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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
In contrast, Qi Tingting had become an irrelevant person, ignored by everyone.
Of course, while others ignored Qi Tingting, she did not ignore herself.
Originally, Qi Tingting did not have deep feelings for Tao Tao. She only came to see her because her mother said Tao Tao had good conditions.
However, after seeing Tao Tao in person, Qi Tingting was very satisfied and was willing to marry Tao Tao.
Who would have thought that Tao Tao actually did not take a liking to her?
Given Qi Tingting's personality, she undoubtedly would not blame herself for the issue. Like Cheng Fangfang, in Qi Tingting's view, Tao Tao did not like her because Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin refused to help her.
Qi Tingting knew very well that although she was Qi Zheng's cousin, her relationship with him was not close. She had hardly exchanged a few words with Zhao Jin, her cousin-in-law, so they were far from being close.
But her mother was right. Even if they were not close, she still shared the surname Qi and was Qi Zheng's cousin. Why wouldn't Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin help her?
With this frustration in mind, Qi Tingting's dissatisfaction with Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin soared. After seeing Cheng Fangfang being driven out in disgrace, she also began to resent Grandma Qi and the others.
Hmph! Just because they became successful, they turned their backs on people! What's so great about that? Can’t she still see Tao Tao on her own?
Just wait and see. With her beauty, how could Tao Tao possibly not like her? Tao Tao simply didn't know her well enough yet; that’s why she didn’t agree to the marriage proposal on the spot.
Once she made an effort to visit Tao Tao a few more times and got familiar with her... Qi Tingting was confident that she and Tao Tao would soon be married.
Holding onto these thoughts and ideas, Qi Tingting snorted coldly, ignoring Grandma Qi and the others as she strode away.
Grandma Qi and the others did not stop Qi Tingting. Just looking at her attitude and expression was infuriating. Knowing that their interactions would be unpleasant, it was better to minimize contact as much as possible!
"Is everything okay?" Without Cheng Fangfang and Qi Tingting stirring things up, Qi Zheng focused all his attention on Zhao Jin.
"Everything's fine." For a moment earlier, Zhao Jin had not understood the situation. It wasn't until she turned around and realized Cheng Fangfang's intentions that she belatedly reacted.
After feeling a lingering fear, Zhao Jin instinctively grabbed Qi Zheng's arm.
If it weren't for Qi Zheng's quick reaction just now, her fall could have been truly dangerous.
"Don't worry. I'll take you back inside," Qi Zheng said, already calming down compared to Zhao Jin's fright.
Holding onto Zhao Jin's arm, Qi Zheng half-embraced her and steadily guided her into the house. Seeing that Zhao Jin was safely brought in by Qi Zheng, Qi Ze couldn't help but complain to Qi Dayong, "Dad, we shouldn't let Second Uncle's family come over anymore. If something like this happens again, it might scare us all to death. Thankfully, my brother reacted quickly just now; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"Yes. From now on, you help keep an eye out and don't let your Second Uncle and his family in," Qi Dayong said, who had always been a generous person. However, after today's incident, his heart had hardened.
"Okay!" With Qi Dayong's confirmation, Qi Ze was filled with enthusiasm and nodded eagerly.
When Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju returned after driving Cheng Fangfang away, they overheard this conversation between father and son.
Without a doubt, both of them had no objections whatsoever. At the same time, they silently agreed to firmly uphold Qi Dayong's decision.
So when Cheng Fangfang brought along the so-called big savior Qi Erzhu, thinking she could show off in front of Qi Zheng's family, she was astonished to find that the door to Qi Zheng's family was completely shut tight.
Cheng Fangfang wouldn't naively believe that after she left, everyone from Qi Zheng's family collectively went out and no one was home.
Moreover, even if there were no one at home, the door should have been locked from the outside rather than bolted from the inside!
Assuming that Qi Zheng's family was scared and hiding inside, Cheng Fangfang felt emboldened and even kicked the door of the Qi family with force.
