Chapter 301: Teach With Own Examples
“What follows after?”
“What follows after? Nothing else is needed. As long as they know that I lead a better life than them, I do not need to do anything else and they will be so upset that they cannot have a good night’s sleep.”
Actually, Qiao Nan did not understand why there were people like her mother and Qiao Zijin in the world.
Both of them would be upset to know that she led a good life.
Therefore, Qiao Nan knew that to deal with these two people, there was no need for her to do anything. She only needed to have a good life and it would be more than enough.
There was no need to take the initiative to attack, deal with them, or scheme against Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.
“Xiao Qiao, I realize that you are not a pushover. You have a lot of wits about you!” Initially, Zhu Baoguo did not understand, but after Qiao Nan’s explanation, he fully understood her meaning. “What you are doing is to nurture one’s strength and bide one’s time. You already have a plan to deal with your mom and sister, and it is the most labor-saving method.”
“Did you really think that I am foolish and easy to bully? ” Qiao Nan smiled, but there was no hint of emotion in her eyes. “In the future, I must make money to buy my own house and my own car. But to buy these things, I will need the household register. Other than Mom, Dad is the only one who can use it. No matter how unreasonable Mom is, she will give my dad whatever he wants.”
“Xiao Qiao?” Zhu Baoguo sensed that Qiao Nan’s smile seemed to be laden with bitterness.
He hoped that Xiao Qiao could be self-reliant and be tougher, lest she be bullied by the two women who were as evil as witches. However, when he saw the tough side of hers, he could not help but feel a twinge of sadness.
Xiao Qiao used to be a simple and kind young lady who would not scheme against others, but she was forced to mature by her kin.
Zhu Baoguo was starting to harbor an immense hatred for Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.
“What about your dad?”
“I am genuinely good to my dad.” But at the same time, she also had her plans. “Zhu Baoguo, you have to remember that if you are wronged, it is useless to create a fuss. Why do we say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease? If you don’t make a fuss, it goes to show that you are sensible. But you have to let everyone know that you have been wronged. Do you understand?”
Qiao Nan was reminded of how Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin conspired to get Qiao Dongliang to the hospital and all the money that he had with him. She seemed unaffected by what happened.
She had made up her mind long ago that as long as she had the ability to make money, she could be self-sufficient and rely on herself to finish college. She never had the mentality that the money her father earned was hers. Hence, she was not disappointed that Qiao Zijin cheated him of all his money.
Sure enough, when there was no expectation, there would be no disappointment.
“Alright, you should worry about yourself. You are the one who is too innocent, yet you accuse others of being simple-minded.” Knowing that Zhu Baoguo was concerned about her, Qiao Nan could not help but make a dab at Zhu Baoguo.
She was puzzled as well. Did she seem to be so weak and easily bullied?
She had been trained by her mother and sister to be scheming and crafty. Yet, in the eyes of Zhu Baoguo, she was still as innocent and simple as a piece of blank paper. Did he not know that she was actually retreating in order to advance?
In the Qiao family, her father was the head of the family, and he was on her side now.
As long as she had this trump card, when she entered college and buy a house and a car, there was no need for her to deal with her mother. It could save her a lot of trouble.
By the time her mother received the news, everything would have been settled. No matter how much of a fuss her mother kicked up, there was nothing she could do to her.
Qiao Nan knew better than anyone else that on that Thursday, her mother came to school to look for her because she could not find Qiao Dongliang. She was so desperate that she came to look for her instead.
Her mother and Qiao Zijin might be very arrogant and domineering, but they only behaved in such a manner since they knew Qiao Dongliang would not abandon them. This showed the significance Qiao Dongliang had as the head of the family.
Now that her father left with her, her mother and Qiao Zijin were like headless flies without any sense of direction. They panicked and were out of their wits.
After moving out with her father, not only did she regain some peace in her life, but most importantly, it was also tantamount to taking drastic measures against her mother and Qiao Zijin.
Therefore, when her mother knew that they had moved but had no idea where they had moved to, it was as if she had gone crazy. She dared to attack the police and was taken to the police station. In normal circumstances, don’t even mention scratching the police, her mother was the kind of person who would take a detour when she saw the police.
“You are very formidable.” Zhu Baoguo had nothing more to say. His worry was in vain as Xiao Qiao had it all planned out. Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin were unworthy opponents of Xiao Qiao. Xiao Qiao had these two women under her thumb.
