But everything was disrupted today.

  The daughter that she disliked the most became a diplomat and went on the state-owned television channel. For a moment, Ding Jiayi felt a mixture of emotions. She could not really tell how she felt toward this daughter. She could not deny that Qiao Nan was outstanding. She could not insist that the elder daughter would be more promising than the younger daughter. She could not bring herself to say such foolish words.

  It was impossible that Zijin could find better in-laws than the wretched girl. In terms of capability, the wretched girl was from Peking University, while Zijin was a diploma studies graduate. The wretched girl was one of the few female diplomats while Zijin had to rely on the Zhai family to get a decent job for her.

  No matter how she looked at it, it was impossible for Zijin to be better than the wretched girl in this life.

  Qiao Nan might be outstanding, but she was not the child that she favored. Everyone in the quad knew that she had a bad relationship with Qiao Nan. Although people asked this question in the past purely to ridicule her, today, they were serious about knowing the answer. But Ding Jiayi did not wish to answer them.

  What food did Qiao Nan have?

  Qiao Nan would have the same food as her. In fact, Qiao Zijin had better food than Qiao Nan!

  If one could become a diplomat through the food one ate, Zijin should have gotten a job in the government.

  \r \r \r

  Forget it. She did not wish to think about these questions. She would be in a bad mood if she thought about them.

  “Alright, although it is summer, and eight or nine o’clock is still considered as early, we have the habit of retiring early for the night. If there’s nothing else, please go back. By the way, you have asked a funny question. What food could I possibly give her? She had the usual food that you used to have. She did not have any special food. Alright, go back now. We’re going to sleep.” Ding Jiayi really did not wish to hear Qiao Nan’s name again.

  Qiao Zijin, who trailed behind Ding Jiayi, was silent all the while. She felt like blending into the background.

  Since Ding Jiayi was in a hurry to send them away, the neighbors would not be so obtuse to insist on staying. Although they knew that Ding Jiayi did not get along well with Qiao Nan, they were mother and daughter after all. If Qiao Nan turned softhearted, she might be filial to Ding Jiayi. They would be asking for trouble if they offended Ding Jiayi.

  They did not care if the mother and daughter would patch up, it was better not to offend other people.

  Since Ding Jiayi could not wait for them to leave, the neighbors who were there to congratulate Ding Jiayi left abidingly. They also asked if Ding Jiayi was free tomorrow, saying that they would have a chat with her tomorrow. If there was a chance, they would prefer to get to know Qiao Nan. If their grandchildren could learn from Qiao Nan, it would be the best arrangement.

  Everyone in the quad knew that when Qiao Nan was in high school, she used to hold tuition classes in the quad near Ping Cheng High School. Every student who had been to the classes either went to a good high school or a good college. After Qiao Nan left, those students who went to a good high school also managed to get into decent colleges.

  That was why many people hoped that Qiao Nan could continue to give tuition in Ping Cheng after she graduated from college. Qiao Nan had a good reputation of helping her students excel. If she decided to become a tutor, many people would spend lots of money to send their children to Qiao Nan’s tuition classes.

  The money would be well-spent.

  Unfortunately, Qiao Nan did not want to be a big boss. Instead, she chose to be a female diplomat which was even more awesome. The people in the quad felt extremely proud of Qiao Nan, and some of them were so excited at her accomplishments that it took them a long while to calm down. Qiao Nan was from the northern quad. Finally, there was a child from the northern quad who was more outstanding than the children from the southern quad.

  As children and residents from the northern quad, they could finally hold their heads high when they saw the people from the southern quad.

  Everyone from the northern quad felt proud of Qiao Nan’s achievements. They could not describe the emotions that they felt.

  The people from the northern quad had finally left. Ding Jiayi felt disheartened and weary after sending them away. She closed the door and called for Qiao Zijin. “Zijin, it’s late. Do you want to watch television, or do you want to wash and sleep?” She was exhausted. She felt like slumping down on the bed.

  Qiao Zijin trailed after Ding Jiayi, staring blankly at the black screen of the television which had been switched off. All she could think of was the images of Qiao Nan with her delicate and fine features on the television. She and Qiao Nan had the same parents. She was her elder sister and they grew up together.

  Since they had the same parents, why was it that she and Qiao Nan were worlds apart?

  “What’s the matter? Why did you remain silent? If you want to watch television, you should at least turn it on. Right, have you and Xiao Zhou come to a decision regarding the wedding? You should be realistic. Don’t think too much. Let’s not talk about your relationship with Qiao Nan. As the younger sister, it will certainly be nice of her if she is willing to help you prepare your dowry. If not, there’s nothing you can do either. It’s already August. You will be holding your wedding banquet in two months. I understand that you want a grand wedding. But it will be worse if you end up with nothing.”

