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Back to the 80s: A Cherished Marriage
Although Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin are both financially stable now, opening this supermarket is mainly to give their elders something to do in their spare time. However, if the supermarket continues to operate at a loss, it would not reflect well on the value of the elders.
If such a situation arises, it would truly be counterproductive. At that point, the elders might think it would be better not to open the supermarket at all, to avoid wasting money. This would once again add burden and pressure on Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, making it their fault...
Fortunately, these worries did not materialize; the supermarket's business is doing well, and customers in the area are quite supportive. So far, everything is developing in a positive direction.
Once the supermarket opened, Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng stepped back and let their elders manage it themselves. According to their wishes, they handed over the operations to the elders. As for the two of them, they naturally took on the role of hands-off managers.
Qi Dayong and Zhao Guoqiang did not disappoint Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng. After adapting to the supermarket's operations, they began to consider practical needs based on their own insights. For instance, they focused on vegetable supply and also brought in fresh fish and meat.
No matter where you are, food is always the most critical and primary issue.
This holds true for their current neighborhood as well. Since they live far from the countryside, where farmland is much more spacious, they often have to buy vegetables from outside. The question of where to buy fresher and more affordable produce is something they frequently ponder.
Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng do not cook, so their considerations in this area are lacking compared to their elders' hands-on experience. After discussing among themselves, Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong made a special trip back to Willow Leaf Village to personally bring back fresh fruits and vegetables using a tractor.
Surprisingly, even though these items came from a rural area, they were unexpectedly favored by customers at the supermarket.
Especially since Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong are experts in this field; whenever customers ask questions, they can answer anything that comes up. Their responses are particularly straightforward and clear, earning praise from customers.
Under such circumstances, there was no need for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng to continue contributing; the supermarket's business became increasingly prosperous. Eventually, due to the daily supply of fresh vegetables, it became a well-known shopping destination for groceries, highly favored by many housewives.
This unexpected development surprised even Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng. However, seeing their elders full of energy reassured them, allowing them to let their elders continue their busy work.
As Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong made more frequent trips back to Willow Leaf Village for vegetable procurement, the villagers' perception gradually underwent an irreversible change.
In the past, whenever people mentioned why the Qi Family and Zhao Family could move to the city, they would immediately credit Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng. Zhao Jin made clothes and earned a good income; Qi Zheng made furniture and also contributed financially.
But now it's different. When mentioning these two families, the names Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong are also included. These two have become successful but have not forgotten their fellow villagers; they think of them whenever something good happens and even travel back to Willow Leaf Village to purchase vegetables.
These actions have greatly improved their reputation and made the fellow villagers of Willow Leaf Village grateful to Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong.
Following Zhao Jin's workshop, many villagers from Willow Leaf Village once again benefited from the Qi Family and Zhao Family. As a result, their faith in these two families has only grown stronger.
In the past, no one in Willow Leaf Village could have imagined that the families who would ultimately thrive the most would be the Qi Zheng Family.
After all, everyone witnessed how poor the Qi Zheng Family was back then. They were so impoverished that they could barely afford school fees for their younger siblings.
The same goes for Zhao Guoqiang's family. Although they were not as poor as the Qi Zheng Family, they were still just barely above the level of others in the village.
Yet now, it is the Qi Zheng Family and Zhao Guoqiang's family who are the wealthiest, a status that others can only look up to.
Ah, it truly is a case of thirty years on the east bank of the river and thirty years on the west bank; no one could have predicted this outcome!
However, looking back at how much better off Qi Erzhu's family and Grandma Zhao's family were compared to Qi Zheng's family in the past, it is clear that they have fallen behind by more than just a notch or two.
Even outsiders in the village think this way; how could Qi Erzhu's family and Grandma Zhao not feel it?
When it comes to self-awareness, they are quite sensitive. Especially when it involves face and money, each of them becomes even more concerned.
Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang are no exception. They have already clashed multiple times over moving to the city. Initially, it was just verbal arguments, but later it escalated into physical fights, which cannot be described as anything less than intense.
However, no matter how much conflict arises between them, it ultimately serves no purpose. The Qi Zheng Family remains oblivious; even if they do see it, they wouldn't take it to heart.
Everyone should be responsible for their own actions. People like Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang truly deserve what they get; they are not worthy of sympathy.