After all, Uncle Qiao was the head of the Qiao family.
Qiao Nan closed the book and sighed. “It’s no use being formidable. I may have used up all my tricks, but I still can’t beat my mom. Her crazy acts will defeat the experienced master.”
For instance, what happened recently on the parent-teacher conference day was unthinkable to her. She did not expect her mother to upset Qiao Dongliang further. She must have been out of her mind. She almost landed both Qiao Nan and herself in serious trouble.
It was a life and death struggle. She did not care that she would be in a dire situation. She was determined to create havoc for Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan was sure that if she had ended up being expelled from Ping Cheng High School, her father might have been angered to death and refused to see her mother for a few years or even for the rest of their lives.
Zhu Baoguo crossed one leg over the other and said casually, “Initially, I was troubled by Wang Yang’s matter. Whenever he was at the Zhu’s residence, I would be upset. I couldn’t wait to lose my temper at him so that Wang Yang would be disgraced and I could chase him out of the Zhu’s residence. But after hearing about your family’s situation, I realized that I am not in a hurry and not bothered anymore. One should retreat in order to advance. When I go back home next time, I will test and see if it works.”
Qiao Nan did not know that she had become the mentor of Zhu Baoguo. She had given him a lesson with her own examples.
Ever since then, whenever Wang Yang came to the Zhu’s residence, Zhu Baoguo would not lose his temper or utter a single word. He would just leave the Zhu’s residence quietly.
Initially, Wang Yang thought that Zhu Baoguo was also afraid of him and that he had admitted defeat.
Wang Yang was so happy that he was carried away by his excitement. Wang Yang stayed for a longer time in the Zhu’s residence, accompanying Elder Zhu and saying things to please him.
Initially, Elder Zhu felt gratified that Zhu Baoguo and Wang Yang could finally get along with each other. He had felt that Zhu Baoguo finally behaved like an elder brother and became sensible.
However, whenever Wang Yang stayed at the Zhu’s residence, Zhu Baoguo would not go home. He would rather idle around outside the house.
Chapter 302: Fallen into Her ‘Trap’
The longer Wang Yang stayed at the Zhu’s residence, the later Zhu Baoguo would return home.
Unlike the previous two seasons that were warm and sunny, it was late autumn now. The days became shorter and it would be dark in the late afternoon. Elder Zhu was worried about Zhu Baoguo who stayed out all day.
In the end, Elder Zhu asked Zhu Baoguo the reason for not staying at home.
Zhu Baoguo said, “I don’t like Wang Yang. I feel uncomfortable whenever I see Wang Yang. I will be reminded of what happened during the middle school examination, and that saddened me. I am disappointed that my loved ones will plot against me during such an important juncture. I want to forgive him, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Grandpa, I know you like Wang Yang and you feel happy when you are with him. I want you to be happy. Hence, I can only stay outside and not go home. Grandpa, it’s alright. I am fine as long as you are happy.”
Wang Yang was in junior high school. His house was not far from the Zhu’s residence. Most of the time, Wang Yang would usually drop by the Zhu’s residence first before going home after his lessons.
Contrary to Wang Yang, Zhu Baoguo was in high school. He had to stay in the dormitory and would only be able to come back home every half a month. Besides, he could only stay for two nights before leaving for school again. As a result, Elder Zhu cherished the time that he had with Zhu Baoguo.
If Zhu Baoguo created a fuss, Elder Zhu would definitely reprimand him and tell him to act like the elder brother and give in to Wang Yang. But Zhu Baoguo did not make any complaints. Instead, he made compromises because of Elder Zhu. Although Elder Zhu was comforted by the fact that his grandson was sensible and considerate, his heart ached for him nevertheless.
To Elder Zhu who doted on his grandson, he could make do with it if he would still get to see Zhu Baoguo occasionally. However, he seldom got to chat with him nowadays. He missed his grandson dearly.
In the end, in order to be able to spend more time with Zhu Baoguo, Elder Zhu had a talk with Wang Yang. “Yang Yang, I know that you are very filial. You always accompany me and chat with me. This makes me very happy. But you should spend time with your paternal grandparents as well. In the future, you can visit me every other weekend so that you will also have time for your paternal grandparents.”
