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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
Qi Juanjuan did not immediately feel discouraged. She was well aware that her years of behavior towards Grandma Qi could hardly be considered filial. At this moment, if she wanted to gain any benefits from Grandma Qi, she would have to put in a lot of effort.
With this in mind, Qi Juanjuan's gaze towards Grandma Qi became increasingly ingratiating. Whether in conversation or action, she was particularly cautious, fearing that any misstep or inadequacy might upset Grandma Qi and lead to her being driven away.
Qi Juanjuan understood that Grandma Qi had changed; she was no longer as generous and kind as before and could even send people away... This made Qi Juanjuan uncertain about her own future encounters with her.
She couldn't shake the feeling that if she wasn't careful, Grandma Qi might disregard her identity as a member of the Qi Family and kick her out too.
There was no way around it; after so many years, suddenly trying to please Grandma Qi was not as simple as Qi Juanjuan had imagined.
On the way here, Qi Juanjuan hadn't felt this strongly; she had been full of confidence, ready to win over Grandma Qi in one go. But once she actually started interacting, even just standing in front of Grandma Qi and saying a couple of sentences could provoke her displeasure.
From Grandma Qi's eyes, Qi Juanjuan clearly saw disdain and dislike. Her own grandmother truly despised her...
This realization was not a pleasant one. Qi Juanjuan's expression changed repeatedly, yet she still forced herself to try to engage with Grandma Qi more.
After all, she was Grandma Qi's own granddaughter, wasn't she? Even if Grandma Qi wasn't particularly close to her, they still shared blood ties. How could she possibly just ignore her?
Thinking this way, Qi Juanjuan couldn't help but become even more enthusiastic. When facing Grandma Qi, she acted even more obedient and compliant.
However, Qi Juanjuan undoubtedly used the most misguided approach to get close to and please Grandma Qi.
Indeed, for all these years, Grandma Qi had never been particularly close to Qi Juanjuan. But what kind of person was Qi Juanjuan? Grandma Qi was not completely oblivious.
In Grandma Qi's eyes, what Qi Juanjuan was doing at this moment could only be described as "hypocritical."
Why would Qi Juanjuan come to ingratiate herself with a false facade? There must be some ulterior motive. Without any benefits involved, why would she go through such lengths to approach her and try to flatter her?
Grandma Qi never considered herself an exceptionally formidable elder. However, when it came to judging people, she was certainly no novice.
Qi Juanjuan wanted to play tricks in front of her, but it wasn't that easy.
As for the benefits Qi Juanjuan wanted to gain, Grandma Qi sighed lightly, truly not wanting to pay attention.
Having lived to this age, what else was there to look forward to? Qi Juanjuan suddenly coming over was probably just an idea given by Cheng Fangfang! The purpose must be related to Zhao Lei's marriage.
If given a choice, Grandma Qi would definitely advise Qi Juanjuan not to marry Zhao Lei.
With a character like Zhao Lei and a family like the Zhao Family, Grandma Qi did not believe that Qi Juanjuan would have a good life after marrying into that family.
However, Qi Juanjuan was not Qi Yuehong. In this matter, it was indeed something that Grandma Qi could not easily persuade her about.
On the contrary, as soon as Grandma Qi spoke up, she would surely be met with immediate rebuttals and complaints from Qi Juanjuan...
Grandma Qi was not completely out of touch with reality, so she simply treated Qi Juanjuan as if she didn't exist.
As for Qi Juanjuan's attempts to please her, Grandma Qi could only curl her lips; she really couldn't accept it wholeheartedly.
Qi Juanjuan naturally noticed Grandma Qi's estrangement and indifference. After receiving continuous blows, Qi Juanjuan couldn't help but darken her expression.
She had already tried very hard to please Grandma Qi, yet not a single kind word was given to her. Instead, Grandma Qi showed affection towards Zhao Jin and Sun Qiuer.
This stark contrast was too much for Qi Juanjuan, who already had a bad temper; after enduring for a while, she could no longer hold back.
“Grandma! What’s wrong with you? I am the granddaughter of the Qi Family, and you don’t even care about me!” Stamping her foot in anger, Qi Juanjuan finally tore away the false facade she had been putting on.
She was feeling very unhappy right now! If she didn’t vent in front of Grandma Qi, wouldn’t she suffocate herself?
“You’re also unfilial towards your grandmother!” Given her age, Grandma Qi didn’t want to speak too harshly to her. So she immediately stated the facts.
In Grandma Qi’s words, the criticism towards Qi Juanjuan wasn’t that obvious. At her age, she no longer clung to past grievances, which would only lead to unpleasantness between generations.
At this moment, Grandma Qi just wanted to keep the peace.
Some things are simply facts, and there is no need for argument. It’s better to avoid getting upset and harming one's health.