Cheng Fangfang was not gentle. At this moment, she deliberately made a loud commotion to ensure others could see it.
She wanted to embarrass Qi Zheng's family and see if they dared to ignore her next time. The marriage between Tao Tao and Qi Tingting was set in stone and could not be changed.
If Qi Zheng's family dared to procrastinate or intentionally make things difficult for her, she would make sure they wouldn't have an easy life!
Cheng Fangfang had never been someone easy to bully. If Qi Zheng's family didn't believe her, they could just try it.
When Qi Xue returned while carrying something, what she saw was such a scene.
"What are you doing, Second Sister-in-law?" Qi Xue glared at Cheng Fangfang, who was kicking the big door, her expression quite displeased.
After all, it was her maternal family. Compared to Grandma Qi and others, Qi Xue naturally could not side with Cheng Fangfang.
After giving Cheng Fangfang a hard look, Qi Xue turned to Qi Erzhu, who was standing by indifferently, and scolded him, "Second Brother, you too. Are you just going to stand there and watch Second Sister-in-law kick the big brother's door? Isn't that embarrassing? Are you afraid the villagers won't have enough of our family's jokes?"
Since marrying, Qi Xue had interacted less with her maternal family. And compared to her elder brother's family, she looked down even more on Second Brother's family's actions.
Qi Xue admitted that a significant part of her reluctance to associate with her elder brother's family was due to Third Brother Qi Feng.
After all, with such a burden as Qi Feng around, anyone could see it. If they continued to associate closely, she feared she would be dragged down.
Qi Xue believed that her life after marriage had been quite good and comfortable. She did not want to ruin her good life or have conflicts with her in-law family because of Qi Feng.
So after careful consideration, Qi Xue directly distanced herself from her elder brother's family and cut off contact.
However, in Qi Xue's eyes, she was still a daughter; a married daughter is like water thrown out—this was both reasonable and natural. But what about Qi Erzhu?
They were all siblings; why should only the elder brother's family take care of Third Brother and work hard to earn money for his leg treatment?
If Qi Erzhu's family were also struggling and unable to make ends meet, that would be one thing. But clearly, Qi Erzhu's family was doing quite well and living relatively prosperously!
If only Qi Erzhu's family were willing to lend a hand, the elder brother's family wouldn't have had to suffer as they did before. Moreover, it even caused Qi Zheng to almost not be able to marry a wife.
Of course, these words were hindsight; they were excuses and reasons that Qi Xue found for herself now. She simply could not face her own selfishness over the years and thus pushed all the blame onto Qi Erzhu.
However, no matter what, this was Qi Xue's current understanding, which could not be swayed by others. In her heart, this was the truth.
Seeing Qi Xue suddenly appear with something in hand surprised both Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang.
She truly could be considered a rare visitor—rarer than both of them!
However, if we really think about it, Qi Xue and the couple are really just two peas in a pod; neither can laugh at the other.
Qi Xue put on a defiant attitude as if looking for trouble, which did not endear her to Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu, making it even less likely for them to agree with or accept her.
Yes, they admitted that over the years, they had not been particularly kind to Qi Zheng's Family. Especially regarding Qi Feng, their actions had been somewhat ruthless.
But Qi Xue was not in a much better position, was she?
How many years had it been since Qi Xue last set foot in Qi Zheng Family? Suddenly appearing now, it was hard to believe that Qi Xue had good intentions!
Under such circumstances, even as siblings, the relationship between Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue was far from good. This meeting was destined to be anything but harmonious.
With an unfriendly attitude from Qi Xue, Cheng Fangfang could not possibly respond gently: "Oh, who do I see? Isn't this our Qi Family's married aunt! What brings you back after all these years? Did the sun rise in the west today?"
Just as Qi Xue looked down on Qi Erzhu's family, Cheng Fangfang was not particularly fond of Qi Xue, her sister-in-law.
Both were equally at fault; without a doubt, Qi Xue was the most notorious among them.
