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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
Who is Zhao Jin helping? Cheng Fangfang couldn't help but ask this question. Even Zhao Jin herself thought she had made her position very clear!
From beginning to end, hasn't she always been helping Qian Yue? Wasn't her stance clear enough for Cheng Fangfang and her daughter to recognize right from wrong?
Cheng Fangfang naturally couldn't have completely failed to notice Zhao Jin's position. On the contrary, she had always known that Zhao Jin had no intention of helping their family.
It was precisely because she knew this that Cheng Fangfang deliberately posed such a question, one with an obvious answer, in front of Zhou Ju.
As for why she did this, it was obviously to set a trap for Zhao Jin.
In the next moment, a smug expression appeared on Cheng Fangfang's face. She felt that Zhao Jin had revealed her true colors, and Cheng Fangfang genuinely felt pleased. Turning to Zhou Ju, her tone when mentioning Zhao Jin became increasingly disdainful: "Sister-in-law, I've already told you. Your daughter-in-law is not on our Qi Family's side. Her surname is Zhao, and she is wholeheartedly biased towards the Zhao Family." "Oh wait, she's even favoring her maternal family! It's clear they have no connection with us; I don't know what she's so worried about..." Cheng Fangfang thought that by saying this, Zhou Ju would surely change her attitude. At the very least, Zhou Ju should develop some resentment towards Zhao Jin, right?
Zhou Ju is indeed Zhao Jin's proper mother-in-law. As long as Zhou Ju has a falling out with Zhao Jin, Zhao Jin's good days would be over. After that, let's see how Zhao Jin continues to flaunt herself!
Cheng Fangfang was 100% sure that this move of hers was absolutely clever and effective. Who would have thought that Zhou Ju would remain unmoved? Instead of joining in on the hostility, she became unhappy and defended Zhao Jin: "Cheng Fangfang, what exactly are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to stir up trouble in our family? Why are you even here at the hospital today? If it’s not to visit my son Jin and the two Fat Babies, then you should leave quickly!"
Zhou Ju was not someone who couldn't see clearly. She had always been very aware of things and genuinely cared for Zhao Jin.
Moreover, Zhao Jin was currently the greatest contributor to their entire Qi Family; she had given birth to two sons in one go. Who could achieve such a feat by simply changing daughter-in-laws?
And their son Jin was such a wonderful girl! Her personality was particularly endearing. Their family must have accumulated eight lifetimes of good fortune to have married her into their home.
Zhou Ju never doubted this and always believed in it.
In Zhou Ju's mind, Zhao Jin was already very important, and now with the addition of two grandchildren, Zhou Ju had become Zhao Jin's most solid support. No matter who tried to sow discord between them, it was impossible and nonexistent.
Therefore, Cheng Fangfang's calculations at this moment were destined to fail. No matter how beautiful or skillful her words were, Zhou Ju would not be fooled. “Sister-in-law! Why can't you listen to reason? I am genuinely looking out for you. I don’t want you to be deceived and made a fool of, thinking that they treat you like a mother-in-law. Was there anything wrong with what we just said? Zhao Jin doesn’t even see herself as part of our Qi Family. She can’t stand the sight of us Qijia Family. Sister-in-law, you need to open your eyes and see clearly, don’t…” Zhou Ju's non-cooperation directly caused Cheng Fangfang to become anxious.
Cheng Fangfang believed she understood Zhou Ju well and thought she could easily win her over. Unexpectedly, Zhou Ju had changed!
Such a change and result caught Cheng Fangfang off guard, prompting her to put in more effort.
As Cheng Fangfang became increasingly agitated, she completely failed to notice that another person had appeared at the door of the hospital room.
With Cheng Fangfang's voice growing louder, Qi Feng, standing at the door, pursed her lips and spoke calmly, “What’s all the noise about?”
Qi Feng’s voice was not as sharp as Cheng Fangfang’s but instantly reached everyone’s ears in the room.
In an instant, Cheng Fangfang fell silent, while Qi Erzhu looked at Qi Feng, who stood at the door, in disbelief: “...Feng, your legs…”
Prior to this moment, Qi Erzhu had no idea about the treatment of Qi Feng's legs and had never inquired. After all, in his eyes, Qi Feng would surely spend her life lying on a hospital bed without any chance of moving.
Who would have thought that at this moment, he would see Qi Feng standing perfectly fine in front of him? Naturally, Qi Erzhu became very excited. “My legs are fine.” Leaning on a cane and slowly walking into the room, Qi Feng coldly replied to Qi Erzhu, then frowned slightly. “What are you all arguing about? The hospital needs to maintain silence; don’t you know that? Besides, can’t you see that Guo Guo and Dou Dou are sleeping? If you wake them up, can you take responsibility for that?”
