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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
Zhao Guofu is not only absolutely selfish but also particularly concerned about his reputation. In his eyes, failing to successfully call Zhao Guoqiang away is a very embarrassing matter. Such embarrassment is something Zhao Guoqiang absolutely cannot tolerate. Gritting his teeth, Zhao Guofu decided to wear down Zhao Guoqiang: "Brother, I'm just a runner. Dad asked me to come, so I obediently came. If you really have an issue with Dad, you should talk to him yourself and don't blame it on me. You know what Dad is like; I won't help you take this scolding."
Zhao Guofu is thick-skinned enough. He knows that if Zhao Guoqiang goes to see Grandfather Zhao, he will definitely be scolded. Yet he still insists that Zhao Guoqiang must go with him immediately. His intentions are undeniably malicious.
Zhao Guoqiang naturally picks up on the deeper meaning in Zhao Guofu's words. He isn't afraid of being scolded by Grandfather Zhao, but he doesn't want Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng's hard-won return to be affected by Grandfather Zhao.
Zhao Guoqiang can guess why Grandfather Zhao wants to see him; it's most likely about Zhao Ying'er getting married.
Although he is indeed Zhao Ying'er's uncle, the relationship between their two families has long since changed over time. Zhao Guoqiang does not believe he can offer any opinions on Zhao Ying'er's marriage, nor would Grandfather Zhao and the others listen to any suggestions from him.
If that's the case, why does Grandfather Zhao insist on calling him over? And why does Zhao Guofu refuse to leave?
Zhao Guoqiang is not foolish. Noticing that Zhao Guofu's gaze has shifted toward the new dining table in their living room, he suddenly understands what kind of scheme Grandfather Zhao and the others are plotting.
It's not surprising; after all, Grandfather Zhao and his group had caused trouble before without hiding their intentions or greed.
However, Zhao Guoqiang thought that with Zhao Ying'er's marriage settled, those past issues would come to an end and wouldn't resurface.
Clearly, he has overestimated the character of Grandfather Zhao and the others. When it comes to taking advantage of others, both Grandfather Zhao and Zhao Guofu are relentless in their pursuit and seem to enjoy trying to exploit his family.
If the new furniture that Grandfather Zhao and Zhao Guofu wanted was something that Zhao Guoqiang had bought with his own money, he might have been impulsive enough to agree to let them take it away.
But these new pieces of furniture hold a different significance. They are part of the bride price sent by Qi Zheng for their family. Even for the sake of maintaining the dignity and standing of his maternal family, Zhao Guoqiang absolutely cannot allow Grandfather Zhao and Zhao Guofu to do as they please.
Some things, Zhao Guoqiang can choose not to fight for and can let go. However, when it comes to his children, Zhao Guoqiang glared at Zhao Guofu with a dark expression, silent yet full of pressure.
Zhao Guofu felt no guilt at all. Under Zhao Guoqiang's intense gaze, he inexplicably felt as if Zhao Guoqiang could see right through him, and he couldn't help but turn his head away to avoid the stare.
This shift in focus allowed him to find a better angle to observe the new dining table placed before him.
Wow, Qi Zheng's craftsmanship is really impressive. The quality of this wood is excellent; it’s clear that it wasn’t just casually chopped down from the mountains. The patterns and colors of the table are also very pleasing, and Qi Zheng truly deserves the ancestral skills passed down from the Qi Family's grandfather...
The more Zhao Guofu looked, the more satisfied he became, and he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful that when Qi Zheng sent the Bride Price over, he hadn’t examined it closely enough and hadn’t put in much effort to compete with his brother’s family.
If they hadn’t made concessions, wouldn’t this furniture be in their home right now?
Thinking about that scenario lifted Zhao Guofu's spirits considerably.
Zhao Guofu was becoming increasingly blatant, openly displaying his intentions in front of Zhao Guoqiang's family, which only annoyed everyone present.
“Dad, I have something I want to discuss with you,” Qi Zheng suddenly spoke up, interrupting Zhao Guofu's pleasant thoughts and capturing his attention.
