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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
Grandma Zhao is really good at adding drama for herself. Just based on a single sentence from Zhao Jin, she immediately filled in a lot of details in her mind and even began to fantasize about how happy her life would be once she moved to the City.
However, in reality, Zhao Jin had no intention of moving Grandma Zhao to the City, let alone living under the same roof with her.
She wasn't an idiot and had no plans to torture herself by willingly seeking out trouble.
As for Grandma Zhao's little schemes, sorry, but she wasn't going to play along. If Grandma Zhao was truly capable, she should just work hard to save money and move to the City herself instead of relying on others.
Especially expecting help from those who were not even close to Grandma Zhao.
Thus, under Grandma Zhao's expectant gaze, Zhao Jin looked confused and bewildered: "When did Grandma separate from Fourth Uncle's family? I didn't hear anything! Isn't Grandma living well with Fourth Uncle's family? Why suddenly not anymore?"
It was obvious how much Grandma Zhao protected Zhao Guofu's family. Zhao Jin completely did not believe that Grandma Zhao would genuinely want to separate from them.
She feared that Grandma Zhao was still thinking about how to scheme against their family and then drag Zhao Guofu's family to the City!
Zhao Jin had no hesitation in guessing Grandma Zhao's plans and thoughts.
"I..." In order to move to the City, Grandma Zhao instinctively wanted to speak ill of Zhao Guofu's family. But just as the words were on her lips, she stopped herself.
After all, Zhao Guofu's family had been her relatives for most of her life. Whether it was Zhao Guofu or Zhao Lei, even Chen Cui, Grandma Zhao cared about them deeply and would instinctively defend them.
Therefore, suddenly having to speak poorly of Zhao Guofu's family left Grandma Zhao at a loss for words.
Choking on her own saliva, Grandma Zhao began to cough awkwardly.
Deserved it! Both Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui, who were watching from the side, couldn't help but feel this way.
It was indeed deserved! Who told Grandma Zhao to try to curry favor with Zhao Jin's family while also stepping on them a few times? She should have been afraid that when she ultimately couldn't move to the City and had to come back to live with them, it would be uncomfortable for her!
In truth, Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui both knew very well that sending Grandma Zhao to the City would be greatly beneficial for them.
With Grandma Zhao's knack for causing trouble, it wouldn't be surprising if their family could also move to the City in just a couple of months.
However, they hadn't moved to the City yet! Who could guarantee what life would be like in the future?
Take Zhao Guoqiang's family, for instance. Before they truly reached this point, who could have imagined that they would one day become so prosperous?
If only they had had this foresight earlier, without needing Grandma Zhao's reminders and interventions, Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui would have already tightly clung to Zhao Guoqiang as a big tree.
After all, life is unpredictable; changes can happen overnight, and no one can foresee how quickly things can change. Moreover, Grandma Zhao hadn't discussed this matter with them before coming. Or perhaps the atmosphere in their home had been too tense and poor lately. As a result, trust among them had long since vanished, and even the slightest disturbance could awaken everyone's attention and touch on their sensitive points.
Previously, Chen Cui had even pretended to shout about wanting to separate from Grandma Zhao! At that time, she was full of confidence that sending Grandma Zhao away would eventually lead her to better days.
But now, Chen Cui no longer thought that way.
What if Grandma Zhao really became successful and kicked them out? They wouldn't even know where to cry.
At present, Chen Cui was quite clear about her thoughts. Either they all go to the City together or none of them should go. If she and Zhao Guofu couldn't go to the City, then neither should Grandfather Zhao nor Grandma Zhao.
Share blessings together and face difficulties together!
Like Chen Cui, Zhao Guofu is also feeling quite unbalanced.
In fact, he knows very well that compared to his two older brothers, he has already benefited greatly from Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao. Whenever there are any advantages at home, they undoubtedly go to him. Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao have no reservations about him as their son.
However, it is precisely because he has become accustomed to the various special treatments from Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao that Zhao Guofu feels increasingly entitled and believes that Grandma Zhao's actions are inappropriate at this moment.
His mother wants to go to City; fine. But she must take their whole family along! Otherwise, is she just going to move to City and enjoy herself? Doesn't she think the beds in City are too soft for a good night's sleep?
Pouting, both Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui feel a sense of unwillingness in their hearts, which is clear even if they don't express it.
Grandma Zhao, however, is unaware of how Chen Cui and Zhao Guofu are currently complaining about her in their hearts. As for herself, Grandma Zhao is still trying hard to negotiate with Zhao Jin.
Grandfather Zhao naturally came along as well. In such a situation, he has a lot to say too, but he was preempted by Grandma Zhao.
