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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
Just like Zhao Jin's counterattack, Cheng Fangfang's reliance on her seniority had its limits; she shouldn't casually drag innocent people into her disputes. Perhaps Cheng Fangfang herself didn't care, but the three siblings of the Zhao Family certainly would not agree.
Thus, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan stood up in unison.
Upon meeting the gaze of the Zhao Brothers, Cheng Fangfang instinctively felt fear.
Fearing that the Zhao Brothers might actually take action against her, Cheng Fangfang instinctively sought help from Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju: "Mother, Sister-in-law, aren't you going to do something? Look at what she's saying!"
At this point, it was quite peculiar that Cheng Fangfang still thought to point fingers at Zhao Jin. To some extent, it could be considered absurd. Since Cheng Fangfang was so intent on digging her own grave, Zhao Jin naturally would not hold back: "If I’m being unreasonable, shouldn’t my Second Aunt go to my Maternal Family and discuss it with my parents? It would also be a good opportunity to ask them how they usually educate me. Would they feel embarrassed or ashamed because of their daughter?"
If Zhao Zhenqi and his brother weren't present, Cheng Fangfang would have definitely slapped Zhao Jin across the face. At the very least, she would have fought fiercely with Zhao Jin to teach her a lesson.
However, unfortunately for her, Zhao Zhenqi and his brother were standing right there, unwaveringly staring in this direction, leaving no room or space for Cheng Fangfang to act.
Meanwhile, Qi Zheng had already approached. "Qi Zheng! Look at what kind of daughter-in-law you've brought back to harm our Qi Family! This nonsense is clearly intended to prevent us from having a harmonious life! I tell you, you cannot back down at this moment; you must teach this girl a good lesson when it counts..."
Cheng Fangfang was quite adept at stirring up trouble and inciting hatred. Seeing that Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju remained indifferent, she simply turned to Qi Zheng.
Cheng Fangfang clearly hadn't grasped the situation or understood the dynamics at play here. She should have realized that even Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju weren't supporting her; how could Qi Zheng possibly follow her lead?
It wasn't as if just because she was a somewhat distant Second Aunt—considered an elder—Qi Zheng had to obey her every word.
If Qi Zheng were to do that, the first person to confront him would likely be Grandma Qi or Zhou Ju.
Qi Zheng naturally could not stand on Cheng Fangfang's side. As soon as he approached, he was met with Cheng Fangfang's coaxing, but Qi Zheng's cold expression did not waver at all, his aura particularly imposing: "What does Second Aunt want?" When it came to her purpose, the words that Cheng Fangfang had just about to say were swallowed back down, and she quickly changed her tone: "Isn't it about our Tingting's marriage? I think Tingting's dowry needs to be increased so that she will be valued by the In-laws when she marries into the family. So I came to borrow some money from big brother Sister-in-law, thinking of buying Tingting some new clothes."
Cheng Fangfang was indeed thick-skinned enough to dare say such things.
Even Zhao Jin, an outsider, knew how heavy the burdens were in the Qi Zheng Family. With two younger siblings still in school and just considering Qi Feng's leg, it would definitely require a considerable amount of money.
But what about Cheng Fangfang? As Aunt Qi, her family conditions had always been quite good, yet she had never thought of extending a helping hand. Qi Feng was not only Qi Zheng's biological uncle but also the biological uncle of Cheng Fangfang's niece, Tingting, and Qi Juanjuan, wasn't he?
As for Zhao Jin, she never coveted other people's belongings. However, she also disliked others constantly eyeing the benefits from their family.
For example, previously with Zhao Ying'er, who solely wanted to snatch away the Bride Price that Qi Zheng had given, Zhao Jin absolutely would not tolerate that. This time facing Cheng Fangfang, Zhao Jin's attitude remained unchanged; nothing would allow Cheng Fangfang to gain even a bit of advantage.
To be honest, the members of the Qi Zheng Family were all good-hearted people. From Grandma Qi down to the youngest, Qi Rui, even if their lives were difficult, they had never thought of giving up on Uncle Qi Feng.
At the same time, knowing that Second Uncle Qi Erzhu’s family was doing well and could definitely provide assistance, no one from their family had ever gone to seek help from him.
In life, sincerity is paramount. If Qi Erzhu truly had the intention to help, he would have stepped forward long ago without needing the Qi Zheng Family to approach him. Conversely, since it was clear that Qi Erzhu had no intention of helping out, even if they did go to him, they would only be met with indifference.
