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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
"Hey! Elders are speaking, what are you, a girl, butting in for?" Zhao Ying'er should not have spoken up in this situation. As soon as she did, she became the target of everyone's criticism. She was no match for Qian Minmin and was destined to be defeated before she even started.
The moment Zhao Ying'er heard Qian Minmin's voice, she instinctively felt a bit scared.
Compared to Sun Chun'er, who was a Sister-in-law, Qian Minmin was nothing but a unreasonable shrew. Zhao Ying'er had already experienced Qian Minmin's fierceness and was left with lingering fears.
Thus, facing Qian Minmin's sarcasm at this moment, Zhao Ying'er’s face turned red with anger, but she didn't dare to retort.
Of course, while Zhao Ying'er didn't dare to fight back, Chen Cui did. She wouldn't even spare a harsh word for her own daughter; why should Qian Minmin, an outsider and merely a sister-in-law, stand here and criticize her daughter?
"Ying'er is from the Maternal Family and cannot speak out of turn. Who are you shouting at?" The only reason Chen Cui dared to treat Qian Minmin this way was that she relied on her status as an elder. Qian Minmin had married into the Zhao Family for several years and never dared to confront her directly. This had led to Chen Cui's overly blind confidence.
Dare? Qian Minmin wasn't afraid to confront her; she simply found it tedious to argue with Chen Cui.
After all, they had never had any significant conflicts in the past, and both families were related; maintaining a facade of peace was still necessary. Qian Minmin was merely complying with Xu Mei's wishes as a mother-in-law and chose not to escalate matters with Zhao Fourth Uncle's family.
As for confronting Chen Cui, it wasn't really a big deal for Qian Minmin.
Did Chen Cui think that Qian Minmin would be intimidated by her? What a joke! Chen Cui definitely hadn't inquired about what kind of person Qian Minmin was in her Maternal Family!
Back when she wasn't married yet, Qian Minmin was the one who ruled the roost at home. Even the elders of the Qian Family wouldn't dare to provoke her recklessly.
There was no way around it; Qian Minmin spoke quickly and directly. She didn't care about anyone's face; as long as someone upset her, she could make them feel embarrassed and ashamed with just her words.
Who would willingly be left speechless and pale-faced by Qian Minmin? Over time, even the elders of the Qian Family tried their best to avoid arguing with her.
After marrying into the Zhao Family, Qian Minmin had changed and restrained herself somewhat. It wasn't that she was afraid of anyone; rather, she realized that she was now married. The In-law family was different from the Maternal Family; the Zhao Family had no obligation to unconditionally tolerate her, and she didn't need to make enemies everywhere.
So, marrying into the Zhao Family, Qian Minmin is not as formidable as she was in the Qian Family back in the day. However, this does not mean that Qian Minmin lacks fighting spirit.
On the contrary, a lurking beast poses a greater threat and is more dangerous. If Qian Minmin were to be provoked successfully, it would be as easy as pie for her to rush over and slap Wu Feng just like she did in her previous life.
Now, facing Chen Cui's accusations, Qian Minmin merely smiled and elongated her tone as she replied, "Isn't this just me shouting at Ying'er? I am Ying'er's sister-in-law; if she disrespects her elders, shouldn't I teach her? It's also Aunt Si's fault for not raising Ying'er properly. How will we handle Ying'er's marriage in the future? I'm afraid the in-law family will complain and hold grudges."
Although Qian Minmin spoke with a smile, her words sounded somewhat sarcastic to Chen Cui, which infuriated her greatly.
Zhao Ying'er didn't need to hold back either; she regarded Qian Minmin as her most detestable enemy and retorted without a second thought, "I already have a good match! The in-law family is so much better than the Qi Family. I don't need my second sister-in-law meddling in my marriage!"
As soon as Zhao Ying'er said this, Chen Cui immediately grabbed her arm.
Chen Cui wanted to stop Zhao Ying'er, but unfortunately, Zhao Ying'er was too quick with her words for her to intervene, and everything came pouring out.
At this moment, the atmosphere became utterly awkward.
Whether the Qi Family was good or not was beside the point. The original engagement was set for Zhao Ying'er, but now it had changed to Zhao Jin, which already provided some leverage for gossip. But at this critical moment, Zhao Ying'er's engagement was also confirmed?
