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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
Watching the items placed in the living room of Zhao Guoqiang's house, Grandma Zhao could hardly resist the urge to reach out and take them all back to her own home.
Grandma Zhao's gaze was too greedy, and Qian Minmin quickly pulled Sun Chun'er and Zhao Jin to start moving the items from the living room into the rooms.
With shameless elders like Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui around, it was likely they would make a move to snatch things away at any moment. There was no way to trust Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui; no one wanted to believe in their character.
Grandma Zhao indeed had the thought of forcibly taking things, but just as that idea formed, Zhao Jin and her sister-in-law had already begun packing up. As a result, Grandma Zhao felt powerless, left only with her longing gaze and no other options.
Of course, standing idly by was not Grandma Zhao's style. After noticing Zhao Jin's trio's intentions, Grandma Zhao's expression darkened significantly as she frowned at Xu Mei: "Isn't it rare for Jin to bring something back to her maternal family? Why can't people see it?"
Xu Mei felt completely innocent. It wasn't her who was collecting the items; why was Grandma Zhao holding her accountable?
However, her two daughters-in-law's actions, along with Zhao Jin's, happened to align perfectly with Xu Mei's thoughts. Faced with Grandma Zhao's questioning, Xu Mei smiled gently and shook her head: "Jin's in-law family is not well-off; it's not easy for them to buy so many things. But the two children have good intentions; since they’ve brought the items in, it wouldn’t be right to make them take them back. My husband and I think we should keep these items for now and return them when we have the chance."
"Return them? They've already brought the items in; how can there be any talk of returning them? Who told you to return them? Was it Qi Zheng’s request? I don’t have such a good heart as the Qi Family; half of this is just for show—how shameless..." Because she couldn't gain anything, Grandma Zhao was extremely irritated. She opened her mouth to mention Qi Zheng’s name, intending to scold him severely.
"Mother!" Interrupting Grandma Zhao, Xu Mei explained helplessly, "This has nothing to do with Qi Zheng or the Qi Family. This is my husband’s and my decision. As parents, don’t we just want our children to live well?"
"What about Zhao Jin marrying into the Qi Family? No matter how hard or bitter her life is, that’s her fate. She simply doesn’t have a life of comfort; she can only live so hard—who can she blame?" Grandma Zhao was also shameless, seemingly forgetting their previous actions and solely blaming Zhao Jin for her unfortunate fate.
"Mother, is it too early to jump to conclusions about whether my Jin has a good fate or not? Moreover, perhaps my Jin indeed doesn’t have a good fate, but what can we do about it? She ended up with an in-law family that won’t let her do anything and married a man who clearly comes from a poor background yet sends all the good things to our Zhao Family. This is all her fate; she can’t blame anyone else—we just have to accept it." Xu Mei had never been one to speak so pointedly before; she was truly angered by Grandma Zhao at this moment and didn’t care about anything else.
Grandma Zhao’s expression had become indescribable at this point.
According to Xu Mei, how could Zhao Jin have married poorly? Clearly, she has married exceptionally well, becoming a model that others envy and resent.
As for Grandma Zhao herself, she has never experienced a carefree life without work all these years. When she was a daughter-in-law for someone else, she didn't have that fortune. Now that she is a mother-in-law, she still hasn't been able to enjoy such good luck.
Instead, the Zhao Jin she looked down upon has become the fortunate person that Grandma Zhao can only dream of. How could Grandma Zhao feel at ease about this?
Seeing that Grandma Zhao was about to lose the argument, Chen Cui cleared her throat and felt compelled to step in.
"Father, Mother, what exactly are you bringing the fourth family here for? There’s nothing good left between our families." Before Chen Cui could say anything further, Zhao Guoqiang cut off all her speaking possibilities.