In fact, Grandma Qi had indeed approached Qi Erzhu. She did not directly ask him for a specific amount of money but rather hoped that he could help take care of Qi Feng in a more consultative tone.
However, Qi Erzhu’s response was extremely cold.
Looking at Grandma Qi with a mocking expression, what he said at that time was something that Grandma Qi still remembered vividly.
Qi Erzhu: "Haven't we already split up? Why are you still relying on me? He is my brother, not my son; why should I take care of him?"
Qi Erzhu said, "There’s still a boss above me. Why come to me instead of looking for the boss? I'm just Second Brother. Even Qi Dayong, the eldest brother, doesn’t take care of Qi Feng. I’m not just sitting around with nothing to do, so why would I want to bring back a burden to keep at home?"
Grandma Qi was not good at arguing. Faced with Qi Erzhu's words, she was quite angry but ultimately left in silence.
However, from that moment on, Grandma Qi no longer held any expectations or hopes for her son Qi Erzhu. Even when their family was struggling, she never set foot in Qi Erzhu's home.
It was as if before, when Qi Zheng was getting married, Grandma Qi had thought of many ways to help, but it was all just talk without any real action. Deep down, she knew there was no hope and that she couldn’t rely on him.
Thus, whether it was her son Qi Erzhu or her daughter Qi Xue, Grandma Qi simply waved her hand and sighed silently in her heart, having no other thoughts.
But what Grandma Qi didn’t expect was that just a few months later, Cheng Fangfang came knocking on the door, asking to borrow money!
What money did they have to lend to others? Moreover, Grandma Qi understood the situation in Qi Erzhu's family well and didn’t believe that Cheng Fangfang really needed to borrow money.
In other words, Cheng Fangfang was trying to take advantage of them. Perhaps her true intention could be summed up in four words: borrowing without repayment. Based on Grandma Qi's understanding of Cheng Fangfang, she would definitely find some excuse to brush off the debt later. It would likely be something like "we're all relatives; why talk about repayment?" or "my daughter Tingting is only getting married once in her life; shouldn’t Uncle’s family help out?"
Cheng Fangfang had such a thick skin that Grandma Qi had never encountered anything like it before she married into the Qi Family. But since marrying into the family, Cheng Fangfang had opened up a new perspective for Grandma Qi, completely redefining her understanding of "shamelessness."
There was no doubt that Grandma Qi disliked her daughter-in-law Cheng Fangfang. As for her two granddaughters, Qi Tingting and Qi Juanjuan, her feelings were particularly complicated. When the two girls were younger, Grandma Qi had held them and cared for them tenderly. However, after the passing of Great-Grandfather Qi and the division of families, the sisters gradually adopted their parents' attitude and became estranged from the Qi Zheng's Family. Consequently, in their eyes, their grandmother became merely a "burden" and "nuisance."
Over the years, aside from obligatory gatherings during festivals like New Year’s, neither Qi Tingting nor Qi Juanjuan ever took the initiative to visit Grandma Qi. Even during the last wedding of Qi Zheng, when the two girls came over for the celebration, they didn’t even acknowledge Grandma Qi. In their minds, they were doing her a favor by visiting the Qi Zheng Family. Their only task was to eat and drink; as for anything else, it had nothing to do with them. Even if it wasn’t New Year’s and there were no red envelopes involved, why should they have to revolve around Grandma Qi?
Grandma Qi saw through the thoughts of the two sisters, Qi Tingting and Cheng Fangfang. By now, she no longer felt hurt or sad.
When she suddenly heard that Qi Tingting was getting married and needed to add a dowry, Grandma Qi was taken aback and instinctively replied, "Does your family still lack a dowry for a girl?"
"Mother, that's a funny question," Cheng Fangfang said with a smirk, unceremoniously shouting at Grandma Qi. "How can our family not lack a dowry? We are quite poor, you know? That's why we need to rely on Big Brother's family for help!"
Cheng Fangfang's tone was truly annoying.
Grandma Qi was definitely not a harsh elder, but she was still provoked by Cheng Fangfang's words: "You and Er Zhu are the only two daughters; what isn't left for the two of you? Crying poverty has its limits; don't just say whatever comes to mind and treat us like fools!"