At one point, whenever Cheng Fangfang went out, she would hear the village gossip about her family’s indifference towards Qi Feng, all of which were harsh words.
This was indeed true, and Cheng Fangfang could not deny it nor did she intend to defend herself. So what if she didn’t want to spend money on treating Qi Feng's leg? It was clearly a bottomless pit; she wasn’t foolish.
However, later on, Cheng Fangfang discovered that this gossip had originally come from Qi Xue's mouth!
At that moment, Cheng Fangfang was furious and went straight to confront Qi Xue.
If these words had come from someone in Qi Zheng's Family, Cheng Fangfang might have tolerated it. After all, she had indeed acted that way.
But what right did Qi Xue have?
They both shared the same surname; had Qi Xue ever contributed a single penny to treat Qi Feng's leg?
Since they were both people who had turned their backs on him, what gave Qi Xue the audacity to tarnish their family's reputation?
Cheng Fangfang is not to be trifled with, and Qi Xue is no pushover either. The two of them had a physical altercation over this matter, which caused quite a stir in Willow Leaf Village. Everyone knew about it; it was indeed sensational.
Since that incident, Cheng Fangfang and Qi Xue have become sworn enemies. Even when they appear in the same place, they definitely do not speak to each other, exchanging only disdainful glances and sarcasm, neither willing to back down.
Today marks the first time in a long while that they are speaking face to face. Of course, the atmosphere between them is far from pleasant; it is charged with tension, and it feels like they might fight again at any moment.
Upon seeing Qi Xue, Qi Erzhu also shows an unusual expression.
This sister of his is too calculating and particularly cunning. After all these years, she still holds grudges. Every time she encounters him, her demeanor is off; it makes him lose face.
Over time, the relationship between Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue has grown distant, even tinged with hatred.
"Whether it's a joke or not, as long as you understand in your heart," he responds rudely to Qi Xue, not feeling very pleased. He casually brushes her off and intends to let the matter drop.
However, Qi Xue has come to visit the Qi Zheng Family. According to her words, she is here to see Grandma Qi.
Since she wants to see Grandma Qi, there is no doubt that Qi Xue must enter the gates of the Qi Zheng Family. Thus, standing in her way are Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu, who naturally become obstacles that must be cleared first.
Not that she likes Cheng Fangfang or Qi Erzhu, but Qi Xue's attitude is decidedly unfriendly. With a pout, she rolls her eyes and pushes past Cheng Fangfang: "Move aside, don't block the way."
Cheng Fangfang did not expect Qi Xue to push her. Caught off guard, she nearly fell.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly and managed to grab hold of Qi Erzhu, preventing herself from falling. Otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing.
Thinking about how close she came to falling flat on her face only deepened Cheng Fangfang's hatred for Qi Xue. With a dark expression, she turned to face Qi Xue: "Qi Xue, how dare you lay hands on me?"
"Is this the first time I've laid hands on you? Why so shocked?" While Cheng Fangfang can act tough in front of others, it doesn't work against Qi Xue. On the contrary, Qi Xue has always been more brazen than her.
Undeniably, Qi Xue knows how to adapt her approach based on who she's dealing with.
As for someone like Cheng Fangfang, Qi Xue has never really regarded her highly. Whether in the past or present, her attitude towards Cheng Fangfang has been consistently poor; she has never had a kind word for her.
Of course, in Qi Xue's view, there is no need to curry favor with Cheng Fangfang, so she acts without restraint or consideration.
"You, you!" Qi Xue's arrogance truly provoked Cheng Fangfang. Trembling with anger, Cheng Fangfang couldn't help but reach out her hand toward Qi Xue.
She was no match for Qi Xue, but could she not scratch Qi Xue? Once she scratched Qi Xue's face, let's see if Qi Xue would still dare to speak so recklessly in front of her.
Qi Xue did not expect that Cheng Fangfang would actually come at her. Just as they were talking, Cheng Fangfang suddenly made a move. Qi Xue didn't manage to dodge in time and was caught off guard.