This is Grandma Qi's attitude towards Qi Juanjuan and the entire Qi Ershu family.
Therefore, she decided to leave it at that. Grandma Qi believed that Qi Juanjuan could understand her words and grasp the meaning behind them.
However, Qi Juanjuan did not think that Grandma Qi was trying to enlighten her. On the contrary, to her ears, Grandma Qi was blaming her for years of unfilial behavior, suggesting that she deserved the treatment she was receiving now.
Like Cheng Fangfang, Qi Juanjuan would not look for faults within herself.
Since it wasn't her fault, it must be Grandma Qi who was in the wrong.
Once this thought took root in Qi Juanjuan's heart, it became impossible to uproot. Moreover, Qi Juanjuan no longer held back and directly confronted Grandma Qi: “Grandma, I want to marry Zhao Lei. Please don’t bother trying to help Qi Yuehong compete for him. Zhao Lei likes me, not Qi Yuehong. It would be embarrassing for her if this escalates. At that point, you’ll blame me for being unfilial for not clarifying things with you sooner.”
Grandma Qi was so taken aback by Qi Juanjuan's words that she almost laughed in anger: “So what? Are you implying that our family forced Zhao Lei's grandmother to come here to propose?”
This question from Grandma Qi was indeed a good one; it left Qi Juanjuan speechless. After a while, she finally found her voice again: “That's not what I meant. I'm just giving you a heads-up so you don’t misunderstand.”
“We haven’t misunderstood anything. The one who is truly mistaken here is probably you!” Not giving Qi Juanjuan any face, Grandma Qi pointed out her thoughts directly: “Do you think that by coming to our house like this, we should help you marry Zhao Lei? This has nothing to do with my Yuehong at all. Even if it did, there’s no need for you to play tricks on me here.”
“As for the Zhao family, if you really have the ability, go quickly and win over your future mother-in-law! Otherwise, after all this fuss here, the Zhao family might not even recognize you as their daughter-in-law. At that point, you would truly be embarrassed.” Grandma Qi’s temper had indeed been provoked by repeated arguments. Now facing Qi Juanjuan, she showed no signs of holding back.
Qi Juanjuan’s expression changed. She felt that Grandma Qi was not supporting her or helping her and immediately got angry: “My affairs are none of your business. You don’t need to worry about the Zhao family either. I will definitely marry Zhao Lei; just let Qi Yuehong stop daydreaming and making a fool of herself. She’s embarrassing herself and our Qi family.”
“I’ll return this point back to you as it is.” It was strange that Zhao Jin couldn’t hear such a commotion from Qi Juanjuan.
Originally, Guo Guo and Dou Dou were sleeping soundly when they were awakened by Qi Juanjuan's shouting and began to cry.
The two children were handed over to Sun Qiuer for distraction, while Zhao Jin directly came out to address the source of the noise, which was Qi Juanjuan herself.
Upon seeing Zhao Jin, Qi Juanjuan fell silent for a moment. She was unsure how to treat Zhao Jin.
In the past, she had only regarded Zhao Jin as Qi Zheng's wife and didn't care about pleasing this Sister-in-law. However, considering Zhao Lei's feelings, Qi Juanjuan was worried about how much influence Zhao Jin had in the Zhao Family.
Although everyone knew that Zhao Jin was not particularly favored by Grandma Zhao and could not compare to Zhao Ying'er’s status in the Zhao Family, Zhao Jin's surname was Jin. What if Zhao Zhenqi and his brother teamed up to tarnish her reputation in front of the elders of the Zhao Family?
It was quite rare for Qi Juanjuan to think so far ahead, employing various conspiracy theories.
However, regardless of her feelings, Qi Juanjuan was not the type to back down in front of others. Seeing that Zhao Jin's attitude was not very favorable, Qi Juanjuan forced herself to respond, "I only came to advise Qi Yuehong out of kindness."
"I remember last time at school, you teamed up with Zhao Lei to bully my Yuehong!" As a witness at that time, Zhao Jin still recalled those scenes from school. Qi Juanjuan's arrival now seemed somewhat amusing to her: "Since you and Zhao Lei are such a perfect match, why not just get married? Why do you have to drag my Yuehong into this? You know very well how Yuehong was bullied by both of you at school."
Qi Juanjuan did not expect Zhao Jin to suddenly bring up old grievances, especially in front of Grandma Qi and other members of the Qijia Family, mentioning how she bullied Qi Yuehong at school.
In a moment of panic, Qi Juanjuan wanted to defend herself but couldn't find a suitable excuse or words; she stood there stiffly.
Meanwhile, Grandma Qi, who had been listening to all this, began to look displeased.