Initially, Wang Yang was happy that Elder Zhu was concerned about him.
However, his paternal grandparents were close to him. He would rather spend more time with Elder Zhu.
Wang Yang thought hard about it and realized that Zhu Baoguo would not be around on the weekend that he visited the Zhu’s residence, and Zhu Baoguo would be back home from school during the weekend that he stayed at home.
Did it mean that he was Zhu Baoguo’s spare wheel? When Zhu Baoguo was around, his grandpa found him to be a nuisance and did not need his company. It was only when Zhu Baoguo was not around that his Grandpa enjoyed his company. Was that it?
Wang Yang, who was proud and arrogant and had always felt superior to Zhu Baoguo, believing that he was the most suitable heir of the Zhu family, was so angry that he had a slight fever that night.
Zhu Baoguo was over the moon when he knew that Wang Yang had fallen sick. He did not know that being a ‘coward’ and not clashing heads on with Wang Yang would have such unexpected results.
It was only then that Zhu Baoguo finally understood that although Qiao Nan would always behave as if she could do nothing about Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin, she was, in fact, waging a psychological war.
Whoever had the notion that Qiao Nan seemed like she was easily bullied would fall right into her trap.
Zhu Baoguo thought that Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi were the only ones who had fallen into Qiao Nan’s traps. He did not know that he was ‘tricked’ by her as well.
If not for Qiao Nan’s advice, he would not have had a change in his learning attitude and given his full attention to his studies. Thus, the Zhu family would not have been able to see the change in him in such a short period of time and realize his importance and value.
In fact, right at the beginning when Zhu Chengqi had a private chat with Qiao Nan, besides thanking Qiao Nan, he also asked her to help Zhu Baoguo change for the better.
Zhu Baoguo was completely fooled. As for Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin, although they seemed to have the upper hand, they themselves were, in fact, the ones who knew that life had changed drastically for them ever since Qiao Dongliang moved away. “Old Qiao, the winter solstice will be here in a few days’ time. Can you give me some money so that I can buy some delicious food to nourish Zijin? Recently, Zijin has been very serious in her studies and has lost a lot of weight. When you see her, you will definitely feel sad.”
Even though Ding Jiayi would still ask Qiao Dongliang for money, her attitude and tone were no longer as arrogant as before.
In the past, Ding Jiayi would take things for granted, assuming that Qiao Dongliang’s money belonged to her and she had the right to spend them. Now, Ding Jiayi would tread carefully when she asked Qiao Dongliang for money. She would try hard to please him, as she knew that if he was angered, he might not give her any money.
Qiao Dongliang’s temper was not as good as it was two years ago. “How much do you want?”
“I don’t ask for much. I only want to buy a chicken to make chicken soup for Zijin. What do you think?” Ding Jiayi did not dare to ask for more. She feared that she might anger him and she would end up with nothing.
After losing the job that she used to have, Ding Jiayi could not find a permanent job. She could only settle with temporary odd jobs.
These odd jobs were tedious and did not pay much. Ding Jiayi did not earn much after working hard for the whole day.
Qiao Zijin’s standard of living was affected as well. She had to make do with lesser money to spend.
Qiao Dongliang stopped doing whatever he was working on and frowned at Ding Jiayi. After a long while, he said, “You don’t know how to slaughter a chicken. I will drop by the Qiao’s house tomorrow and bring you the chicken.”
“Alright, I will be waiting for you tomorrow.” Ding Jiayi breathed a sigh of relief at successfully getting the chicken. She smiled reluctantly and went back to the Qiao’s house.
In the end, Ding Jiayi found out about the new place that Qiao Dongliang had moved to. He could not keep it from Ding Jiayi.
However, Ding Jiayi never once stepped into the courtyard house. It was not that she had the self-discipline, but it was Qiao Dongliang who forbade her to do so.
Ding Jiayi did not know what mistakes she had committed, but she knew Qiao Dongliang had been angry with her for the past half a year. Qiao Nan’s school did not seem to like her too as they had always been picking on her.
Nevertheless, she was more than pleased that they could stay in that house for free. It was good that they could save three years’ worth of rent!
