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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
Was Zhao Jin right? When this question came before Qi Zheng, there was no doubt he would nod in agreement.
In Qi Zheng's eyes, Zhao Jin was perfect in every way, with not a single flaw.
On the contrary, Zhao Jin herself was seriously beginning to reflect.
“Qiu'er, this is not your fault.” Looking seriously at Sun Qiuer, Zhao Jin pointed at herself. “It’s my negligence and mistake. I’m sorry for putting such a heavy burden on you.”
“Sister-in-law?” Sun Qiuer, who had been confessing her own embarrassment, was taken aback by Zhao Jin's words. She didn’t mean it that way, really.
She had always thought Sister-in-law was great and impressive. The reason she felt uneasy was that she thought she was too useless, not because she blamed Sister-in-law for anything. She...
“Qiu'er, don’t rush. Just listen to Sister-in-law.” Noticing Sun Qiuer's nervousness, Zhao Jin quickly tried to calm her down.
Then, Zhao Jin said calmly, “Qiu'er, our family and I should be considered exceptions, right? Let’s both reflect on the situations of other families in the village and think about our respective maternal families. Isn’t it true that you are the normal one while I am not?”
Upon hearing Zhao Jin's words, Sun Qiuer understood what she meant. She shook her head repeatedly and anxiously said, “No, Sister-in-law, that’s not what you...”
“I am unconventional.” Interrupting Sun Qiuer's explanation, Zhao Jin stated matter-of-factly. “Qiu'er, you feel you haven’t been a competent daughter-in-law for the Qi Family, but I actually think you are the competent one.”
Switching roles with Sun Qiuer, Zhao Jin turned to her and asked, “Think carefully about it; among all the daughters-in-law we’ve seen and interacted with since we were young, isn’t it only you who has been such a well-behaved daughter-in-law?”
“That’s different.” Sun Qiuer opened her mouth, trying earnestly to distinguish the differences to Zhao Jin.
“It is indeed different. But it cannot be denied that as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qi Family, I have not done well enough.” Zhao Jin shook her head and once again interrupted Sun Qiuer. “Under normal circumstances, a diligent daughter-in-law like you is what’s right. As for me, ever since marrying Qi Zheng, I haven’t done any housework at all, let alone work in the fields. Cooking meals and washing dishes were always contested by Grandma and Mom; now there’s you added into the mix.”
Zhao Jin didn’t mean to blame anyone; at this point, she couldn’t help but smile as her lips curved upward. “How can you compare yourself to me as a daughter-in-law? I feel I should be the one being criticized for not doing my part instead of you.”
“Sister-in-law, you are great, really.” It was evident that Sun Qiuer was not as articulate as Zhao Jin. After Zhao Jin took over the conversation, the rhythm of their discussion shifted entirely.
At this moment, Sun Qiuer truly couldn't care less about her own grievances and sadness. At the same time, she began to inquire about Zhao Jin's feelings, eager to comfort her.
Zhao Jin couldn't help but be amused by Sun Qiuer's anxious reaction. She then seriously replied to Sun Qiuer, "You are doing well, even better than I am, and that is also true."
This left Sun Qiuer momentarily stunned. After a while, she couldn't come up with a rebuttal. "Qiu'er, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You are particularly virtuous and hardworking, while I may lean more towards being a money-minded person." Patting Sun Qiuer on the shoulder, Zhao Jin earnestly said to her, "Compared to your envy of me, how do you know that I am not secretly jealous of your skillfulness?"
Sun Qiuer blinked and fell silent. She certainly didn't genuinely believe that Zhao Jin was jealous of her. Rather, from Zhao Jin's words, she clearly realized a crucial point that she had completely overlooked: everyone has their own shining qualities. She shouldn't be overly self-deprecating, which only led her to feel anxious and restless, forgetting her true self.
"Moreover, I must emphasize to you seriously, Qiu'er, that your marrying Qi Ze and joining the Qi Family has nothing to do with me at all." Zhao Jin was determined to eliminate this misunderstanding from Sun Qiuer's mind. "The reason you are marrying Qi Ze is because you truly have a connection with him. And it is not something I can influence whether Qi Ze likes you or not. The fact that Qi Ze likes you and is willing to marry you is because you are truly outstanding and deserving of his genuine affection." At this point, Zhao Jin deliberately paused.
However, she was not leaving time for Sun Qiuer to argue back; rather, she was giving her space to process and respond.
"When it comes to matters of the heart, aside from Qi Ze himself, no one else can force him or make decisions for him. Although I am Qi Ze's sister-in-law, I really don't have such powerful abilities or influence," Zhao Jin said while pointing at herself and shaking her head heavily in self-deprecation.