“Alright, let’s step outside.” With Zhao Guofu being such a nuisance at home, it wasn’t suitable to discuss matters there. Thus, Zhao Guoqiang intended to go out with Qi Zheng for a more detailed conversation. “Hey, wait a minute. Why can’t we talk about it at home? Do you really think the neighbors will miss out on our family’s business?” Completely oblivious to his own bothersome presence, Zhao Guofu not only refused to leave but also insisted that Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Zheng discuss their matters in front of him.
Could it be that Qi Zheng plans to gift another set of furniture to Zhao Guoqiang's family? If that’s the case, he wouldn’t mind accepting it on behalf of his brother!
At this moment, Zhao Guofu was completely immersed in dreams of new furniture; no matter what he heard or saw, he immediately associated it with new furnishings. In a way, one could say he was daydreaming.
Zhao Guoqiang frowned. He initially wanted to shake off Zhao Guofu but suddenly remembered that given Zhao Guofu's nature, even if he went out with Qi Zheng, Zhao Guofu would likely follow closely behind with no shame and eavesdrop.
Thinking of that scene, Zhao Guoqiang couldn't help but feel a headache, and he had to admit that he and Qi Zheng probably wouldn't be able to come to an agreement.
However, Qi Zheng was more adept at handling situations than Zhao Guoqiang had imagined.
Despite appearing indifferent on the surface, when it came to taking advantage of others, Qi Zheng was quite skilled. Just as he heard Zhao Guofu's words, before Zhao Guoqiang could speak, Qi Zheng nodded in agreement: "Perfect. Fourth Uncle can also help; I was planning to find Fourth Uncle anyway."
Help! Zhao Guofu suddenly became alert and looked at Qi Zheng with suspicion.
Could it be borrowing money? He almost forgot where the Zhao Family would get the money to buy timber. Qi Zheng must have debts! Was he planning to shamelessly borrow money everywhere to pay off his debts?
If he were really going to borrow, he should go to Zhao Guoqiang, not him! Zhao Guoqiang was Qi Zheng's father-in-law; he wasn't related to him at all! He was just Zhao Jin's maternal uncle, and they wouldn’t have any future interactions. What right did Qi Zheng have to ask him for money?
He had no money and wouldn’t lend any!
This thought flashed quickly through his mind, and Zhao Guofu instinctively stood up to leave.
Noticing Zhao Guofu's movement, Qi Zheng not only didn't back down but continued earnestly: "I don't know if Fourth Uncle is tight on funds lately; I..."
"Tight, very tight! Fourth Uncle is living on a shoestring budget; I don’t have a single penny to lend!" Fearing that Qi Zheng would stubbornly insist on borrowing money from him, Zhao Guofu had no intention of listening to the rest of Qi Zheng's words and hurriedly left. "Brother, you handle things with Dad yourself. I advise you to come over quickly; Dad has no patience. If you force him to come personally, there will definitely be a lot of noise. If you’re not worried about the trouble, I’m worried about Dad’s health!"
When it came to being thick-skinned, Zhao Guofu was undoubtedly the best among everyone Zhao Guoqiang knew. Unfortunately, Zhao Guofu was his younger brother. Despite repeatedly emphasizing that he wanted nothing to do with Zhao Guofu and clearly stating their need for distance, he still couldn’t resist Zhao Guofu’s desperate desire to take advantage of him. To this day, Zhao Guoqiang had not been able to successfully cut ties with Zhao Guofu’s family.
Seeing Zhao Guofu run away faster than anyone else, Zhao Guoqiang let out a long sigh filled with helplessness and disappointment.
However, soon after, Zhao Guoqiang perked up again and looked seriously at Qi Zheng, speaking sincerely: "How much money do you need? Just say it. We will definitely help as much as we can. If it really doesn’t work out, I can ask Jin Ma to borrow some from my uncles..."
“Dad, I don’t have any debts.” Interrupting Zhao Guoqiang, Qi Zheng's tone was even more serious than Zhao Guoqiang's.
Originally, Zhao Guoqiang was the elder, and Qi Zheng, as the son-in-law, should not have interrupted him. However, as Zhao Guoqiang went on further, despite being extremely grateful for his concern, Qi Zheng chose to timely end this topic.