Ding Jiayi was elated that they could stay at the house without paying rent. It did not occur to her to find out the reason as to why Ping Cheng High School disliked her so much. Instead, she obeyed Qiao Dongliang and did not enter the house. She feared that if she went against Qiao Dongliang’s words, Ping Cheng High School would take back the house, and Qiao Dongliang and Qiao Nan would not be able to have free lodging.
“Dad, has Mom gone back?” After Ding Jiayi left, Qiao Nan came out from the house. She did not want to argue with her mother.
“Yes.” Qiao Dongliang stopped whatever he was doing. “Nan Nan, Dad has ordered two chickens. I will slaughter them tomorrow. One is for your sister, and the other one is for you.”
“Dad, it’s been hard on you.” Qiao Nan smiled. She did not care about the chicken.
The next day, a small knock could be heard outside the house not long after Qiao Dongliang left the house.
“Dad, did you forget anything—it’s you?!”
Chapter 303: Qiao Nan Was Mad
Qiao Nan’s eyes were full of surprise when she realized that it was Brother Zhai. “Brother Zhai, when did you come back? Come in, I will pour you some tea.”
Upon seeing Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan smiled brightly, her sparkling eyes forming an adorable crescent moon shape. She pulled at his sleeves naturally and led him into the house.
Zhai Sheng looked down and noticed that Qiao Nan’s fair hands stood out against his tanned complexion. Her arms were slender and fair. She had delicate and smooth skin.
A faint smile formed on Zhai Sheng’s lips. He shifted all the bags that he carried from his left hand to his right hand. He grabbed hold of Qiao Nan’s soft and warm hand and walked side by side with her into the house.
“Brother Zhai, have a seat, I will pour you some water.” Qiao Nan was focused on making him comfortable that she gave no response to what he did.
Zhai Sheng let go of her hand reluctantly. “There’s no hurry.” Then, he put the bags in his right hand on the ground. The bags were so heavy that they left several red marks on his rough palm.
However, in order to hold Qiao Nan’s hands, Zhai Sheng did not mind the pain at all.
“Brother Zhai, have some hot water.” After pouring the hot water for Brother Zhai, Qiao Nan realized belatedly that Zhai Sheng brought a lot of stuff with him and had left them on the floor. “Brother Zhai, that’s too polite of you. Whenever you come here, you will bring so much stuff with you. It’s winter solstice and the Lunar New Year is around the corner. Don’t tell me that there isn’t anyone at home, so you want me to prepare meals for you?”
In the past, Brother Zhai would not show his concern for her outright. Why did he do so openly now?
“Have you forgotten that you promised to cook me a table of food? Are you going back on your words?” Zhai Sheng felt pleasantly sweet while drinking the hot water poured by his ‘young wife’.
“No.” Qiao Nan waved her hand. How could she possibly go back on her words? “Since I am treating you, I should be the one paying for the food. How can I ask you to bring the food?”
Zhai Sheng lifted his right hand and reached out toward Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan blinked her eyes in confusion. She stared at Zhai Sheng’s palm. What did he want her to do?
Zhai Sheng directed his gaze at Qiao Nan’s hand and then back at Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan raised her hand, not knowing what to do, and faced her palm toward Zhai Sheng’s own. Her hand was clean. There was no dirt on it.
Zhai Sheng laughed in exasperation. She was, after all, his ‘young wife’. She did not know what he meant with his gestures. It proved that Nan Nan did what she promised and maintained a distant relationship with the boys in her school.
It was good that Qiao Nan did not know all these. He was the most important man in Nan Nan’s life, and he would guide her step by step along the way.
“Give me your hand.”
“Alright.” Qiao Nan obediently placed her hand onto Zhai Sheng’s palm.
Zhai Sheng clasped her hand and pulled Qiao Nan along with him. “Come over here to have a seat.”
“Okay.” Qiao Nan nodded obediently. She sat so close to Zhai Sheng that their thighs were touching each other. After a summer break of sitting so close to Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan had been accustomed to it. She no longer felt strange or awkward. “Brother Zhai, you can tell me directly if you want me to sit down. I am not a child, so there’s no need to hold hands.”
Zhai Sheng took a deep breath and resisted the impulse to pinch Qiao Nan’s face. Instead, he placed his palm on her head and pulled her into his embrace. “You are worse than a young child!”
While in his embrace, Qiao Nan smelled a faint sandalwood smell. It was pleasant and mesmerizing, making Qiao Nan dizzy. She clutched his clothes and asked, “Brother Zhai, did you raise a dog when you were a child?”