According to Zhao Guoqiang, the two families no longer interact; their family matters do not require outsiders to meddle, so everyone should just keep quiet! Zhao Guoqiang's words weren't entirely wrong. Even if the two families hadn't completely severed ties, it was irrelevant for Zhao Jin to bring things to her maternal family. Whether Zhao Jin was doing well or poorly was none of Grandma Zhao's business. If she wanted to send things to her parents in her maternal family, her in-law family had no objections; yet Grandma Zhao and others were trying to intervene here as if they were upholding justice.
It was unclear who Grandma Zhao was really trying to uphold justice for and what her true intentions were. In any case, Zhao Jin's family would not entertain this.
"Zhao Guoqiang! I am your mother! Can't I come to your house with your father? Is this how you show filial piety to your parents?" Grandma Zhao was never one to back down easily. If one approach didn’t work, she would try another. After all, her stubbornness was well-known throughout Willow Leaf Village.
Especially now that she was facing her own son, Grandma Zhao felt even more emboldened and acted however she pleased.
Grandfather Zhao stood silently by. His silence already spoke volumes.
He had always sided with Grandma Zhao. No matter how unreasonable she acted at any time, Grandfather Zhao would unconditionally tolerate and indulge her.
As for the reason? It was simple. Grandma Zhao's ultimate goal was exactly the same as Grandfather Zhao's: to take advantage of any benefits available.
Today was no different. Grandma Zhao was clearly causing a scene with Zhao Guoqiang and his wife over the things that Zhao Jin had brought back. There was no doubt that Grandfather Zhao would not intervene or have any objections.
As soon as Grandma Zhao was about to escalate the situation, Zhao Guoqiang immediately retreated.
Forget it, he wouldn't engage in a war of words with his mother. Wasn't it enough to admit defeat?
Even though Zhao Guoqiang stopped talking, Grandma Zhao was still relentless. In fact, because of Zhao Guoqiang's silence, Grandma Zhao became even more agitated.
Seeing Grandma Zhao's temper rising again, Zhao Jin couldn't bear it any longer and walked over to grab Qi Zheng: "Dad, Mom, we're leaving."
If they couldn't provoke us, then hiding away should work, right?
Every time they encountered Grandma Zhao, it was impossible not to feel irritated, and Zhao Jin was completely speechless.
"Wait!" Just as Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng were about to leave, Grandma Zhao refused to let them go.
Where do you think you're going? If Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng left, how would they manage to mooch off meals at Zhao Guoqiang's house?
That's right, Grandfather Zhao and his group had come to Zhao Guoqiang's house for a free meal again.
Since Zhao Jin returned to her maternal family with Qi Zheng, the Zhao Guoqiang family had to provide lunch! And undoubtedly, this meal would be quite lavish. Grandfather Zhao and the others were here specifically for that meal.
Of course, upon seeing the items that Zhao Jin brought over, Grandfather Zhao and the others immediately changed their minds and had other plans.
However, at this moment, since their plans hadn't come to fruition yet, they could only settle for second best and focus on getting this lunch into their mouths first.
Zhao Jin ignored Grandma Zhao's shouts. There wasn't a single decent person in Grandma Zhao's family; she had completely lost hope in them. Even if she really stood her ground as Grandma Zhao shouted, what awaited her wouldn't be a peaceful and happy scene.
Rather than getting into a deadlock with Grandma Zhao and ending up frustrated herself, Zhao Jin simply adopted an indifferent attitude and completely ignored Grandma Zhao.
Grandma Zhao did not expect that, despite her calling out, Zhao Jin would dare to pretend not to hear.
Without thinking, Grandma Zhao rushed over, intending to hit Zhao Jin.
This is outrageous! She is an elder! Is Zhao Jin looking for a fight?
Grandma Zhao intended to teach Zhao Jin a lesson. To her, it was unacceptable for Zhao Jin to treat her, an elder, in such a manner.
However, Grandma Zhao forgot that Qi Zheng was also present beside Zhao Jin.
Before Grandma Zhao could reach Zhao Jin, Qi Zheng had already shielded Zhao Jin behind him.
And then, it was Qi Zheng who faced Grandma Zhao.