If it were anyone else standing here criticizing them instead of Qi Feng, Cheng Fangfang would surely have fired back without hesitation: “Why can’t we take responsibility? They’re just two kids; if they wake up, they wake up. What can they do?”
It was precisely because the person speaking was Qi Feng that Cheng Fangfang opened her mouth and then obediently closed it again.
Even if Cheng Fangfang didn't admit it verbally, she felt guilty towards Qi Feng.
For such a long time, she hadn't spent a single penny on treating Qi Feng's legs. If Qi Feng's legs still hadn't healed, that would be one thing. She could stubbornly insist, "No matter how much money is spent, it won't get better."
But now? Qi Feng could already stand in front of her.
In other words, Qi Feng's legs could be treated!
Thus, her indifference over the years seemed particularly hateful and utterly unjustifiable.
Gritting her teeth, Cheng Fangfang took two steps back and turned to look at Qi Erzhu. She decided not to take responsibility for this; let Qi Erzhu handle it!
Let Qi Erzhu handle it? Cheng Fangfang was indeed overestimating Qi Erzhu.
If Qi Erzhu were truly the kind of responsible man he should be, how could he have always turned a blind eye to his younger brother, Qi Feng?
On the contrary, the more ruthless and heartless someone like Qi Erzhu was, the more likely they would flee in a crisis.
And at this moment, it was no different.
Without needing any words, Qi Erzhu turned around and stood by the window even more decisively than Cheng Fangfang had.
This left Cheng Fangfang feeling awkward.
It was clear that Qi Erzhu was unreliable. So, did that mean she still had to hold up the situation herself?
However, after cautiously glancing at Qi Feng, Cheng Fangfang's expression changed repeatedly, and she immediately felt the urge to flee.
What if she left now and found a chance to reason with Zhao Jin later?
As for Qi Feng, whoever wanted to pay attention to him could do so. Anyway, she did not want to confront Qi Feng directly.
It was too intimidating! Her heart raced, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Naturally, it was not feasible for Cheng Fangfang to leave at this moment. Qi Feng was standing right at the door; how could Cheng Fangfang escape?
Unlike Qi Dayong and Qi Erzhu, Qi Feng had a particularly strong character. When his legs were still in good condition, due to his military service, Qi Feng's authority in the Qi Family was unquestionable.
From the moment Cheng Fangfang first saw Qi Feng, she felt a sense of unease.
Unlike Qi Zheng, Cheng Fangfang met Qi Feng only after marrying into the Qi Family. Therefore, even though Qi Zheng had a powerful presence, he was still a child she had watched grow up; despite feeling intimidated by him, she still dared to confront him each time.
With Qi Feng, however, Cheng Fangfang lacked that confidence.
Although Qi Feng was the younger brother of Qi Erzhu and could be considered her brother as well, they were of the same generation. Cheng Fangfang was indeed not familiar with him; they had met very few times and she really did not know much about Qi Feng...
As a result, in front of Qi Feng, Cheng Fangfang dared not act rashly or shout out loud.
Cheng Fangfang was unwilling to see Qi Feng. Likewise, Qi Feng did not particularly want to face Cheng Fangfang either.
From the beginning, Qi Feng did not have a favorable impression of Cheng Fangfang, his second sister-in-law. Although his character meant he would never gossip or speak ill of her, every time he encountered her, he always wore a stern expression and remained extremely serious.
Until now, Qi Feng had never shown a smile in front of Cheng Fangfang.
However, throughout it all, Qi Feng believed he had never treated Second Brother's family poorly.
When he was good to his elder brother's family, Qi Feng also did not forget about Qi Erzhu, this Second Brother. This was true when buying gifts and also when distributing allowances.
Unfortunately, in the end, Qi Erzhu still disappointed Qi Feng.
The past disappointments were not something Qi Feng intended to hold onto, nor did he plan to settle accounts with Qi Erzhu's family. At this moment, standing here against Qi Erzhu's family was not for his own sake; it was purely because he could not stand to see Qi Erzhu's family come to the hospital to bully Zhao Jin.
With Qi Zheng absent, it was naturally up to him as the uncle to take charge. No matter what, he could not allow Zhao Jin to be bullied.
This was a debt the Qi Family owed Zhao Jin and the position the Qi Family should uphold.
Not only had Zhao Jin just given birth to two children for the Qi Family, but simply being Qi Zheng's wife was enough for Qi Feng to protect Zhao Jin.
Thus, upon hearing that Qi Erzhu's family had caused trouble at the hospital, Qi Feng rushed over from his own ward.
Because Qi Feng was still wearing a hospital gown, it left Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang speechless.
It felt as if everything was wrong. Qi Erzhu couldn't help but lower his head, wanting to escape all of this.