  Zijin’s situation was different from Qiao Nan’s. Zhai Sheng really loved Qiao Nan. He did not mind that Qiao Nan had nothing with her. Zijin’s boyfriend agreed to marry Zijin on account of the Zhai family.The Zhai family accepted Qiao Nan as their daughter-in-law unconditionally. If Zijin did not handle the situation well, and something went wrong during the wedding banquet, the other party might not be forgiving toward Zijin. “I might sound harsh, but loyal advice jars on the ears. I have your best interests. I will say no more. You should consider carefully.”

  No matter what she said, it was up to Zijin to decide what she wanted to do in the end.

  She had no hopes that Qiao Nan would fork out a large sum of money to prepare Qiao Zijin’s dowry. It was considered good enough if Qiao Nan bought a big color television for Zijin.

  Ding Jiayi knew that when Qiao Nan got married, Zijin did not prepare any monetary gifts or dowry for her. Qiao Nan got married to Zhai Sheng without taking anything from the Qiao family.

  Qiao Nan did not take a penny from the Qiao family, but she was asked to keep on contributing to the Qiao family. No one would blame Qiao Nan if she refused to do so.

  One had to have a willing heart to be treated unfairly but continue to be dedicated wholeheartedly!

  Ding Jiayi knew that Qiao Nan was unwilling to help Qiao Zijin. Ding Jiayi could not help but be worried for her. “Xiao Zhou knows about our family’s situation. There is no need for us to puff oneself up at one’s own cost. In the end, one would suffer further embarrassment.”

  “So, are you telling me to marry into the Zhou family with my tail between my legs, looking like a disowned dog?”


  1426 Gave Up on Making Things Difficult for Her

  Qiao Zijin had bloodshot eyes. She was angry that Ding Jiayi spelled everything out. She felt a heavy burden on her shoulder that she could no longer stand straight.

  Compared to Qiao Nan, who had a glorious life, she could only be the rats in the sewer.

  They were biological sisters. How could Qiao Nan be so heartless toward her? She did not do heinous deeds to her or try to take her life. She had a good life, but why could she not help her?

  Qiao Zijin could not help but cry as she thought about it. “Mom, why is Qiao Nan so cruel to me? I’m her sister. Why doesn’t she want me to do well in life? She refused to help her family but she was willing to help other people. What did she mean by that? If I do not marry well and other people ask her about it, it will not look good on her as well. I have never seen anyone who is more unfeeling than her. Did she forget that I am her elder sister? If I were her, I would not be so heartless and coldhearted like her. She does not even care that we are one family.”

  Qiao Nan only regarded those outsiders as her siblings, but she had no regard for her!

  “Mom, you have to help me. You are the only person who can help me now.” She refused to resign to fate. She was unconvinced that she and Qiao Nan were worlds apart and that she could never be compared to her. A woman would marry once in her life. This was an important event for her. She wanted to be a white swan instead of an ugly duckling.

  Ding Jiayi waved her hand. “Qiao Nan wouldn’t listen to me when she had yet to marry. Now that she is part of the Zhai family, how will I be able to help you? Zijin, you have to sort out your thoughts. Alright, you can continue to watch television. I am tired. I will go to sleep.”

  She knew that Qiao Zijin was going to push everything to her. Ding Jiayi had changed. She was no longer the Ding Jiayi from before. She would no longer do everything for Qiao Zijin. Instead, she would skirt the issue Qiao Zijin raised. Qiao Zijin had to depend on herself.

  Qiao Nan was like a dragon in the sky, while she was only a fish in the water. A flying dragon would never listen to an old fish.

  \r \r \r

  Ding Jiayi knew that Qiao Nan would ignore her if she went looking for her. She was no longer young. It was tiring on her to create a din and end up not achieving anything.

  Qiao Dongliang seemed to be leading a good life. It took Ding Jiayi very long to understand, but she had decided to learn from Qiao Dongliang. She would wash her hands off Qiao Zijin. It was up to the children to settle their own problems. It was useless for the adults to meddle in their affairs.

  With that, Ding Jiayi fled to her room, closed the door, and avoided Qiao Zijin’s unrelenting gaze.

  Ding Jiayi had just closed the door when a glass cup was being smashed to the floor. It made a loud sound as it crashed to the floor.

  Ding Jiayi thought for a while before letting go of the door handle. She switched on the electric fan in the room, lay on the bed, and closed her eyes, getting ready to sleep.

  She had made her stand. She would not be involved in matters regarding Qiao Nan. There was nothing that she could do.

  Qiao Zijin was not a fool. She could sense that Ding Jiayi’s attitude had changed since a long time ago. Moreover, they had a bad quarrel when they came back from the capital the previous time. She would never forget that her father moved out of the house and never came back for months because of what she said.

