However, she was already a mother now. She should understand a mother’s thoughts. If Qiao Nan still did not understand Ding Jiayi now, that meant she refused to acknowledge all her kin after marrying into the Zhai family and leading a good life.
Ding Jiayi’s words were not difficult to comprehend. As such, many who understood them could not help having a change of expression.
What Miao Jing wished to do most now was to scold and chase Ding Jiayi out of the house immediately. She had allowed her to enter the house. After calling them in-laws many times, she really believed that her previous deeds could be written off, that no one would remember them!
How could she be so shameless to say that?!
It was the Qiao family’s issue as to how bold and brazen Ding Jiayi was when she was in the house of the Qiao family. This was the Zhai family. She was wielding her dominance in the territory of the Zhai family. How could there be such a snobbish in-law in this world? “Comrade Ding, you sound so bold and powerful. Nan Nan is your daughter. However, she is now my Zhai family’s daughter-in-law. Two years ago, when Nan Nan was married to Zhai Sheng, no one had forgotten how many things that the Qiao family had done for Nan Nan. We do not ask for one to be capable. However, one should help according to one’s capability.”
“You washed your hands off the matter so easily previously. Today, don’t you feel pain in your waist when you stand and speak in this way? You sound as if you’re a benevolent mother?” Miao Jing really did not wish to see someone like Ding Jiayi, who always thought that she was right in everything that she said.
If not for Ding Jiayi, she would have had a better first impression of Qiao Nan many years ago.
Qiao Nan was the junior. Although Ding Jiayi had done wrong, it was not appropriate for Qiao Nan to put the words so bluntly before everyone. However, Miao Jing was different. She was Ding Jiayi’s peer. In addition, she had a higher status than the latter.
It was most appropriate for Miao Jing to speak about the shameless things that Ding Jiayi had done before.
Ding Jiayi’s old face blushed. “In-law, according to what you said, henceforth, Qiao Nan is going to take it that she doesn’t have a mother like me? When I am old, she is not going to support me financially?” All the while, Ding Jiayi was most concerned about this matter. “Let me tell you. I am also one who knows the law. If she dares to do that, I can go and sue her.”
Given the Zhai family’s status, she did not believe that the Zhai family would have ‘glory’ for having a daughter-in-law being sued of not supporting her parents in their old age.
Once she went to sue Qiao Nan, the Zhai family would be the first to take the brunt.
“Who said that Nan Nan would not provide for your old age?” Zhai Sheng, who was standing beside Qiao Nan, looked at Ding Jiayi coldly. Earlier on, Ding Jiayi was behaving like an old hen, loudly grunting and flipping her wings and pretending to be an eagle. As soon as she saw Zhai Sheng’s cold expression, her neck seemed to have been strangled. She dared not be so arrogant anymore. “We will support in whatever way is required. Supporting the elderly in their old age is the duty and obligation of a child. However, it is up to the junior what kind of support to provide. Don’t worry. Minimally, Nan Nan and I will definitely fulfill the most basic obligation.”
She was talking about the law with Zhai Sheng. That would be akin to teaching one’s grandmother how to suck eggs.
“However, Nan Nan is still studying and you are still young. It seems too early to discuss this now. Why don’t we do this? When you are fifty years old, Nan Nan will provide you with an appropriate sum of living allowance according to the social and economic situation then. As for other matters, we will review the situation accordingly.”
