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Back to the Eighties: A Marriage of Convenience
Grandma Qi truly does not care what outsiders think. Having lived for most of her life, Grandma Qi sees through things better than anyone else. Some people only dare to speak behind her back; who would actually come forward and say a word to her face?
In the end, they are just idle gossipers. If one were to argue with these people, a lifetime wouldn't be enough.
On the contrary, the more those people talk nonsense, the better she and her family will strive to live.
When the time comes, they won't need any rebuttals from those people; the facts presented before everyone will have effectively silenced those gossipers.
Just like this time with Qi Ze's marriage. Grandma Qi knows without needing Qi Xue to inform her that there are certainly many people behind the scenes saying that Qi Ze lacks judgment for choosing a girl from the Sun Family.
But so what? No matter what those people say, Qi Ze will not listen to them and will marry someone else.
Conversely, for those like Xue Family, who were rejected yet still unwilling to accept it and come knocking at their door, isn't it clear that it is Qi Ze's face being lost, not that of the Xue Family Girl?
According to Qi Xue, since the Xue Family Girl is so good, why must they cling to their Qi Ze? They could simply find someone better instead.
Faced with Qi Xue's self-contradiction, Grandma Qi did not want to make things explicit and was too lazy to argue or debate further with Qi Xue about this matter.
Qi Ze likes Sun Qiuer, and Grandma Qi also appreciates Sun Qiuer as her granddaughter-in-law; that is enough.
As for how good the Xue Family Girl is, that is a matter for the Xue Family. Qi Xue can go find the future in-laws of the Xue Family Girl regarding this matter; there is no need for her to come to their Qi Family for validation. It is unnecessary and completely a waste of effort.
This is how Grandma Qi thinks, but Qi Xue does not agree.
In Qi Xue's view, the reason why the Qi Family did not agree to the marriage with the Xue Family Girl is because when the Xue Family came to propose, they did not inform her in advance nor did they involve her in a timely manner.
If she came along to propose, what would happen to Sun Qiuer?
It seems that the reason Sun Qiuer was able to get engaged to Qi Ze was because of the fortune brought by Zhao Jin, a member of her own family.
In Qi Xue's view, since Sun Qiuer could rely on her connection with Zhao Jin to marry into the Qi Family, she too had the ability to bring the Xue Family Girl into the Qi Family.
However, the current situation was no longer a competition between Sun Qiuer and the Xue Family Girl. The moment she stepped into the Qi Family, it became a battle between her and Zhao Jin.
Qi Xue believed she was definitely better than Zhao Jin. After all, her surname was Qi, and she was a legitimate daughter of the Qi Family.
But what about Zhao Jin? She was merely an outsider who married in. How could she possibly compare or compete with her?
As Qi Xue completed her internal reasoning, she could no longer tolerate Grandma Qi's indifferent attitude at that moment. "Mother, no matter what, I am a Qi. I am devoted to the Qi Family. My intentions for the good of the Qi Family are unmatched by anyone else. Moreover, I have married into the Xue Family myself. I know very well how I have lived these years in the Xue Family, and you are also very clear about it, aren't you?"
Suppressing her inner anger, Qi Xue worked hard to play the emotional card. "After all, it was you who helped me marry into the Xue Family. There’s no need for me to list all the good things about the Xue Family; you know it in your heart. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so happy when you married me off to them. Now that it's changed to Qi Ze, how can you not look favorably upon the Xue Family anymore?"
As she spoke, resentment and anger crept into her tone.
The more she reasoned with the Qi Family, the more unreasonable they seemed. Even her mother had become unreasonable and started to argue nonsensically.
If it weren't for her being targeted by the united front of the Qi Family, it wouldn't matter to Qi Xue at all.
But now that it was clear they were all against her, it would be strange for Qi Xue to feel happy about it.
Seeing that Qi Xue was relentless in her complaints, Grandma Qi decided not to avoid the topic any longer and said directly, "Qiu'er is chosen by Qi Ze himself. What matters most is that Qi Ze likes her."