Otherwise, why did he have the habit of rubbing her head every time he saw her?
“Brother Zhai, shall I buy you a dog with a good pedigree when I have money in the future? What type of dog do you like?” When she grew up and started working, she did not want to be rubbed on the head by Brother Zhai.
Zhai Sheng’s dark eyes glinted, a dangerous look in his eyes. He tightened his vice-like grip around Qiao Nan’s waist while the other hand still rested on her head. He could feel Qiao Nan’s soft silky hair brushing against his fingers lightly. He liked the soft touch of her hair. “Do you mean that when you have money in the future, you will not be this close to me anymore?”
“Nan Nan, tell me. Are you thinking of having a boyfriend, and hence you are afraid that your boyfriend will be jealous?” There was a teasing note in his tone. He stopped brushing her hair, but rested his hand by her ear, lightly touching her soft and tender earlobe. They shared a sweet moment with each other.
Qiao Nan could not help but shiver, her ears turning red. She quickly covered her ears with her hand. “Brother Zhai, it’s itchy!”
Qiao Nan might be slow, but she could feel that she was too close to Zhai Sheng. Their distance had already surpassed that of a close friend. She pushed at Zhai Sheng’s chest, wanting to widen the distance between them. However, she was locked in Zhai Sheng’s tight grip. If he did not allow her, then she would not be able to move an inch.
“Nan Nan, you haven’t answered my question.” Zhai Sheng would not let her go unless he got her reply.
As a soldier, once he had a target in mind, he would only focus on the bull’s eye and never let his target escape from him.
Qiao Nan felt a mixture of anger and shyness. She yelled at Zhai Sheng, “There’s no boyfriend. Besides, there’s no man whom I find pleasing to the eye. Brother Zhai, I will keep my promise to you, but you must keep a check on yourself as well. You are different from me. I am still a student, and my top priority is my studies. I shouldn’t have a boyfriend at my age. As for you, you are not young. You should find yourself a girlfriend or even settle down to have a family and kids. Brother Zhai, you are a soldier. You should know to keep a clear distinction between friends and families. You should be mindful of your status and behavior. When you have a girlfriend in the future, she will be mad if she sees us behaving in such a way!”
“Both of us are clear about you treating me as your younger sister, but your girlfriend doesn’t know about it. Anyway, if I am your girlfriend, and I know that you are so close with your younger sister, I will be jealous and angry. I will definitely break up with you. Brother Zhai, if you do this again, I will be mad!”
In fact, Qiao Nan’s words were meant for Zhai Sheng and herself.
“Brother Zhai, I am a blockhead. I like things to be strict and precise. Brother Zhai, you are a soldier. You always obey the rules in the army. You should apply this attitude to your life as well. What you are doing is very dangerous!”
Chapter 304: Would Not Marry Her
Qiao Nan’s loud yell left a dent on Zhai Sheng’s heart.
Zhai Sheng loosened his fingers that were at Qiao Nan’s waist, but he did not let go of her. “Nan Nan, I…”
It seemed that Qiao Nan was not totally clueless, but she did not know what was on his mind. If he confessed his feelings for her, would it make things simpler?
Once Zhai Sheng had decided on a target, he would not change his mind. Sooner or later, he would have to let Qiao Nan know about his feelings. He contemplated making known his feelings to Qiao Nan so that while he was in the army, he would not be distracted or worry that Qiao Nan might be interested in other boys at her school.
“Zhai Sheng, Nan Nan, are you around?” Zhai Hua came at the right time. She relieved them from the awkward atmosphere.
Qiao Nan gave Zhai Sheng a hard push and shifted to the side. “Sister Zhai Hua?”
Zhai Sheng was just about to confess when he was interrupted. His face turned black and he narrowed his eyes at Zhai Hua who came in from the doorway.
Zhai Hua could tell right away what her brother was up to. She trembled slightly and smiled in embarrassment. “Zhai Sheng, you are too fast. You did not bring everything that Mom told you to bring. I have to run after you to bring you the bags. You are so muddleheaded.”
“Well?” Zhai Sheng seemed to be responding to Zhai Hua’s words, but it also seemed like he was asking her a question. Zhai Hua could not help but have goosebumps.