In this regard, even Qi Juanjuan, their biological daughter, does not side with Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang.
In Qi Juanjuan's heart, there was more resentment towards her parents for being so ruthless back then, leaving her with not a shred of the Qi Zheng Family's light to claim for herself. It was infuriating!
If only her parents hadn't been so extreme, if only they had a bit of foresight, their family wouldn't have fallen to such a state today.
Now, Qi Juanjuan had surprisingly come to terms with it.
Take her Uncle's family, for instance; even when they were poor, they never abandoned him and spent all their money on his leg treatment. Now they were doing even better. They moved to the City and didn't forget to bring him along, even helping him marry a wealthy wife. They looked like winners in life.
All of this showed that her Uncle's family was indeed very kind-hearted and valued familial ties.
By analogy, if it were their family instead, without those past grievances, their relationship with Uncle's family wouldn't have become so strained and distant.
Looking back at the past now and comparing it to the current situation before them, Qi Juanjuan could only conclude that if one does nothing, one certainly won't die.
Knowing how her parents had been blinded by greed to the point of disregarding their own brother's well-being was truly beyond words.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Qi Juanjuan regretted or blamed her parents for their actions, it couldn't change the current situation. Anyone can play the hindsight game; Qi Juanjuan just hadn't reached that point yet.
Otherwise, her parents were still her parents. If they were unwilling to care about Qi Feng's well-being or spend money on his leg treatment, that was their choice and their coldness. Over these years, couldn't she have shown a little concern for her own uncle?
Qi Juanjuan complained so freely but failed to realize that she and her parents were no different—there was no distinction at all.
In the end, it was just fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps. Qi Juanjuan was truly not as great as she thought and had no right to stand here judging her parents for being heartless and wrong.
Perhaps deep down, Qi Juanjuan knew this! She had never voiced these complaints in front of Qi Erzhu and Chen Cui. In a way, it helped avoid another round of conflict in their family and preserved a momentary peace for the three of them.
In contrast, Grandma Zhao's side was much livelier and more chaotic.
Ever since Zhao Guoqiang's family left Willow Leaf Village again without taking her along, Grandma Zhao felt unwell. Now, no matter who came by, it was useless; she seemed possessed and insisted on moving to the City.
No matter how unreasonable or domineering she was, cursing endlessly at home was of no use. After all, the Zhao family was no longer in Willow Leaf Village, and her little schemes could only turn into empty dreams.
Of course, because Zhao Guoqiang and Qi Dayong returned to Willow Leaf Village to buy vegetables, Grandma Zhao buzzed over like a bee attracted to nectar.
This time, Grandma Zhao changed her strategy; she no longer threw tantrums or acted tough.
Remarkably, Grandma Zhao began to soften her approach, speaking kindly to Zhao Guoqiang in hopes of easing their relationship.
If she had shown this attitude towards Zhao Guoqiang two years earlier, he might have actually been moved by her.
After all, Grandma Zhao was Zhao Guoqiang's biological mother. He was definitely not unfilial and was not the type to only care about his own success while ignoring his elders and relatives.
He had simply been deeply hurt by Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao, completely shattering any previous illusions he had.
Now faced with Grandma Zhao's behavior, Zhao Guoqiang pursed his lips and silently slipped her a thousand yuan. A thousand yuan in a place like Willow Leaf Village was genuinely not a small amount. Many families worked hard from dawn till dusk just to scrape together enough food to eat. For someone like Grandma Zhao to get a thousand yuan just by causing a fuss with Zhao Guoqiang was something anyone would envy.
Grandma Zhao certainly thought the same way. At this point, she was even more convinced that Zhao Guoqiang had become wealthy. Her desire to move to the city and enjoy life became stronger than ever. Watching Zhao Guoqiang hand over the money, Grandma Zhao was more excited than anyone else, quickly grabbing the cash and stuffing it into her purse. She feared that in the next moment, Zhao Guoqiang might regret it or that someone else might see and take it away...
Faced with Grandma Zhao's almost instinctive behavior, Zhao Guoqiang forced a smile that he couldn't quite manage.
As expected, it was clear to him that his mother was more interested in reaping benefits from him rather than genuinely wanting to connect with her son.