"How old is Qi Ze? What does he understand? Marriage is a lifelong matter; shouldn't we elders help plan and strategize together? Not to mention that Sun Qiuer has been rejected before; that's not something I made up just to ruin her reputation! Who doesn't know that Sun Qiuer is unwanted? Which respectable family would want to marry her? Our family doesn't lack limbs; why must we choose someone like this and bring them home to humiliate ourselves?"
Qi Xue's words were indeed harsh. Especially regarding Sun Qiuer, she expressed nothing but disdain and contempt throughout, with an unmistakable sneer and mockery on her face.
She has always believed that her reasons are valid. Even if Grandma Qi is stubborn, she cannot refute them.
Compared to her various accusations and shouts, Grandma Qi also has her own sense of reason and standards of judgment.
"Qiu'er is a good girl." This point is acknowledged by Qi Ze, and Grandma Qi firmly believes it from the bottom of her heart. As for Qi Xue's remarks at this moment, Grandma Qi frowned, becoming increasingly displeased as she listened: "Since Qi Ze and Qiu'er’s marriage has been settled, Qiu'er is now part of our Qijia Family. You, as an aunt, keep saying you are doing this for Qi Ze's sake and for the Qijia Family, yet you stand here tarnishing Qiu'er’s reputation? Qiu'er is your nephew's wife!"
"What nephew's wife? I wouldn't acknowledge such a nephew's wife even if you gave me a hundred!" Qi Xue instinctively retorted, clearly trying to provoke Grandma Qi. "Mother, it's not just me. Whether it's Qi Ze or Qi Zheng's marriage, you've made mistakes. Sun Qiuer is simply not presentable. Zhao Jin is no different; marrying him would only bring shame to our Qi Family..."
Before Qi Xue could finish her words, she met Qi Zheng's piercing gaze. In an instant, without any need for Qi Zheng's instructions, Qi Xue immediately closed her mouth and fell silent.
No matter the time, whenever faced with Qi Zheng, Qi Xue always involuntarily lost ground.
She had thought about suppressing Qi Zheng's arrogance and warning her not to act so recklessly.
But Qi Zheng is not her son. She is merely an aunt who married into the family; after so many years, she has never been close to Qi Zheng and feels utterly insignificant in front of her.
Even when sometimes Qi Xue deliberately tries to assert herself in front of Qi Zheng, as soon as she opens her mouth, she quickly gets intimidated by Qi Zheng's expression.
By the time she gathers the courage and momentum to confront Qi Zheng head-on, Qi Zheng has already turned away without sparing her a glance.
Having grown accustomed to being ignored by Qi Zheng over the years, there are many times when Qi Xue feels particularly lacking in confidence when facing her. She cannot compare to the assertiveness she displays in front of Qi Ze.
Of course, this reaction from Qi Xue does not mean that she is particularly close to Qi Ze or that he holds any great respect or affection for her as his aunt.
On the contrary, compared to Qi Zheng's indifference, Qi Ze's demeanor has always been more overt. From beginning to end, Qi Ze has never hidden his dislike for Qi Xue.
However, even so, when facing Qi Ze, Qi Xue can still muster some momentum. After all, when it comes to arguing, Qi Xue never admits defeat and has a thick skin.
But when it comes to Qi Zheng, the situation changes immediately.
Qi Zheng's attitude towards her is too cold. As a result, Qi Xue cannot bring out any of her bravado and has often been intimidated by Qi Zheng.
It is the same at this moment.
Because of a single glance from Qi Zheng, Qi Xue falls silent again, not daring to speak.
With Qi Xue silent, it perfectly suits Grandma Qi's intentions. At this moment, Grandma Qi has quite a bit to say to Qi Xue: "Although Qi Ze did not agree to the marriage with the Xue Family, our family has never spoken ill of the Xue Family Girl. Instead, you came back and immediately criticized this and that. To put it bluntly, what does it matter to you whether someone in our family is good or bad? We don’t need to live under the same roof; even when our family was struggling, you never came back to offer even a grain of rice, did you?"
"And as for Qiu'er, is it really her fault that she was rejected? It was the other party who was ungracious and despicable. You are also a woman; think about it from her perspective. If you were in Qiu'er's situation, would you still be able to stand here with your head held high without feeling embarrassed?"