After a moment of shock, Qi Xue felt a sharp pain on her face, and her gaze toward Cheng Fangfang instantly ignited with fury.
"Cheng Fangfang, are you looking for death?" Throwing aside what she was holding, Qi Xue rolled up her sleeves and fought back.
Whenever Cheng Fangfang got into a fight, Qi Erzhu always instinctively stepped back. This time was no exception. Seeing Cheng Fangfang and Qi Xue start to fight, Qi Erzhu naturally moved back to give them space.
With such a commotion outside, how could the people in the courtyard possibly not hear it?
Qi Ze had long been eavesdropping outside the door. From the moment Cheng Fangfang and Qi Erzhu kicked the door to Qi Xue's arrival, and then to the fight between Qi Xue and Cheng Fangfang, Qi Ze's mouth was agape, frozen in place.
It was too intense! It sounded like a heated scene! Qi Ze almost couldn't resist opening the door to witness it himself.
However, his sister-in-law was pregnant! A big commotion couldn't compare to the importance of the child in his sister-in-law's belly. So he decided against it; he pretended he hadn't heard anything and wasn't planning to listen.
Pouting, Qi Ze ultimately decided to act as if he hadn't heard anything.
On the other hand, Grandma Qi, who had been helped into the house earlier, walked over: "Is that Second Uncle and Aunt outside?"
Qi Ze nodded, not hiding anything: "Aunt and Second Aunt are at it again."
In fact, even without Qi Ze's explanation, the gradually rising shouts and curses outside already revealed everything.
As a mother, Grandma Qi most dreaded seeing her children fighting among themselves. Yet whether it was Qi Erzhu or Qi Xue, Grandma Qi could only shake her head and sigh.
She blamed herself for not being able to teach the two children well enough. This led to both Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue having bad hearts; they wouldn't listen no matter how she tried to persuade them.
Years ago, Grandma Qi had considered doing everything possible to change the natures of Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue. In her fixed mindset, it was wrong for people like them to behave this way; it simply shouldn't be.
Once upon a time, Grandma Qi worked hard to guide Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue, hoping to correct their personalities.
Unfortunately, Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue disappointed Grandma Qi. No matter how much she advised them, they remained indifferent, even going so far as to blame her for meddling too much.
Grandma Qi, being older, sometimes found herself wanting to intervene but felt powerless. After trying everything she could with Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue without success, she ultimately had to give up helplessly.
Now, faced with the various actions of Qi Erzhu and Qi Xue, Grandma Qi knew she lacked the ability to discipline them, so she chose to remain silent.
Thus, even though there was a lot of commotion outside, Grandma Qi decided to let it be.
Zhao Jin also heard the commotion at the front door. However, like Qi Ze, she chose silence over curiosity.
She felt that anything associated with Cheng Fangfang would surely not be a good thing.
So, she focused intently on her own new designs! She needed to come up with more new styles!
In this confrontation between Cheng Fangfang and Qi Xue, Qi Xue was slightly stronger.
In other words, although Cheng Fangfang successfully got a scratch on Qi Xue, Qi Xue retaliated even harder afterward.
In the end, when weighing the results, Cheng Fangfang suffered more losses.
When things were going well for her, Cheng Fangfang was easy to deal with. But once she faced setbacks, she turned into a mad dog, biting anyone in sight.
At that moment, the first person to be bitten was undoubtedly Qi Erzhu, who was standing by watching the drama unfold.
Qi Erzhu did not expect Cheng Fangfang to lose. He had thought that Cheng Fangfang would easily defeat Qi Xue. Instead, it turned out that Cheng Fangfang was the one who got defeated by Qi Xue.
Qi Erzhu could understand Cheng Fangfang's frustration and anger at that moment. But that did not mean he was willing to bear the brunt of her pent-up resentment.
What a joke! It wasn't him who caused Cheng Fangfang to lose to Qi Xue. It was Cheng Fangfang's own inability to win this battle that led her to turn around and blame him for not intervening.