Cheng Fangfang frowned tightly. After glancing at Qi Erzhu several times without any result, she decided to compose herself and shamelessly pretended to be innocent in front of Qi Feng. "Oh, isn't this Uncle! Long time no see. Have your legs fully recovered? That's truly wonderful news. When you return to Willow Leaf Village, we must go eat at Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law's house. Second Sister-in-law will cook for you; she has to make something delicious for you!" Cheng Fangfang's words sounded pleasant,
but her smile was particularly forced.
Everyone present knew how insincere Cheng Fangfang's words were. In an instant, the ward fell into an eerie silence.
The atmosphere was undoubtedly suffocating for Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu. Breaking the silence was none other than Qi Feng, whom the couple feared the most: "Then thank you, Second Sister-in-law."
Did Qi Feng actually agree? This unexpected development left Cheng Fangfang stunned, unsure of how to continue the conversation.
She had merely made a polite remark and did not genuinely invite Qi Feng to their home for dinner.
Given their family's relationship with Qi Feng, it would be awkward not only to sit at the same dining table but even to be in the same room together.
She had thought that someone like Qi Feng would definitely refuse such an invitation upon hearing it. Who would have thought that Qi Feng actually agreed?
Because it was Qi Feng, Cheng Fangfang couldn't bring herself to say anything that might come off as "how could you be so oblivious." She stood there foolishly, her face pale.
Qi Feng did not need a meal from Cheng Fangfang. If he were to go to her house, there was no need for words; no matter how lavish the food was, it would surely not be enjoyable.
Yet, he still agreed. He wanted to see what Cheng Fangfang planned to do next.
Unfortunately, this was all Cheng Fangfang had up her sleeve; there were no further developments.
Faced with Cheng Fangfang's lackluster fighting spirit, Qi Feng's expression remained unchanged, but he couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed inside.
For so many years lying in bed, he had heard how Second Brother's family bullied Eldest Brother's family. Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he had listened closely.
Having witnessed the shamelessness of Qi Erzhu's family, how could Qi Feng not know about Cheng Fangfang's brazen and difficult nature?
He had expected that today Cheng Fangfang would confront him head-on, but it was clear that she had already backed down.
Seeing Cheng Fangfang retreat into her shell and not daring to show her face, Qi Feng simply walked calmly aside to check on the children.
In the hospital room, Cheng Fangfang blinked at Qi Feng, and all the complaints she had before suddenly seemed too daunting to voice.
She felt that if she dared to say even one more word about Zhao Jin, Qi Feng would definitely not let her off easy...
It wasn't just an illusion; it was Cheng Fangfang's instinct. The sudden surge of crisis made her heart race with fear.
In contrast to Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu, Qi Tingting felt no such thoughts.
Since Qi Feng had always been away from home, Qi Tingting was not close to this uncle and couldn't say they were familiar. She didn't know what kind of temper Qi Feng had, nor did she ask.
After all, it wasn't something she needed to worry about; her parents were there!
Besides, this uncle was no longer the once-glorious figure he used to be. A man who could only lie in bed as a paraplegic had no capabilities.
Undoubtedly, Qi Tingting held a disdain for Qi Feng.
Moreover, over the years, Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu rarely mentioned Qi Feng at home, which made Qi Tingting regard him even less seriously.
So when they suddenly encountered him today, while Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu were frightened, Qi Tingting found it utterly perplexing.
Indeed, it was perplexing. What did today's events have to do with Qi Feng? What was he doing standing there making a fuss?
And what about her parents? Why had they suddenly become so stuck? Wasn't her issue with Tao Tao still unresolved? If this dragged on any longer, Tao Tao would really be getting married!
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere in the hospital room any longer, Qi Tingting stepped forward.
"Sister-in-law." Standing earnestly in front of Zhao Jin's hospital bed, Qi Tingting took a deep breath, striving not to argue with Zhao Jin. "Can we have a proper conversation?"
Tingting's words seemed to be flattering, but her tone told a different story.
What does it mean to say a few good words? It made it sound like Zhao Jin never wanted to have a proper conversation with Tingting, or that she was deliberately making things difficult for her, as if they were enemies.
However, Zhao Jin had no intention of engaging further with Tingting on this matter. She simply looked at Tingting in silence, waiting for her next move.
Seeing that Zhao Jin showed no signs of opposition, Tingting couldn't help but reveal a hint of smugness.
Hmph! This is all Zhao Jin can do! No matter how high and mighty she thinks she is, she still has to obediently talk to me!
Tingting wasn't very good at hiding her emotions, and Zhao Jin could see right through her in no time.
Zhao Jin smirked but had no intention of exposing Tingting's little scheme at that moment. She considered herself already ahead in the game. Tingting sneered inwardly but maintained a facade of false friendliness on the surface: "Sister-in-law, you married my cousin and now have added two fat babies to our Qi Family. Without a doubt, we are family now. I treat you as my own sister-in-law, so I can speak freely with you. I hope you can see me as your little sister too, okay?"