Zhao Ying'er wasn't embarrassed at all; she just shouted it out. However, the expressions of others clearly changed.
"Oh, so Ying'er's marriage has already been settled! What? Is it that Wu Family from Zhou Tai Village? What's his name again? Wu Feng, right? Oh dear, congratulations! Wishing Ying'er happiness in marriage, a harmonious union, and early blessings!" Qian Minmin's tone was exceedingly insincere.
Even though she offered congratulations, there was no hint of sincerity; instead, it revealed a sharp sarcasm that instantly heightened the tension in the room.
Zhao Jin didn't care whether Zhao Ying'er married Wu Feng or not. In her previous life, Zhao Ying'er had an ambiguous relationship with Wu Feng; now it had simply shifted from behind the scenes to the forefront, which was neither surprising nor unexpected.
Moreover, both Wu Feng and Zhao Ying'er were quite unsuitable for each other; they matched perfectly—like a lid fitting a pot.
Thinking of this, Zhao Jin sincerely congratulated Zhao Ying'er.
Zhao Jin had been quiet until now, but suddenly she became the target of Zhao Ying'er's attack.
Originally, Zhao Ying'er followed because of the Bride Price sent by the Qi Family. In her stubborn belief, she did not want to marry Qi Zheng, and that was her own business. The Bride Price that rightfully belonged to her should not be taken by anyone else. Now that these Bride Price items had been sent to Zhao Jin's Family, it was simply a mistake in delivery. They were meant for her, and she still intended to take them.
Zhao Ying'er had good intentions and even brought a powerful ally. With her grandparents present, she thought that Zhao Jin's family would not dare to forcibly keep her Bride Price.
However, as soon as she entered, Zhao Ying'er realized that Zhao Jin's family was coveting her Bride Price. To avoid returning it to her, they disregarded her grandparents and even told them to leave. It was utterly shameless!
At that moment, Zhao Jin arrogantly stepped forward and even congratulated her, which made Zhao Ying'er furious.
Don't think she couldn't see through Zhao Jin's malicious intentions! Wasn't it just because she received a substantial Bride Price from the Qi Family, that she felt bold enough to pretend to be innocent? A foolish dream! She would not let Zhao Jin benefit from this. No matter what, she was determined to get her Bride Price back!
With these thoughts in mind, Zhao Ying'er showed no restraint: "Who wants your congratulations? You shamelessly took my Bride Price and now stand here congratulating me? Zhao Jin, do you have any shame?"
Zhao Jin was completely caught off guard by the sudden outburst. She had no idea what was happening and was directly accused by Zhao Ying'er. It was truly unfair.
Compared to Zhao Jin, the turmoil in Qi Zheng's heart was even greater. Did Zhao Ying'er say that she had stolen her Bride Price? Was it the one from the Wu Family? Previously, Xu Mei mentioned that when Chen Cui first came to propose for gold, it was also from the Wu Family...
At this moment, Qi Zheng realized he had overlooked something. After all, the marriage between the Qi Family and the Zhao Family had nothing to do with Zhao Ying'er, so he naturally did not expect her to be so brazen.
Before Qi Zheng could figure out what was going on, the straightforward Qian Minmin stepped forward to defend Zhao Jin: "Come on, Ying'er, let's clarify things. What do you mean our Jin stole your Bride Price? Did the Wu Family send you a Bride Price, but mistakenly delivered it here?"
"Why don't you clarify who in our family accepted the Wu Family's Bride Price, then selfishly kept it without returning it to you? Just point them out, and I guarantee I will help you get your Bride Price back! How can this happen? That is your Bride Price, specifically sent by the Wu Family for you..." With a fake smile, Qian Minmin tried to stand up for and support Zhao Ying'er. However, before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Zhao Ying'er.
"What do you mean by the Wu Family! Mine is from the Qi Family! The entire set of Bride Price sent today by the Qi Family should belong to me. Why does Zhao Jin think she can take my Bride Price! Give it back to me!" Without wanting to listen to any nonsense from Qian Minmin, Zhao Ying'er jumped up angrily.
The previously uninvolved brothers of the Qi Family, who were merely bystanders, suddenly became part of the matter.
Looking confused at the arrogant Zhao Ying'er, Zhao Jin turned to look at Qi Zheng: "Did you send the wrong delivery for the Bride Price?"