Perhaps in her heart, he truly did not exist as her son, and there was no familial bond between them! The only ones who might genuinely concern his parents were probably just his younger brother's family.
Once again confirming this understanding and reality, Zhao Guoqiang felt little anger. After all, this wasn't the first time; he had grown accustomed to it. Such "habits" were deeply hurtful. How many times of harm did it take for someone to get used to being treated this way by their own mother? This feeling was something only Zhao Guoqiang himself experienced; even his siblings, Zhao Jin Si included, could not empathize with it. After all, they did not have a mother as biased as Grandma Zhao.
On the contrary, the siblings Zhao Jin Si grew up being spoiled by Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei. Although they did not receive love from their grandparents, they were certainly not lacking in affection and would not feel sad or upset about being treated preferentially by Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao.
Thus, even though he was also not close to Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao, Zhao Guoqiang's feelings were the most profound.
Grandma Zhao, however, was still unaware that her plan had once again fallen through. She thought that if Zhao Guoqiang was willing to give her money, it meant he had forgiven her, which made her extremely excited.
Soon, she would be taken to the City to enjoy life! Even Zhao Daxi had taken his two children to the City for over a month, and she had yet to visit the City…
However, Grandma Zhao kept waiting and waiting for Zhao Guoqiang to come and go repeatedly, but he never mentioned taking her to the City to enjoy life.
As time passed, Grandma Zhao could no longer hold back.
"Qiang..." When she blocked Zhao Guoqiang once again, Grandma Zhao couldn't help but bring it up, "Why are you so heartless? You only think about enjoying life in the City with your wife and children without taking your mother along for a couple of days?"
Grandma Zhao's words were still quite pleasant. "A couple of days," rather than a long stay. The intention was naturally to dispel Zhao Guoqiang's doubts and lower his guard.
After all, as long as she moved to the City, she wouldn't leave on her own; who could possibly use a Stick to drive her away?
Grandma Zhao was currently thinking very optimistically. She didn't require Zhao Guoqiang to serve her; she just wanted him to take her to the City.
As for what happened after arriving in the City, she would no longer need to consider Zhao Guoqiang's feelings. No matter how indifferent or rude he was towards her or how unfilial he became, she wouldn't care.
"Mother, this really won't work." It wasn't the first time he had argued with Grandma Zhao over this matter; Zhao Guoqiang was quite adept at it by now.
After all, harmony in the family leads to prosperity. Zhao Guoqiang had no doubt that if he really took Grandma Zhao to the City, then not only would their family be affected, but even Grandma Qi's entire family would likely never have peace again.
Zhao Guoqiang completely distrusted Grandma Zhao's way of handling things and did not have high hopes for it either.
Therefore, even if Grandma Zhao wore out her welcome with endless persuasion, it simply wouldn't work. Zhao Guoqiang would not compromise on this matter nor would he take Grandma Zhao to the City and invite trouble upon himself.
Compared to Grandma Zhao, Zhao Guoqiang was more concerned about whether his son and daughter could live a stable life, and more worried about whether the whole family that had moved to City could maintain their happiness. "Why can't it be done? The old Qi Family, Qi Zheng's grandmother went to City too, and she lives there so well, it's quite impressive. But why can't I go?" With a repetitive tone, Grandma Zhao did not turn into a nagging figure, yet she still showed her stubbornness everywhere. "Can't I just go to City for a visit? I've never been to City in my life, and I've never seen what it's like."
The example was right there; with Grandma Qi leading the way, why couldn't she go live in City?
Aside from agreeing to take her to City for a comfortable life, Zhao Guoqiang rejected all of Grandma Zhao's other suggestions and refused to listen.
Grandma Zhao tried hard to portray herself as very pitiful. Naturally, she did not forget to desperately cling to her relationship with Zhao Guoqiang: "I just want to stay at your place for a couple of days, see what City is like. After I look around, I'll pack up and come back. Isn't that fine? I won't spend your money; I'll bring my own food and water..."
This statement from Grandma Zhao was rather hypocritical. According to her logic, she might as well not stay at Zhao Guoqiang's house; wouldn't that be more comfortable?
She could easily bring her own food and water without relying on Zhao Guoqiang, and go directly to see City! Even if she stayed in City for ten or fifteen months, no one would say anything extra to her.