"I know Sister-in-law is the eldest in your maternal family and doesn't have any younger sisters, so it might not be easy for you at first. That's alright; I won't hold it against you. As long as Sister-in-law treats me well and sees me as family, I will definitely..."
Since she still needed Zhao Jin's help to mediate certain matters, Tingting was willing to pretend to maintain a semblance of peace for the time being.
She was only willing to lower herself and make an effort to get along with Zhao Jin because she hadn't yet married Tao Tao. Once she achieved her goal of marrying Tao Tao, she would have nothing more to do with Zhao Jin. At that point, she'd see how she would repay Zhao Jin for all the difficulties she faced now!
Tingting's skills were still far from Cheng Fangfang's level. Despite her efforts to appear sincere on the surface, her condescending tone and attitude revealed her true feelings and thoughts.
With such limited skills, it would indeed be difficult for her to gain favor in front of Zhao Jin.
As Tingting continued to ramble on, Zhao Jin had no choice but to interrupt: "I'm not the eldest in my maternal family either. There are cousins and younger male relatives below me."
Unlike Tingting's various schemes, Zhao Jin completely sidestepped all of Tingting's nonsense and chose not to engage with the entanglements between them. She simply stated the facts calmly and let Tingting come to her own conclusions.
Zhao Jin's words were naturally unassailable. It was also a well-known fact that left no room for Qi Tingting to argue.
No matter how hard Qi Tingting tried to bridge the gap between herself and Zhao Jin, she could at most be considered a cousin, sharing the same status as Zhao Ying'er, with no difference at all.
Zhao Jin's cousin was one thing, but Qi Tingting didn't care and was too lazy to think much about it. However, Zhao Jin's cousin...
Who didn't know that Zhao Jin's cousin was Zhao Ying'er?
As soon as Zhao Jin said this, Qi Tingting immediately became unhappy: "Sister-in-law, how can I be the same as that Zhao Ying'er? Our Qi Family hates Zhao Ying'er the most; I am not her."
Clearly, Qi Tingting did not have this self-awareness.
Not only did she lack this self-awareness, but Qi Tingting even felt that Zhao Jin's words were an insult to her.
Everyone in Willow Leaf Village knew about Zhao Ying'er forcing Zhao Jin to marry into the Qi Family. Even if everyone pretended in front of Zhao Ying'er, they privately ridiculed her mercilessly.
Moreover, the Wu Family that Zhao Ying'er had married into was previously Zhao Jin's intended match! This made the gossip about Zhao Ying'er even more abundant.
Qi Tingting usually spent her days idly at home doing nothing. Her greatest pastime was chatting with the various aunts and relatives in the village.
Many times, it was Qi Tingting who initiated discussions about Zhao Ying'er. In her words, there was nothing but disdain and ridicule directed at Zhao Ying'er.
Qi Tingting had always believed that by behaving this way, she could demonstrate her superiority over Zhao Ying'er.
Because of this pride, Qi Tingting wished nothing more than to bury Zhao Ying'er beneath the dust.
Yet at this moment, when Zhao Jin compared her to the very person Qi Tingting looked down upon the most—Zhao Ying'er—Qi Tingting immediately became displeased. She frowned and shouted at Zhao Jin.
Zhao Jin was unaware of the confidence that Qi Tingting held in her heart, nor did she know about Qi Tingting's actions that tarnished Zhao Ying'er's reputation throughout the village.
In Zhao Jin's eyes, although Qi Tingting was not as detestable as Zhao Ying'er, she certainly did not fit the mold of a good sister.
Therefore, Zhao Jin saw no problem in placing Qi Tingting and Zhao Ying'er together.
On the contrary, the impression that Qi Tingting and Zhao Ying'er left on Zhao Jin was quite similar; there wasn't much difference in how she viewed them.
To Zhao Jin, only Qi Yuehong was a genuine sister. The only one she cared about and felt pity for was her sister Qi Yuehong.
As for Qi Tingting? Zhao Jin could only think that their paths were different and they should keep their distance. Given their relationship, it was more appropriate to maintain a respectful distance.
"So?" Not wanting to continue listening to Qi Tingting's detailed analysis of their closeness, Zhao Jin was not buying into it and directly pushed the conversation forward.
No need for unnecessary words; facts are facts and cannot be distorted or misinterpreted by anyone. To Zhao Jin, Qi Tingting's nonsense was just a big joke. It went in one ear and out the other, easily forgotten after hearing it.
However, Qi Tingting did not share this view. Believing that her emotional appeal had worked well and that Zhao Jin had already acknowledged her, Qi Tingting felt a surge of pride. Consequently, her words unconsciously carried an air of superiority: "So of course you have to stand by my side and help me marry Tao Tao! That Qian Yue is not Sister-in-law's sister; why should Sister-in-law care about her life or death?"
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