"Qi Juanjuan, you bullied my Yuehong at school?" This matter had not been mentioned by Zhao Jin before, and Grandma Qi truly had no idea.
Hearing Zhao Jin accuse Qi Juanjuan directly in front of her made Grandma Qi immediately unhappy.
This was too much! Their children were all very sensible; Yuehong was especially well-behaved. What was wrong with Qi Juanjuan that she would bully Yuehong at school? And even teamed up with that Zhao Lei to bully their Yuehong?
Bah! How could Zhao Lei's grandmother have the face to come over and propose marriage for their Yuehong? She should think about what her own grandson had done!
With these thoughts in mind, Grandma Qi's impression of Zhao Lei worsened even further.
"I... I didn't!" Qi Juanjuan first panicked for a moment, but then stood up straight with confidence, stubbornly refusing to admit anything.
She simply would not acknowledge that she bullied Qi Yuehong. What could Grandma Qi do about it?
And then there was Zhao Jin, who just couldn't stand to see her doing well. How terrible!
Pouting, Qi Juanjuan began to glare at Zhao Jin, warning her to be careful and not to fall into her hands again.
Zhao Jin truly wasn't afraid of a girl like Qi Juanjuan.
After all, Qi Juanjuan was just bluster and bravado. Even if Qi Juanjuan was really capable, Zhao Jin would definitely retaliate fiercely for Qi Yuehong.
Some things couldn't just be ignored or brushed aside. Zhao Jin was a very perceptive person and remembered many things!
While Qi Juanjuan was openly glaring at Zhao Jin, how could the Qijia Family nearby not notice?
At this point, Grandma Qi's impression of Qi Juanjuan had worsened significantly; she didn't want to say much more.
"Get out, get out! Hurry up! Our family doesn't welcome you!" Grandma Qi had even chased Grandma Zhao out the door; how could she hesitate to drive away a Qi Juanjuan?
Faced with Grandma Qi's expulsion, Qi Juanjuan was indeed greatly affected. She no longer cared about trying to please anyone and directly dropped her facade. "I won't leave! I just won't! Grandma, how can you be so biased, only thinking about Qi Yuehong? I'm also your granddaughter; don't you ever think about me? At least Qi Yuehong has high school to attend. What about me? I have nothing left! All I have is Zhao Lei."
Qi Juanjuan wasn't shy at all; regardless of whether her relationship with Zhao Lei had succeeded or not, she shouted it all out loud, fearing that others wouldn't know.
Hearing Qi Juanjuan mention Qi Yuehong and then Zhao Lei, Grandma Qi's expression changed as well.
How could Qi Juanjuan suddenly come to curry favor with her? It seemed it was all for Zhao Lei's sake.
According to Qi Juanjuan's logic, their Yuehong could attend high school thanks to someone else's help? Yuehong got into high school through her own hard work; if Qi Juanjuan had the ability, she should take the exam herself!
If she didn't have that capability or talent, she shouldn't stand here making sarcastic remarks and slandering others!
Looking at Qi Juanjuan with displeasure, Grandma Qi had no intention of beating around the bush and directly stated, "Yuehong cannot marry Zhao Lei. The matter between you and Zhao Lei should be resolved by the two of you, without involving Yuehong."
"Grandma is biased! You only think about Qi Yuehong when something good happens, without considering your own granddaughter. I also share the Qi surname; I am your granddaughter too." Qi Juanjuan came to the Qi Zheng Family not just for Grandma Qi's promise. More importantly, she wanted the money in Grandma Qi's hands.
Hearing Grandma Qi constantly defend Qi Yuehong, Qi Juanjuan couldn't help but feel unhappy.
Is it really fair that she hasn't been close to Grandma Qi over the years? Isn't it a bit much for Grandma Qi to be so biased? Doesn't she fear being laughed at if this gets out?
"If you don't think of me as your grandmother, then I won't consider you my granddaughter." Not realizing Qi Juanjuan's true intentions for a moment, Grandma Qi just maintained a stern expression and argued with her, "All along, it's been your family that has looked down on me as an elder."
"When have we ever looked down on Grandma? It's clearly Grandma who insists on living with Uncle's family and refuses to come live with us. If we don't live under the same roof, how can we show our filial piety? We can't just run over to Uncle's house and compete with them for how to honor you! If we did that, the first to object would probably be Uncle's family." As Qi Juanjuan argued, she suddenly remembered the main point and quickly steered the conversation back. Although it was awkward, she successfully dumped a load of blame onto the Qi Zheng Family.
To be honest, Qi Juanjuan's arguing skills were far inferior to Cheng Fangfang's. However, today, it was clear that Qi Juanjuan was performing exceptionally well.
With her quick wit and fast speech, even she probably didn't expect to be this impressive.