"Absolutely not." Even Qi Zheng was caught off guard by Zhao Ying'er's words, despite his usual calm demeanor. He shook his head and emphasized to Zhao Jin.
At the same time, the hint of jealousy that had just begun to rise in Qi Zheng dissipated in an instant, replaced by overwhelming joy.
So, it really had nothing to do with the Wu Family. The gold had been taken as his Bride Price, which meant... the only person Jin was destined to marry was him?
"What do you mean there's nothing? Qi Zheng, do you even understand? It was me who made the marriage agreement with your family, not Zhao Jin. Of course, the Bride Price from the Qi Family should belong to me; why should it go to the Zhao Jin's Family?" Zhao Ying'er was particularly assertive about reclaiming the Bride Price. She completely ignored the guilty expressions of Chen Cui and Zhao Guofu nearby and conveniently forgot that she was the one who initially refused to marry into the Qi Family.
"Hah!" Qian Minmin couldn't help but laugh in anger. "I've seen thick-skinned people, but I've never seen anyone as thick-skinned as you. So, Zhao Ying'er, are you asking your grandparents and your parents to come here to demand my Bride Price? This is truly laughable! If this gets out, it could give all the elders and villagers in Willow Leaf Village something to laugh about for ten years—do you believe that? Just how big is your face, and where do you get the audacity to come here and cause a scene?"
Qian Minmin didn't directly point fingers at Grandfather Zhao and his wife or at Zhao Guofu, but focused solely on mocking and ridiculing Zhao Ying'er, almost adding, "Who taught you this? Your grandparents or your parents?"
If Qian Minmin had actually said those last two lines, it's likely that Grandfather Zhao would have fainted from anger on the spot. As for Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui, they were shameless anyway, so Qian Minmin couldn't be bothered to argue with them today.
The three brothers from the Qi Family were visiting for the first time on a day meant for their family’s engagement with Jin. Thus, Qian Minmin was more concerned about not ruining the happy occasion for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, which is why she focused solely on confronting Zhao Ying'er.
"What are you laughing at? Your family is the one that's ridiculous! You actually have the nerve to steal my Bride Price, aren't you ashamed?" Zhao Ying'er felt no shame at all. In her eyes, it was really the family of Zhao Jin that was shameless. Right now, she couldn't back down; otherwise, she would let Zhao Jin take her rightful Bride Price.
Engaging in a verbal spat with someone like Zhao Ying'er was easy for Qian Minmin. Just as she was about to continue battling words with her, she was pulled back by Sun Chun'er.
"Don't rush into arguing with her; let's see what our parents do." Sun Chun'er hadn't expected that the real intention of Zhao Ying'er and her group coming over was to demand the Bride Price from the Qi Family. She had genuinely thought they were just there for a free meal.
Indeed, one could see how thick-skinned they were...
What could Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei do? They were both nearly exploding with anger. Even if they no longer held any expectations for Grandfather Zhao, his wife, or the family of Zhao Guofu, they never anticipated such an absurdly frustrating situation unfolding before them.
Seeing that his parents were visibly upset, Zhao Jingang wanted to step forward and argue with Zhao Ying'er, but he was stopped by a grip from Qi Zheng.
Suddenly being held by his hand made Zhao Jin pause for a moment before she couldn't help but smile again. No matter what happened, as long as she had Qi Zheng, she felt fearless.
Upon seeing Zhao Jin's smiling face, Qi Zheng's gaze softened. He gently nodded at Zhao Jin and pulled her towards Zhao Ying'er.
Zhao Ying'er felt a bit flustered. She wasn't quite sure why Qi Zheng was suddenly approaching her; surely it wasn't to propose marriage, right? That was just a dream!
Zhao Ying'er was quite confident, pretending to be oblivious and acting as if she didn't see Qi Zheng holding Zhao Jin's hand.
It made sense, though; if Zhao Ying'er weren't that kind of person, she wouldn't be standing here so confidently.
There are indeed some people who can live in their own world, completely regarding others as mere supporting characters revolving around them. It's as if they are the center of the universe, and everyone must revolve around them.
At this moment, Zhao Ying'er was undoubtedly a typical example of such a person. However, fantasies are always beautiful, and the harsh reality that followed would soon slap Zhao Ying'er in the face—quite literally by Qi Zheng himself.
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