Wasn't this just her insistence on clinging to Zhao Guoqiang! No matter how nice her words sounded, they were just the same old story, driven by the same intention?
Zhao Guoqiang was not a fool; he saw through Grandma Zhao's true intentions at a glance. This was why he repeatedly refused her, managing not to let Grandma Zhao have her way.
However, it was clear that Grandma Zhao was determined to stick with Zhao Guoqiang. No matter what Zhao Guoqiang said, her thoughts and attitude remained unchanged; she insisted on going with him to City.
Due to Grandma Zhao's persistence, Zhao Guoqiang almost decided never to return to Willow Leaf Village for vegetable purchases again.
If it weren't for the long-standing relationships with the villagers he had known for many years, he could easily choose another village for vegetable procurement.
After all, he was spending money; buying from anyone would be the same.
This time, Qi Dayong rarely spoke up and revealed Zhao Guoqiang's predicament to the other villagers in the village.
Next, without needing much from Zhao Guoqiang, the villagers of Willow Leaf Village became furious.
Previously, they refrained from getting involved in the Zhao family's affairs, as it was inappropriate to meddle. After all, Grandma Zhao is Zhao Guoqiang's biological mother! Between a mother and son, how could there be any lingering grudges?
However, now that it truly threatens the interests of the fellow villagers, this matter cannot be easily resolved or brushed aside.
They absolutely cannot continue to tolerate a menace and tumor like Grandma Zhao! Otherwise, if Zhao Guoqiang really stops coming back to Willow Leaf Village to purchase vegetables, what will they do?
Grandma Zhao intends to cut off the entire village's livelihood! Everyone has finally seen some hope for a better life, and now it is about to be ruined by Grandma Zhao?
From then on, without anyone needing to remind or instruct them, the villagers of Willow Leaf Village went straight to Grandma Zhao's house.
"Old Lady Zhao, what exactly are you doing? Can't you just behave and leave Guoqiang's family alone?"
"Grandma Zhao, when you split from the family, didn't you say you wanted to live with Zhao Fourth Uncle? Why are you now clinging to Uncle Zhao? That's just not fair!"
"From the Old Zhao Family, I have made my stance clear. If you continue to stir up trouble and disrupt our business with Guoqiang, just wait and see if I won't come to settle accounts with your family!"
...
The sounds of complaints and accusations rose one after another in Grandma Zhao's yard. Everyone expressed their dissent and dissatisfaction with Grandma Zhao's actions. Moreover, their attitudes and tones were increasingly harsh; they were just short of physically confronting Grandma Zhao.
Due to the heavy resentment from the fellow villagers, Grandma Zhao, who was cornered at home and faced numerous accusations, was finally frightened.
Grandfather Zhao felt even more embarrassed.
All this time, he had witnessed Grandma Zhao's actions with a sense of indulgence and permissiveness.
After all, if Grandma Zhao failed in her schemes, he wouldn't suffer any loss. And if she succeeded, he could also move to the city to enjoy a better life—what's not to like?
But Grandfather Zhao did not expect that Grandma Zhao would actually provoke public outrage and incite collective anger.
As the entire village of Villagers was about to come knocking on their door to cause trouble, Grandfather Zhao could no longer remain calm.
Thus, Grandma Zhao became the target. After enduring the unanimous complaints and accusations from the Fellow Villagers in the village, she was met with Grandfather Zhao's furious reprimand. Even Zhao Guofu and Zhao Lei expressed their dissatisfaction with her actions and no longer treated her kindly.
Grandma Zhao had always cared most about the three men in her family. However, now all three were casting looks of disdain at her, which she could hardly bear.
Fine, fine, fine, she would do nothing and ask for nothing, wouldn’t that be acceptable?
She would just stay quietly in Willow Leaf Village, taking care of this group of old folks who had suffered through hard times; wasn’t that enough?
As for Zhao Guoqiang, she was waiting to see what kind of situation he would get himself into.
Zhao Guoqiang was so unfilial; when he grew old, she would wait to see how Zhao Jin and his siblings would disregard Zhao Guoqiang's well-being. By that time, she would definitely laugh heartily and not feel any sympathy for Zhao Guoqiang. She would surely enjoy watching Zhao Guoqiang's misfortune. She was looking forward to the day when Zhao Guoqiang would come to her to confess his wrongdoings!
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