She did not understand. She was his elder sister, and she was four years older than him. Why was it that she was so fearful of him? Should it not be the other way round?
“Nan Nan, I haven’t seen you for so long. Do you miss me?” Zhai Hua could not stand Zhai Sheng’s cold treatment. She turned to look at Qiao Nan whom she was on friendly terms with.
“Sister Zhai Hua, I miss you dearly. Have a seat.” Qiao Nan relaxed slightly. She schooled her expression and moved to the side, making space between her and Zhai Sheng so that Zhai Hua could have a seat between them.
Qiao Nan finally relaxed when Zhai Hua sat down between them. “Sister Zhai Hua, what brings you here? Why didn’t you come with Brother Zhai? It must have been tiring to carry these heavy bags here.”
Zhai Hua felt happy that Qiao Nan cared for her. “Sure enough, having a sister is so much better. A sister naturally will care for you.”
Zhai Hua slanted her eyes at Zhai Sheng. On the other hand, Zhai Sheng curled the corners of his lips and sneered, completely ignoring Zhai Hua.
“All these are from my mom. Nan Nan, tell me honestly. Did you run into my mom again?” She remembered that her mother did not really like Qiao Nan, and she disliked it when Zhai Hua mentioned about the latter. It had not been even half a year’s time since then, but her mother had changed her opinion of Nan Nan even though she had not brought up Nan Nan in front of her mother.
It was also impossible that Zhai Sheng, who stayed in the army all day long, had mentioned Qiao Nan to her mother. If he really had done that, her mother might have disliked Nan Nan even more.
“I ran into her recently.” She was reminded of the previous time when Miao Jing insisted that she made a request of her so that Miao Jing could repay her kindness. Could it be that it was due to that incident that Zhai Hua and Zhai Sheng brought bags of food to her house? It was all under their mother’s orders?
“I see.” Seeing that Qiao Nan did not elaborate further, Zhai Hua supposed that it was not a pleasant encounter. “Nan Nan, Zhai Sheng and I have something on, so we will go back first. We will visit you on another day, alright?”
“It’s okay. Both of you are very busy.” Qiao Nan quickly stood up to walk them to the door.
“Zhai Sheng, let’s go.” Zhai Hua kicked at Zhai Sheng, who was reluctant to move.
Zhai Sheng laughed and shot Zhai Hua a warning look. He stood up slowly and said, “You still owe me a meal. We will eat together next time. I prefer it to be quiet. I don’t like it when there are too many people around.”
“Sure, I will only invite you to the meal!” Sure enough, Qiao Nan, who was usually good at dealing with cunning people, was totally clueless when it came to Zhai Sheng. She let her guard down around him and agreed to his request without any hesitation.
“Okay.” Since Zhai Sheng had achieved his purpose, he left the courtyard house with Zhai Hua.
As soon as the brother and sister got into the car, both of them had a sullen expression on their faces.
“Zhai Sheng, what do you think you’re doing?” Zhai Hua put on an accusatory tone. “Qiao Nan is still very young. How could you do that! Besides, you should know the situation at home. Mom and Dad have always wanted you to marry Qiu Chenxi. Do you know how much trouble you will bring Qiao Nan with that behavior of yours?”
According to Zhai Hua, Qiao Nan was still very young. She might meet many other men in her life and find her real happiness among them.
Given Zhai Sheng’s character, he would be dead set on Qiao Nan, leaving Qiao Nan with no other choice. As a result, she would not be able to search for her own happiness.
Zhai Hua was unhappy when she was reminded of the naive and innocent look that Qiao Nan had when she was with Zhai Sheng.
As a woman, Zhai Hua did not approve of Zhai Sheng’s aggressive and domineering behavior.
There was another reason why Zhai Hua was so unhappy. Qiu Chenxi had taken a fancy to Zhai Sheng since a young age. When all of them played around back then, Qiu Chenxi would always play the role of Zhai Sheng’s bride. Moreover, not only did Qiu Chenxi harbor such thoughts, but the Qiu family and the Zhai family had all agreed to this union.
As such, both families had been creating opportunities for the both of them to cultivate feelings for each other.
Zhai Sheng was at a suitable age to get married, and Qiu Chenxi would soon be graduating from college. The two families looked as if they were planning for their marriage.