However, while Qi Juanjuan felt satisfied in her heart, hearing her various slanders and insults directed at others didn't sound as pleasant.
Following Qi Juanjuan's lead, Zhao Jin immediately became displeased.
Zhao Jin genuinely liked the Qi Zheng Family and was thoroughly protective of them. She wouldn't allow Qi Juanjuan to casually slander them or throw dirt on their reputation.
With a cold expression, Zhao Jin scoffed, "You haven't even done anything yet you're already assuming our family would be unhappy? Why don't you just stop doing anything and think about how Zhao Lei will come to your house to marry you!"
For others, Zhao Jin might not dare to make such a guarantee. But when it came to Zhao Lei, Zhao Jin was 100% certain that there was no chance for Qi Juanjuan.
Given Zhao Lei's standing in Grandma Zhao's eyes, since Grandma Zhao came to the Qi Family to propose to Yuehong, it must have been Zhao Lei's request.
In other words, Zhao Lei had his sights set on their Yuehong and insisted on marrying her as his wife.
As for Qi Juanjuan? It wasn't that Zhao Jin looked down on her. Just based on how spoiled and willful she appeared at that moment, even a man would likely not find her appealing.
Although Zhao Jin greatly disliked Zhao Lei, she still recognized his taste in women.
Unless Zhao Lei was blind, Qi Juanjuan had no chance of success.
Of course, if Zhao Lei truly insisted on being blind, there was nothing Zhao Jin could do to stop him. However, the scene at that time would undoubtedly be quite awkward.
Qi Juanjuan was not an outsider and did not see things as clearly and thoroughly as Zhao Jin. Moreover, she was completely immersed in her own fantasies, convinced that Zhao Lei liked her. Even though she sensed something off in Zhao Jin's words at that moment, she instinctively ignored it.
"What’s so great about it? You're not Zhao Lei's real sister. What right do you have to stand here and chatter, making decisions for him? You yourself came to our Qi Family as a substitute bride; how dare you shout at me?" Qi Juanjuan was not afraid to argue with Zhao Jin.
Mainly because at home, Cheng Fangfang had said too many bad things about Zhao Jin. As a result, when Qi Juanjuan argued now, she completely mirrored those words, making it feel effortless.
Qi Juanjuan unabashedly took advantage of the situation with her sharp tongue. Afterward, when faced with the unfriendly gazes from Grandma Qi and others, she couldn't help but feel a bit timid and guilty.
Qi Juanjuan knew very well that no matter what, Zhao Jin had contributed two sons to the Qi Family, and her position in the family had become unshakeable. Speaking loudly against Zhao Jin in front of Qi Zheng's Family was undoubtedly unappealing.
However, having shouted already, Qi Juanjuan had no intention of taking back her words. After all, what could Qi Zheng's Family do to her? Hmph!
Qi Juanjuan stubbornly refused to admit her mistake, and indeed, Qi Zheng's Family had no intention of punishing her.
However, Grandma Qi's reaction left no room for Qi Juanjuan to resist. With no possibility for negotiation, Grandma Qi pointed at the door and angrily said, "Get out!"
With that single word "get out," the indifferent expression on Qi Juanjuan's face was completely torn away.
In disbelief, she looked at Grandma Qi and wanted to argue back with her indignantly but found no opportunity left.
Grandma Qi directly kicked her out the door and showed no intention of listening to her anymore.
At this point, Qi Juanjuan's plan to win over Grandma Qi had completely backfired and ended without further discussion.
She never expected that just as things were starting on her side, she would be kicked out by Grandma Qi so soon. In that moment, Qi Juanjuan belatedly realized that her impulsiveness had once again ruined everything.
With her lips pressed together, Qi Juanjuan stood outside the gate of the Qi Zheng Family. She didn't even have the courage to lift her foot and leave.
She didn't dare to go home. If she went back, she would definitely be scolded.
Thinking of Cheng Fangfang's furious face, Qi Juanjuan shivered involuntarily, and in an instant, she had no thoughts of returning home at all.
Since she couldn't go home, she had to think of another place to go. She certainly couldn't stand outside the Qi Zheng Family gate for long; otherwise...
Qi Juanjuan's eyes darted around, and the next moment, a smile crept onto her lips as she turned around and strode toward Zhao Lei's house.
Regarding Grandma Zhao coming to the Qi Zheng Family to propose marriage to Qi Yuehong, she still had questions to ask Zhao Lei! It was better to just go find Zhao Lei.
Qi Juanjuan still trusted Zhao Lei very much. Once she clarified things with Zhao Lei, she would have nothing to do with Qi Yuehong anymore. On the other hand, as long as her relationship with Zhao Lei progressed smoothly, there would be no need to waste time trying to please Grandma Qi. It would be a complete waste of time.
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