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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
"You don't have to apologize to me." Facing Qi Juanjuan's rare apology, Qi Yuehong's attitude was indeed quite gracious. However, in the next moment, Qi Yuehong seriously stated, "But you must apologize to my Sister-in-law. My Sister-in-law did nothing wrong, yet you publicly confronted her.
Qi Juanjuan, in this matter, you were in the wrong."
For Qi Yuehong, it didn't matter how she was treated. But Qi Juanjuan had repeatedly caused trouble for her Sister-in-law because of her own issues. Such behavior was something Qi Yuehong could not tolerate.
Therefore, while Qi Yuehong didn't need an apology from Qi Juanjuan, she firmly insisted that Qi Juanjuan must apologize to Zhao Jin.
This was Qi Yuehong's sincerity and an unspoken defense of Zhao Jin.
Qi Juanjuan's apology was clearly more about Zhao Lei. As long as Qi Yuehong didn't marry Zhao Lei, she was certainly willing to apologize.
At this moment, hearing Qi Yuehong ask her to apologize to Zhao Jin on the grounds that she had confronted Zhao Jin... honestly, Qi Juanjuan did not agree with it.
However, if she didn't apologize and Qi Yuehong became unhappy and went after Zhao Lei again, who would she turn to for comfort?
Thinking this way, Qi Juanjuan immediately did as Qi Yuehong wished, turning around and giving a deep bow to Zhao Jin: "Sister-in-law, I was wrong just now; I apologize to you. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me. I'm sorry!"
Qi Juanjuan's voice was still quite loud. The sincerity she displayed at that moment convinced everyone present.
Zhao Jin had no intention of holding a grudge against Qi Juanjuan. Hearing her apology took her by surprise, but she accepted it.
"It's fine." Waving her hand, since the bottom line hadn't been crossed, Zhao Jin casually brushed off the matter.
After all, Qi Yuehong didn't like Zhao Lei either; if Qi Yuehong liked Zhao Lei so much, then let her "take" him.
Just like the conflict between her and Zhao Ying'er back then—Zhao Ying'er wanted to marry Wu Feng; if she wanted to marry him, then so be it. She had no objections and felt no significant anger or resentment.
In fact, Zhao Jingang never intended to hold a grudge against Qi Juanjuan. Otherwise, how could Qi Juanjuan have stood there unharmed all this time?
Cheng Fangfang was certainly pleased with the scene before her.
Seeing Qi Juanjuan apologize, Zhao Jin shook her head, and Cheng Fangfang immediately beamed with joy. Without waiting for anyone else to speak, she pushed Qi Juanjuan: "What are you standing here for, you little brat? Hurry up and go help your grandma and Aunt in the kitchen."
Undoubtedly, Cheng Fangfang wanted to take this opportunity to mend fences with Qi Zheng's Family.
She had been waiting for so long and had considered other methods, but none of them were satisfactory. Now that there was a breakthrough with Qi Juanjuan, Cheng Fangfang was genuinely overjoyed and eager to take it further.
However, Cheng Fangfang was indeed thinking too much.
Zhao Jin not holding a grudge against Qi Juanjuan was ultimately because Qi Yuehong and Zhao Lei were indeed not a possibility. It had nothing to do with whether Qi Juanjuan caused trouble or not; it was a predetermined fact.
If Qi Juanjuan had set her sights on Qi Yuehong's intended partner or official boyfriend, Zhao Jin would have long since kicked Qi Juanjuan out of the Qi Family's door.
As for using this opportunity to reconcile with Qi Erzhu's family, Zhao Jin still maintained that she didn't care; it all depended on the attitude of Qi Zheng's Family.
However, because Zhao Jin remained silent, no one from Qi Zheng's Family truly intended to continue interacting with Qi Erzhu's family.
For instance, at this moment, as Qi Juanjuan hesitated for quite a while and finally reluctantly turned to head towards the kitchen of Qi Zheng's Family, Grandma Qi, who looked quite displeased, simply waved her hand decisively and refused: "We can manage just fine on our own."
Grandma Qi hadn't planned on showing anyone a sour face today. After all, it was the first time back in a long while and also Qi Yuehong's graduation banquet; everything was festive, and Grandma Qi was feeling quite happy!