Grandma Zhao dared to strike Zhao Jin because Zhao Jin, being a member of the Zhao family, was her own granddaughter. But against Qi Zheng, how could Grandma Zhao dare to act?
Her raised hand immediately dropped down, and Grandma Zhao's expression clearly showed panic and confusion: "You... you all should tone it down!"
In response to Grandma Zhao's words, Qi Zheng appeared innocent. Looking at Grandma Zhao with confusion, his tone was cold: "Is there something you need?"
There was... a definite answer on the tip of Grandma Zhao's tongue, but she hesitated. At that moment, she nearly choked on her own words.
Due to the overwhelming presence of Qi Zheng, Grandma Zhao ultimately had no choice but to shake her head and deny: "No... nothing."
Undeniably, Grandma Zhao's response was filled with guilt but also contained resentment.
How could there be nothing? If there were truly nothing wrong, why would she have deliberately called out to Zhao Jin? It was precisely because there was something that she stood in front of both Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng.
However, Grandma Zhao's complaints could only be kept to herself and could not be voiced.
The current situation was extremely rare. Grandma Zhao had lived for most of her life and had been a dominant figure in Willow Leaf Village for many years, with no one able to stop her, and she had never feared anyone.
But today, she actually conceded in front of Qi Zheng? It was important to note that Qi Zheng was two generations younger than her and was also her own granddaughter's husband...
It was likely that even Grandma Zhao herself did not anticipate such a scene would occur.
Grandfather Zhao and the others were also somewhat astonished. Generally speaking, whenever Grandma Zhao made up her mind to take action, she rarely failed. However, it was clear that something unexpected had happened today, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.
Zhao Jin was also surprised. When she realized that Grandma Zhao was actually intimidated by Qi Zheng, Zhao Jin couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She had always thought that Grandma Zhao feared no one. In both her past and present lives, Zhao Jin had never seen Grandma Zhao being subdued by anyone.
But at this moment, Qi Zheng shattered Zhao Jin's perception and refreshed the understanding of everyone else in the Zhao Family.
To be able to intimidate Grandma Zhao was undoubtedly a remarkable achievement. As a result, Qi Zheng's status in the eyes of the Zhao Family rose once again to a new height.
This clearly demonstrated how much of a bully Grandma Zhao was perceived to be within the Zhao Family.
Even Zhao Ying'er and Zhao Lei stared wide-eyed at Grandma Zhao and Qi Zheng, their faces filled with disbelief.
Zhao Ying'er and Zhao Lei were somewhat afraid of Qi Zheng as well. Whenever they faced Qi Zheng, they couldn't help but feel a sense of intimidation.
They had originally thought that at least they could rely on their grandparents for support when they returned home, but after today, Zhao Ying'er and Zhao Lei had to reassess just how powerful Qi Zheng's intimidation truly was.
Zhao Lei was better off. As a boy, he naturally felt an instinctive urge to submit to stronger individuals. Upon realizing that Qi Zheng was someone he could not provoke, his first thought was to avoid Qi Zheng as much as possible in the future and to refrain from any conflicts with her.
Zhao Ying'er felt a complex mix of emotions.
Originally, she was supposed to marry Qi Zheng. The person protected by Qi Zheng should have been her.
If she had married Qi Zheng, there would be no Zhao Jin involved at all.
Qi Zheng wasn't afraid even of his fierce grandmother; he would definitely take good care of her. The Qi Family was so poor that they wouldn't dare make her do any work. She, she...
Zhao Ying'er's thoughts were numerous, but they were destined to remain unfulfilled. At this moment, all she could do was watch helplessly as Zhao Jin was carefully taken away by Qi Zheng.
Indeed, Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng eventually left. Without Grandma Zhao's interference, their departure was exceptionally smooth; they didn't look back and left decisively.
Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei did not stop Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng either. However, neither of them felt particularly happy about it.
After all, it was not easy for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng to come back once; Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei wanted to host them well.
Who would have thought that before they even had lunch, they would run into trouble with Grandfather Zhao and the others?