For a while now, Grandma Zhao has been throwing tantrums at Grandfather Zhao, and her demeanor has not been pleasant. Grandfather Zhao is also annoyed and begins to have different thoughts in his mind.
Especially when Grandma Zhao frequently exclaims, "I can't live like this anymore," it provokes Grandfather Zhao so much that he wants to retort with, "Then don't live like this."
Grandfather Zhao knows very well that Grandma Zhao has been making a fuss for so long mainly because she wants to move with the eldest family to City; she doesn't really want to stop living with him or the fourth family.
However, human hearts are made of flesh. With someone like Grandma Zhao constantly digging at their hearts with a knife, not just the fourth family but even he, who has spent most of his life with Grandma Zhao, cannot help but start having thoughts of his own.
At this moment, it is indeed the case.
Furrowing his brows tightly, Grandfather Zhao glared at Grandma Zhao several times in displeasure, almost ready to rebut her unreasonable complaints.
Yet, Grandma Zhao remains completely oblivious and unaware.
Grandma Zhao was calculating very carefully and did not believe that her actions at this moment were wrong. She considered herself to be sacrificing for the greater good of their family's future. What was wrong with that?
Of course, when Grandma Zhao thought of "their family," she did not include Zhao Guoqiang's family, but specifically referred to Grandfather Zhao, Zhao Guofu, and others.
In other words, Grandma Zhao had always been concerned about Zhao Guofu's family. Her plan was to eventually bring Zhao Guofu and others to City.
By that time, their family would no longer have to look at Zhao Guoqiang's family's face or worry about pleasing the ungrateful Zhao Guoqiang family!
It was just a trip to City, yet she, as an elder, was almost forced to bow and scrape to Zhao Jin's family. How could Grandma Zhao not feel angry about that?
Zhao Jin, however, was unaware that in Grandma Zhao's eyes, she held the title of "ungrateful wolf."
Even if she knew, Zhao Jin would not care much.
To Zhao Jin, Grandma Zhao was merely a figurehead of a "grandmother." There were no feelings involved, nor any significant importance. No matter what Grandma Zhao did, it could not hurt Zhao Jin. This was simply because Zhao Jin fundamentally did not care about this "elder."
Disrespecting one's elders naturally meant one could never truly earn respect from them. To put it bluntly, Grandma Zhao's influence was far weaker than she imagined.
Thus, there was no need for Grandma Zhao to hold herself in such high regard. Otherwise, she would only end up more disappointed and cause even more trouble.
Compared to the inner turmoil of Grandma Zhao and others, Zhao Lei's emotions were fluctuating wildly and he felt unsettled.
Originally, Zhao Lei did not intend to come over.
After having an unpleasant argument with Qi Yuehong, he worried that showing up in front of her again would only make her dislike him more.
However, when it came time for Grandma Zhao and the others to leave, Zhao Lei could not resist and followed them anyway.
He wanted to take a few more glances at Qi Yuehong and secretly hoped that Grandma Zhao could successfully move to the City.
Only then would he have the chance to move to the City as well, which would allow him to have more interactions with Qi Yuehong and increase their contact.
After all, Zhao Lei still couldn't let go of his feelings for Qi Yuehong. Consequently, he also felt a bit of support for Grandma Zhao's actions.
Although Zhao Lei knew that his thoughts were quite shameless and that Grandma Zhao's actions were indeed not very appropriate, he couldn't say much or stop Grandma Zhao from acting.
With interests at stake, for the sake of his future with Qi Yuehong, Zhao Lei resolutely chose to stand by Grandma Zhao's side.
Faced with a group of so-called "relatives" with ulterior motives, Zhao Jin was truly uninterested and had no intention of backing down or compromising.
Therefore, even if Grandma Zhao's words were persuasive, they were ultimately of little use.
When Qi Zheng came over holding Duo Duo, Grandma Zhao was still tirelessly pestering Zhao Jin, hoping that he would relent.
Duo Duo was the precious daughter of Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin. So far, she was also the only girl in the next generation of the Qi Family. Naturally, she was very popular and beloved among everyone in the Qi Family.
Qi Zheng brought Duo Duo over not to intentionally interrupt Grandma Zhao's plans but because Duo Duo was hungry and wanted to find her mother. Qi Zheng naturally wouldn't delay and came over.
Upon seeing Duo Duo, Zhao Jin's tense expression softened into a smile. He took Duo Duo in his arms and turned to go back inside to feed her.
"Hey, Zhao Jin!" Before achieving her goal, Grandma Zhao was not going to easily compromise. Regardless of whether the child was hungry or not, she blocked Zhao Jin's way.
At the same time, Grandma Zhao didn't forget to feign affection as she reached out to touch Duo Duo's face: "Ah, is this the little girl? She's really adorable, fair-skinned and beautiful!"