Sun Qiuer was not the type to stubbornly dwell on things. It was just that everything had piled up at once, giving her that illusion and causing her to think in a different direction for a moment.
Once Zhao Jin reassured her like this, Sun Qiuer let out a long sigh of relief and slowly but earnestly nodded, "Hmm, I understand now."
"That's good to hear." With a smile on her face, Zhao Jin exaggeratedly winked at Sun Qiuer. "You have no idea; you've almost scared all of us during this time. We were worried that you were feeling wronged but didn't want to talk to us."
"I am not wronged." On this matter, Sun Qiuer was quite insistent about expressing her feelings clearly.
She was genuinely living comfortably in the Qi Family. All along, she had not felt even a hint of grievance or sadness.
This time, it was just her lost in her own thoughts. In fact, it was all her guilt and self-blame, completely unrelated to the Qi Family.
"Well, I understand now." Zhao Jin deliberately emphasized the word "now," making her teasing tone quite evident.
Sun Qiuer couldn't help but blush. She lowered her head, feeling embarrassed and no longer speaking.
It was indeed her fault for not clarifying things with her family in a timely manner, causing them trouble and worry. She should apologize to everyone for her mistake.
"Alright, alright, please don't make that face. If Qi Ze sees you like this later, he'll definitely think it's me, your Sister-in-law, bullying you. At that point, I won't be able to explain myself," Zhao Jin was just teasing Sun Qiuer. Seeing Sun Qiuer uncomfortable, she quickly stopped the topic.
Teasing was one thing. If she didn't gauge it well and made Sun Qiuer cry, then all her previous efforts would have been in vain. Not to mention that she actually liked Sun Qiuer; how could she possibly bully her?
"Qi Ze wouldn't dare," Sun Qiuer immediately laughed. Unable to help herself, she looked up to defend Qi Ze, saying, "Besides, he wouldn't dare."
If Sun Qiuer hadn't added that last part, Zhao Jin might have let it go.
However, since Sun Qiuer did add that part, Zhao Jin couldn't help but laugh: "How could Qi Ze not dare? I bullied his wife; if he doesn't come after me, that would be surprising."
"Isn't there an older brother around?" Sun Qiuer's voice was not loud, more like a mumble in her mouth, but it was genuinely what she felt.
In their family, the older brother was the strongest. With him around, who would dare bully the Sister-in-law? They shouldn't even let her feel wronged at all.
Zhao Jin had sharp ears. Plus, being so close to Sun Qiuer made it impossible not to hear her mumble.
Alright then, can she admit to the power of Qi Zheng in the Qi Family?
Pursing her lips, Zhao Jin stopped teasing Sun Qiuer and instead looked meaningfully in the direction of Qi Ze: "Whether Qi Zheng is here or not is beside the point. Qiu'er, why do I feel like your Qi Ze has been looking over here? You should probably explain things to him properly so he won't worry."
Once some words were spoken, they immediately became easier to say. Just like Sun Qiuer at this moment; she no longer held back the thoughts and feelings she had kept inside before.
Zhao Jin couldn't help but tease Sun Qiuer, who felt a bit embarrassed.
Standing up, Sun Qiuer walked towards her and Qi Ze's room, saying, "I won't bother Sister-in-law anymore. I'm going back to my room first."
"Alright, alright. Sister-in-law is annoying, so I won't get in your way, Qiu'er." Zhao Jin suddenly raised her voice, causing Qi Ze, who had been glancing over frequently, to stand up.
Seeing Qi Ze starting to walk over, Zhao Jin shrugged her shoulders and spread her hands innocently.
She definitely wasn't trying to stir up trouble, really.
Compared to Qi Ze's hurried and anxious demeanor, Qi Zheng remained much calmer.
Of course, this didn't mean that Qi Zheng wasn't worried about Zhao Jin. He could clearly see that there was an unmistakable smile on Zhao Jin's face and in her eyes; she didn't look angry at all.
In fact, Zhao Jin and Sun Qiuer were both laughing!
Having confirmed this, Qi Zheng felt reassured about Zhao Jin. He cast a doting glance her way but did not get up to approach.
Zhao Jin didn't really want Qi Zheng to come over either. Once she confirmed that Qi Ze was already on the move, she decided that was enough for the moment.
Waving goodbye to Qi Zheng, Zhao Jin turned around without any burden and headed to the kitchen to report her findings to Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju.
Regarding the matter with Sun Qiuer, she needed to update Grandma and Zhou Ju about it.
After listening to Zhao Jin's detailed explanation, Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju couldn't help but shake their heads with laughter.