Until today, Grandma Qi is willing to speak like this to Qi Xue not because she wants to make things difficult for her but because she genuinely hopes that Qi Xue can adjust her mindset and behave properly.
"As for my Jin, there’s no need for you to criticize." The moment Zhao Jin is mentioned, Grandma Qi's expression changes instantly. With a protective air that brooks no dissent or opposition, she declares, "Let me make this clear: among all the girls in the surrounding villages, none can compare to my Jin. Aside from Jin, I would be the first one against anyone else marrying into our Qi Family."
"Mother, that's a bit exaggerated, isn't it? You could accept someone like Sun Qiuer as a granddaughter-in-law; how could you not accept girls from other families? Isn’t that just ridiculous!" Completely missing Grandma Qi's good intentions, Qi Xue only focuses on bickering with her.
In her stubborn mindset, she believes that Grandma Qi is deliberately trying to make things difficult for her and doesn't genuinely think Zhao Jin is good.
Otherwise, why would Grandma Qi suddenly bring up how she hasn't sent even a grain of rice to the Qi Family all these years?
It is uncertain how many years Grandma Qi has been holding onto this, or how long she has been thinking about it. Therefore, at this moment, seizing the opportunity, she confronted her.
As a result, Zhao Jin's matter had to be set aside and could not be discussed uniformly.
Of course, for Qi Xue, she was not at all willing to settle accounts with Grandma Qi after so many years.
Thus, no matter what Grandma Qi said, Qi Xue came up with various excuses to evade the issue. She even pretended not to hear Grandma Qi's dissatisfaction with her and insisted on sticking to the matter of Zhao Jin.
After all, the reason she came to the Qi Family today was precisely for Zhao Jin's matter. Other issues could wait; for now, she was not concerned and did not intend to be.
"Then why is it that when our Qi Family was so poor that we could barely cook rice, only Jin was willing to marry into our family? Would other girls from different families be willing?" Grandma Qi suddenly raised her voice and loudly questioned Qi Xue.
Qi Xue clearly misjudged Zhao Jin's status in the Qijia Family. Even she could not casually speak ill of Zhao Jin.
As a result, her words faced Grandma Qi's fierce reprimand. Compared to the earlier water splashing incident, Grandma Qi's anger now was even more intense, leaving Qi Xue utterly embarrassed.
Qi Xue's face quickly darkened. She stared at Grandma Qi, opening her mouth and then closing it again. Then she opened it once more, clearly unwilling to accept the situation.
However, no matter how unwilling she was, it didn't help. Who told Qi Xue to misplace her focus? Sun Qiuer did not forget to involve Zhao Jin as well. In the end, she ended up with nothing—no gain at all.
Little did Qi Xue know that Zhao Jin was such an untouchable subject? For her part, she hadn't returned to the Qi Family in a long time and had not interacted with the Qijia Family since Zhao Jin married in. She was completely unaware of what had happened after Zhao Jin joined the Qi Family and understood nothing.
In this situation, when asked about Zhao Jin's significance to the Qijia Family, Qi Xue was completely at a loss and had never taken it to heart.
Thus, this led to her current embarrassing predicament.
Qi Xue stopped talking, and Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju also did not speak up. Both of them were busy with their own tasks, so they chose to ignore Qi Xue.
It wasn't until a while later that Qi Xue found her voice again. The first thing that came to her mind was not understanding or giving up, but rather stubbornly confronting Grandma Qi.
"Mother, it's just Zhao Jin, right? You raised your voice at me for her? Can't you stand to see your own daughter return to the Maternal Family?" Qi Xue exclaimed, her tone loud and filled with resentment. Naturally, this drew the attention of others in the Qi Family.
At that moment, Zhao Jin was inside the house making clothes with Qi Yuehong.
Ever since Qi Yuehong started her summer vacation, Zhao Jin had become much more relaxed.
Qi Yuehong learned sewing alongside Zhao Jin. Although she wasn't as skilled as Zhao Jin due to school commitments, she was quiet, meticulous, and quick with her hands, which greatly helped Zhao Jin.
After some time learning, Qi Yuehong was already able to handle things on her own. She had also picked up quite a bit from Zhao Jin.