With things escalating to this point, not just Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, but even Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei didn't want to continue standing in the yard.
"I'm not feeling well; I'm going back to lie down," Xu Mei said, pulling Zhao Guoqiang along with her back to the room.
Grandma Zhao's expression darkened again.
Who was Xu Mei trying to put on a show for? Why was she suddenly feeling unwell at this moment? Moreover, if she really wasn't feeling well, she could just go lie down by herself; why did she have to drag Zhao Guoqiang along?
It was clear that she was deliberately opposing her!
"Come out, Xu Mei!" Standing in the yard with her hands on her hips, Grandma Zhao shouted fiercely, "Are you trying to rebel? Your in-laws are here, and you actually hide inside the house? Do you believe that I..."
Grandma Zhao's voice was loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Not to mention the people in the same yard, including Qian Minmin. With a pout, Qian Minmin genuinely found Grandma Zhao annoying: "Grandma, can you please calm down for a moment? Even if you don't care about our ears, at least think about your own health. If you keep shouting like this and end up feeling unwell later, it would be a big deal."
What Qian Minmin really thought was that if something really happened, Grandma Zhao shouldn't blame their family. They were innocent and hadn't done anything wrong.
However, Qian Minmin wasn't interested in arguing with Grandma Zhao; she just wanted to send Grandma Zhao's whole family away quickly to avoid any further trouble, lest they continue to covet their belongings.
It was just like a dog with a keen nose; even a slight benefit could attract Grandma Zhao's family, who would rush over immediately. Who knows who told Grandma Zhao about it?
"If I'm not feeling well, it's because of you unfilial ones!" Listening to this, Grandma Zhao didn't even bother cursing at people anymore; she directly insulted Zhao Guoqiang's family as "things," clearly very angry. Qian Minmin wasn't someone to be trifled with either. Hearing Grandma Zhao's harsh words, she lost her good temper: "Grandma, please watch your words. Whose daughter isn't a person? If you insult me and Sister-in-law like this, our maternal families won't agree. Oh right, there's also my mother's maternal family; Zhao Zhenan's grandparents and two uncles are still alive! Who are you trying to insult?"
Grandma Zhao relied on her status as an elder to curse others. But at this moment, Qian Minmin insisted on distinguishing herself from Grandma Zhao, acting as if she didn't share the Zhao surname and that Grandma Zhao couldn't insult her. This truly forced Grandma Zhao into a corner.
In a perfectly fine situation, Grandma Zhao had already lost face in front of Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng; now she was about to lose again in front of Xu Mei and Qian Minmin as well?
"This won't do! If it goes on like this, Grandma Zhao will have no authority left at all. Chen Cui is still waiting to rely on Grandma Zhao to maintain her prestige. Seeing that the situation was not in her favor, Chen Cui quickly chimed in, 'Qian Minmin, what are you talking about? Who are you threatening? Standing here is your family’s Zhao Zhenan's grandmother! This is outrageous; it's simply unacceptable! Is this how your Maternal Family raised you, or has your mother-in-law led you astray?'
'Aunt Si, stop putting random labels on my Maternal Family. This has nothing to do with my mother-in-law. I'm just stating facts and reasoning with Grandma.' Chen Cui wanted to blur the focus and change the topic, but Qian Minmin refused to back down. 'I’ve been scolded by Grandma as if I’m nothing; I’ve become less than human in her eyes, and I can’t even argue back? Can’t I explain myself?'
'You...' It was clear that Chen Cui could not win against Qian Minmin. Especially at this moment, where Qian Minmin was in the right, Chen Cui found herself increasingly at a loss for words.
Moreover, Qian Minmin had no intention of giving Chen Cui a chance to speak. With a pout, she coldly snorted and continued, 'I was born to my parents too; even though I married into your Zhao Family and became Grandma's granddaughter-in-law, it doesn’t mean I have to let Grandma scold me at will. If Aunt Si thinks I'm being unreasonable, why don’t you try being scolded by Grandma and see how it feels?'"
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