Zhai Hua dragged her brother out from the Qiao house as the people from the Qiu family would visit their Zhai family with Qiu Chenxi to agree on a date.
No matter which girl her younger brother liked, Zhai Hua would give them her blessings, but on the premise that after making up his mind, Zhai Sheng must settle this issue with regards to Qiu Chenxi. Otherwise, he would be creating troubles for Qiao Nan.
“Don’t worry, I won’t marry Qiu Chenxi,” Zhai Sheng said calmly.
“How can you be so sure?” According to her, it was very likely that they would get married. If not, she would not have been full of worry.
If she had not appeared in the nick of time, Zhai Sheng, the big black wolf, would have snatched away Nan Nan, the small innocent sheep by now!
Zhai Hua felt that Qiu Chenxi would be the source of their troubles. No matter what, Zhai Hua would take the side of reason. She would not help her brother. She had to fight for Qiao Nan’s interests.
“Grandpa will be back today.”
“Wow, I must hand it to you. You have managed to get Grandpa to act as your biggest trump card. No wonder you can say with confidence that the marriage will not work out. Have you already planned it in advance?!” Zhai Hua’s eyes lit up. In the Zhai family, her father would only listen to Grandpa’s words.
“Of course.” Zhai Sheng leaned back on the car seat as Zhai Hua drove the car. “I have said that Nan Nan is the only one I like, the one I will marry. She may be young and does not understand the affairs of the heart, but I will not do anything that I am not supposed to do. I will not let Nan Nan suffer as well.”
Chapter 305: The Adults’ Affairs
“Since you have already made up your mind, I won’t worry for you.” Zhai Hua put her mind on driving. Grandpa did not like the Qiu family. As long as Grandpa was there, it was impossible for Zhai Sheng and Qiu Chenxi to be engaged.
By the time Zhai Hua and Zhai Sheng reached home, Qiu Chenxi’s parents and Qiu Chenxi were getting ready to leave.
Father Qiu had an awkward smile on his face. “It’s rare that Uncle Zhai is here. We will not disturb you any further. After Uncle Zhai has a good rest, we will visit again.”
“Grandpa Zhai, I have been into Chinese chess recently. Next time, shall we have a game?” Qiu Chenxi, who wore a skirt, looked dignified and pretty, exuding the charm of a young lady. Anyone would find her to be very likable.
But there were always exceptions, and Grandpa Zhai was one of them.
Old Master Zhai was a veteran revolutionary who used to serve in the Red Army. He liked traditional things, and his favorite pastimes was to play chess. When he had nothing to do, he would get people to play a game of chess with him.
However, chess was not popular nowadays. The younger generation, particularly, were not good at chess.
Qiu Chenxi wanted to hit on what he liked. Once she had the approval of Old Master Zhai, it would be easy for her to be Old Master Zhai’s granddaughter-in-law.
“No need.” Old Master Zhai smiled and said, “I have grown old, not as quick as before. I want to train my brain through playing chess lest I get dementia.”
Old Master Zhai was very accomplished in playing chess. His level of competence was almost that of the national players.
Those who had been playing chess regularly were not Old Master Zhai’s opponents, not to mention Qiu Chenxi who only learned to play chess recently. She was no match for Old Master Zhai.
The older one was, the more one behaved like children.
Old Master Zhai might be old, but he refused to admit it. He liked to challenge himself. He would spend the whole day playing chess, improving on his skills. He had no wish to waste a few minutes of his time on novices like Qiu Chenxi.
If he were to play chess with Qiu Chenxi, one could not say for sure whether Qiu Chenxi was the one who spent time with him, or whether Old Master Zhai was the one who entertained her instead.
Qiu Chenxi’s face turned red. Did Grandpa Zhai mean that it was too boring to play chess with her? That she was not a challenge worthy of him to come up with strategies against her?
“Chenxi, don’t be mischievous. Although playing chess is Grandpa Zhai’s hobby, he is very good at it. He does not have the time to entertain you. If you are free, you can stay by the side and learn from Grandpa Zhai and Zhai Sheng when they play chess. With your dilettantish skills, you can only serve tea and water for Grandpa Zhai.” Qiu Qin was truly a politician. Although his daughter was being ridiculed, he could still be all smiles at Old Master Zhai.