"So you mean to say that I, a grown man, should stand by your side and help you grab Qi Xue's hair?" With an expression of disbelief directed at Cheng Fangfang, Qi Erzhu was also extremely angry.
Qi Xue is surnamed Qi and is his biological sister. Even if she is just a random stranger, he still can't help but get involved, right?
Cheng Fangfang Who is she hitting? Does she want him to become the biggest joke in Willow Leaf Village or what?
Qi Erzhu There are excuses and reasons; doesn’t Cheng Fangfang have grievances?
Listening to Qi Erzhu's righteous accusations, Cheng Fangfang shouted at Qi Erzhu: "What’s wrong with pulling Qi Xue's hair? You only care about your precious face and completely disregard my life? I am your wife! I am the biological mother of your daughter!" "Cheng Fangfang, are you out of your mind? Just because you are not my daughter's biological mother? Even if you are my daughter's biological mother, so what? Even if you were my own mother, I wouldn’t interfere when you fight with another woman! Such embarrassing things, whoever wants to do it can do it; I won’t do it." Seeing Cheng Fangfang starting to make unreasonable noise again, Qi Erzhu shouted with a dark face.
Most of the time, Qi Erzhu is unwilling to argue with Cheng Fangfang.
Women have long hair but short tempers. As for Cheng Fangfang, her temper is extremely short. Whenever something doesn’t go her way, she can cause chaos at home for half a day.
In order to have some peace in his life, Qi Erzhu has tolerated Cheng Fangfang at times. After all, they are a couple; he doesn’t want to constantly be in conflict with her.
However, the premise for Qi Erzhu’s tolerance of Cheng Fangfang is that they must be in their own home.
Once the door is closed, they are family. Anyway, others can’t see his cowardly side. Sometimes when Qi Erzhu gets annoyed and doesn’t want to continue, he simply takes a step back and lets Cheng Fangfang vent her frustrations.
But this time is different. They are outside with others present. Qi Erzhu absolutely cannot allow Cheng Fangfang to act recklessly in front of him.
Therefore, Qi Erzhu’s voice showed no signs of diminishing as he glared fiercely at Cheng Fangfang, waiting for her to calm down.
However, Qi Erzhu was destined to be disappointed. Cheng Fangfang is not someone who would easily read the room.
Or perhaps the angrier Qi Erzhu got, the more fired up Cheng Fangfang became, wishing she could just fight him on the spot. "Your own mother? If she were really your mother, you wouldn’t care! Do you think you’re the eldest brother or Qi Zheng? You’re even less than your own nephew and still dare to mention your mother? You, Qi Erzhu, have never been a filial person!" Under great emotional distress, Cheng Fangfang’s words became increasingly harsh and her attitude more resolute.
However, Cheng Fangfang forgot that some things others can say, but she cannot. It’s simply because over the years of Qi Erzhu’s unfilial behavior, as his wife, she played a significant role in it.
It’s no exaggeration to say that without Cheng Fangfang’s instigation and division over the years, Qi Erzhu might not have turned out to be as heartless as he is now.
On the contrary, with Cheng Fangfang's complicity, she and Qi Erzhu were completely in cahoots, neither of them being anything good.
Originally, some things could be left unspoken even if everyone knew about them. Or they could just pretend nothing had happened, each thinking of themselves as the best.
But unexpectedly, Cheng Fangfang was the first to break this layer of calm, forcefully exposing Qi Erzhu's malice and ugliness.
If someone else had done this, perhaps Qi Erzhu wouldn't feel so humiliated and angry. But Cheng Fangfang...
Qi Erzhu's face darkened as she slapped her hard.
Inside the room, Qi Ze had already stopped paying attention to the commotion outside, but he was still stunned by the loud slap. Who was that? Why did a slap come out of nowhere? In an instant, he turned around and struggled to peek through the crack of the door to see what was happening outside.
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