Their family truly did not hold a preference for sons over daughters. Even though other families already had two grandsons, since Zhao Jin had previously given birth to daughters, Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju would never put any pressure on Sun Qiuer.
They loved their daughters just the same; they cherished them equally. This was the honest truth without any embellishment.
"I just talked to Qiu'er, and our family really doesn't go for that kind of thing. At first, Qiu'er didn't believe me. Luckily, I can talk well and managed to convince her." In front of Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju, Zhao Jin proudly boasted about herself with a childlike demeanor.
"Yes, yes, yes. It's good that our Jin is so impressive, truly worthy of being Sister-in-law," Grandma Qi always supported Zhao Jin. At this moment, she nodded in agreement.
Zhou Ju also had a smile on her face. Although she didn't verbally praise Zhao Jin, the affectionate look in her eyes said it all.
"Our elders are particularly open-minded, which is what matters," Zhao Jin finished praising herself and began to compliment Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju along with the other elders.
"Oh my, our Jin has such sweet words," Grandma Qi was very pleased to hear this and immediately started preparing for Zhao Jin, "Come on, Jin, try this chicken soup made by Grandma. Is it authentic enough?"
"How could there be anything inauthentic about soup made by our grandmother? Even without tasting it, I know it's definitely delicious," Zhao Jin nodded earnestly and gave Grandma Qi a thumbs up.
Of course, despite saying she wouldn't taste it, Zhao Jin eagerly took the bowl. Then, right in front of Grandma Qi, she began to drink it with great enjoyment.
Grandma Qi had always liked Zhao Jin. Seeing Zhao Jin enjoy the soup she made brought her even more joy. She hoped Zhao Jin would drink more and take better care of her health.
"By the way, Jin, is everything okay with Qiu'er?" After Zhao Jin finished the soup, Zhou Ju quietly asked.
Compared to Zhao Jin, Zhou Ju was more cautious about Sun Qiuer.
It wasn't that Zhou Ju was afraid of Sun Qiuer or that Sun Qiuer was difficult to get along with. It was simply because Sun Qiuer was too understanding; she kept everything bottled up inside, which made Zhou Ju worry that she might overlook Sun Qiuer's grievances if she wasn't careful.
In contrast, someone like Zhao Jin was straightforward about her feelings and would occasionally act spoiled towards the elders. Although childish, this made Zhou Ju feel more at ease.
"I don't know! Anyway, Qi Ze went into the room," Zhao Jin could only hope that Sun Qiuer would let go of her previous thoughts and worries. But to truly reassure Sun Qiuer, it still depended on Qi Ze.
Just like Zhao Jin herself. She could thrive in the Qi Family entirely due to Qi Zheng's affection and indulgence.
In Zhao Jin's heart, as long as Qi Zheng was there, no matter how willful she was, no one would say anything against her. After all, Qi Zheng was her greatest support. There was no other like him.
"I'll go find Qiu'er later." Since Qi Ze was present, Zhou Ju felt it was inappropriate to intervene.
However, compared to Qi Zheng, Zhou Ju was still quite uneasy about Qi Ze.
Qi Ze's personality was too unpredictable, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't say something inappropriate. Moreover, his carelessness might not help Qiu'er feel at ease.
Zhao Jin did not oppose Zhou Ju's suggestion. In times like this, it was even more important to strengthen their bonds. Zhao Jin hoped that everyone in the family could live comfortably and that their relationships would steadily improve.
On the other side, Qi Ze was shocked after hearing Sun Qiuer's concerns. He immediately patted his chest, almost swearing that he would wholeheartedly care for the child in Sun Qiuer's belly, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl.
"I really don't have any preference for a boy or a girl. We already have Guo Guo and Dou Dou. If you give us another daughter, everyone in the family will be very happy and will love her dearly." This was Qi Ze's heartfelt words and had always been his thoughts.
The gender of the child had never been a concern for him. Whether Sun Qiuer gave birth to a son or a daughter, as long as it was their child, he would unconditionally love and cherish them.
This child was the fruit of their love and the bond that continued their relationship. He had always looked forward to it and undoubtedly liked the idea.
Qi Ze originally thought Sun Qiuer knew this. He never expected that she didn't know at all. Moreover, she had been in a state of anxiety and unease because of it.
If he had known how much Sun Qiuer cared about the gender of their child, he would have repeated his thoughts to her every morning and night to ensure she wouldn't have time to worry unnecessarily.
He couldn't imagine how long Sun Qiuer would have held onto such thoughts if Zhao Jin hadn't been there to help soothe her emotions and encouraged her to share her feelings with everyone. At this point, he realized that as her husband, he had not been competent enough; he had been too careless. He failed to notice his wife's unease and anxiety in time, which was truly unacceptable.
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