“Hmm? You don’t owe money?” This time, it was Zhao Guoqiang who was taken aback.
He had never doubted the possibility of Qi Zheng having debts outside. On the contrary, he had been waiting for Qi Zheng to speak up and had even considered finding an opportunity to subtly test Qi Zheng’s stance on the matter. While they still had some capability, he wanted to help Qi Zheng pay off any debts.
He worried that as their three children grew up, their family burden would increase, and he might be unable to help Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin when the time came.
When Qi Zheng mentioned this in front of Zhao Guofu earlier, Zhao Guoqiang hadn’t doubted its authenticity; he only wanted to help…
“Dad, I really don’t have any debts. I just said that on purpose for Fourth Uncle to hear.” In front of Zhao Guoqiang, Qi Zheng did not hide the intention behind his earlier words and spoke frankly.
Zhao Guoqiang was momentarily stunned before he realized what was happening. When he saw Zhao Jin peeking in from outside, he couldn’t help but laugh.
It was probably his daughter causing trouble again and pushing Qi Zheng out. This girl had truly been spoiled. Previously pampered at home and now protected tightly by Qi Zheng after marrying into the Qi Family, she seemed to be getting more unruly, almost climbing onto Qi Zheng’s head to act out.
Of course, while Zhao Guoqiang thought this way in his heart, he wouldn’t actually say it out loud.
Seeing Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin’s loving relationship made him happier than anyone else; he naturally wished for their relationship to last forever.
“Then is it also fake that you have something to discuss with me?” Since there were no debts, they could let that matter go. Zhao Guoqiang didn’t genuinely expect such a thing to exist; it was better that it didn’t. “No. I really do have something to discuss with Dad.” Shaking his head, Qi Zheng didn’t pause and continued speaking to Zhao Guoqiang, “Here’s the thing. I signed a cooperation agreement with a lumber mill in the county and need to regularly provide furniture for them. My family might not have enough manpower, so I wanted to ask if my older brother and Second Brother are busy lately. If there isn’t too much work in the fields, I’d like them to come help me out at my place. The price offered by the lumber mill is quite good; I can earn a decent amount and also give my older brother and Second Brother some wages.”
Zhao Guoqiang never expected this; he thought he would need to support Qi Zheng, but instead, Qi Zheng wanted to send money to their family.
After a brief moment of distraction, Zhao Guoqiang's mindset quickly adjusted. No father-in-law wants his son-in-law to struggle. Even if it’s just for Zhao Jin’s sake, so she doesn’t suffer in the Qi Family, Zhao Guoqiang would certainly be happy to see Qi Zheng do well.
Moreover, Zhao Guoqiang really liked Qi Zheng as a son-in-law. He held Qi Zheng's character and personality in high regard. Hearing about Qi Zheng's plans at that moment made him think even more highly of him. "No problem helping out. There isn’t much work at home this season; I can manage on my own. Let Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan come help you." After confirming the assistance, Zhao Guoqiang emphasized, "As for wages, forget it. We are all family; it’s just a little help, nothing major."
"Dad, wages should be counted. Originally, the Lumber Mill hoped I could work there; they provide manpower and materials, which saves a lot of trouble. I insisted on bringing the wood back home for our family. Since wages have to be paid anyway, rather than giving them to the workers at the mill, it’s better to give them to our own family. I’m not someone who doesn’t know my place; I’ll pay according to the actual wages given, as long as Brother and Second Brother don’t mind if it’s a bit less." To be honest, Qi Zheng hadn’t planned on this initially. However, after coming to the Zhao Family, he suddenly had this thought.
The first batch of wood took too much time for the four of them; the work in the fields was somewhat neglected, and they were all quite exhausted. Now that Qi Rui had started school again, they had one less helper, leaving only three people. Because Uncle Tao was so satisfied with the furniture Qi Zheng had submitted earlier, this time Uncle Tao was generous and provided nearly double the amount of wood compared to before. It was impossible to manage everything by themselves; Qi Zheng needed help. The most trustworthy helpers were undoubtedly Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan.