Who would have thought that an unwelcome presence like Qi Juanjuan would suddenly pop up? As for Cheng Fangfang, Grandma Qi welcomed her even less and wished she could just kick both mother and daughter out.
In such a mood, how could Grandma Qi possibly agree to let Qi Juanjuan into the kitchen to help?
To put it bluntly, their family didn't need someone as significant as Qi Juanjuan.
Moreover, they truly didn't lack manpower.
"It's fine, it's fine. Juanjuan is family too! Mom, don't stop her; let her do a bit more," while Grandma Qi was rejecting her, Cheng Fangfang was eager to push Qi Juanjuan forward again.
This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; she didn't want to miss anything.
Thinking this way, Cheng Fangfang couldn't help but complain about Qi Juanjuan a few times.
Such an obvious opportunity to climb up the ladder, yet Qi Juanjuan was completely unmotivated, looking reluctant. Who was she putting on a show for?
If it were Tingting, she definitely wouldn't be so oblivious...
Thinking of Qi Tingting, Cheng Fangfang quickly stopped herself.
After all, Cheng Fangfang still had Qi Tingting on her mind. Some things and some moments could only be better understood by Qi Tingting. When it came to Qi Juanjuan, she always ended up feeling both angry and frustrated because of her dullness.
Qi Juanjuan also felt quite irritated.
Their family was not close to Uncle's family at all. Now that Grandma had clearly stated that she wouldn't let her help, her mom still insisted on pushing her into the kitchen. Wasn't that just creating trouble?
It wasn't like they didn't know she wasn't good at cooking; even if she went in, she'd just embarrass herself with her clumsiness. Not to mention Uncle's family's attitude towards her; they would definitely nitpick everything. Her mom didn't care about her at all and only thought about those trivial matters!
That's right. Because Cheng Fangfang was being too obvious. Even Qi Juanjuan could see through Cheng Fangfang's intentions.
Wasn't it just to please Qi Zheng's family? If her mom really had that intention, couldn't she just do it herself? Instead of constantly pushing her, it was so annoying!
With such feelings, Qi Juanjuan wished Grandma Qi would keep her out. The kitchen wasn't a good place; it was full of grease and smelled terrible.
Look at Zhao Jin; she didn't need to go into the kitchen. Dressed beautifully, standing outside, how impressive!
Whether Zhao Jin was impressive or not had nothing to do with Qi Juanjuan. However, Qi Juanjuan's thoughts were easily realized.
Grandma Qi had no intention of letting Qi Juanjuan into the kitchen and didn't give Cheng Fangfang a chance to say anything more before turning and going inside. Along the way, she closed the kitchen door behind her.
Well then, Grandma Qi's rejection was so obvious that Qi Juanjuan couldn't help but smile.
"Mom, I'm going home now." After saying this, Qi Juanjuan ignored Cheng Fangfang's ugly expression and turned around to skip away.
If she took one more step, her mother would definitely catch her. So, it was better to leave early.
Watching Qi Juanjuan walk away, Zhao Jin felt quite pleased. Then, she looked at Cheng Fangfang and asked, "Aunt, aren't you leaving too?"
"Why should I leave? Today, our Yuehong has topped the exam, and as her dear aunt, I specially came to congratulate her. Look, I even brought a pot of meat!" Finally able to show off this pot of meat, Cheng Fangfang proudly raised the pot in her hand and smiled.
"Eh? Aunt isn't here to take Juanjuan home?" Zhao Jin guessed that Cheng Fangfang wouldn't leave easily. However, she didn't expect that Cheng Fangfang would actually go all out and bring a pot of pork.
It should be noted that Cheng Fangfang had always been stingy. Not just a pot of meat; Zhao Jin had never seen even a piece of meat from Cheng Fangfang's hands.
However, now that Cheng Fangfang had brought this pot of meat, it surely meant she had bigger plans.
Otherwise, Zhao Jin absolutely wouldn't believe that Cheng Fangfang was simply here to deliver meat.
"Of course not." Cheng Fangfang shook her head firmly, her attitude very certain.
This was a great opportunity for her to perform, especially in front of so many villagers. Cheng Fangfang couldn't wait to regain some face and improve their family's long-standing poor image in the eyes of the fellow villagers.