  Since she and her mother never mentioned the incident again, as time passed, she tried to deceive herself that the incident never happened at all. Anyway, her mother treated her in the same manner as before.

  But when it came to serious issues, Qiao Zijin could tell that there was still a difference. “It is so nice to get married to a good husband.”

  Before Qiao Nan was married to Zhai Sheng, her mother would always side with her, disregarding the fact that Qiao Nan was her daughter. Right now, although her mother disliked Qiao Nan, she would no longer make unreasonable requests of Qiao Nan or make things difficult for Qiao Nan in order to help her.

  Qiao Zijin knew what Ding Jiayi was up to.

  Ding Jiayi was no longer young and she needed her children to take care of her. Now that Qiao Nan married well, it was up to her to decide the amount of money that she would give Ding Jiayi every month. After all, Qiao Nan had the final say over her own money. Ding Jiayi stopped creating trouble for Qiao Nan, hoping that Qiao Nan would give her more money monthly.

  If she made trouble for Qiao Nan, not only would it be useless, but it would also affect her relationship with Qiao Nan. Since that was the case, Ding Jiayi decided to give up on going against Qiao Nan. She would behave herself so that Qiao Nan would continue to provide for her.

  Money, money, money!

  Her mother would do anything for money. She did not have any principles. She did not care about her daughter. Her daughter could not be more important than herself. Her mother had two children, but she did not have their best interests. She did not intend to nurture them to become successful. Instead, her only hope was that her children would give her lots of money when they grew up so that she could lead a good life.

  She was too selfish.

  Qiao Zijin’s eyes turned red as she thought about her situation. The whites of her eyes turned reddish and bloodshot. In the end, Qiao Zijin returned to her room to make a call to her boyfriend. “Yes, this is the situation. Will you shun me because of this? I will try my best in this regard, but I hope that your family will not have too high expectations of me. You know about my family’s situation. My sister would like to prepare a bigger dowry for me, but I feel that it is inappropriate of me to accept this from her.”

  “I was still in school when my sister married Zhai Sheng. I didn’t buy a pretty dress for her, let alone prepare a dowry for her. I will feel bad to accept so many things from her now. After marrying you, I will become part of your family. I won’t be able to return this favor by myself. I don’t want to add to your burden.”

  Although she would not have luxurious dowry or a grand wedding like Qiao Nan did, Qiao Zijin had to put it nicely. Her in-laws must not think that Qiao Nan refused to prepare a dowry for her as she had a bad relationship with her. Instead, it was because she refused to accept her kindness.

  One would reciprocate the favors that one had.

  If she married into the family and she brought dowry with her, her in-laws would have to return the favor to the Zhai family.

  Everything that she did was for the sake of her in-laws. Therefore, she must make sure that her in-laws understand that she was sensible and considerate of them.

  She no longer had any expectations of her parental family.

  If Qiao Zijin wanted to have good days ahead, she must make sure that she had a good relationship with her in-laws. Her parental family did not seem like a family at all. They did not have her best interests.

  She had lived with her parents for more than twenty years, but she would have to spend the rest of her life with her in-laws.

  1427 To Marry Her or No

  Therefore, her mother-in-law must have a good impression of her so that she would have good days ahead of her. As for the troubles at her parental family, Qiao Zijin could no longer be bothered with it.

  Her mother had better be healthy and well. If anything happened, Qiao Nan had better take care of her mother. Her mother could give up the thought of getting a single cent from her. Since her mother refused to help her at all, there was no way that she would provide for her mother.

  Qiao Zijin had always been narrow-minded. Moreover, recently, Ding Jiayi refused to fight for her interests and she would keep her money with herself, refusing to spend any money on Qiao Zijin.

  Qiao Zijin was merely learning from her. Since her mother valued money more than her and was unwilling to spend them on her children, she would be calculative as well. The only difference was that when she married, she would have children of her own. She had to take care of her own expenses as well as raise her children. She would not have extra money to provide for her mother.

  Qiao Zijin had totally forgotten about Qiao Dongliang. In her opinion, Qiao Nan had to be responsible for him. He was Qiao Nan’s father. Her father left her and her mother to live with Qiao Nan during her crucial years in high school. From then onward, she told herself that she no longer had a father.

  Since she did not have a father, there was no need for her to provide for him.

  Zhou Zheng felt uneasy after receiving Qiao Zijin’s call. He hesitated for a long while before he called his parents and told them everything that Qiao Zijin told him. “Dad, Mom, do you think Qiao Zijin is trustworthy? Why do I feel insecure?”