“Dad, you’re right. Youth knows no fear. I have made a fool of myself in front of Grandpa Zhai. There is so much to learn about Chinese chess. I will learn and improve my skills so as to be able to play with Grandpa Zhai. Right now, I will stand by the side and watch.” Qiu Chenxi curled the corners of her lips and smiled.
If so, she would get to spend more time with Brother Zhai.
She believed that as long as she hung around Grandpa Zhai every day, serving him water and food, he would grow to like her eventually.
“Chenxi, come over when you have time.” Miao Jing pursed her lips. Although she had a look of displeasure on her face, she still agreed to let Qiu Chenxi come to their house. Nevertheless, she wanted her to know that she could not come and go as she pleased.
Since she was not in any way related to them, it would not be appropriate for Qiu Chenxi to always spend time at the Zhai’s residence.
“Auntie Miao, I will get going. When I have time, I will definitely come over to accompany Grandpa Zhai.” Qiu Chenxi did not notice that Miao Jing was displeased. After all, Miao Jing had been very good to her and would like for her and Zhai Sheng to be together. Hence, it never occurred to Qiu Chenxi that there would be a day where Miao Jing would be dissatisfied with her.
Qi Minlan stood next to her husband and daughter. “Then, we will go first. Next time, we will discuss what we talked about previously.”
“Let’s talk about it later,” Zhai Yaohui said in reply.
“Brother Zhai, you are back!” Qiu Chenxi turned when she heard the sound of a car approaching. Zhai Sheng and Zhai Hua came back home in the same car.
Today, at the Zhai’s residence, Qiu Chenxi’s biggest regret was that she did not get to see Zhai Sheng. She did not expect to see him right before she left. Obviously, she was destined to be together with him!
“Grandpa, Dad, Mom,” Zhai Sheng greeted his family before politely acknowledging the guests. “Secretary Qiu, Madam Qiu.”
“Zhai Sheng is back.” As soon as he saw his beloved grandson, a big smile broke across Old Master Zhai’s wrinkled face. “Come here. Let Grandpa have a good look at you. Recently, did you have a lot of missions in the army? You haven’t visited Grandpa for a long time that I had to come here personally to see you. If you were still young, I would give you a good spanking.”
“We must serve the country wholeheartedly. Grandpa used to teach me one’s loyalty to the family and country and the delicate balance between them. I have remembered your words by heart.” Upon seeing Old Master Zhai, it was as if a spring breeze had swept across the barren winter land. Zhai Sheng’s love for his grandpa could be seen from his eyes. “Grandpa, let’s have a seat inside.”
“Let’s go. I shall have a good chat with my grandson.”
Old Master Zhai kept nodding. His eyes shone with excitement and said, “Zhai Sheng, I came prepared this time. You will suffer a crushing defeat and beg me for mercy!”
Zhai Yaohui and Miao Jing, who stood behind, stiffened at Old Master Zhai’s words. They had no idea whether they should smile or be angry.
“Goodbye.” Her father-in-law walked into the house with her son with no regards to the guests. However, Miao Jing could not possibly leave them to stand awkwardly in the doorway.
“There’s no need to send us out. We will make a move first.” Fortunately, the chauffeur from the Qiu family had driven the car to the front door. Qiu Qin opened the door for his wife and daughter and they got into the car.
When the car was driven out of the Zhai’s residence, Qiu Qin said coldly, “Why did Old Master Zhai come back at this time?”
“I have no idea.” At the mention of Old Master Zhai, Qi Minlan felt uncomfortable and her face stiffened.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Qiu Chenxi sensed that Qi Minlan’s hands were cold. She asked out of concern, “Mom, are you not feeling well? Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“No need…”
“After seeing Old Master Zhai, I suppose your mom will feel uncomfortable everywhere. Most important of all, her heart will not be at ease,” Qiu Qin said bitterly.
“Old Qiu!” Qi Minlan sounded helpless. “It has been ages ago. Why would you bring up something that happened a long time ago? Aren’t you afraid that your daughter will laugh at you?”
“What do you mean? Is it something I don’t know of?” Qiu Chenxi knitted her brows. “Mom, what happened between you and Grandpa Zhai?”
Qi Minlan shot Qiu Qin a warning look. She then smiled and patted Qiu Chenxi’s hand. “That is the adults’ affairs. You don’t have to know.”