Their family was generous too! It was just that they hadn't had the chance to show it before. Now everyone should open their eyes and see clearly; this was indeed a real pot of meat!
Cheng Fangfang's expression was too exaggerated for Qi Yuehong to bear. She silently rolled her eyes and turned to enter the kitchen.
As for Aunt, ha! She had her sister-in-law around!
Qi Yuehong had complete confidence in Zhao Jin. Their family was indeed led by the sister-in-law; this understanding had long been ingrained in everyone's minds.
So, whether or not they interacted with Second Uncle's family in the future would depend on what the sister-in-law said.
Qi Yuehong's thoughts were also shared by the other members of Qi Zheng's family. However, Zhao Jin was unaware of this.
Zhao Jin thought that regarding Qi Erzhu's family matters, she should be the kind who stays out of it. Little did she know that when she wasn't even aware of it, she had once again become the backbone of the Qi family.
Cheng Fangfang didn't think too much about it. Compared to Qi Zheng and the others, she actually preferred to interact with Zhao Jin.
There was no way around it; Zhao Jin's status in the Qi Zheng Family was too obvious. Cheng Fangfang just had to think a little, and she couldn't miss the opportunity to please Zhao Jin.
Thus, Cheng Fangfang was very willing to talk to Zhao Jin.
After all, she could constantly work hard to gain favor. Who knows, she might really make Zhao Jin happy?
Thinking that their family might soon move to City, Cheng Fangfang couldn't help but feel excited, unable to control her enthusiasm.
Zhao Jin didn't realize that Cheng Fangfang held her in such high regard, nor could she fathom Cheng Fangfang's intentions toward her. Just as she was about to turn and busy herself with something else, she was forcibly stopped by Cheng Fangfang.
"Hey, Jin, take a look. This plate of pork was specially prepared by Second Aunt for you. Doesn't it look delicious? Do you want to try some?" Cheng Fangfang was eager to please Zhao Jin, naturally showering her with compliments and flattery.
Unfortunately for Cheng Fangfang, her tactics were not effective; her flattery did not hit the mark. Right from the start, Zhao Jin shot her down.
"There's no need for Second Aunt to go through the trouble; we have everything prepared at home." As for trying some? Zhao Jin smirked; that was even less necessary.
These days, everyone's lives were gradually improving. The Qi Zheng Family was thriving and doing exceptionally well. Zhao Jin certainly wasn't craving this piece of meat and wouldn't make such a display in public.
Cheng Fangfang didn't expect to win over Zhao Jin immediately. If Zhao Jin were that easy to please, she wouldn't be standing there at that moment.
Having mentally prepared herself, Cheng Fangfang wasn't anxious or greatly discouraged; she thought that if this time didn't work out, there would always be next time—there would surely be a moment of success.
Thus, Cheng Fangfang didn't press Zhao Jin to try a bite of the pork she made. She simply smiled warmly at Zhao Jin and moved aside with great awareness.
Everything has its limits. She could stop Zhao Jin once, but if she tried again, Zhao Jin might get annoyed with her.
With the mindset of fishing for big catches over time, Cheng Fangfang immediately took the plate and prepared to find Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju to show off.
Zhao Jin had never experienced hardship; whether in her Maternal Family or now after marrying into the Qi Family, life had not been too tough for her. Naturally, she wouldn't have much of a reaction to this plate of pork.
However, even with Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju replaced, Cheng Fangfang still felt confident that she could come away with something.
Zhao Jin did not stop Cheng Fangfang from entering the kitchen. To her, Qi Erzhu was Grandma Qi's biological son, and that was a fact that no one could change. If Grandma Qi wanted to reconnect with Qi Erzhu's family, that was understandable.
Therefore, Zhao Jin merely glanced at Cheng Fangfang as she headed toward the kitchen and did not inquire further.
With so many guests at home today, she was busy enough and really didn't have the time to entertain Cheng Fangfang's antics.
Moreover, it was about time; her precious daughter would likely start crying for her mother soon. If she didn't go check on her, her Sister-in-law's Family and Second Sister-in-law might not be able to handle it.
Thus, Zhao Jin truly ignored Cheng Fangfang and busied herself with her own tasks.