  \r \r \r

  After dating Qiao Zijin for a year, Zhou Zheng was well aware of the shortcomings that she had. Like his name, Zhou Zheng was straightforward, rigid, and inflexible.

  It was because of the Zhai family that Zhou Zheng dated Qiao Zijin. The Zhou family had always wanted to be related to the Zhai family. To their surprise, it was a dream-come-true for them.

  Zhou Zheng knew the kind of person that Qiao Zijin was before they started dating. Zhai Sheng would not use Qiao Zijin to deceive others. Marriage was between two parties. Both had to be willing parties. It would not be right if there was any deception involved.

  Zhou Zheng knew Qiao Zijin’s personality. If he was willing to start a relationship with her, although he would not strike it big, the Zhou family could be assured that they would have better days in Ping Cheng. For instance, Zhou Zheng used to work as a contract worker in the government sector. Right now, he was converted to a permanent worker. Father Zhou’s business did not expand, but he made more money now.

  The Zhou family and Zhou Zheng led better lives as Zhou Zheng was willing to be with Qiao Zijin and marry her despite knowing about her flaws.

  Although it was not anything substantial, it was practical and would be a great help to their lives. The Zhou family was glad that they had so many benefits even before marrying Qiao Zijin. If they became relatives with the Zhai family, they would be given even more benefits.

  Father Zhou finished the remaining cigarette in one single puff. He let out a painful breath, choking on the smoke.

  “Don’t you know that you are no longer young? Why did you smoke so many cigarettes like when you were young? Aren’t you worried about your lungs? Are you courting death? Let me warn you. After Zhou Zheng marries Qiao Zijin and we have a grandchild, I forbid you from smoking in the house. What if the grandchild chokes on your smoke and falls sick?” Mother Zhou was indirectly telling Father Zhou and Zhou Zheng that regardless of what kind of girl Qiao Zijin was, or how strange the situation was, they would hold the wedding banquet in more than a month’s time.

  The in-laws were different from the parental family. After Qiao Zijin married into their family, she would discipline and take her in. She would not allow Qiao Zijin to affect her husband’s business or her son’s job.

  A daughter-in-law was supposed to fulfill two purposes: to bear the Zhou family a child and to bring benefits to the Zhou family.

  Qiao Zijin was so much better than other ladies in these aspects. There was no way that her son’s previous girlfriend could be compared to Qiao Zijin.

  The previous girlfriend had the same temper as Qiao Zijin, but she was a spendthrift. She spent a lot of the Zhou family’s money on herself. Although she had given her son a lot of money, he would come asking them for money in no time.

  One would only know the truth upon a comparison. Compared to her son’s previous girlfriend, Mother Zhou preferred Qiao Zijin.

  Father Zhou understood the rationale as well. “Didn’t you say that Qiao Zijin and the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family do not have a good relationship? I don’t understand. Why will the two daughters of the Qiao family not get along well with each other?” If his future daughter-in-law had a close relationship with the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family, the Zhou family would be lucky!

  Zhou Zheng’s face sank, apparently agreeing with his father.

  Zhou Zheng had differing opinions from his mother. Although his previous girlfriend was a spendthrift, they had been together for a long time and he liked her very much. If he was successful and earned lots of money, it was alright that the woman that he liked spent his money. He spent the money so that his girlfriend would be well-dressed and it would look good on him when they went out on dates.

  Zhou Zheng’s ex-girlfriend had nothing special except that she was good-looking.

  After being introduced to Zhou Zheng’s girlfriend, his friends would sing her praises, saying that his girlfriend was prettier than the female celebrities on television.

  Qiao Zijin was not as pretty as Qiao Nan, and she could not match up to Zhou Zheng’s ex-girlfriend. In general, she had regular features. Although she was not considered as pretty, she was not ugly either. Her fair complexion made her look refreshing.

  However, Qiao Zijin’s boyfriend was Zhou Zheng. His ex-girlfriend was very beautiful. When one was used to having meat and fish and was keen on having more of the good food, one would naturally feel upset that one was forced to eat vegetables and tofu. Since he used to have such a pretty girlfriend, he would naturally make a comparison and would not be in a good mood when he was with Qiao Zijin.

  Qiao Zijin knew the reason why Zhou Zheng was willing to start a relationship with her. She knew that the Zhou family benefited from their relationship and the Zhai family would give them a helping hand. Therefore, Qiao Zijin did not curb her temper when she was with Zhou Zheng.

  If Zhou Zheng was polite to her, Qiao Zijin would rein in her temper and be gentle toward him. But if Zhou Zheng sounded as if he shunned her and that he preferred his ex-girlfriend, Qiao Zijin would not allow herself to be mistreated since the Zhou family had stood to gain from their relationship. She would tell him outright that if he was displeased with her and despised her, they could break up right away.