"Oh! Listen to what you’re saying, Mother. What’s wrong with my two daughters? Are my two daughters embarrassing? I know you just dislike that I couldn't give you a grandson from the Qi family!" Sometimes, certain words are spoken without malice but are received with intent. At this moment, Grandma Qi's words fell on Cheng Fangfang's ears in such a way. After all these years, Cheng Fangfang was particularly sensitive about this matter. Regardless of whether others had malicious intent, she would subconsciously feel guilty and instantly exploded: "Yes, your eldest daughter-in-law is capable; she gave you three grandsons right away. But so what? Are you living some kind of fairy tale life with your eldest son and daughter-in-law? With your three precious grandsons, what great benefits have you gained? You..."
"Cheng Fangfang!" Hearing Cheng Fangfang bring up old grievances again, Zhou Ju couldn't help but raise her voice, looking seriously at Cheng Fangfang. "Our family has never thought that having two daughters is embarrassing. This has always been your own thought; it has nothing to do with the rest of us. Mother has never complained about you because of this."
"Oh! Just because you don’t say it doesn’t mean that’s not how you feel inside! Do you think I don’t know what you're thinking? Don’t you just want to see me make a fool of myself? You all wait for me to marry off my two daughters in style with a huge dowry, only for me to end up with nothing in return—not even someone to carry my coffin! How can your hearts be so dark..."
Cheng Fangfang didn’t care about Zhou Ju’s defense. What she believed had never changed.
As Cheng Fangfang's increasingly harsh words continued, Zhao Jin frowned and interrupted her outburst: "It's because Second Aunt thinks this way herself that she believes everyone else thinks the same!"
Cheng Fangfang's resentment abruptly stopped as if her core belief had been pierced; her face instantly filled with anger and embarrassment. At the same time, because Zhao Jin had hit a sore spot, she found herself at a loss for words.
"Because Second Aunt has always worried about this and that, she assumes everyone looks down on her and laughs at her behind her back. But Second Aunt, ask yourself honestly—how kind-hearted is our grandmother? And how gentle is my mother as the eldest sister-in-law? Take the division of property as an example; it simply means that brothers no longer live under one roof or share one kitchen. It doesn’t mean they will never interact again, does it?" Zhao Jin's tone was not harsh, but the reasoning he presented increasingly pierced Cheng Fangfang's heart.
Cheng Fangfang was someone who cared deeply about face. Seeing that Zhao Jin was about to embarrass her in front of everyone, she refused to stand still.
As soon as Zhao Jin mentioned the division of property, Cheng Fangfang instinctively thought of Qi Feng as a burden. Without thinking twice, Cheng Fangfang sneered and mocked: "No matter how nice your words sound, don’t expect our family to spend even a dime on Qi Feng’s leg treatment. He’s already disabled and insists on dragging his family down with him. You may be foolish, but our family isn’t stupid. If anyone wants to support that burden, it's their own business. Don’t pin it on us; we won’t accept it."
Therefore, when it comes to self-interest, human nature is immediately revealed.
Take Cheng Fangfang, for example. She can take advantage of others, but others cannot expect to gain even the slightest benefit from her.
She came to the Qi Zheng Family to take advantage, not to add burdens to herself.
Wanting their family to pay for Qi Feng's leg treatment? No way!
Zhao Jin was obviously silent for a moment. Faced with Cheng Fangfang's selfish behavior, which was so blatantly selfish, she seemed somewhat taken aback. However, after confirming that Cheng Fangfang was indeed such a person, Zhao Jin nodded and replied without hesitation, "Alright. We'll pay for Uncle's leg treatment. But please take back those words that slandered him. Second Uncle is neither disabled nor a burden. Second Uncle is clearly a hero who deserves our respect and admiration..."
"Hah! That's really funny!" Finally seizing the opportunity to interrupt Zhao Jin, Cheng Fangfang didn't hesitate at all. "Zhao Jin, are you an idiot? Or is your brain filled with water, completely unaware of the situation? Qi Feng is no longer the Qi Feng he used to be. Now, all he does is lie in bed waiting for you to serve him; what else is he good for? It's lucky for him that he ran into your whole family of fools, each claiming to be kind-hearted and not kicking him out. If it were someone else's family, just try and see what kind of treatment he would get now. Not drowning in the pond and saving his family a meal is already considered brave for him."
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