"They wouldn’t dare!" For Zhao Guoqiang, helping out was necessary; asking for wages was unacceptable. If Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan dared to complain about low wages, he wouldn’t hesitate to break their legs.
In the yard, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan felt wronged. They had no idea about this arrangement and didn’t plan on taking money from Qi Zheng; they certainly wouldn’t complain about low wages! It was too innocent for them!
The decision for Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan to help Qi Zheng was thus settled.
Zhao Guoqiang's agreement with Qi Zheng was neither perfunctory nor polite; both brothers genuinely wanted to help. Therefore, starting from the second day, they began reporting to the Qi Family every day.
In some ways, the Qi Family could also be considered carpenters by trade. Among them, Qi Zheng had the best skills.
Although Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan were just there to help out, Qi Zheng did not hold back and earnestly taught them both.
Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan were not ungrateful people. They already thought highly of their brother-in-law Qi Zheng; now they regarded him even more favorably.
This was a skill that could be used to earn money and support their families—how could Qi Zheng entrust it to them? It showed that he truly regarded them as family!
Just based on this point, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan became even closer to Qi Zheng.
Moreover, because they stayed at the Qi Family for lunch every noon, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan finally witnessed for themselves how their precious younger sister was living in the Qi Family.
It was the Qi Family that insisted on keeping them for lunch. Originally, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan intended to just help out at the Qi Family and then head back to the Zhao Family for their own meal.
However, their plan was destined to fail. Neither Grandma Qi nor Zhou Ju, nor even Zhao Jin, would agree to it.
According to Grandma Qi's own words, how could one ask for help and not provide a meal? Moreover, since Zhao Zhenqi and his brother were family, they absolutely could not be treated as outsiders.
In the end, the two brothers of Zhao Zhenqi had no choice but to stay.
At first, when they saw Zhao Jin in the Qi Family not even needing to enter the kitchen, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan exchanged glances and saw mutual disapproval in each other's eyes. Even though Zhao Jin was their own younger sister and they truly cared for her, since she had become someone else's daughter-in-law, her change in status meant that she needed to learn to adapt and grow. No matter how much she disliked cooking, it was her responsibility, and she could not shirk it or avoid it.
With this thought in mind, the two brothers immediately called out to Zhao Jin: "Jin, come here. Big Brother and Second Brother have something to discuss with you."
Zhao Jin had been very busy lately. She was occupied with designing new clothes and doing some sewing repairs. She didn't expect that just stepping out into the yard for a drink of water would lead her to being cornered by the Zhao Brothers.
Seeing the serious expressions on Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan's faces, Zhao Jin blinked. She thought that perhaps the Qi Family had offended them somehow and made them unhappy, so she walked over immediately.
However, what Zhao Jin did not expect was that what displeased the Zhao Brothers was not the Qi Family but her.
Listening to her maternal family brothers reprimanding her for being willful and causing trouble in her in-law family... Zhao Jin felt quite wronged.
She truly did not intend to be lazy, but it also depended on whether her mother-in-law would allow her into the kitchen!
At this moment, facing the anger from Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan, Zhao Jin felt most fortunate that Qi Yuehong was not at home but had gone to school.
Otherwise, if the Zhao Brothers saw Qi Yuehong doing various chores at home while she, as the married Sister-in-law, was leisurely enjoying herself, she would probably still have to endure their scolding!
When Qi Zheng walked over, what he saw was the Zhao Brothers repeatedly reprimanding Zhao Jin.
Without thinking, he stepped forward and protected Zhao Jin behind him, seriously explaining to the Zhao Brothers, "It's not that Jin doesn't work; it's that my mom and grandma can't bear to see her toil and tire herself."
Toil and tire? Although the two Zhao brothers were pleased to see Zhao Jin thriving in the in-law family, it was just cooking a meal; it wasn't like she was working in the fields. How could that be considered toil and tire?
Even though the Zhao Brothers knew very well that Qi Zheng cared deeply for their sister, this situation left them somewhat speechless. Was it really okay to dote on a wife to such an extent?
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