Zhao Jin never held back from sharing her skills with Qi Yuehong. Whenever she had techniques to share, she would teach them to Qi Yuehong, making it easier for both of them.
As for keeping secrets about her work or anything related to it, Zhao Jin never thought that way.
Because of Qi Xue's shouting outside and calling out her name, Zhao Jin blinked and decided to get up and leave the room.
After all, it was an event related to her, and as the person involved, Zhao Jin didn't plan to avoid it; instead, she intended to face it head-on.
In the yard, Grandma Qi was about to feed the chickens when she was interrupted by Qi Xue's call.
She stood up because Qi Xue was her only daughter, whom she genuinely loved. Therefore, when it came to arranging a marriage for Qi Xue, Grandma Qi had worried herself to the point of turning her hair gray.
Fortunately, the Xue Family has not mistreated Qi Xue. After marrying into the Sun Family, Qi Xue has been living quite well.
Grandma Qi naturally feels some regret. After all, Qi Xue, her own daughter, has acted in ways that are truly disheartening for her and the Qi Family, making it impossible for her to face the situation calmly.
Over the years, just like Qi Erzhu, Qi Xue has unceremoniously worn down all the affection that she had with the Qi Family.
Once upon a time, Grandma Qi cherished Qi Xue dearly; now she feels nothing but disappointment towards her.
When one person is left with only disappointment for another, the reliance that once existed for Qi Xue naturally ceases to exist.
Therefore, Qi Xue has no right to stand here and loudly proclaim how she was once loved and valued by the Qi Family, nor how she is now neglected and looked down upon by them.
Relationships between people are inherently reciprocal. Even among the closest family members, no one is obligated to treat anyone well. Qi Xue has worn away the kindness that the Qi Family showed her, yet she turns around and accuses them of valuing Zhao Jin more than her. No matter how you look at it, it is particularly laughable.
When Zhao Jin stepped out, what she heard was Qi Xue relentlessly continuing her accusations against Grandma Qi.
According to Qi Xue's reasoning, the Qi Family has undoubtedly wronged her. From Grandma Qi down to Qi Zheng and Qi Ze, they all owe her something.
However, what is the truth? Just by observing how Qi Xue dares not meet Grandma Qi's gaze reveals a lot.
Indeed. Despite how loudly Qi Xue shouts, her eyes have always been wandering and uncertain.
She feels guilty—an uncontrollable guilt.
As she listened to Qi Xue becoming increasingly unreasonable, Zhao Jin finally spoke up: "If my aunt has any issues with me, she should address them directly to me! Grandma is old and cannot bear this kind of stress; she cannot withstand my aunt's shouting."
Qi Xue had long anticipated that Zhao Jin would definitely jump out. She was waiting for this moment. After all, compared to Grandma Qi, it was much easier and more unrestrained for Qi Xue to scold an outsider like Zhao Jin.
As soon as she heard Zhao Jin's voice, Qi Xue immediately turned her head and shouted, "What do you mean, Zhao Jin? Am I not allowed to talk to my own mother? Who's shouting here? I was just reasoning with my mother, exposing someone's ugly true colors." "If the 'someone' in Auntie's mouth refers to me, then feel free to shout at me. Although I'm not a particularly broad-minded person, I won't ignore any harsh words. As long as what Auntie says is factual, I will definitely learn my lesson and take the criticism seriously. However, if Auntie is wrong, don't blame me for being rude."
The harsh words were directed at Zhao Jin's current attitude.
She did not intend to silence Qi Xue, but Qi Xue had to acknowledge the facts; otherwise, she could not be blamed for clashing with Qi Xue.
Qi Xue naturally understood the implications of Zhao Jin's words.
It was precisely because she understood Zhao Jin's meaning that Qi Xue became even angrier.
"What? As an aunt, am I not allowed to say anything to you? Since when can juniors act so arrogantly in front of their elders? Don't forget your identity; I am Qi Zheng's real aunt!" Qi Xue would not easily back down. When it came to arguing, she was usually fierce enough. However, unfortunately for Qi Xue, today she was destined to face a Waterloo, repeatedly hitting walls and suffering a crushing defeat.
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