Unfortunately, Grandma Zhao didn't know the child's name, so she could only speak vaguely like this. As for her compliments, they were somewhat sincere. After all, Duo Duo was indeed very pretty and cute, especially endearing.
However, the praise from Grandma Zhao did not win Duo Duo's affection. Before Grandma Zhao's hand could touch Duo Duo's face, Duo Duo suddenly burst into loud tears.
The usually quiet girl cried out so suddenly that it startled Grandma Zhao.
Grandma Zhao almost gasped in surprise.
Fortunately, she managed to hold back. Otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing.
However, with Duo Duo's wailing, Grandma Zhao's expression didn't improve much either.
Because Duo Duo was crying, Zhao Jin immediately picked up the child and left without paying any more attention to Grandma Zhao.
Grandma Zhao wanted to stop Zhao Jin again, but Qi Zheng blocked her with a cold face.
Facing Qi Zheng, Grandma Zhao felt a bit guilty and uncontrollable. More than that, she was overwhelmed with fear and trepidation.
She felt that if she let her guard down even slightly, it would result in Qi Zheng hitting her.
She understood what Qi Zheng had done to give her such a profound illusion. However, there was no denying that Qi Zheng's powerful deterrent was quite effective.
At the very least, upon seeing Qi Zheng for the first time, Grandma Zhao immediately shrank back and dared not act as recklessly as before.
By this point, Zhao Jin had successfully entered the room with Duo Duo in his arms, and naturally, Grandma Zhao could no longer cling to him to continue playing the emotional card.
Of course, if Grandma Zhao had a strong enough mental capacity, she could have talked to Qi Zheng. After all, Qi Zheng was fully capable of being in charge.
However, Grandma Zhao did not have that kind of courage. Bathed in Qi Zheng's icy gaze, she could only obediently stand aside.
As Grandma Zhao was about to face defeat, Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui were extremely anxious. They wished they could rush over and give Grandma Zhao a strong push, urging her to work harder and put in more effort.
However, it was undeniable that the couple was also afraid of Qi Zheng.
Under such circumstances, no matter how many thoughts and ideas they had, Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui dared not act on them.
Exchanging a glance, in their impatience, Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui could only shift their focus to Grandfather Zhao.
Grandfather Zhao noticed the anxious looks from Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui. However, given the current situation, he was somewhat at a loss about what to do.
He definitely wanted to express his stance. But to confront Qi Zheng? Grandfather Zhao averted his gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
What surprised Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui was that even Grandfather Zhao was afraid of Qi Zheng. In their eyes, Grandfather Zhao was usually quite formidable. At the very least, he shouldn't be intimidated by someone like Qi Zheng.
Yet the reality was that Grandfather Zhao indeed feared Qi Zheng.
Perhaps it was because of Qi Zheng's overwhelming presence, or maybe it was because he saw the shadow of Great-Grandfather Qi in him. Regardless, whenever he faced Qi Zheng, Grandfather Zhao would subconsciously feel uneasy.
He felt a twinge of guilt towards Qi Zheng.
Logically speaking, Grandfather Zhao acknowledged the explanation that Qi Zheng had provided back then. Even though there was indeed a marriage agreement between the Qi Family and the Zhao Family, it certainly couldn't have been set for Qi Zheng. At most, it would have been for Qi Ze.
However, throughout this entire affair, it had always been about Qi Zheng's marriage rather than that of Qi Ze. The reason was simple: it revolved around the bride price that Qi Zheng had given to Zhao Jin, as well as the money he earned from his woodworking skills afterward.
Even today, standing in the yard of the Qi Family, they had come with the intention of moving to City. Deep down, they knew they were in the wrong and should not have acted this way.
Unlike Grandma Zhao, who had a thick skin and could pretend nothing had happened while causing a ruckus with Zhao Jin, Grandfather Zhao did not possess such qualities.
Standing in front of Qi Zheng, Grandfather Zhao felt as if all their schemes and plans had been seen through by Qi Zheng.
As a result, Grandfather Zhao's confidence was particularly lacking, which diminished the imposing presence he once had.
Grandfather Zhao's silence left Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui feeling disappointed. In their minds, they had always believed that even without Grandma Zhao, Grandfather Zhao would still support them from behind. No matter the situation, they felt they had a strong backing.
However, the current situation seemed far from what they had envisioned. At least in this instance, Grandfather Zhao could not match the relentless persistence of Grandma Zhao.
No matter what, Grandma Zhao would at least go and stir things up with Zhao Jin. Regardless of whether it succeeded or not, Grandma Zhao had made an effort.
But what was Grandfather Zhao doing at this moment?
With such thoughts, both Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui felt their hearts sink further. Why did it feel so unsettling? Could it be that they were going to return empty-handed once again?
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