In the yard, many friends and relatives were seated. Although they witnessed a scene that wasn't particularly exciting, they remained quite calm.
There was no way around it. To them, Qi Erzhu's family was simply known for causing trouble. If Qi Erzhu's family wasn't causing a ruckus, these Villagers would find it strange! Meanwhile, Cheng Fangfang successfully entered the kitchen, smiling as she presented a whole bowl of pork in front of Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju, shaking it slightly: "Mother, Sister-in-law, look here! This is a good thing. To save you some trouble, I specially prepared this at home before bringing it over."
"How about that? Not bad, right? I started early this morning; the flavor is definitely..."
If Cheng Fangfang had brought this bowl of meat during the time when Qi Zheng's Family was struggling, even if it were just a plate instead of a whole bowl, she would have undoubtedly received gratitude from Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju.
At that time, there would have been no need for Cheng Fangfang to show off; she would have been considered a great benefactor to Qi Zheng's Family. The entire Qi Family would remember her kindness.
However, now that Cheng Fangfang was trying to add embellishment by bringing over a bowl of meat, it was simply too late.
The current Qi Zheng's Family had the financial means to move to the City; how could they possibly lack for Cheng Fangfang's bowl of meat?
"No need to bring it over. Since you made it, just keep it at your own home; your family can eat it," Grandma Qi immediately rejected Cheng Fangfang's offering with an attitude identical to Zhao Jin's.
Zhou Ju nodded in agreement from the side: "Yes, Second Sister-in-law, you should take it back! Our family has bought plenty of meat this time; we have enough for the banquet."
Cheng Fangfang did not expect that her bowl of pork would be rejected when she brought it to the Qi Zheng Family.
When did pork become so unpopular? Clearly, she chose only good meat and didn't deliberately buy some inferior, unwanted pork to pass off as decent...
Cheng Fangfang believed that what she did today was very proper and respectful towards Qi Zheng's Family. Who would have thought that this family was so unyielding? A perfectly good bowl of pork was placed in front of them, yet they looked down on it! Pressing her lips together, Cheng Fangfang's expression changed slightly: "I made a full bowl; how could I take it back home to eat myself? It would spoil before I even had two meals. Wouldn't that be a huge loss? Besides, this is prepared for our family's banquet to entertain guests, and it's my heartfelt gesture as Second Aunt towards Yuehong for being able to get into university. Why do Mother and Sister-in-law have to shut me out? Aren't we all surnamed Qi? Aren't we family?"
"Just because we are family, we need to be clear about boundaries. We wouldn’t want to take advantage of you and feel guilty about it, would we?" Cheng Fangfang intended to play the emotional card. However, Grandma Qi was completely uncooperative. "If you really have good intentions, then just bring over the raw meat directly. We are willing to accept your goodwill as a matter of mutual friendship. But if our family has already prepared everything, then there’s no need for you to go through the extra trouble. By deliberately cooking the pork and bringing it over to tell us, what do you think your intentions are? Do you really need me to remind you?" Grandma Qi hadn’t intended to be so blunt. However, since Cheng Fangfang clearly wasn’t getting the hint, Grandma Qi decided to speak plainly.
To this day, Grandma Qi truly didn’t care about Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang being able to turn over a new leaf.
Because her heart had already grown cold, even if Qi Erzhu and Cheng Fangfang genuinely wanted to show filial piety towards her as their mother now, Grandma Qi would not be swayed.
Now Grandma Qi was very clear about her thoughts and felt content. As for sons, she had enough with Qi Dayong and Qi Feng. As for daughters-in-law, aside from Cheng Fangfang, she was quite satisfied with the others.
Hearing Grandma Qi lay bare her thoughts and directly poke at her intentions, Cheng Fangfang couldn’t help but feel anxious.
She truly came today with the intention of making peace and didn’t want to stir up any more trouble. Not only did she fail to please Grandma Qi, but she also ended up offending the elder. Thus, under Grandma Qi's furious gaze, Cheng Fangfang hurriedly began to apologize: "Mother, I meant no offense. I just thought you must be very busy today with all the dishes needing to be cooked in the kitchen. That’s why I didn’t inform you in advance and took it upon myself. If you're angry, I won’t dare next time! Just this once, please don’t be mad at me, okay?"
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